NATURAL HISTORY MISCELLANY. 167 
and eight native teachers. Cannibalism is still common at the 
islands, and many parts of the group are too dangerous to 
explore. — A. GARRETT. 
Sexes OF THE Losster.— A Correspondent of “Land and 
Water,” makes an announcement, which is endorsed by the editor 
of that paper, to the effect that the sex of Lobsters can be read- 
ily determined by the character of their claws, since, in nearly 
fourteen hundred specimens examined, it was ascertained that in 
the male, the blunt, tufted claw is always on the left side, and the 
sharpest serrate claw on the right, a condition of things exactly re- 
versed in the female. This, however, has been subsequently 
denied, and the question of determining the sex by means easily 
understood by the laity, yet remains open. 
Occurrence oF Lanp Brrps Far our ar Sea.— We are in- 
debted to the Smithsonian Institution for the following extract 
from a letter received from the Hon. L. E. Chittenden, in refer- 
ence to certain birds which came on board the vessel in which he 
was proceeding to Europe. Frequent mention is made, in the 
writings of travellers, of birds having been seen far out at sea; 
but it is not often that so satisfactory an identification of the 
species is supplied, as that furnished by Mr. Chittenden’s letter. 
tt STEAMER LAFAYETTE, 12 M., Oct. 19th, 1869. * 
Latitude 41° 40’; longitude 64° 9’; distance sailed last twenty- ` 
four hours, 310 miles, Distance from New Yor k, eee miles. To 
Brest, 2441 miles. There has been a strong wind from the north- 
west the last twenty-four Koai Shortly after daylight this morn- 
ing, land birds began to alight on the ship. oa sailors have caught 
many, some twenty-five or thirty. They seem very weary and dis- 
inclined to move after having alighted, sad are easily caught. 
They must have been blown off the land, but it is singular that so 
many should have been blown away by a wind which is far from be- 
ing that of a ng They fly straight to the ship and alight ; do not 
circle around at all. I have been showing the sailors what to feed 
i "They saa pone several cages, and are having 
(probably Passerella iliaca); a creeper, probably Brown Tree 
Creeper. A flycatcher, either the common Pewee or the aa 
