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THE EDINBURGH JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



but presently 1 perceived one of them string his bow, and another sharpen his flint- 

 knife with a pair of wooden pincers, and suspend it on the wrist of his right hand. 

 Farther testimony of their intention was unnecessary. To save myself by flight was 

 impossible; so, without hesitation, I stepped back about five paces, cocked my gun, 

 drew one of the pistols out of my belt, and holding it in my left hand, and the gun 

 in my right, showed myself determined to fight for my life. As much as possible I 

 endeavoured to preserve my coolness ; and thus we stood looking at one another with- 

 out making any movement or uttering a word for perhaps ten minutes, when at last 

 one, who seemed the leader, gave a sign that they wished for some tobacco. This I 

 signified they should have if they fetched me a quantity of cones. They went ofi" 

 immediately in search of them ; and no sooner were they aU out of sight, than I 

 picked up my three cones and some twigs of the trees, and made the quickest possi- 

 ble retreat, hurrying back to my camp, which I reached before dusk. Of my three 

 cones, one measures 14^, inches, and the two others are respectively half an inch and 

 an inch shorter, all full of fine seed." 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE FKITH OF CROMARTY NO. II. 



On the flats of the Bay of Nigg are extensive beds of the common mussel, Mytilus 

 edulis, which the fishers use for bait, together with various other shells, as Venus 

 pullastra^ Solen siliqua, Mya tnincata^ Lucina radula, Cardium edule, Mactra 

 subtruncatra, Fusus antiquus, Buccinum ujidatum. Purpura lapillus, Trochus 

 cinerarius, Tarritella terehra, Tiirho Uiiorevs^ and T. reiusns. Besides these are 

 observed numerous dead shells of the Great Clam, Pecten maximus, the Common 

 Clam, Pecten operadariSi as well as most of the above. It is a somewhat curious 

 circumstance, that although shells of the former species occur in the Frith of Forth, 

 as well as in that of Cromarty, living specimens are not found there, while on many 

 parts of the north-western coasts of Scotland they are not uncommon. There is 

 an oyster scalp or bed below Invergordon, near the north shore, and another above 

 it, among the shells found in the upper half of the Frith, are Buccinum zindatiwif 

 Purpura Japillus, Tiirritella terehra, Trochus cinerarius. Patella vulffata, Turbo 

 liitoreus, T. retusus^ T. rudis, Mytilus edulis, Pecten opercularist Venus puUas- 

 tra, V. decussata, Sole7i siliqua, Mya trimcata, Mya arenaria, Cardium edulcj 

 and Mactra truncata ; but they are not generally found in great numbers, the welks 

 and limpets, in particular, bemg rare and diminutive. 



The fishermen at Cromarty set their lines in the open sea, and do not fish in any 

 part of the Frith, although a few large, generally sickly Cod appear there, with a 

 good number of Codlings, occasionally Haddocks, Skate, and Flounders. Herrings 

 sometimes enter ; Sand-eels, Ammodi/tes tobianusy are found in the sands ; and 

 Cuddies, the fry of Gadus carbonarii:s, are plentiful in many parts. Fresh-water 

 Trouts are sometimes caught more than half-way down j Eels occur in the upper 

 part, and the Ocellated Blenny is plentiful on the shoals. 



Echinus esculentus and Spalangus cordatus occur below Invergordon ; as do the 

 Spider Crab, the Hermit Crab, anc'- Common Shrimp ; but the Lobster and Com- 

 mon Crab are not met with. Several A&terice, Alcyonia, and Sertidarim, are not 

 uncommon, and the Lug, or Sea-woi'm, Luinhricus marinus, is plentiful in most 

 parts of the Frith. 



Seals are numerous at times, and frequently ascend the river as far as the bridge, 

 near which they are sometimes caught by the salmon-fishers. Porpoises also enter 

 the Frith, but are said not to enter the river. 



