452 Natural History in foreign Countries : — 



secreted from the body." I regret to add, that in the year 

 1813, I was informed in New York, that this singular animal 

 had then recently died. I believe it was never figured before. 

 His fleece is exactly like that of the Thibet goat. — J, M, 

 Philadelphia^ Sept. 7. 1829. I, <;:^ r.Mtrv- 



NORTH AMERICA. "^ .. ... ^ 



" ''^r^at HarpT/ Eagle. — One was sent, in Sept., 1828, from 

 Mobile, in Florida, to the Zoological Society of London. It 

 was sixteen months old, and measured from the top of th6 

 head to the feet 2 ft. 6 in., and from the tip of each -vi^ih^' 

 8 ft. 6 in. It was brought from the river Magdalen^, itt 

 Soiith America. Its plumage was iron-grey, mixed witii' 

 white. It would eat nothing but meat warm from recerit* 

 slaughter. It answered to the name of Jack. — J. M, Phil- 

 adelphiay Oct. 10. 1829. ■■""'' - ' -^ 



Wild Ducks. ( White's Selborne, p. 16.) -- Am)i:^%^^'iic)tes 

 of a visit to the United States of America, in 1805-6, I find- 

 the following: — " Feb. 1. 1806. On my way up the Chesa- 

 peake Bay, in a sailing packet from Norfolk to Baltimore, I' 

 was surprised, one morning, to see from the deck the watef 

 covered at a little distance with what soon appeared to be 

 living creatures, and which the people on board told me were 

 wild ducks. As the vessel advanced, they opened a passage, 

 as it were for her to pass through ; receding, however, but a 

 very few yards from her sides. The surface of the water, as 

 far as I could see from the deck of the packet, was as thickly 

 studded as possible with these birds, covering at least many 

 hundred acres of superficies. I was perfectly astonished by what 

 appeared to be so marvellous a sight, and of which I scarcely 

 could have heard or read, and have believed to be a truth. 

 Those accustomed to eat this bird are very fond of it, but to 

 others, as was my case, its strong fishy flavour is objection- 

 able. They were sold in the market at Norfolk at six or 

 eight for the dollar. As we sailed through this prodigious 

 mass of vitality, the birds manifested no sign of alarm, and I 

 do not recollect that any of them took to the wing." — William 

 Sells, M. B. C. S, Jan. 1.3 832. 



Mode of decoying Wild Pigeons in New England. — The 

 flight and stool pigeons as they are called, are prepared by 

 passing a thread through the edges of both their eyelids, 

 which are thus closed; their legs are booted, and the flights, 

 being fastened to long strings, are thrown into the air, and 

 fly as far as they are permitted ; while the stool pigeon is tied 

 to a narrow board, which, at the end where the bird is fixed, 

 rises and falls ; and both kinds of decoy, by the flapping of 

 their wings, draw the attention of the passing flocks of wild 



