NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF GLASGOW. 71 



under the nam de plume of " Tomtit," and which relates to the much 

 disputed question as to the food of the Water Ouzel This is fol- 

 lowed by various other short notices with such titles as " Game- 

 keepers Vermin," " Dorsal Fins of Trout," " Fin-rays of Minnows," 

 " Skull of the Albatross." His first communication to The Zoologist 

 is dated 1860 \y. ZooL, 1st series, p. 6891] "On the attachment 

 of the Creeper to its Nest and Eggs." From 1864 onwards he con- 

 tributed regularly to The Zoologist, then under the editorship of the 

 late Mr. Edward Newman, but all his contributions to it could not 

 be enumerated here. Some of the more important, however, deserve 

 notice. In 1864 appeared some careful observations " On the Food 

 of Quadrupeds," [p. 9358]. In 1865, "Ornithological Notes from 

 Lanarkshire" [pp. 9439, 9653, 9678, 9708, continued through the 

 vol. for 1866.], "Notes on the Wild Cattle of Cadzow" [p. 9559], 

 " Notes on Quadrupeds of Lanarkshire" [p. 9647, continued through 

 the vols, for 1866 and 1867]. Then follow, in 1867, his "History 

 and Habits of the Koe-deer" [n.s., p. 778], and Notes on the Folk- 

 lore of Zoology [n.s., pp. 881, 921, continued in 1868, n.s., pp. 

 1091, 1171]. Occasional articles of minor importance occurred 

 during 1869 and 1870, but he appears to have ceased his contri- 

 butions to The Zoologist* with the close of 1871. 



Thereafter he accumulated notes upon Quadrupeds, and in Jan., 

 1868, he commenced a quarto note-book bearing the following title, 

 " Quad. Note-Book, being a commonplace book of Notes and Ex- 

 tracts regarding British Quadrupeds, by ye Study, and Travaile of 

 Edward Richard Alston, F.Z.S., Member of Nat. Hist. Society of 

 Glasgow, Vol. I., commenced at 205 Bath Street, Glasgow, 23rd 

 June, 1868." 



Another note-book, and of even earlier date, is an octavo volume 

 on Quadrupeds, Birds, Reptiles, and Fish, dating from 1858 to 

 1870, from which many as vet unpublished notes of interest might 

 be culled. A few of these follow. Speaking of the Deers' horns 

 at Schloss Zwingenberg, he says: — "In August, 1862, I visited 

 the beautiful old castle of Zwingenberg, situated on the north bank 

 of the Neckar, just above a small village of the same name. It 

 has been completely restored, and is the property of the Margrave 



* To The Zoologist a debt is distinctly due by its numerous readers, apart 

 from strictly scientific merits ; that it has been the means in many cases of in- 

 troductions between its correspondents, which rapidly ripening into friendships, 

 have established connections only to be broken by death. 