, The birds to be seen on the waters, or along the shores in winter, are very nume- 

 rous. Vast flocks of Brent Geese, Anser Bernicloy frequent the shoals of the Bay 

 of Nigg, as already mentioned, and at high-water are seen floating in detached par- 

 ties over the basin below Invergordon. Long-tailed Ducks, Herelda glacialis, are 

 also very abundant there. The Mallard, Anas Boschas, and the Golden-eyed Duck, 

 Clangida chrysophthalma, are seen in great numbers feeding along the edge of the 

 water, when the tide is out. The other species of common occurrence are, the 

 Common Gull, Larus canus; the Black-headed Gull, L. ridihundus ; the great 

 Black-backed Gull, L. marinus ; the Guillemot, Uria Troile; the Auk, Alca Torda; 

 the Red-throated Diver, Cohjnibus scpteidrionalis ; the Cormorant, Pkalacrocorax 

 Carbo. The Feaser, Lestris parasiticus, is of rare occurrence. Along the shores 

 are seen the Redshank, Totonus Calidris ; the Curlew, Numenius arquata ; 

 flocks of Ringed Plovers, Charadrius Itiaticula, and Lapwings, Vanellus crista- 

 tus, together with the common Heron, Ardea cinerea. All these are, properly 

 speaking, sea-birds, excepting the Brent Goose, the wild Duck, the Curlew, the 

 Lapwing, and the Heron, which, however, are as frequently found on or by the sea 

 as on land ; while, on the other hand, several of the others are often seen on the 

 land, and on fresh waters, and the Gulls often, and the Red-throated Diver always, 

 breed on the latter. 



The general considerations respecting estuaries, a subject of great importance with 

 reference to the salmon-fisheries, which form the second part of th'is paper, must be 

 deferred till another opportunity. In the meantime, it may be remarked, that the 

 greater number of our estuaries present characters similar to that of the Cromarty 

 Frith, being inlets of the sea entered by a river, and having the same vegetable and 

 animal productions as those enumerated; each, however, having peculiarities of form, 

 depth, and other circumstances. The Beauly Frith, or upper part of the IMoray 

 Frith, and the Fi-ith of Tay, in particular, are very analogous to the Cromarty Frith, 

 as will be shown in the sequel. 



The moon, which was high at the time, and the stars, were shining with unusual 

 lustre, and a bitter wind was blowing from the south. There was a kind of nucleus 

 of a brighter hue in the centre of the western or principal aurora, from which 

 emanated streams of light. This nucleus was surrounded by external bands of a 

 deeper and less vivid colour. In the north were also broad insulated patches of 

 dense luminous matter of the same lurid aspect, which occasionally extended them- 

 selves so that the moon at one period was overshadowed by them, which caused a 

 halo faintly exhibiting the prismatic colours. There was not a cloud to be seen. 



Shortly after eleven these remarkable appearances vanished, when a strong wind 

 sprung up from the south, and the succeeding day was w*et and gusty. 



A circumstance occurred during the continuance of these phenomena (which fact 

 I do not find noticed in the records of Meteorology), namely, the sudden rise of the 

 barometer. It had been sinking on the previous day, and it also rapidly sank after 

 the disappearance of the aurora. This might have been merely the transient effect 

 of natural causes in simultaneous operation ; but if it were not, and the barome- 

 trical indication on similar occasions be hereafter fully established, it will, I con- 

 ceive (as do the vibrations of the magnetic needle), lend a collateral and an im- 

 portant aid in determining the real nature of the aurora. — Wallingford, I2th March 

 1837. 



METEOROLOGY. 



Dr Allnat of Wallingford has transmitted, for. insertion in this Journal, the 

 following account of a Western Aurora, which appeared on the night of Saturday 

 16th February last, between the hours of ten and eleven. 



From the horizon almost due west a blood-red glow of light arose, shooting up- 

 wards to the zenith, where it was joined by another broad sheet of lurid light, which 

 dipped far down into the east, thus forming an irregular arch extending almost con- 

 tinuously across the face of the heavens, from the western to the eastern horizon. 



REVIEWS. 



The Naturalist ; illustrative of the Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral Kingdoms. 



Edited by Neville Wood, Esq. 

 Tills useful and entertaining monthly journa.1, which, after the appearance of its sixth 

 number, underwent what we were apprehensive was nothing less than an entire demo, 

 lition, has, to our great pleasure, reappeared under a somewhat altered form, under 

 the auspices of the accomplished author of '* British Song Birds," and joint editor of 

 the Analyst, a quarterly publication of great merit. The number for April contains, 

 among other papersi an excellent account of the Lemuridce ; A Catalogue of Medicinal 

 Plants found in the neighbourhood of York ; Remarks on the sense of Smell in Carrion 

 Birds, by the Rev. F. O. Morris ; Observations on the habits of the Kitchet Weasel, 

 by W. R. Scott ; together with a variety of interesting miscellaneous notices. The 

 number for May is at least of equal interest. The first paper, by Thomas Allis, on the 

 impropriety of placing the Columbidse m the order of Rasores, is in all respects to 

 our mind ; and the views entertained by that intelligent writer will be found to be simi- 

 lar to those expressed at greater length in Macgillivray's History of British Birds, vol. 

