Vespertilio Noctula at Southampton. 597 



as compared with the more ancient deposits, that the above 

 remains belong only to land Testacea, no river shells having 

 been found among them. 

 Kensington, Aug. 23. 1836. 







A T7TTT C*J * n ' *• 9*fa I**, 



Art. VIII. Short Communications. 



orii 



Birds, — A Falco Haliaftus L. shot near Oxford. — "On 

 Saturday last, was shot, at Nuneham Park, the seat of G. G. 

 Harcourt, Esq., M.P. for this county, by W. Molyneux, the 

 gamekeeper, an osprey, or fishing eagle (Falco £/aliae v tus 

 Linn.). It is a bird seldom met with in these parts ; 

 though round the northern coasts of Ireland and Scotland 

 they are not unfrequently seen; where they wander from 

 foreign countries. Sea coasts are their favourite haunts, and 

 fish their chief prey; but, when their appetites are keen, they 

 do not hesitate to prey on any thing that may come within 

 their reach. Mr. Forrest of St. Aldate's, to whom the bird 

 was sent to be stuffed, describes it as being about three years 

 old, and just in full beauty of plumage. It measures 5 ft. 

 S in. from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other ; and 

 from the point of the beak to the end of the tail, 23 in." 

 (Oxford University, City, and County Herald, Sept. 24. 1836.) 



Feathers in the Gizzard of the Grebe. — I am really quite 

 ashamed that Mr. Loudon should have had to remind me 

 that I had not acknowledged Mr. T. Knox's very kind and 

 handsome communication on the feathers found in the giz- 

 zard of the grebe (and I can no longer doubt but they are 

 feathers), containing a specimen of these curiosities, which 

 was duly received, so far back as the 3d of July. Pressure 

 of business will, however, in some degree account for my 

 apparent neglect. On the 8th of September, I wrote to Mr. 

 Loudon, to acknowledge the receipt of the letter ; but this, it 

 appears, never reached Mr. L. — Neville Wood. Campsall 

 Hall, near Doncaster, Oct. 6. 1S36. 



Singular Capture of Vespertilio Noctula Gmelin, at South- 

 ampton. — A fine example of this species, measuring just 14 in. 

 in extent of wing (the Vespertilio altivolans of White), sud- 

 denly alighted between the neck and coat collar of an indivi- 

 dual who was walking along High Street, towards dusk, at 

 the end of July last. The poor gentleman's alarm was ex- 

 cessive, and had almost produced fainting ; when fortunately 

 a deaf and dumb person, who was passing at the moment, 

 perceiving the cause of so much consternation, coolly took 



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