172 GLEANINGS FROM MY NOTE BOOK.* 



rant tribc^ which are all, if I mistake not, adepts in this way. 



With animals, it is notorious that the Otter, (Lidra vulgaris,) when pur- 

 sued, swims with his nose only above water, in exactly the same position as 

 the birds which have been referred toj but in this case, I imagine his general 

 powers of subaqueous motion are the sole agents engaged; indeed I have seen 

 some of the Messrs. Kenworthy, the celebrated diving and swimming professors, 

 at the Holborn Baths, do very much the same thing. 



Lincolns-Tnn-Fields, June Ast., 1852. 



GLEANINGS FROM MY NOTE BOOK.— No 1. 



BY J. Mc'iNTOSH, ESQ. 



Sirds Eggs. — To preserve the colour of these, there are various ways: 

 the best I have found is to wash them twice with isinglass dissolved in gin. 

 The shining properties of the varnish soon disappear, leaving the egg quite 

 natural in appearance. 



Frozen Fish. — Sir R. Phillips says "at Coppermine River, fish are so frozen 

 as to break with the blow of a hatchet, but if when thus frozen, they are 

 thawed by the fire, they will revive." 



Swallows. — These birds do percli on the branches of trees. On June 29th., 

 1851, observed tiventy-five perched on the branches of a walnut tree, and 

 have frequently on former occasions observed the same thing. 



House Martins. — These birds also perch on the branches of trees. I have 

 frequently observed them in the evenings, about six o'clock, when hawking 

 for flies, alight on the branches of oak and elm trees for some minutes, as 

 if to rest themselves, yet they would frequently dart at a passing insect, and 

 again return to their perch. 



Moorhen. — It has been frequently doubted whether this bird perches in 

 trees. We have frequently caught them in our hands, by the light of the 

 moon, so perched, while they were "napping" and are quite satisfied in our own 

 minds that they roost in trees in places where they are not likely to be dis- 

 turbed by prowling boys, foxes, etc. Wc have most frequently found them in 

 spruce fir tree branches; but where these trees are not close to their haunts, 

 they may be found perched in alder and willow stumps; we have also found 

 their nests in willow stumps six feet from the ground. 



Jackdaws Egg. — May 28th., 1851, took a Jackdaw's egg of a dirty white, 

 or rather light stone-colour, which is still in my possession, with two largo 

 blackish patches — one on each side. Is this a common or an uncommon 

 occurrence with the eggs of this bird? 



Hatching Fish. — Hatching eggs by artificial heat is well known and ex- 

 tensively practised in various countries, but I am not aware that the hatching 



