186 LETTERS OF AN ORNITHOLOGIST. 



not know if such malformations are of frequent occurrence^ but never having 



noticed it in any other animal which has fallen into ray hands^ I venture 

 to publish it. 



Dkscription op Cuts. — Fig. 1 represents the ordinary form of the upper end of the femur. Fig. 2 the 

 acetabulum, or cotyloid cavity, in wliicli the globular head rests. Fig. 3. is the anomalous appearance 

 of the femur, with enlarged head, h, h. Fig. 4, right side of pelvis, witli c the partially obliterated cotyloid 

 cavity, and e, e the plane on which the head of the femur moves. 



Ripon, April Wth., 1853. 



LETTERS OF AN ORNITHOLOGIST. 



( Continued from Page H.) 



LETTER V. 



lona^ April 14th., 1852. 



Last Saturday, (the 10th.,) being a very fine day, I and a young friend 

 paid a visit to Soay to see what the feathered world was about. We did not 

 meet with much life on our way; the winter birds have mostly left, and the 

 summer ones have not yet arrived in sufficient numbers to supply the vacancy; 

 besides which the fine weather keeps them out at sea. We saw a string of 

 Shearwaters, {PuJJinus Anglorum,) flying in a flock of about a dozen; this is 

 their first appearance this year. We also saw a few Solan Geese, (Sula 

 alba,) diving and plunging; their appearance here is a sign that they are 

 on their way to their breeding-stations. We were disappointed in our hope 

 of fioding Geese on the island, though they seemed to have been very numerous 

 there recently. 



On exploring a cavern, frotn which we procured several broods of young 

 Rock Doves, {Gulumha lioia,) last year, we found, as we expected, a nest. 

 The cave is of very great depth, but so narrow as scarcely to allow a person 

 to reach the inner extremity. There we found the nest, made upon the 

 ground, among the shingle, exteriorly formed of dry sea-weed, and inside 

 lined with sea-piuk. It contained a pair of fresh eggs; there was a third 



