Birds. 



7883 



killed near Carniuton, the residence of Humphrey Willyams, Esq., the same locality 

 from whence the spotted eagle (No. 2) was lately obtained. The specimen is now 

 preserved for Mr. Brydges Willyams, and in case it should be desired to have sub- 

 mitted the specimen for the inspection of any of the scientific societies in London, 

 I will apply to him to allow it to be sent, and I have no doubt it will be granted. 

 I mention this in case my notice of this curious bird should excite a strong interest 

 in the further investigation of its character. — Edward Hearle Rodd ; Penzance, 

 January 3, 1862. 



Occurrence of the Egyptian Goose at Alton. — A fine specimen of the Egyptian 

 goose was shot on Oakhanger Pond, near Alton, on the 16th of December last. — Philip 

 Crowley ; Alton, January 8, 1862. 



[I always feel an inclination to consider the Egyptian geese killed in this country 

 as escapes: this beautiful bird is a great favourite on ornamental waters. — Edward 

 Newman.] 



A clever Duck. — An intimate friend of mine here, himself a man of Science, relates 

 to me the following curious fact, which occurred before his own eyes a few days ago. 

 He keeps a pair of ducks in his yard : one day he remarked the drake dodging about 

 in one comer, and presently saw that he h id " cornered-up " (to use a Yankeeism) a 

 little half-grown mouse. The drake cleverly cut off its retreat on every side, the angle 

 of the wall much assisting him; at last he made a dash and seized mousey in his 

 broad beak. Here he held his prey for some moments, as if not knowing what to do 

 with it. Then, all on a sudden, as if struck with a bright thought, he marched 

 straight to the water, at some distance, and plunging his beak beneath the surface, 

 kept the mouse submerged till it ceased to struggle. He then withdrew it, and with 

 some slight difficulty managed to gobble it up. The carnivorous appetite is curious, 

 the skill displayed in capture still more so, but the ingenious resource of drowning the 

 active mouse, in order to eat him secuiely and comfortably, most curious of all. My 

 friend (I may mention his name, Mr. Henry Curtis, known by repute to every rose- 

 lover, almost to every botanist) is so sober, grave and upright a man that I have the 

 most absolute confidence in the truth of what he told me. —P. H. Gosse ; Torquay, 

 January 4, 1862. 



Occurrence of the Little Auk Inland. — I wish to add the following to the cases of 

 the occurrence of the little auk inland which I find in the 'Zoologist' of this month. 

 I received a letter, from which the following is an extract, from my friend and neigh- 

 bour, William Butler, Esq., of Lee Court, Empshott, two miles from hence: — "Lee 

 Court, November 19, 1861. My dear Sir,— I have this day forwarded to you a bird 

 which one of my labourers picked up near his cottage: it ran, but made no attempt to 

 fly." The bird soon died, and had refused all food. It has been stuffed, and is now 

 in the Museum of the Alton Institution. — Thomas Bell; January 7, 1862. 



Variety of the Common Gull. — At Balla Sound, last December, I shot a common 

 gull (Larus canus) of such small size that its whole length (fourteen inches and a half) 

 did not exceed that of the wing of an ordinary specimen, when measured from carpal 

 joint to tip. It was an adult male in full plumage, but the bill, legs and feet pre- 

 sented a very unusual appearance, being strongly tinged with yellowish brown. — 

 Henry L. Saxby ; 54, Gilmore Place, Edinburgh. 



