372 Oology, 



frequent flowers not for their honey, but to prey upon the insects which 

 are in pursuit of this honey. Were the requisite scrutiny gone into, it is 

 probable that we should find all Latham*s " Flower- eaters" (Anthophagi) 

 and Temminck*s Nectariniae exclusively feeding on insects. — J. Hennie. 



Mechanism of the Neck in Birds. — The contrivance by which the spine of 

 animals is rendered susceptible of varied motion, is by means of a strong chain 

 of bones (vertebrae), locked together by means of knobs and projections to 

 prevent dislocation, a chain which stretches from the head to the extre- 

 mity of the tail. Every body must have remarked, that in birds the neck 

 is more capable of varied motion than in quadrupeds ; but it is not so com- 

 monly known, that this can be accounted for from the greater numbef of 

 bones, and consequently, of joints, in the necks of birds. Except in the 

 three-toed sloth, indeed, the bones in the neck of quadrupeds and of man are 

 uniformly seven in number, the short-necked mole having the same as the 

 long-necked giraffe j in birds, the number is never less than nine, and va- 

 ries from that to twenty-four : facts, which, we think, are as interesting as 

 they are curious. — Id. . 



Varieties of Trout. — The late Professor Jurine, in his interesting History 

 of the Fishes of the Lake of Geneva, has attempted to show that what are 

 reckoned different species or varieties of trout (*Salmo Trutta and S. jF^rio), 

 and known under various names, such as the common trout, the salmon trout, 

 the lake trout, the river trout, the Alpine trout, &c.,are all referable to differ- 

 ence of sex, age, season, the nature of the waters, food, light, &c. The dis- 

 tinctive marks taken from the prolongation of the under jaw beyond the 

 upper, the colour of the flesh, of the skin, with the size and shade of the 

 spots, the form of the tail, &c., he found not to be permanent, and there- 

 fore not to be depended upon. (Mem, de la Soc. de Physique etd'Hist. Nat. 

 de Geneve.) 



Migration of Fish. — The beluga (Accip^nser Huso\ though an inhabitant 

 of the Black Sea, is often caught at Presburg, 500 German miles from the 

 mouth of the Danube. What shows that the migration is not solely for 

 spawning is, that at the migrating season rivers abound in shoals of young 

 fish incapable of spawning. May it not be, that the beluga swims against 

 the stream to free itself from animalcula infesting the head ? {Taubo Bes- 

 chreibung von Slavonien, i. 29.) The salmon, Pennant tells us, is obliged to 

 quit the sea to rid himself of the Lernae'ae ^almoneaei. * and Dr. An- 

 derson says they are driven back from the fresh water by another species 

 of vermin. 



^ Alligators swallowing Stones. — It is well known that many species of 

 birds swallow small stones, for the purpose, as is supposed, of aiding diges- 

 tion ; but it is, we believe, an anomaly amongst other orders of animals. 

 The following notice, accordingly, struck us as singular, if not incredible. 

 The Indians on the banks of the Oronoko assert that, previously to an alli- 

 gator going in search of prey, it always swallows a large stone, that it may 

 acquire additional weight to aid it in diving and dragging its victims under 

 water. The author being somewhat incredulous upon this point (how 

 could he be otherwise ?), Bolivar, to convince him, shot several with his 

 rifle, and in all of them were found stones, varying in weight according to 

 the size of the animal. The largest killed was about 1 7 ft. in length, and 

 had within him a stone weighing about 60 or 70 lbs. The author, however, 

 still remains sceptical (very properly, we think), and has some doubts whe- 

 ther these stones are not calculi secreted in the stomach ! ! I (See Recol- 

 lections of Venezuela and Colombia, by an Officer of the Colombian Navy.) 



Charming of Serpents. — Stedman, in his Expedition to Surinam, describes 

 certain sibyls among the negroes, who, together with other singular prac- 

 tices, can charm or conjure down from trees certain species of serpents, 

 which will wreathe about the arms, neck, and breast of the pretended sor- 

 ceress, listening to her voice ; and nothing, as he adds, is more notorious. 



