reason whatever; and because I have no doubt that a partridge's egg would be more manageable than a fowl's egg; and that if the hen partridge should by chance be near, and endeavour to defend her nest, she would be herself demolished by the plunderer, as easily as a ringdove or a young turkey.-J. C. Atkinson; Hutton, Berwick-on-Tweed, October 26, 1844.

Proceedings of the British Association for the advancement of Science. ber 25, 1844. From the "Athenæum" of September 28.

York, Septem

"On

THE Secretary, Dr. Lankester, commenced proceedings by reading a paper the Periodical Birds observed in the years 1843 and 1844, near Llanrwst, Denbighshire, North Wales," by John Blackwall, Esq., F.L.S.-This was a continuation of the author's former observations on the same subject, which were commenced at the suggestion of the British Association, in order that extensive tables of the period of the arrival and disappearance of animals, and other periodic phenomena in the organic kingdom, might be obtained.

Mr Arthur Strickland, of Burlington, observed that a single paper could not afford matter for inference. The period of appearance and disappearance of birds is very uncertain.

A paper was read by Mr. J. Hogg, on the Ornithology of a portion of the North of England, entitled "A Catalogue of the Birds observed in South-East Durham and North-West Cleveland."-The author entered into an extended view of the habits of many of the species, and made remarks upon the nomenclature of some of our British authors. He also proposed some modification in the classification of birds, adopting some of the families of Cuvier as additional tribes, incorporating at the same time with them the greater part of the families adopted by our English ornithologists. The number of species contained in the catalogue amounted to 210.

The President, the Very Rev. the Dean of Manchester, observed, that as the author had referred to some remarks of his on the Willow-wrens, he could state that he believed that there were four British species, two of which were well known, and two more obscure. There was first the Sylvia Trochilus, which breeds on the ground, and builds its nest on heaths, and even in strawberry beds; secondly, wood-wrens, which were found in woods; thirdly, the Sylvia rufa, which occurred in his own parish, in Yorkshire; fourthly, a bird called the chiffchaff, but confounded with the last, but which he called the Sylvia loquax. This is very common in Yorkshire. Why they are not distinguished is, that the young birds have a brighter plumage than the old Another bird mentioned by Mr. Hogg, the whinchat, was frequently called grasschat in Yorkshire, and followed the mowers during haymaking. The godwit had been mentioned: it had a long bill, and it was generally supposed that birds with long bills lived by suction; but this was not the case with the godwit, as it fed voraciously and flourished upon barley. It could not drink in deep water, but was always obliged to have recourse to the edge of a stream to drink.

ones.

Abstract of a paper "On the Flight of Birds," by T. Allis.-Birds require the centre of gravity to be placed immediately over the axis of motion for walking, and beneath it when flying; when suspended in the air, their bodies naturally fall into that position which throws the centre of gravity beneath the wings. The axis of motion being situated in a different place in the line of the body when walking, from that which is

used when flying, the discrepancy requires to be compensated by some means in all birds, in order to enable them to perform flight with ease. Raptorial birds take a horizontal position when suspended in the air, and the compensating power consists in their taking a more or less erect position when at rest. Another class, including the woodpeckers, wagtails, &c., take an oblique position in the air: with these the compensating power consists in their cleaving and passing through the air at an angle coincident with the position of the body, and performing flight by a series of curves or saltations. Natatorial birds sometimes need very extended flight; they take a very oblique position in the air; they have the ribs greatly lengthened, the integuments of the abdomen are long and flexible, which enables them greatly to enlarge the abdominal portion of their body by inflating it with air; this causes a decrease in the specific gravity of that part, and raises it to a horizontal position. The compensating power consists in the posterior half of the body becoming specifically lighter, while the specific gravity of the anterior half remains unaltered.

This paper was illustrated by the skeletons of several birds.

Mr. A. Strickland, observing the guillemot upon the table, stated, that, although this bird had the power of flying over the sea, it could not over the land.-Mr. H. E. Strickland had, originally, doubted this fact, but, from experiments he had made on the east coast of Yorkshire, he could confirm the statement of Mr. A. Strickland. He believed this fact had never been noticed by ornithologists.-Mr. R. Ball, of Dublin, stated that he had appended a note, to the effect that the guillemot could not fly on land, in a paper which had been published about eight days, by the Irish Archæological Society.

