5518 Birds. 



seldom lived long. In autumn the members of the species are greatly increased by 

 arrivals from other parts of Europe, and at this time many are shot in the great annual 

 hunts which take place in September and October, and, what is rather remarkable, 

 birds of the year are but seldom obtained. Richter has had through his hands during 

 the past season about thirty eggs, every one of which were sent to Amsterdam ; my 

 wishes to procure specimens were therefore frustrated. — Henri/ Smurthwaite ; S^Ross- 

 platz, Leipzic, January 8, 1857. 



Rare British Birds in Germany. — Towards the latter end of September I picked 

 up, whilst crossing a fallow field, a beautiful adult male specimen of a rare British 

 bird, the crested lark (Alauda cristata) ; it was perfectly fresh, and I could find no 

 wound about the body : I have since seen this bird twice in the vicinity of Leipzic, and 

 am told that it is by no means rare in the breeding season. A few days ago I had the 

 pleasure of seeing, in the cabinet of a collector iu this town, a remarkably tine speci- 

 men of the egg of the great auk (Alca impennis): in common with most eggs of this 

 species, its origin is shrouded in mystery ; it was brought, about eighteen years ago, 

 from Iceland by a sailor, and sold by him to an ornithologist in Hamburg, from whom 

 it was received by its present owner: from what part of Iceland, however, is unknown, 

 as also are all particulars with regard to the circumstances attending its discovery: it 

 is a very fine, perfect specimen, blown with a hole in each end, but these are not so 

 large as at all to destroy the symmetry of the egg: it is also very richly and strongly 

 marked: I had previously only seen the fine example in the collection of Mr. John 

 Hancock, of Newcastle, but, having heard descriptions of several others, I am inclined 

 to think that the secondary colour in the specimen I am describing is much browner 

 than usual; this may perhaps arise from partial exposure to light and the length of 

 time which has elapsed since it was taken: the person to whom it belongs wishes to 

 sell it for £15, and, as I am informed that the one belonging to the late Mr. Yarrell, 

 which was slightly cracked, was bought at the recent sale for £21 10s., this appears to 

 be no unreasonable price; a professor of Zoology in Dresden and a Scotch gentleman, 

 whose name I could not learn, have each offered £8 for it, but this sum the owner 

 thought proper to decline. The white stork (Ciconia alba) breeds on the outskirts of 

 Leipzic : a nest exists at present in the Rosenthal, a pleasant walk within the gates of 

 the town ; it is placed on the summit of a tree, about twenty feet high, and seems to 

 be firmly constructed, as it has resisted with success all the severe storms with which 

 this neighbourhood has been recently visited : another nest, a most interesting object, 

 is built on the roof of a village inn, about one mile from here: from the fondness with 

 which the birds are regarded by the peasantry, eggs are difficult to obtain ; I have 

 succeeded, nevertheless, in procuring good specimens, together with those of other 

 rare British birds, such as the common and little bitterns, black redstart, white wag- 

 tail, &c. Since writing the above, I have had the satisfaction of seeing no less than 

 five crested larks in the open street, before the house in which I reside: they were ex- 

 ceedingly tame, and allowed me to approach within a few feet without showing any 

 symptoms of fear: from their plumage they appeared to me to be all males of the past 

 season : the speed with which they run is really remarkable, far exceeding that of any 

 other small bird with which I am acquainted. I may add that the shorttoed lark 

 (Alauda brachydactyla) is not uncommon, and also breeds in this part of Saxony. 

 The collection which contains the above-mentioned egg of the great auk may fairly 

 vie with almost any of our most celebrated British cabinets, and the opportunity which 

 I have had of inspecting it has afforded me the greatest pleasure : were I to give a list 



