Miscellaneous. 851 



OCCUERENCE OF AQUILA NiEVlA IN IRELAND. 



Clonmel, Oct. 7, 1845. 

 To Richard Taylor. 



Dear Friend, — At the request of my friend William Thompson 

 of Belfast, I write to inform thee of the occurrence in the south of 

 Ireland of an eagle new to these countries, Aquila neevia (Linn.). I 

 need enter into no description of the bird, as of course it is well-de- 

 scribed in works on continental ornithology, but will just remark, 

 that it is in the immature or spotted stage of plumage ; in contour it 

 closely resembles the golden eagle, but is much smaller. 



This specimen (which is now in my possession on loan) was shot 

 on the estate of the Earl of Shannon, and was in a fallow-field in the 

 act of devouring a rabbit at the time ; this was in 1st month (Jan.) 

 1845 ; and another said to be similarly marked, but of rather a lighter 

 colour, is stated to have been shot in the same place a few days be- 

 fore : both had been observed in the neighbourhood (between Castle- 

 martyr and Clay Castle near Youghal, co. Cork) for several weeks 

 previous, sweeping over the low grounds there. 



It at present belongs to my friend Samuel Moss of Youghal, who 

 had it from the gamekeeper who killed it, but I think it is probable 

 that before long it will be placed in the Museum of Trinity College, 

 Dublin. 



I have made a rough coloured drawing of it which I sent to Wm, 

 Yarrell *, with similar information to what this note contains. 



I am, thy friend, 



Robert Dairs, Jun. 



ON MOUNTING MINUTE ALG^ FOR THE MICROSCOPE. 



In describing the method pursued by Mr. Thwaites in the prepa- 

 ration of algee for microscopical observation, I stated that the cells 

 were made of gold-size. As this is however liable to be softened 

 and redissolved by the gold-size employed in fastening down the 

 piece of thin glass, he found it advisable to look out for some more 

 convenient substance. 



He now uses two compositions, one suitable for very shallow, and 

 the other for somewhat deeper cells. For the former he takes equal 

 measures of finely-powdered lamp-black and litharge ; a portion of 

 this is rubbed down with equal parts of gold-size and black japan, 

 and the cells immediately formed on the glass slides with a camel's 

 hair pencil. As the composition hardens very rapidly, the cells 

 should be made as quick as possible, and to save time and trouble, a 

 good many should be made at once. If the mixture becomes too 

 thick for use before all the intended cells have been made, a little 

 more gold-size may be rubbed down with it, and this may be repeated 

 if necessary, but the last-made cells will take longer drying than the 

 first. Before the walls are quite hard, they may be flattened by 

 pressing them with a piece of wet glass. If this is not done, it takes 



* For insertion in his 2nd edition of 'British Birds,' expected to appear 

 next month. 