Note on the Honey Buzzard. I beg to send you notice of a Honey Buzzard (fig. 7), killed near Yarmouth, towards the end of last month. It appears to form a link

between Nos. 1 and 2 of those figured at page 375 of The Zoologist.' The predominating colour of this bird is a light brown, rather darker on the back. The feathers

round the neck, and also on the breast and thighs, have dark margins. The quill feathers are black, the secondaries dark brown, the tertials rather lighter, and in both of these last, as well as on the wing-coverts, may be seen in the lighter tint of the tips of the feathers, the commencement of the change which gives the bird the appearance of figure 2. These parts of the bird also exhibit, on being turned to the light, a beautiful purple gloss. The feathers of the back have black shafts, and are darker in the centre than at the margins. The tail of this specimen has acquired the tip of light yellow, which therefore appears to be assumed very shortly after the bird loses the dark hue of figure 1. It is also barred like the others. The cere and legs were of a pale yellow, the irides grey. The stomach contained the remains of bees, and a quantity of moss, which probably formed part of the bees' nest.-William R. Fisher; Great Yarmouth, October 24, 1844.

Note on the Hooting of the Barn Owl. I see that Mr. Waterton, in the continuation of his Autobiography, prefixed to the second series of his Essays, is again facetious at the expense of Sir William Jardine, for asserting that the barn owl hoots. "In Scotland Sir William Jardine's barn owl is known to hoot; but here, in Yorkshire, this species of owl can do no such thing." Now, if" hearing be believing," I must claim for the Oxford owls, even at the risk of drawing on myself the shafts of Mr. Waterton's wit, the possession of the same accomplishment as their brethren of the modern Athens. It is not frequently heard, nor is it a long, loud, continued hoot, like that of the brown owl; but occasionally, the usual screech is suddenly interrupted, and succeeded by a single short, croaking, half-choked hoot, as if the barn owl was making an abortive attempt to imitate the note of its congener. Mr. Yarrell cautiously states that "the barn owl screeches, but does not generally hoot," and so far I agree with him; but that it does occasionally hoot, I will maintain even against so redoubted a champion as the Squire of Walton Hall.-F. Holme; Penzance, October 21, 1844. Note on the occurrence of the Roller in Cornwall. A female specimen of the Roller was shot between the Land's End and St. Sevan's, on the 8th of the present month, the day preceding the late severe gale, and is now in the possession of E. H. Rodd, Esq., of Penzance. It is apparently a bird of the second year, as some of the tail feathers were imperfectly developed, and it presented other marks of the adult plumage not being complete. It was extremely fat, and in good condition: the stomach was filled with the remains of Geotrupes stercorarius. The countryman who shot it could give no account of its manners, note &c.—Id.

Note on the Occurrence of the Black Grouse at Elvedon. On Saturday, October 12, a female of the black grouse (Tetrao tetrix), was picked up dead, at Elvedon, in the mouth of a rabbit-hole. A male bird of this species was seen in an adjoining parish, in the first week of September. I believe this is the first instance of this bird being found in Suffolk.-Alfred Newton; Stetchworth Vicarage, October 22, 1844.

Note on the Water-rail. I observe in your September number two articles on the habits of the Water-rail, the one (Zool. 669), expressing a doubt as to whether they breed here, the other (Zool. 669), as to whether they remain here during the winter. With regard to the first, I had the eggs brought to me last May; they had been found, I believe, on Luy fen, at any rate, not far from this town. With regard to the second, I have, in different years, killed as many as a dozen. On one occasion, I observed one on the only unfrozen patch of water on the fen, which was about double the size of this sheet of paper. I was about ten yards off, concealed by a turfstack, and observed its motions, (which were those of a moorhen,) for some time, and at last left it

undisturbed, thinking that to shoot it would be a poor return for my lesson in Ornithology.-Henry T. Frere; Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, October 24, 1844.

