176 The Zoologist— April, 1866. 



is apparently a young bird, for though muscular, the flesh was remark- 

 ably lender and the sliin easy of removal. In no bird, except perhaps 

 the great northern diver, have I found the tibia so long, strong and 

 muscular ; the ligaments braced and bound down by transverse bands, 

 beneath which the femoral artery is imbedded in a groove or hollow 

 channel in the bone, after passing through au elongated opening in the 

 upper exterior surface, but returning again to the front by a narrow 

 aperture in the bone before reaching the knee. The thigh-bone, though 

 very thick, is but l^ inch in length, whereas the tibia is remarkably 

 long, namely 6^?^ inches. The loon, when feeding, invariably rises 

 out of shot, but they are some seconds getting clear of the water, which 

 is marked by a white line of foam. 



Rock Dove. — January lUh. Observed a pigeon of this species to-day 

 in rapid flight to the eastward, in the direction of Dunnose, against a 

 strong head-wind ; it was flying low, so that the white patch on the 

 rump could be distinctly seen ; and from its small size could be no 

 other than the rock dove. 



H<;<l(jes[mrroiv. — A nest containing one egg was found at Shauklin 

 early in tiie mouth. 



Bluet hronlecl Warbler. — January 12th. I have now the satisfaction 

 of recording the appearance of another of these rare warblers. Since 

 the fnst was observed 1 have been constantly on the look out, and as 

 late as the I2lh of October referred to its change of plumage at the 

 autumnal moult. The warbler seen to-day is a young and immature 

 bird, considerably smaller than the former, and with scarcely a shade 

 of blue about the plumage. The chin and neck white, that colour 

 extending to the checks and ear-coverts. The breast has a mottled 

 appearance, being of a dull brown and while, with a slight bluish tinge, 

 and there is a dusky crescent-shaped band beneath. The upper 

 plumage is of a grayish brown. It attracted my notice by flying across 

 the public road at lionchurch, and then settling down to feed among 

 the decaying leaves by the brook-side, where 1 believe I had a 

 momentary view of it a ievr weeks since, but could not be quite sure. 

 The blue-breasted bird was seen to-day near the same spot by two 

 workmen. 1 am now iuclined to believe that these birds were bred in 

 the Undercliff; if so, there are probably more of them in the neigh- 

 bourhood, though the old birds may have re-migrated. When 

 expressing a hope that a partner might be found, I little anticipated 

 that n)y wishes would liave been so soon realised, though it has yet to 

 be ascertained that the new comer is a female, but there is reason to 



