PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 55 



Mediterranean and the North Sea, upi)er Germany not excei)ted. This 

 fact incontestably proves that these birds cross this distance in one nn- 

 interrupted flight, and during one short spring night, viz, in 1) to 10 

 hours, which gives a rate of locomotion of 40 geographical miles per 

 honr. Wonderful, incomprehensible, I admit, but still remaining a fiict. 

 The slow clumsy Eoyston Crow {CorDus 6W></.r) crosses from here due 

 west* over to England, at a rate of 27 geographical miles an honr, and 

 results of 25 miles have been furnished by the semi-domesticated Carrier- 

 pigeon. The distance from the north of Africa tQ Heligoland is equiva- 

 lent to that from Newfoundland to Iceland, and therefore no objection 

 whatever can be raised against your birds crossing- over to us direct. 



All this with plenty of evidence, and a gxeat many points besides, is 

 ready in manuscript siifticienfc to cover from fifty to sixty pages octa^'o 

 print, and by the end of May I shall be ready for the j)ress altogether. 



I greatly count on yoiu* lenience, my dear sir, whilst allowing my pen 

 to run on at such an unpardonable length, but x>erceiving from your 

 contribution that you, like myself, have studied the grand theme of the 

 migration in nature, which is quite a different matter from all learned 

 treatises thereon worked out by the lamp of the studio, my hobby felt 

 so comfortable in your genial company that it bolted off with this un- 

 resisting tide. 



Begging .once more to pardon my having ventured on your time and 

 patience at such iinj)ardonable length, iu more or less objectionable 

 English thereto, 



I remain, dear sir, yours, very truly, 



H. GATKE. 



DESCRIPTION OF AI.EPOCEPIIAI.US BAIRDII, A NEW SPECIES OF FISH 

 FUOn THE WEEP-SEA FAUNA OF TME ^VESTERN ATEANTIC. 



By O. BRO^VN CiOODE and TARLETOIV H. BEATV. 



The National Museum has recently received from Mr. Christian John- 

 son, of the schooner William Thomijson of Gloucester, a single speci- 

 men of an undescribed species of Alepoceplmlu^ taken on the Grand 

 Banks, at a depth of 200 fathoms. The only other known represent- 

 ative of this genus is i\iQ Alepocephalus rostratus Kisso, a member of the 



* During the fall tMs line of migration, so far as it comes under observation here, 

 day or night, is from due east to west, sometimes perhaps with the declination of a 

 point to the south. 



