18 On the Natural History of part 



the local authorities are too independent, and may stand in 

 the way of general improvement ; whereas what is merely lo- 

 cally important, may be safely regulated by the local magis- 

 trates ; and a large kingdom that is well arrondi, has a better 

 chance of succeeding in regulating the condition of many 

 species, than a small or scattered state. I might quote ex- 

 amples to prove all this, from times and countries quite at 

 hand ; but I should, by so doing, only anticipate what I shall 

 have a better opportunity to say and to prove, in the para- 

 graph at the end of this article, where I intend to consider 

 the condition of a few particular species, in their different re- 

 lations to man, in different countries. 

 To be continued. 



Art. III. Notes upon the Natural History of a portion of the South 

 West of Scotland. By William Thompson, Esq. F.L.S. &c. — 

 Vice-President of the Natural History Society, of Belfast. 



As, by the kindness of friends and correspondents, I have oc- 

 casional opportunities of learning something of the Natural 

 History of a portion of the South West of Scotland, I here 

 bring together notices of a few of the most rare and interest- 

 ing species that have thus come under my observation. 



Bee-Eater. Merops Apiaster, Linn. Of this species, 

 which has so rarely occurred in the British islands, I saw an 

 individual in a recent state, that was shot on the 6th of Oct. 

 1832, by Capt. James McDowall, 2nd Life Guards, at his seat 

 near the Mull of Galloway. It was sent to Belfast by my 

 friend, Capt. Fayrer, R.N. to be preserved and set up for that 

 gentleman. 



Iceland Gull. Larus Islandicus, Edmonston. Being late- 

 ly informed that a few rare gulls had appeared about Ballan- 

 trae, in Ayrshire, and which, after displaying for a season some 

 interesting peculiarities of manner, had been shot, and one of 

 them preserved; I embraced my informant's kind offer of 

 bringing it from Scotland for my inspection, on his recent re- 

 turn to this country. It proved to be the Iceland Gull, (Z. 

 Islandicus, Linn.) in the stage of plumage, apparently, which 

 immediately precedes maturity. A professional gentleman at 

 Ballantrae, into whose possession this bird came, and by 

 whom it was preserved, favoured me with the following par- 

 ticulars respecting it, in a letter dated October 26, 1837. — 

 " At the end of last year, three gulls, of the same kind, made 

 their appearance on the shore where the fishermen reside. — 

 Two of them were shot in the spring, and the one you have, 



