inhabiting the County of Sutherland. 295 



water lochs, but no breeding station observed. 91. L. marinus. Great 



Black-hacked Gull. A few were seen upon the friths. 92. L. fuscus. 



Lesser Black-hacked Gull. Many colonies of this species were observed, 

 one upon Loch Shin, another upon one of the islands of Loch Laighal, 



&c. 93. Cataractes Richardsonii, Richardson's Skua. Was observed 



by Sir William Jardine upon the Durness Frith. 94. Phoenicura ruti- 

 cella, German ErytheBa. Was twice seen, first at Oikcl Bridge, and 

 again at Ron Stall. 



A pair of goldfinches {Carduelis vulgaris) and a goatsucker {Caprimul- 

 gu8 europtBus), were seen in a birch wood on the banks of Loch Laighal, 

 by Mr James Wilson, which have not been noticed in the preceding list. 



Memoir on the Star- Fish of the genus Comatula^ demonstrative 

 of the Pentacrinus europcBus being the Young of our hi- 

 digenous Species. By John V. Thompson, F. L. S., Dep. 

 Inspector-General of Hospitals. Communicated by Sir James 

 M'Grigor, F.R. S. * With a Plate. 



If we were told by any traveller that he had visited an un- 

 known region, where the animals dropt their eggs on trees and 

 shrubs, which there fixed themselves and shot up like parasitic 

 plants on a long stem^ gradually evolving, at their extreme end, 

 member after member and function after function, until the 

 young animals became so perfect as to resemble their parents in 

 every essential point, — when their attachment to the connecting 

 footstalk was dissolved, and they became free and locomotive, 

 and betook themselves to the wandering life of the parent stock ! 

 few could be got to believe facts so incredible, and so much at 

 variance with the course of nature, as made manifest every- 

 where and from all time ; but if established on incontestable evi- 

 dence, the highest degree of surprise and admiration would ne- 

 cessarily supplant our incredulity, — voyages would be under- 

 taken, and the curious of every country would flock to witness 

 such an extraordinary anomaly, at the greatest risk and expense. 

 If, then, a fact so contrary to our experience relating to the su- 

 perior classes of animals should be capable of exciting so great a 

 degree of interest, it may be presumed that an analogous circum- 

 stance, now for the first time actually discovered in an animal be- 

 longing to one of the inferior classes, must be considered, at least, 

 as highly worthy of the attention of the philosophic naturalist. 

 • Read before the Royal Society of London, in June 1835. 



U 2 



