•20 On the Natural History of part 



hawks,t and burrians ;% — a holland hawk weighs 14fb — the 

 bird called burrian, weighs 7 or 8 lb. and is speckled on the 

 back like a starling, belly and breast pure white. Some others 

 of the Ailsa birds are also got in the nets at all depths ; — one 

 is about the size of a pigeon,§ moves in the water with ex- 

 tended wings, always pushing his way forward, and thus gets 

 drowned. Herrings are occasionally taken in the wide cod 

 net, and also mackerel." Were these facts not amply attest- 

 ed, I must confess that I would be incredulous about the 

 depths which the gannet sounds ; but the information fur- 

 nished in writing, the truth of which, it is stated, may be im- 

 plicitly relied on, is precisely what was related to my friends, 

 and the singularity of which prompted my enquiry. The vi- 

 cinity of Ailsa Craig, the great breeding haunt of the gannet 

 in this quarter, must be recollected, in connection with what 

 is here related. 



Anglesea Morris. Leptocephalus Morrisii. Early in 

 the summer of 1837, Capt. Fayrer captured a specimen of 

 this singular fish, in the harbour at Portpatrick. He remarks 

 that "it appeared in an active state of health and vigour, sport- 

 ing now and then on the surface, and as quickly descending." 

 On account of its delicate organization, it was judiciously put 

 in very weak preservative liquor, about one part only of com- 

 mon spirits, to four of water ; and was thus kept by me for 

 four months, without being injured as a specimen. It was al- 

 most equally transparent as it had been in its native element. 

 When put in stronger liquid, for permanent preservation, it 

 of course became discoloured, and more opaque. It is so 

 buoyant as to float on the surface like a cork, and on the phial 

 being reversed, as quickly attains this position. The speci- 

 men is 5|- inches in length ; and in the spotting, differs from 

 others described and figured. Distant lj inch from the an- 

 terior extremity, small black dots appear on the lateral line, 

 and continue to the tail ; J inch from the same part, a row of 

 black dots, larger than those on the lateral line, commences, 

 and extends, on each side, to within f inch of the end of the 

 tail ; from where these terminate, the black is taken up by 

 the base of the anal fin ; every ray, — and they are here close 

 together, — being spotted at the base. Not a spot appears on 

 the dorsal ridge, nor anywhere but as here mentioned. The 



f Great Northern Diver. Colymbus glacialis, Linn. " Allan-hawk " is 

 applied to Divers, (Colymbi) generally, in Belfast Bay. 



\ Red-throated Diver. Colymbus septentrionalis, Linn. 



§ Puffin. Mormon Fratercula, Temm. probably, judging from the size. 

 The description of the manner of moving under water, would, perhaps, ap- 

 ply generally to diving birds. 



