On the Lanius Excubitor. 



355 



The unusual occurrence of the Death's-head Moth at 

 these different arid distant places is curious, and forms an 

 addition to the various instances recorded of its appearance, 

 during last autumn, in different parts of Great Britain. 



(2.) Br J. A. Smith exhibited a fine specimen of a Lanius Excubitor, 

 the Great Grey Shrike, which was shot in the end of January by 

 a keeper of Sir H. J. Seton Stuart, Bart., at Allanton, near 

 Motherwell, Lanarkshire. 



Dr Smith was indebted to Messrs John Dickson and Son, 

 Princes Street, the well-known gunmakers, for being able to 

 exhibit the bird. It was the sixth or seventh specimen of 

 this rare bird which had been observed this winter session, 

 probably due to the prevalence of severe gales, bringing the 

 birds from the continent of Europe. 



Dr John Duns stated that, while passing through the 

 Meadows here, on the 15th of February, he was attracted, 

 near the Merchant Maiden Hospital, by the unusual cry of a 

 bird. He saw the bird close to him, and, looking carefully 

 among the trees, discovered it to be a Great Grey Shrike, 

 thus adding another instance of its occurrence in this neigh- 

 bourhood. 



(3.) Dr J. A. Smith exhibited a large specimen of the Cyclopterus 

 lumpus {the Lumpsucker). 



A female, which is larger than the male, the Hush, or 

 Hen-paidle of our fishermen, of unusual size for the Firth of 

 Forth. It measured 19 inches in length and 11 J inches in 

 its greatest depth, and weighed nearly ten lbs. avoirdupois, 

 being full of spawn. It was taken by a small haddock line, 

 a little to the east of Inchkeith, on the 24th of January ; and 

 was kindly sent to Dr Smith from Mr Muirhead, Queen 

 Street, and has now been preserved for our important 

 Museum of Science and Art. 



Dr Parnell, in his " Fishes of the Forth," says :-— " This 

 fish seldom takes a bait, and is generally taken in the salmon 

 nets about the month of June, and entirely disappears after 

 the month of August." 



