Birds. 9411 



together in numbers on the bare cliff. I am, therefore, yet of the 

 opinion that if a bird is observed sitting on the ground, is seen to rise 

 and is shot, and, on proceeding to the spot from which it rose, eggs 

 are found, we may fairly presume the eggs to be those of the species 

 killed. Mr. A Cooke considers that " nothing short of capture upon 

 the nest or eggs can be held conclusive." But if we were always to 

 follow that rule, we should sometimes have to wait a long time before 

 we could add many species of eggs to our collection. I think that, in 

 most cases, if a bird is seen on or near the eggs, we may fairly pre- 

 sume that the eggs are those of the bird. 



With regard to the breeding of the oystercatcher, ring plover, 

 shieldrake, and a few other birds mentioned by Mr. Ecroyd Smith, we 

 appear to agree in material points, with this exception, — that whereas 

 out of more than a dozen nestings of the oystercatcher which I found 

 last May, only one of them was formed with shells, the others being 

 mere hollows scooped in the sand, Mr. Ecroyd Smith observed that 

 this bird, besides using bits of shell, occasionally employs fragments 

 of drift-wood and sea-weed in the lining of its nest. 



In conclusion, I am quite of the opinion that we ought not to dog- 

 matize on observations made in any single locality, which may be far 

 from presenting us with the truth, but should rather offer our notes 

 with the view of comparing them with the observations of others, and 

 thus elicit information which will tend to prove general facts. 



J. Edmund Harting. 

 Kingsbury, Middlesex, 



November 11, 1864. 



On the Power possessed hy Birds, natives of warm climates, to resist 

 with impunity the cold of higher latitudes. By J. Jenner 

 Weir, Esq. 



It is well known that natatorial and grallatorial birds have their 

 bodies clothed with down in far greater abundance than birds which 

 seek their sustenance entirely on land ; and doubtless this warmer 

 clothing enables them to combat with the damp and cold by which 

 they are in their haunts continually surrounded. 



When, however, insessorial birds from hot countries are contrasted 

 in this respect with those from temperate or even cold countries, this 

 distinction in the relative warmth of their clothing does not appear to 

 exist. 



