378 THK ZOOLOOlST. 



p. 8) leads me to suppose that the Bunting is of exceptional 

 occurrence in Switzerland. 



July 7th. — Wengern Alp. The Corvidce seem partial to this 

 place; we saw a Raven, Crows, and Alpine Choughs— the latter 

 always three together. At this hotel is a Golden Eagle (Stein- 

 adler) in a huge cage. The gigantic cliffs opposite are said 

 still to afford protection to a stray Liimraergeier, Gypaetus 

 barbatus. 



I was not able to go to Miirrur, as I had intended, but it is 

 worth noting that the landlord of the new hotel there has an 

 admirable collection of Alpine animals, which he will gladly 

 show to anyone who wishes to inspect it. We returned home 

 by Bern, where Spotted Flycatchers, Miiscicapa grisola, were 

 building their nests in the garden corridor of the Hotel 

 Belle-vue. The Museum afforded me plenty of occupation during 

 the two hot days I spent here. We returned to England without 

 further opportunity for making observations. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



The proposed Marine Biological Laboratory.— As we have already 

 mentioned (p. 270) an Association has been formed which is collecting funds 

 for the purpose of promoting marine biological study, and we cannot doubt 

 that its objects need only to be widely known in order to receive the 

 encouragement they deserve. The harvest of the sea is only less important 

 to the people of this country than that of the laud and the study of marine 

 biology is to the one wliat the study of agricultural science is to the other. 

 The life and liabits of the fish on which we feed are still for the most part 

 shrouded in mystery. Fishermen go mainly by tradition and the rule of 

 thumb. They know empirically where certain fish are to be found at certain 

 seasons, and provided they secure a good haul, they trouble themselves as 

 little as possible about the causes which produce it or the conditions which 

 favour it. They cannot be persuaded that Science has anything to tell 

 them which they do not know already, and they have the common distrust 

 of practical men for scientific methods and conclusions. The researches 

 already made, however, in foreign marine laboratories have incoutestably 

 proved the value of such institutions having resulted in promoting the 

 supply of Oysters. It has long been known that the Oyster of Northern 

 Europe is hermaphrodite, and that its eggs are hatched inside the shell of 

 the parent, the young being thus carried and protected until they are so 



