CHAPTER OF VARIETIES. 



371 



had been multiplied into two species. Our later writers have supposed 

 the provincial name " pipit/' or " pipit-lark/' to signify the meadow- 

 pipit (Ant hits pratensis) in its winter plumage, and the term " tit- 

 lark" they have referred to the same species in its summer garb. 

 This application, however, of the two provincial names is incorrect ; 

 the " tit-lark " of bird-catchers and bird-fanciers being the tree-lark* 

 or tree-pipit (A. arbor eus) of naturalists ; while the meadow-pipit 

 (yf. pratensis) of naturalists is, at all seasons, and in every state of 

 plumage, provincially known by the name of " pipit," or (t pipit - 

 lark." 



Tooting. E. Blyth. 



Habits of the lamprey. — I hardly know whether the following 

 observations on the habits of the lamprey are worth your notice ; but as 

 I do not recollect to have seen them mentioned elsewhere, they may be 

 new to some of your readers. Many of the brooks in Surrey, particu- 

 larly in the valley running from Guildford to Dorking, abound with 

 this species of eel. They do not grow to a size exceeding nine inches 

 in length, and seldom are so thick as the small end of the little finger ; 

 they have on each side of the head, in the place of gills, seven small 

 orifices, through which they breathe, and which gives them the common 

 name in the country of " nine eyes." I merely mention these facts, 

 being myself no naturalist, to identify the animal to you. The 

 mouth, when the creature is at rest, is of a very extraordinary form, 

 and one which I cannot at all describe, but which is no doubt familiar 

 to you. I was much struck, however, on a fine day some short time 

 ago, to see in a small brook a number of these little animals very busy 

 among the stones in the sunshine, and observing them closely, I found 

 that they fastened by the mouth to stones of considerable size, and by 

 strong muscular exertion, which was shown by a violent struggling 

 motion of the body, accompanied by considerable dilatation of the small 

 orifices at the side of the head, they succeeded in moving the stones 

 from their places, and instantly letting go their hold, they commenced 

 an investigation of the spot whence the stone was removed, feeding on 

 any small insects which had made their haunts beneath the stone. I 

 had one taken from the water and placed in a small bottle, when it 

 fastened by the mouth to the side ; the mouth then described a perfect 

 circle, with an orifice in the centre, in which a tongue, of considerable 

 size for so small a creature, and what appeared to be four teeth, were 

 visible. — Tavistock Square. * * * 



