320 



SUNDRIES. 



By the way, with reference to what I just now said about the im- 

 portation of the magpies, a large and very handsome sort of snail is 

 frequent in Surrey, in the neighbourhood of Ashtead, Leatherhead, &c., 

 which is said to have been introduced into those parts originally on 

 account of a young lady, to whom a diet, containing that ingredient, 

 was prescribed as a remedy for consumption. To the fact of the snail 

 in question being found abundantly in that part of the county of 

 Surrey, I can speak from my own knowledge a few years ago, and at 

 this time several specimens of the shell are in my possession ; the fact 

 was accounted for in the way that I have described, and the statement 

 reached me under credible circumstances. It is familiarly spoken of in 

 the neighbourhood as the Spanish snail, doubtless from the country of 

 its supposed origin. 



In " The Architecture of Birds," are mentioned the principal 

 heronries recorded to be existing at present in Great Britain. There 

 is one in this county, at Hillsborough, the seat of the Marquis of 

 Downshire. A few years ago the noble proprietor, preferring fish to 

 herons, and finding the latter very destructive of the former, his fish 

 ponds being immediately under the heronry, determined on abolishiug 

 the birds, and used every expedient in his power for the purpose. The 

 effort, however, was ineffectual, and the herons were ultimately left in 

 undisturbed possession of their ancient hereditary domain. It is 

 amusing to see them seated on the high trees, with their legs hanging 

 down from the branches through their nests, which appear to be very 

 loosely put together. There is another heronry, I am informed, in the 

 county of Cavan, but I do not know the proprietor, or the particular 

 spot, and another at the Marquis of Abercorn's, Baron's Court, near 

 Strabane, in the county of Tyrone ; perhaps there are others in this 

 country ; the bird itself is common in Ireland, and is perpetually 

 seen, for example, on the sea shore in the counties of Down and 

 Antrim. In the latter county it is frequent also at Shanes Castle, 

 the seat of Earl O'Neill, on the borders of that extensive expanse 

 of fresh water, Lough Neagh, sixteen or eighteen miles from the 

 sea : but they do not appear to nestle and breed there. I am told 

 that they never build except on an island. 



I do not know whether the swift (Hirundo Apus, Linn.) will bear 

 confinement. But a friend has recently sent me a specimen of this 

 bird, which, at the time of its being shot, was found to have an orange 

 ribbon tied round its neck, so that it must at some previous time have 

 been in captivity. But where, and when, and how long, it had been 



