lis MISCKLLANEOUS NOTICES. 



M. Baillon, and by Mr. GeofFry, in the excavations at Charlemont. The 

 latter, in describing it, states that he received a specimen from M. A. Brogniart, 

 who found it in the neighbourhood of Dover." Now, as the notcJied ear 

 is not 'peculiar to this Bat, is it not possible that some other species may 

 have been taken for it. Bell states, that after a careful examination of 

 several specimens of the species described by Jenyns, as F. emarginatus , he 

 has been convinced of its identity with the V. Dauhentonii, of Kuhl and 

 Desmarest, which is by no means so rare as the true V. emarginatus. If 

 Mr. Cocks would send a description of a specimen to ^'The Naturalist" it 

 would doubtless be gratifying to many readers. I was not less siirprised at 

 his mentioning six different examples of the genus Mus, one of which he 

 calls ^^Brown Rat," {Mus intermedins.") Does he consider it merely a variety 

 of the 31. decumanus, or, as a distinct species. Sir W. Jardine, (and, I 

 believe, Bell also,) only mentions five species belonging to this genus, as 

 indigenous in Britain, ^ome further account of the M. intermedius, would 

 therefore be satisfactory. — Henry Ferns, 22, Briggate, Leeds, ^mo: 8tli., 1851. 



Nesting of tlie Domestic Pigeon. — I am enabled to confirm the statement of 

 your correspondent, in No. 1. of "The Naturalist," respecting the nest of the 

 common House-Pigeon. A pair of my Pigeons have recently built, and their 

 nest was composed principally, though not altogether, of twigs. I should estimate 

 that seven or eight-tenths were twigs j and what renders the circumstance more 

 remarkable, is, that we live where it would have been far more easy for the 

 birds to procure straw than twigs. One very curious article which formed 

 part of the nest, was a broken comb, which, I presume, had been found on 

 a neighbouring ash-heap. I observed also that, in the case of this pair, the 

 cock bird brought nearly all the materials, while the hen constructed the nest. 

 I think in most cases it will be found that the cock Pigeon sits during the 

 day, leaving the nest towards five o'clock in the evening, and that his mate 

 sits after that hour through the night. The passage quoted from "The 

 Architecture of Birds," is at page 159, and not at page 119, as printed in 

 "The Naturalist."— TF.Z>. 5., FUetwood, April llth., 1851. 



Greater BlacJc-hacked Gidl, (Larus marinus,) in Bedfordshire. — The Rev. 

 R. P. Alington, in ^^The Naturalist," page 58, says, "that he is not aware 

 of ever having observed one of the Greater Black-backed Gulls, (Larns marinus,) 

 in mature dress, over the sea-bank." I had one in the spring of 1849, 

 which was shot at Hockliffe, about four miles from Woburn, Beds., which 

 you are aware is a great many miles from the sea. — G. B. Clarke, Wohurn, 

 Beds., May I'M., 1851. 



The Great NoHliern Diver, (Colymbus glacialis,) taken near Fordingbridr/e. — 

 A few weeks since, a fine specimen of the Great Northern Diver was killed 

 by a man, in the forest, not far from here. He was walking past some low 

 furze and heath, when, much to his astonishment, this visitor from the north 

 ran out from his hiding-place, and fiercely attacked the man's legs; who, by 

 a sharp knock on the head with a stick he had in his hand, quickly put an 



