THE ZooLocist—OcToBER, 1875. 4659 
shorter than second; second primary ‘6 inch shorter than third; 
third primary °5 inch longer than fourth; fourth primary a trifle 
shorter than the second. 
I have already stated that the food of the Montagu’s harrier con- 
sists principally of mice, voles, small birds, and reptiles, for I 
observed close to the nest remains of a viper, of which there is no 
scarcity in some parts of the island. There was nothing to show 
that they are injurious to game, and I think the few which remain 
to us might well be spared. However, the British keeper's maxim 
with regard to a “hawk” is that attributed to Cromwell, “Stone 
dead hath no fellow,” and I fear it is useless to plead for them. 
Men barely past middle age can remember when the marsh, the 
hen and the Montagu’s harrier all bred in abundance in the fen 
districts of our island; the drainage and cultivation have been the 
principal causes of their disappearance, especially as regards the 
first, and there is nothing to be said on that score. But the other 
two species equally frequent the drier and wilder portions of our 
island where cultivation has not yet encroached. If they should 
prove to increase (a most improbable contingency) to such an 
extent as to prove detrimental to game or poultry, why, they must 
die; but for the present do not let this war of extermination be 
carried out against every bird with a hooked bill and talons, until 
the day comes when our only knowledge of birds of prey will be 
derived from stuffed skins from the Continent. 
Sea Elephants from Kerguelen’s Land at Berlin. 
By Joun WILLIS Ciark, Esq. 
(Reprinted from ‘ Nature’ of September 11th). 
Tue Expedition sent by the German Government to observe the 
Transit of Venus at Kerguelen’s Land has brought home a noble 
series of specimens. 
The most interesting of these are the skins and skeletons of 
male and female sea elephants (Cystophora leonina = Morunga 
elephantina, Gray), adult and young. ‘The largest male is for- 
tunately full grown, though not old, or of so large a size as some 
of the skulls preserved in other museums would apparently indicate. 
Still it is a noble specimen, and has been admirably prepared under 
