4 12 RARE BIRDS KILLED IN THE WINTER OF 1837-8. 



land, on the north side of Iceland, for the purpose of collecting the egg of the" 

 Little Auk (Alca alle, Linn.).. This bird makes no nest, but deposits its solitary 

 egg among the large stones above high water mark ; and not on the ledges of 

 precipitous rocks, as has been stated. Rocks of that description were observed at 

 the same place, but they were not occupied by a single bird. The female 

 suffered me to remove the stones, and take it off its single egg ; this is of a bluish- 

 white colour, two inches long and four inches and a quarter round, or about the 

 size of that of the Common Teal. 

 Durham, May 21, 1838. 



[J Mr. Proctor visited the interesting island which forms the basis of the pre-- 

 ceding observations, not so much for the purpose of gaining intelligence respecting 

 the habits of birds, as with a view of obtaining the skins of rare specimens, and 

 eggs, for the Museum of which he is Curator. He has, however, at our request, 

 kindly communicated some notes on the habits of a few British species noticed 

 by him on his tour in Iceland. — We could wish that this island were explored by 

 a competent naturalist, with a special view to recording a general summary of its 

 Natural History ; and should be happy to make The Naturalist the medium of 

 such a memoir. — Ed.] 



NOTICE OF RARE BIRDS OBTAINED DURING THE WINTER OF 



1837-8. 



By Edward Blyth, 

 Curator of the OrnithoJogical Society. 



Considering the severity of the past season, and the unusual continuance of 

 the frost in January and February, but few rare birds found their way to the 

 London Market. I purpose to enumerate those which have fallen under my 

 observation, with some others of which I have received intelligence from my 

 friends ; and may premise that I believe I know of very nearly all that have 

 occurred at the poulterers' stalls in the metropolis. A few comments on some of 

 the species also, I trust, will not prove unacceptable. 



During the very cold weather,* several species of ordinary occurrence disappeared 

 altogether, while others, generally less common, were brought in great abundance. 

 Among the former may be instanced the Bernacle and White-fronted Geese, and 

 the Pintail Duck ; among the latter, the Bean and Brent Geese, which were 

 exposed for sale literally by thousands, adult Mergansers of the three common 



