244 Zoological Society. 



The student may perhaps object to the detailed account of the 

 habits, but if he would attentively investigate the interesting subjects 

 of migration, nitlification, singing, local and geographical distribution, 

 he will gratefully acknowledge all that has been written. Stript of 

 those lengthened descriptions which the student can alone appreciate, 

 yet ornamented with the striking diagnosis already provided, and 

 enriched with foot-notes illustrating the progress of the subject, a 

 second, cheaper, and condensed edition of the work would, we believe, 

 attain to an extensive and well-deserved popularity . Wilson, Audubon, 

 Waterton and others have enriched our literature with contributions 

 which are read and welcomed by every class in the community, and 

 we believe that in due time the name of MacGillivray will stand in 

 the foremost rank. 



The mournful story of their gifted author will serve to heighten 

 their interest in every feeling heart. The publication of the first three 

 volumes proved a bad speculation, involving the author in pecuniary 

 liabilities, and compelling him to severe labour in support of a large 

 family ; death entered his home ; his health sunk under accumulated 

 distress and labour ; struck by a mortal disease which the milder 

 climate of Devonshire failed to alleviate, last summer the once sturdy 

 wanderer of the wild hills of Scotland returned home to die. As a 

 controversialist, we would cover his faults with the mantle of charity ; 

 perhaps he has often been more sinned against than sirming : as a 

 valuable writer in geology, botany, and some departments, especially 

 the mollusca, of zoology, he is very favourably known, but it is as 

 the author of ' British Birds' that his name will go down to posterity. 

 His dying effort was to finish it for the press, to put the keystone to 

 a long career of zealous devotion to science, bequeathing to the natu- 

 ralist a legacy of which his country may well be proud, — to all men 

 the precious example of an earnest life. 



PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



February 25, 1851.— R. H. Solly, Esq., F.R.S., in the Chair. 



Mr. Gould directed the attention of the Meeting to two Hybrid 

 Birds, concerning which he read the following letter, which had been 

 addressed to Mr. B. Leadbeater, F.Z.S. 



" Cottimore, Walton-on-Thames, December 17, 1850. 



"Sir, — With reference to the bird which you now have of mine 

 to preserve, I will tell you all which I have ascertained concerning it. 

 It was shot at Henley Park, in the county of Surrey, by the keeper 

 of H. Halsey, Esq., on a part of his property called the Peat Moor, 

 and not far from the Frimley ridges ; a wild tract of countrj^, with a 

 good many black-game upon it. The keeper was shootmg pheasants 

 for the supply of the house, and this bird rose on the opposite side 

 of the hedge to that on which he was, on the outside of a large covert : 



