Humming-bird in its flattened body and manner of flight. This 

 insect often comes into the house apparently attracted by flowers, 

 or by seeing a light through when the doors and windows are 

 open. I have seen it fly, with its trunks extended, at a small 

 quantity of wet sugar put before it when in the house. C. M. A. 

 (Newcastle-on-Tyne) . 



THE SHEARWATER. 



(Reprinted from " The Field" Newspaper, June 4th, 1870.) 



When on the coast I bought a Shearwater Petrel, which I was 

 told had been drowned by having got entangled in the fisherman's 

 nets. It was saturated with salt water, and dirty. I washed it 

 in fresh soft water, and next morning it was as clean and dry as 

 it probably ever was before. It is the first I have seen recently 

 killed ; and what a singular bird it is, apparently approximating 

 to various genera. In form and colour, when lying dead, it 

 resembles a foolish Guillemot in its winter dress; but it is 

 smaller. The plumage, particularly the primaries and wing 

 feathers, instead of being harsh to the touch as in the Auk's, are 

 soft, more like some land bird's, and resemble in some degree 

 those of an owl ; the beak, which is black, resembles that of a 

 Cormorant (Willughby remarks this) ; the feet and legs resem- 

 ble those of the Red-throated Diver, and the leg bone which 

 joins the thigh bone is elongated as in the Diver. The colour of 

 the legs is singular, the outside being pink, irregulary spotted 

 black, with a hard outline. The wings, which are placed further 

 back than most species, when extended resemble those of an al- 

 batross. From the formation of this bird one is led to suppose 

 that it can dive for food as well as take it from the surface of 

 the sea when flying, as other Petrels are said to do ; and 

 this bird's having been taken as it was rather appears to 

 confirm this supposition. Its congeners the Fulmar and Stormy 

 Petrels have not the legs placed so far behind, nor so flat ; and 

 they in general appearance more nearly resemble Gulls in shape, 

 and from their form would appear to be unable to dive. The 



