364 Miscellaneous. 



to see a herd of Polygastrica eating up the carmine, poking about the 

 colouring matter with their pouted-out mouths like so many pigs. 



In the vessel containing the Volvox there grew up some fuci of a 

 green colour, which attained a length of an inch and a half in a few 

 days. They sprung from the side of the vessel furthest from the 

 light, while the Volvox congregated to the side nearest the light. 



Whatever I have seen of the structure of the Polygastrica would 

 lead me to adopt the views of M. Dujardin and Professor Rymer 

 Jones in preference to those of Professor Ehrenberg. — Edward 

 FoKBES, May, 1840. 



NOTES ON IRISH BIRDS. 



Great Spotted Woodpecker. Picus major, Linn. — On November 

 13, 1839, one of these birds (which are of very rare occurrence in Ire- 

 land) was shot at Castlereagh, near Belfast, by Mr. Greenfield, who 

 remarks that it was " very tame," and when fired at was engaged in 

 pecking into a dead tree ; it seemed to be unaccompanied by any of 

 its species. It is a male bird, but not in adult plumage ; and has 

 been presented by the gentleman just named to the Belfast Museum. 

 AvocET. Recurvirostra Avocetta, Linn. — The only allusion to the 

 occurrence of this bird in Ireland that I am aware of is in Rutty's 

 Natural History of the County of Dublin, in which work a specimen 

 shot in Dublin Bay is particularly noticed. B. S. Ball, Esq., late of 

 Youghal, informed me some time since, when looking over conti- 

 nental specimens of this bird along with him, that many years ago 

 he shot an individual of the same species near that town. 



Sabine's Snipe. Scolopax Sabini, Vigors. — About March 13, 

 1838, one of these rare birds was shot near Kinnegad, Westmeath, 

 and at once brought to Dublin*. In the ensuing month of May I 

 saw the specimen in the possession of Mr. Glennon, the well-known 

 bird, &c. preserver in that city. Its measurements were 



inch. lin. 



Length (total) U 3 



of bill above 2 7 



of tarsus 1 3^ 



of middle toe and nail 1 4 



of wing from carpus 5 3 



In plumage it was quite similar to the individuals hitherto described. 

 Mr. W. S. Wall, a Dublin bird-preserver, who saw this specimen, 

 then assured me that about nine years before a similar bird was, on 



* It was noticed by Dr. Gilgeous before the Natural History of Dublin on 

 the 20th of April. 



