MISCELLANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS. 161 



Albatross ; the Diomedea exulans or Common Albatross (and not the Yellow- 

 nosed species, as erroneously supposed by the newspapers) being the largest. 

 —Eds. 



Statistics. — At a recent meeting of the Statistical Society of Glasgow, 

 a notice was given, by J. P. Nichol, Esq., Professor of Astronomy in the 

 University of that city — " to move tor a committee to collect materials for a 

 statement of the chief kinds of manufacture which foreign nations produce, 

 under present circumstances, at a cheaper rate than is possible in this country ; 

 discriminating in each case whether the superiority of the foreign nation 

 springs from the operation of natural and fixed causes, or from the comparative 

 knowledge, peculiar habits, or economical condition of its people ; and endeavouring 

 to ascertain, in reference to the latter class of causes, how the agencies of an 

 advancing civilization — especially those agencies which alter the proportion 

 of manual labour and fixed capital in the production of commodities — may be 

 expected to remove or diminish our inferiority." — We rejoice to find that an 

 inquiry calculated to produce such important results, is about to be insti- 

 tuted by a society so well able to execute the task. If the committee will 

 favour us with their Report, when published, we will present our readers 

 with an analysis. 



A Dwarf has lately made his appearance at Paris, who has become an 

 object of interest to the scientific men of that city. He comes from Illy ria, 

 not far from Trieste, where he was born of respectable parents, and is called 

 Gulia. The peculiarity of his case is, that, up to the age of five, he was a 

 child of ordinary proportions; but his growth then suddenly ceased, and he 

 is now, at 22, just the size that he was at that period. His height is exactly 

 three feet ; he was, therefore, not born a dwarf. His figure is beautifully 

 proportioned, and he possesses mind and intelligence not common to other 

 dwarfs. He speaks fluently five languages, the two which are common upon 

 the Adriatic, German, French, and Italian. He is, besides, accomplished, 

 plays the violin, and mounts and manages a horse with considerable grace. 

 The check to his development at the age of five, and his invariable good 

 health ever since, are, however, the circumstances worthy the attention of 

 the physiologist. 



Site of the Nest of the Yellow Bunting, Emheriza citrinella — 

 Syme says that this bird " makes choice of a low bush or hedge (for its nest), 

 though we have seen one in a moist mossy bank above a streamlet, canopied 

 by a plant of Avens." Also — " but the Yellow Bunting rarely builds on the 

 ground." — Rennie says (Architecture of Birds) that this is contrary to his ob- 

 servation, and that he has seldom found the nest except on the ground. 

 The situation in which I have generally met with the nest, has been amongst 

 the long grass on old sod fences, which are rather common in the North of 

 England. I never remember to have found it in the bushes of a hedge, 

 though it is often made amongst the tall herbage sometimes allowed to grow 

 at the bottoms of hedges. The Yellow Bunting shows great caution and se- 

 cretiveness in approaching its nest if any one be near, and will often not at- 

 tempt to enter for a long time if it supposes itself watched. — W. R. Scott, 

 Doncaster, Feb. 2, 1837 [Under peculiar circumstances, the Yellow Bunt- 

 ing will build a few inches above the ground ; but Professor Rennie and our 

 correspondent are quite correct in stating that the nest is usually found on 

 the ground — F^ds.] 



VOL. VI. NO. XIX. X 