 I. recently published. The Pigeons certainly differ from the Phasianinae, Pavoninee, 

 PerdiciuEe, and other families of the Rasores, as much in external as in internal 

 characters and habits, and the only point in which they agree is their feeding on ve- 

 getable substances. If this were sufficifnt to induce an intelligent ornithologist to 

 class them together, why is not the Goose permitted to join the group? In conclu- 

 sion, Mr Allis remarks : — " To make the order Rasores consist of these five families 

 (PavonidcE, Tetraonidcz, Cracidai, Struthionida,^\\A Co/«7n&zrf£E), appears to me very 

 incono-ruous, and to arise more from a desire of adapting them to the exigencies of a 

 preconceived theory, than from any natural affinities observable between them. A 

 circle composed of families difl^ering so greatly in the amount of their aberrations, pre- 

 sents, according to my ideas, chasms so extensive and frightful between the different 

 families of which it is composed, as not at all to accord with the beautiful ordef of 

 Nature; whereas, if placed in separate orders, we "find the extreme species running 

 into each other, and forming one harmonious whole, which cannot be contemplated 

 without feelings of admiration and dehght." Right : — " The vagaries of these peo- 

 ple" are so absurd, their jargon so ludicrous, their self-sufficiency so amusing, that a 

 reasonable creature, who studies Nature as she is, cannot refrain from associating the 

 most comical ideas with the system advocated by them. *' The Naturalist Abroad," 

 by Edwin Lees, is a delightful paper, and Mr Morris's Explanation of the Latin names 

 of British Birds, a very useful one, not to the tyro alone, but to the system -makers, 

 who rarely can spell their names. Various interesting papers follow, in perusing 

 which, we promise the reader much amusement as well as instruction. This eighth 

 number, in fact, is a capital one; and we trust that those which are to come will not 

 disappoint us in fulfilling the expectations to which it gives rise. 



Loudons Magazine of Natural History. New Series. Conducted by Edward 



Charlesworth, F.G. S. 

 This long-established, entertaining, and most useful monthly periodical, continues to 

 support its well-earned reputation under the management of its new editor, who has 

 published in it several very interesting papers on Geological subjects. The informa- 

 tion which it conveys, although generally of a popular character — that is, intelligible 

 to the reading public at large — is occasionally more strictly scientific or technical, and 

 subjects requiring illustration are very beautifully represented by engravings on wood. 

 The number for May contains a notice of the Teeth of Carcharias megalodon, occur- 

 ring- in the Red Crag of Suffolk, by the editor; A 'continuation of a Catalogue of the 

 Birds of Devonshire, by Dr E. jMoore ; Natural Phenomena observed in 1833, by the 

 Rev. W. B. Clarke; On the errors which may arise in computing the relative anti- 

 quity of Deposits from the characters of their imbedded Fossils, by H. E. Strickland, 

 Esq. ; Observations on the existence of Electric Currents in vegetable structures, by 

 Golding Bird, Esq. ; On the enlargement of the Eggs of some marine MoUusca during 

 the period of their hatching, by J. E. Gray, Esq.; Remarks on Generic Nomencla- 

 ture, by BIr Shuckard ; Description of a new genus of British Parasitic Hymenoptera, 

 by Mr Westwood; Observations on the changes of colour in the Fur of Mammalia and 

 in Feathers, by Mr Blyth ; besides Reviews, and short Notices on various subjects. 



Edinburgh: Published for the Proprietor, at the Office, No. 13, Hill Street. 

 London: Smith, Elder, and Co., 65, Cornhill. Glasgow and the West of 

 Scotland: John Smith and Son; and John Macleod. Dublin: George 

 Young. Paris: J. B. Balliere, Ruede I'Ecole de Medecine, No, 13 bis. 



THE EDINBURGH PRINTING COMPANY. 