Note on the Great Northern Diver. An example of this bird was brought to me this afternoon, in its adult summer plumage, and previous to the assumption, or rather development of any portion of its winter plumage. In the former state of plumage this bird is seldom met with on our southern shores, but in its winter plumage, it is of much more frequent occurrence: this remark applies to the two other species of Colymbus, especially the C. septentrionalis. I am much inclined to think that the various authors who designate the summer livery of this bird as the adult, without reference to the season, have come to their conclusion, from the circumstance of the birds not having changed their plumage at a period of the autumn when most birds have completed their moult, and have consequently, and very naturally concluded, that the summer adult plumage is retained by the old birds perennially. It may be worth recording, that on examining the under plumage of the above specimen throughout, a mass of new feathers presented themselves from the head to the tail, which would, in all probability, have eclipsed its present plumage iu one week. All these feathers presented the same cinereous hue as characterizes the young and the winter plumage, and not a single white tip or spot was discernible on any of the new feathers. Thus, it appears most probable, that in this, as well as in the other two Colymbi, the general moult takes place at a late period of the autumn. The birds that I have repeatedly had occasion to examine in the early part of the autumn, and which were without the white dorsal spots, have always shown unequivocal marks of their being young birds of the year. On dissection, the specimen above described proved to be a female; the Ovary was full of eggs, from the size of a pin's head downwards.-Edward Hearle Rodd; Penzance, October 21, 1844.

Note on the occurrence of Richardson's Skua at Great Yarmouth. A specimen of this bird, in that state of immature plumage in which it is known as the black-toed gull, has just occurred here.—William R. Fisher; Great Yarmouth, October 24, 1844.

Notes on the Nidification of Fishes.

By R. Q. COUCH, Esq., M.R.C.S.L.

THE subject of the following communication, though not of great importance, may be regarded as at least remarkably curious, being in a great measure hitherto unsuspected. We have been accustomed to look on the inhabitants of the deep as devoid of any thing like intelligence or affection; as beings guided solely by insatiable appetites, which lead them indiscriminately to prey on each other, and to abandon their offspring to the mercy of the sea and their predatory companions, from the instant that the ova are shed. Any attempt to dispel this opinion will probably be received with distrust; for taken as a whole, fish are certainly the most universally predacious of any class of animals in existence; being checked only by want of power. But notwithstanding this, some, at least, have a redeeming quality,

and show a remarkable care and anxiety for their young. Nests are built in which the ova are deposited, and over which the adult fish will watch till the young make their escape. And where circumstances will not allow of this continued care, as from the reflux of the sea, the old fish will return with the return of the tide, and remain as long as the water will permit.

During the summers of 1842 and 1843, while searching for the naked mollusks of the county, I occasionally discovered portions of sea-weed, and the common coralline (C. officinalis), hanging from the rocks in pear-shaped masses, variously intermingled with each other. On one occasion, having observed that the mass was very curiously bound together by a slender silky-looking thread, it was torn open, and the centre was found to be occupied by a mass of transparent amber-coloured ova, each being about the tenth of an inch in diameter. Though examined on the spot with a lens, nothing could be discovered to indicate their character. They were, however, kept in a basin, and daily supplied with sea-water, and eventually proved to be the young of some fish. The nest varies a great deal in size, but rarely exceeds six inches in length, or four inches in breadth. It is pear-shaped, and composed of sea-weed, or the common coralline, as they hang suspended from the rock. They are brought together, without being detached from their places of growth, by a delicate opaque white thread. This thread is highly elastic, and very much resembles silk, both in appearance and texture; this is brought round the plants, and tightly binds them together, plant after plant, till the ova, which are deposited early, are completely hid from view. This silk-like thread is passed in all directions through and around the mass in a very complicated manner. At first the thread is semi-fluid but by exposure it solidifies; and hence contracts and binds the substances, forming the nest so closely together, that it is able to withstand the violence of the sea, and may be thrown carelessly about without derangement. In the centre are deposited the ova, very similar to the masses of frog-spawn in ditches.

It is not necessary to enter into the minute particulars of the developement of the young, any further than by observing that they were the subject of observation, till they became excluded from the egg, and that they belonged to the fifteen-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus Spinachia). Some of these nests are formed in pools, and are consequently always in water; others are frequently to be found between tide marks, in situations where they hang dry for several hours during the day; but whether in the water, or liable to hang