Miscellaneous, 141 



But what I principally wish to call the attention of the ornitholo- 

 gist to, is the fact of my having met with a species of Golden Eye, 

 not, as far as my observation goes, the same with that which visits 

 the British coast. It answers to the description of the Rocky moun- 

 tain Garrot, Clajigula Barrovii, Richardson, although Faber and 

 other naturalists who have visited Iceland have applied to it the 

 name of the Common Golden Eye (Anas Clangula.). I met with this 

 species in both my visits, but never with A, Clangula : therefore I 

 am inclined to think that the latter does not inhabit that island, but 

 its place is supplied by its near allied species Clangula Barrovii. 

 This latter species may always be known from Clangula vulgaris by 

 its superior size and the large crescent-shaped patch before each eye, 

 which in C. Barrovii springs from below the gape, stretching along 

 the base of the bill to the forehead : the bill of the latter, which is 

 broader at the base, has also the nail on the upper mandible much 

 broader. The weight of the male bird of C. Barrovii is about 2 

 pounds ; the length from tip of bill to end of tail 20 inches ; breadth 

 when the wings are extended 28 inches. Weight of female I4 lb. ; 

 length 18^ inches ; breadth 26^ inches. It breeds in June, forming 

 its nest by the margin of the freshwater ponds, generally among 

 the willows, but sometimes placing it on the bare ground amidst the 

 loose stones. The nest is composed of a few stems of grass loosely 

 put together, lined with down from the breast of the female ; the 

 eggs vary in number from 6 to 10, and are of a whitish-green, si- 

 milar in colour to those of the Common Wild Duck, and larger than 

 those of Clangula vulgaris. — W. Proctor, Durham, 20th August, 

 1839. 



ON THE MOULTING PROCESS IN THE CRAY FISH, 



We have extracted the following interesting notice from the ele- 

 gant and valuable work of Prof. Rymer Jones*, which we had occasion 

 to notice in one of our preceding numbers. '* The phsenomena which 

 attend the renovation of the external skeleton are so unimaginable 

 that it is really extraordinary how little is accurately known con- 

 cerning the nature of the operation. The first question which pre- 

 sents itself is, how are the limbs liberated from their confinement } 

 for, wonderful as it may appear, the joints even of the massive chelcd 

 of the lobster do not separate from each other, but notwithstanding 

 the great size of some of the segments of the claw, and the slender 

 dimensions of the joints that connect the different pieces, the cast- 

 off skeleton of the limb presents exactly the same appearance as if 



* General Oudine of the Animal Kingdom, Part VII. September 1839. 



