74 Miscellaneous. 



ring in the Firth of Forth, and only the third or fourth time that it 

 has been observed in Britain. 



9. And in conclusion I may call your attention to a fine specimen 

 of the Pink-Footed Goose (Anser hrachyrhynchus. Bail.), or Anser 

 phoenicopus, Bart., which seems to be not very uncommon in this 

 district at this time of the year. It was only pointed out as a new 

 species in this country so recently as 1839, and is easily known 

 by its short bill and pink feet, which the names given to it point 

 out, and which distinguish it from the Bean Goosq {Anser segetum), 

 which it much resembles. The whole bird measured some 28 inches 

 in length, the narrow bill being (along the side) little more than 

 \\ inch long, and much shorter than the head; its colour is black, 

 except a band across its middle which is bright reddish pink. Legs 

 and feet reddish pink, in some parts brighter than in others, with the 

 claws dusky. I have observed a few specimens of this bird in the 

 poulterers' shops lately, said to have been shot towards the west 

 country. This specimen was killed in the Carnwath district, adjoin- 

 ing this county to the south-west. I have had sent me the following 

 note, giving notice of these geese occurring in the neighbourhood of 

 Midcalder (Edinburghshire), by the friend who shot this one on the 

 4th of this month : this you may perhaps consider of some little 

 interest, as not much appears to be known of the habits of this parti- 

 cular kind of goose ; and with it I conclude : he says, — " At this 

 season yearly, the geese come in considerable numbers for the purpose 

 of feeding on the sown fields, particularly in the moorland districts, 

 where the country is open and they see about them ; they are very 

 shy and easily disturbed ; where they are in numbers today, there are 

 none tomorrow ; they rarely settle near the same place after being 

 disturbed ; the evening about dusk is the time to creep upon them, 

 when they are arranging their sleeping berth commonly at the side of 

 some out-of-the-way bit of water — lakes, ponds, not running streams. 

 About a hundred of them passed over this house on Sunday evening 

 a little before 8 o'clock ; they speak much to each other, and very 

 loud, giving ample notice of their approach to bed ; those on Sunday 

 evening were within shot, and must have gone to sleep at some short 

 distance at the Curling Ponds. The bird you got was shot about 

 nine miles from this, in the Carnwath district ; and was one of a con- 

 siderable flock, in the act of taking up their sleeping quarters. They 

 are sometimes got by laying in wait for them about the sown fields. 

 I sent the bird for a roast — the culinary qualities are much prized — 

 mode of proceeding, see ' Meg Dodds.' I was on the look-out for 

 them till 9 o'clock last night, but no success. The getting them is 

 quite a matter of chance. — April 6th, 1852." 



CORFIOTE SHELLS, BY SYLVANUS HANLEY, ESQ. « 



Although the accompanying list of species contains nothing re-^ 

 markable, yet being, I believe, the only published catalogue of the 

 shells indigenous to that most beautiful island, it may possibly prove 

 not devoid of utility to those who study the geographical distribution 



