NATURAL HISTORY MISCELLANY. 173 
was once an ice house. This cavity was at one time filled with 
hay, but the hay in many places had settled down, leaving large 
vacant spaces, in one of which this nest was formed, about four 
or five feet from the ground. The entrance was by a knot hole.— 
J. Ancus, West Farms, N. Y. 
[Mr. A. J. Olmstead writes us that this hornet has been seen 
since 1863, at Morristown, N. J., and that the nest is made of the 
green wood of the lilac. “It does much damage to fruit, but at 
the same time destroys many insects.” — Eps. ] 
Tue Micration or Hawks. — The solitary habits of the Hawks 
are so frequently referred to in general works, treating of the nat- 
ural history of these interesting birds, as being especially distinc- 
tive of the birds of this family, as to fully indicate the general 
prevalency of the opinion that they are in no degree gregarious, 
in confirmation of the observations of Dr. William Wood, published 
in the February number of the Narurauist (1871), in which he 
states he and some of his ornithological friends had repeatedly no- 
ticed considerable companies of hawks passing over in early spring- 
time. I may add that I have myself observed numerous similar 
instances, in the autumn as well as in the spring. At Spring- 
field (Massachusetts), I for several years noticed ‘it as a quite reg- 
ular occurrence, and I have since observed similar flights of hawks 
in Iowa. On one occasion (in April, 1862) I noticed hundreds 
slowly sailing over in the peculiar gyratory manner of these birds. 
They formed a long loese flock, extending both to the northward 
and the southward as far as could be seen, the whole company oc- 
cupying more than an hour in passing a given point. Though 
soaring at a considerable height, it was easy to see that the com- 
pany was composed of representatives of several species. While 
this mode of migration is more characteristic, perhaps, of our Bu- 
teones (the Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, and Broad-winged Hawks) 
than of other species, the common Accipiter Cooperi is frequently 
associated with them.—J. A. ALLEN. 
Longevity or A Marie SHELL. — Mr. Tryon (Conch. Sec. 
Acad. Nat. Sci., Philad.) read a letter from Mr. W. M. Gabb, who 
collected Littorina muricata in the first week in September, speci- 
mens of which were now living, although having been out of 
water not less than four months. This he believed was the first 
case, on record, of the longevity of life illustrated in marine 
species. 
