Xli PREFACE. 



7th of October, 1850, from Assistance Bay, a little to 

 the west of Wellington Sound, and on the 13th of Oc- 

 tober, a pigeon made its appearance at the dovecot in 

 Ayrshire, from whence Sir John had the two pairs of 

 pigeons which he took out. The distance direct between 

 the two places is about 2000 miles. The dovecot was 

 under repair at this. time, and the pigeons belonging to it 

 had been removed ; but the servants of the house were 

 struck with the appearance and motions of this stranger. 

 After a short stay it went to the pigeon-house of a 

 neighbouring proprietor where it was caught, and sent 

 back to the lady who originally owned it. She at once 

 recognised it as one of those which she had given to Sir 

 John Ross, but to put the matter to the test, it was 

 carried into the pigeon-house, when out of many niches 

 it directly went to the one in which it had been hatched. 

 No doubt remained in the mind of the lady of the identity 

 of the bird." 



By what extraordinary power did this interesting bird 

 find its way, and by what route did it come ? 



To return to the History of British Birds, a Supple- 

 ment, containing figures and descriptions of the species 

 obtained since the publication of the second edition, has 

 been prepared. 



Eyder Street, St. James's, 

 June, 1856. 



