Birds— Reptiles. 2149 



guillemot ( Uria lachrymans) of a bright green colour, " covered with irregular lines of 

 brownish black," he remarks that it proves " the absurdity of the idea that the ringed 

 guillemot lays a white egg." 1 I shall be excused for observing that this is what 

 lawyers call a non sequitur ; the only fact established is that this species sometimes 

 lays variegated eggs ! It is said, upon good authority, that it also lays eggs of a white 

 colour, and it is so nearly allied to Uria troile, fliat there is no difficulty in believing 

 that its eggs vary as much as those of the latter species. — William R. Fisher ; Great 

 Yarmouth, April 14th, 1848. 



Occurrence of the Common Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) in the Thames. — On 

 Sunday last an immature specimen of the common cormorant was shot in the river 

 Thames, at Swanscombe, by a bargeman, after being chased by several people for the 

 space of an hour, during which time he kept diving. — Henri/ Fuller ; Swanscombe, 

 May 2nd, 1848. 



Habits of Sea Gulls (Larus ?). — The flight of the sea gulls to the moors, 



west of my residence, has for some days past been curious. During the lambing 

 season they regularly attend the moors to feed upon that which falls from the ewes 

 after lambing, and return to the sea-side after the season is over. In this county 

 there are some one or two places where the gulls congregate in many thousands 

 to breed upon the ground at Palinsburn and Paurton. It is very remarkable 

 that they all arrive nearly on the same day, and remain until their young are 

 old and strong enough to swim back to the sea-side, and take their departure 

 nearly all together. The period of their coming and going is regular to a day or two. 

 The proprietors of the land are careful to keep off trespassers during the breeding 

 time, for although the birds occupy some acres, it would be impossible to walk without 

 destroying many nests. — Isaac Cookson ; Meldon Park, April 24, 1848. 



Occurrence of Bufforis Skua (Lestris parasiticus) near Thetford. — An immature 

 specimen of the Buffon's skua was found dead at Hockham, in September last. I saw 

 the bird when stuffed, but unfortunately I am unable to give you any further particu- 

 lars about it. — Alfred Newton ; Elveden, May 1, 1848. 

 Dates of Arrival of Migratory Birds near Elveden. 



Fieldfare, September 27 Redwing, October 14 



Dotterel, September 29 Mountain Finch, November 19 



Hooded Crow, October 5 Mealy Redpole, December 5 



Woodcock, October 6 Wild (Bean ?) Goose, December 5 



Golden Plover, October 12. — Id. 



Description of a Species of Nevjt. — A kind of newt occurs in ponds and ditches 

 about Edinburgh which I have not observed elsewhere. The males are remarkable for 

 a ridge on each side of their back, which gives it great breadth and squareness, for 

 their wholly-webbed feet, and for the mode in which their tail terminates : it appears 

 as if the tip had been nipped off, the central filament of it only remaining, and pro- 

 jecting for a quarter of an inch. In colour and style of marking it differs consider- 

 ably from Lissotriton punctatus of Bell. The females are less easy to recognise. 

 There appear to be characteristic differences in the bones of the two species, at least in 



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