288 ■ 



A COMMENTARY ON NUMBERS VII. AND VIII. OF 

 " THE NATURALIST." 



Bv Edward Blyth. 



The Lemurs' Mode of taking their Food. — Cm Specific Distinctions. — On the Fitchetand Ermine 

 Weasels. — The occurrence of Papilio podalirius in Britain.— On removing the Pigeon family 

 from the Rasores, and general Observations on Classification. — The Skua mentioned at p. 8*5, 

 probably L. Iiichardsonii, and not L. parasiticus. — Distribution of the Corn Bunting in Britain. 

 — Does the Locustell (or " Grasshopper Warbler") rvr* or hop 9 — The Difference between 

 Budytes flava and B. neglecta — Song of the Crossbill. — Occurrence of the Yellow-rimmed 

 Albatross near Gainsborough. — Hawking with the Golden Eagle, Erne, &c. — Missel Thrush 

 Singing on the Wing. — Blackcapt Fauvet darting into the Air after Insects. — Origin of the 

 name " Stock Pigeon." 



As I highly approve of the suggestion of your correspondent H. E. H. (at 

 p. 89), and conceive that an occasional chapter devoted to retrospective com- 

 mentary would be productive of beneficial results, in eliciting a variety of 

 interesting particulars, which would otherwise be overlooked or imperfectly 

 estimated, I venture to avail myself of this as an apology for offering the 

 following observations, in compliance with the " hint " of your correspondent. 



In reference, therefore, to a remark at p. 7, relative to the mode in which the 

 Lemurs take up their food, it may be mentioned, that an Ateles (or Spider-mon- 

 key), if presented with a saucer [of bread soaked in milk, invariably stoops, and 

 seemingly with some difficulty, or at least awkwardly, to take up pieces with 

 its mouth, which it thence transfers to one of its hands, never dipping the latter 

 into the mess ; a circumstance which I have repeatedly witnessed with a degree 

 of surprise. 



To proceed to Mr. Rylands's paper (p. 20), I may take occasion to remark, 

 that I am by no means prepared to accede to a proposition for which he in- 

 cidentally contends, to the effect, that species must be necessarily identical, 

 merely because we happen to be unable to appreciate their distinctness. Re- 

 garding this question independently of the case of Pontia rapce and P. metra* 

 as it must be admitted, that every grade exists between the species that are 

 obviously distinct and such as are doubtfully so, it must therefore be conceived, 

 I presume, that the closest similarity does not of necessity imply specific 

 identity ; a consideration of momentous import to the zoologist, who would infer 

 the cotemporaneous deposition of geographically distant beds, on the plea of 

 the assumed identity of a small portion of their included fossils. At the same 

 time, in urging this, it would be absurd to undervalue the established datum 



* Here, however, I must beg to differ from your correspondent, considering that the claims of 

 these to be separately recognized are far from being annulled by the occasional occurrence of 

 aberrant specimens, which it may be found difficult to refer correctly. 



