350 Miscellaneous. 



By means of the seine seventeen species of fish were procured, 

 several of which are not noted in the French account of the Morea. 



Our botanical excursions to the mainland, and to the island of 

 Sphacteria, filled the vasculum with a number of beautiful plants, 

 most of which, however, were species common in the south of Eu- 

 rope. Chrysanthemum coronarium abounded around the town ; 

 Psoralen bituminosa, several species of Cistus and Helianthemum, 

 Phlomis fruticosa, Pistachia Lentiscus, Salvia officinalis, Poterium 

 spinosum, and Myrtle were the most abundant plants upon the hills. 

 It was interesting to see how the botany corresponded to the geo- 

 logy, the vegetation of the tertiary being of a vivid green, while the 

 prevalence of Cisti on the older limestone gave a brown hue to the 

 country. 



From Navarino we sailed round Cape Matapan to the islands of 

 the ^gean, and our next anchoring-place was Syra, where we now 

 are. In the sea among the isles, our tow-net furnished us wdth two 

 species of Firola and a beautiful Beroe. A microscopic examination 

 of the former exhibited no traces of vibratile cilia on their branchiae 

 or any part of their bodies. One of them exhibited considerable fero- 

 city, attacking and swallowing a smaller species with all the zest of 

 a practised cannibal. 



During the voyage, favourable opportunities have occurred for 

 making observations on the phosphorescence of marine animals. So 

 far, the results have been, that none give out light unless irritated ; 

 that the SalpcB give out no light, though they sometimes appear 

 so to do in consequence of luminous Crustacea taking up their 

 abode in their interiors ; that minute Crustacea are the chief source 

 of the phosphorescence of the sea at night ; and that the phosphoric 

 light of Aurelia Forskaliana is given out from the bases of the ten- 

 tacula, and that of Beroe from the vessels beneath the ridges of cilia. 



More zealous allies than Captain Graves and his officers in the 

 good cause of Natural History can now^here be found ; and with 

 such aids, results of greater importance than those I have sketched 

 out, will, I trust, soon turn up. Edward Forbes. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Motacilla alba of Linnaeus. — Two pairs of this White Wagtail, 

 which is distinct from the common Pied Wagtail of this country, 

 were seen by Mr. F. Bond of Kingsbury, near the reservoir, in the 

 early part of the present month, and although these birds were very 

 shy, Mr. Bond succeeded in shooting three of them, two males and 

 a female. The female is distinguished from the male by the purer 

 pearl- grey colour of the plumage on the back ; and the black on the 

 back part of the head does not extend so far down the back of the 

 neck. The differences between the Pied and the White Wagtails 

 were first pointed out by Mr. Gould, and figures representing the 

 distinctions will be found in his ' Birds of Europe,' and in my own 

 work on our British Birds. — Wm. Yarrell, 18th May, 1841. 



