462 Bibliographical Notices, 



tain countries are given as retired to during the season of incuba- 

 tion, but we fear, in most instances, without sufficient authority. 



Lesser Tern, St. minuta. Mr. Audubon gives the bird of America 

 under the foregoing name without comment. Mr. Nuttal places it 

 distinct as St. argentea, and the Prince of Musignano follows the 

 latter ornithologist, and keeps it also distinct. At present we can- 

 not judge of the correctness of these opinions ; the habits of the 

 birds in both continents seem extremely similar, and a curious fact 

 is mentioned regarding the structure of their nests. In the south- 

 ern and middle districts it scoops merely a slight hollow in the sand, 

 as it does in Britain, where we have seen the nests ; but on the 

 coast of Labrador they " form very snug nests," formed of dry moss 

 well matted together, and nearly as large as that of the American 

 Robin, T. migratorius. 



Little Sandpiper, Tringa pusilla, Wils. Under this title the Lit- 

 tle Sandpiper figured by Wilson, pi. 37, is described without any 

 European synonym ; and the whole small species mentioned by Tem- 

 minck and others are disclaimed as American, — an opinion counte- 

 nanced by that of Bonaparte, who has omitted them in his last com- 

 parative sketch ; we, however, yet think it requires investigation to 

 show that the European birds are not found in, or are not identical 

 with, that of America. The little bird in question was found breed- 

 ing abundantly on the moss- clad crests of the highest rocks on the 

 coast of Labrador, within a short distance of the sea. 



Solan Goose or Gannet, Sula Bassana, is considered by Mr. Au- 

 dubon as identical in America with the bird of the Bass-rock. The 

 Prince of Musignano, in his last work, gives it as different, under 

 the title of S. Americana, but has not mentioned the differences. 



Gooseander, Mergus Merganser. During the season of incuba- 

 tion closely resembles the Red-breasted species, M. Serrator, so 

 abundant on our northern lochs. The former has not yet been dis- 

 covered breeding in Britain ; but in America, the interior of the 

 states of New York, Massachusetts and Maine, are much frequented 

 by it. The nest is generally placed on a small island, is very large, 

 sometimes raised seven or eight inches on the top of a bed of all the 

 dead weeds which the bird can gather in the neighbourhood ; it is 

 rather neatly formed of fibrous roots, lined round the edge with the 

 down of the bird. The eggs seven or eight in number, and of a 

 uniform dull cream colour. 



Golden-Eye, Clangula vulgaris. The habits of this bird in Ame- 

 rica seem exactly similar to those which frequent the lochs and 

 streams of Britain during the winter ; and the fact of the species 



