52 Proceedings of the 



edition of Yarrell's ''British Fishes," vol. ii., p. 229. The notice was 

 accompanied with a preparation of the spine, and a coloured wax cast re- 

 presenting the external characters. 



Mr George Logan exhibited a drawing of a smaller specimen of the 

 same variety, which he had obtained several years ago from the Firth of 

 Forth. 



4. Notice of a Curious Habit of the Common Seal. By Mr William 



M'Intosh. Communicated by T. Spencer Cobbold, M.D. 



This communication, from an eye-witness, minutely described the man- 

 ner in which the common seal caught and devoured its prey,' — in this 

 instance, a ballan wrasse, which the seal held in its fore-paws, and care- 

 fully denuded of its skin before devouring. 



5. Notice of the Ferruginous Buck, or White-Eyed Duck (Nyroca leu- 



copthalmos, Flem.), recently shot near Musselburgh. By John 

 Alex. Smith, M.D. — (The specimen was exhibited). 



The bird, an adult male, measured 16f inches from the point of the 

 bill to the tip of tail ; and 27^ inches in breadth from point to point of 

 its extended wings. The first primary is the longest, others gradually 

 decreasing in length. From flexure of wing to point of first primary, 

 measures 7f inches ; inside of wings and axillaries white. Its weight was 

 17 ounces. The trachea (which was exhibited) 5J inches long, is peculiar, 

 the upper part being rather more than |- of an inch in diameter, gradually 

 expanding to ^ an inch, and again contracting to less than % of an inch 

 towards the lower part, where it terminates in a bony and membranous 

 labyrinth about 1^- inch in length (well figured in " Yarrell's British 

 Birds)." The oesophagus was about 7f inches in length; the stomach, a 

 strong and muscular gizzard, was filled with seeds of the oat, mixed with 

 small pieces of quartz and gravel. The intestines from pylorus to anus 

 were 3 ft. 9 in. in length ; two cceca, one 4| in., the other 4| in. long, 

 enter the gut about 2-J- inches from its lower extremity. The bird is 

 an occasional winter visitant of England, but appears to have been very 

 rarely seen in Scotland, 



6. Dr J. A. Smith mentioned that, during the months of November 

 and December, several flocks of the Mealy Redpoll, Linota canescens, 

 Yar., had been observed in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, and num- 

 bers had been taken by the bird-catchers. These birds were larger in size 

 than the Lesser Redpoll, Linota linaria, Yar., none of which had been 

 taken along with them. Specimens were exhibited, varying in brightness 

 of colour ; in some, the cheeks, breast, and the white or greyish rump, 

 were tinged with rose-red ; some had the plumage much edged with white. 

 They had not been found in such abundance in this neighbourhood for 



