194 Scientific Intelligence. — Zoology. 



of a light and sandy nature ; the forests almost wholly composed 

 of fir, generally with little underwood ; and the earth covered 

 with the different kinds of berries just noticed. What brush- 

 wood there is, is frequently the juniper and low birch, the ber- 

 ries of the former being also a favourite food of this bird. No at- 

 tempt, Captain Brooke thinks, would ever succeed to rear them 

 in this country by bringing their eggs over. Without speaking of 

 other objections and impediments, the difficulty of meeting with 

 the eggs would be sufficient. The peasants even seem to consi- 

 der this as in a manner proverbial; and Captain Brooke never met 

 with any one of them who had either seen the eggs or discover- 

 ed a nest. The way in which they take the birds, is principally 

 by means of the gun, though sometimes snares are used. The 

 offer of a good price is all that would be necessary ; and with 

 this temptation, there would be little fear of any insuperable 

 difficulty. The old ones alone should be brought over, or birds 

 of sufficient age to cause no apprehension in this respect. All 

 the attempts that have been made by transporting young birds, 

 have uniformly failed from their dying shortly afterwards, 

 whereas the old ones have lived. The female bird, during the 

 period of incubation, is extremely shy, readily forsaking her nest 

 when disturbed. In general, she lays as many as ten and twelve 

 eggs, which are nearly equal in size to those of a hen. The 

 ground of them is tawny white, but thickly covered with small 

 blotches of a reddish brown, a few specks being some shades 

 deeper, and approaching to black. When the young birds are 

 hatched they resemble the mother, and remain so till autumn, 

 when the black plumage of the male begins to appear. — Vide 

 Captain Brooke\s Travels in Lapland. 



13. Walking Match. — Robert Skepper, the pedestrian, has 

 finished his arduous task of walking from Winchester to Farn- 

 ham, and back, fifty-six miles for twenty successive days. This 

 feat is, we believe, the greatest of its kind ever performed in 

 this or in any other country. 



14. Trotting Match. — Mr Bullock, on Friday, accomplished 

 the task of forty miles, in four hours (harness), at the trot. It 

 was done on the Huntingdon road, over a ten mile piece of 

 ground, ten minutes under the time. The match was for 200 

 sovereigns. 



