402 SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES, BY SIR WM. JARDINE. 



^vttf yellow wagtail, is a summer bird of passage, arriving about tho 

 end of May, and leaving us about the end of August or middle of 

 September." — W. J. The yellow wagtails alluded to by White would 

 be the M. ioarula, which has a black throat in summer ; many pairs 

 breed occasionally in suitable localities in Scotland and North of England, 

 but a few only remain over winter, visiting the farm-yards or streams 

 near a dwelling. Locality, however, is the principal breeding requisite, 

 and were the southern counties always suitable we should find it there. 

 Mr. Gould found it breeding last year in Buckinghamshire, near the 

 Chenies, in a beautiful valley between chalk hills, and ascertained that it 

 was not uncommon, while the Budytes flava, or yellow wagtail, did not 

 occur. Of the pied, or Yarrell's wagtail, the habits in an alpine country 

 are very similar to those of the grey species, but where the country 

 becomes more densely peopled the manners are accommodated to circum- 

 stances, and the nest, though generally placed in the vicinity of water, is 

 often built in the midst of a manufactory, and without apparent inter- 

 ruption from the noise and constant moving about of the workmen. 



The Wheatear. — Letter XIII., page 52. 



The Wheatear extends from the Land's-End to Cape Wrath and the 

 Hebrides, but in many districts it is gradually giving way to enclosures 

 and plantations. It extends far northward, and is sometimes driven a 

 long way out of its courses. One of these little birds was observed flying 

 round the ship in Felix Harbour, on the 2nd of May, 1830, but was 

 found dead the next morning, having arrived before the ground was 

 sufficiently uncovered to enable it to procure its food. — (Ross, Append, 

 to Second Voyage.) It has been once or twice killed in the island of 

 Bermuda, by Lieut. Wedderbm-n, of the 42d Regiment, a locaHty far 

 v>ut of its track. 



A most interesting Fauna might be written of the visitoi's to ships at sea, 

 not only in the European seas, but even in the passages between Great 

 Britain and Ireland, and from London or the south to the north of Scot- 

 land. If the observations were made in the spring and fall, with 

 proper attention, some interesting migratory information would follow. 

 The wheatear is a very common visitant at these seasons, sometimes 

 remaining twenty-four hoiu's on board. 



Respiratory Organs. — Letter XIV., page 55, text and note. 



From the accounts of all, including Professor Owen, the pimcta 

 lacrynialia do not seem at all connected with the respii'atory functions ; 

 and in a work like the present, wliich is likely to obtain a wide circu- 

 lation, the opinion should not l»e allowed to go abroad as a fact. 

 There is no connexion between the oi'gans of respiration and these slits, 

 and they are evidently the orifi<'.es ol glands intended for some purpose 

 or economy which apparently nas not yet been resolved. Both Mr. 

 Bennet and P^rofessor Owen inclme to the opinion that they are of 

 sexual use and development. 



