490 
MISCELLANT. 
species was brought to the Scarborough Museum, having been shot near the town 
on the 18th of last May. —Patrick Hawkridge, Scarborough^ Aug. 7, 1837. 
Lamb without a Head.— “ Ut abortivus olim Sisgphus!' The most extra¬ 
ordinary lusus naturcB I have ever seen has just been preserved by Mr. Hugh 
Eeid, of Doncaster. It is a lamb without a head! It is perfectly formed in every 
other respect.—F. 0. Morris, Doncaster., July., 1837. 
White Varieties of the Partridge. —^Two Partridges have been shot this 
season at Alston, near Preston, perfectly white, not a coloured feather being 
found on either bird. On the same estate two others, of exactly similar plumage, 
have also been seen.— Taunton Courier, ^Wholly or partially white varieties of 
the Partridge are not very uncommon, a circumstance attributable, perhaps, to 
their inhabiting so near the haunts of man. It may be observed that as birds or 
other animals come under our immediate jurisdiction and control, in equal ratio 
does their liability to stray from the natural type, as regards plumage, size, &c., 
increase. Thus, generally speaking, the Aquaticce (Latham) are more subject 
to variety than land birds; but amongst the former the Mallard Duck f Anas 
boschas ) will be found to vary much more frequently than most of the marsh and 
moor birds, which again supports our observation.— Ed.] 
Starling with an elongated Upper Mandible.^ —In the same collection 
(that of Mr. Reid) is a Starling with the upper mandible remarkably elongated, 
curving downwards, and inclining a little to the left. I have seen other similar 
instances.—F. 0. Morris, Doncaster., July, 1837. 
White-headed Osprey. —A fine specimen of the Osprey was shot a few days 
ago, at Sandhill Park, by Sir Thomas Lethbridge’s gamekeeper. This bird 
measures five feet two inches from tip to tip of the wings. It is now in the 
hands of Mr. J. Turle, birdstuffer, of this town.— Taunton Courier, Oct. 11. 
Cross between a Cock Pheasant and a Grey-hen. —Mr. Dale writes me 
word that, in the title-page to Eyton’s Rarer British Birds there is a figure given 
of a hybrid between a cock Pheasant and a “ Grey-hen.” In the preface it is said 
to have been one of a brood of five. The neck appears to be black, and the rest 
of the plumage mottled. At p. 101 a similar instance is mentioned as having 
occurred in Cornwall, and another near Corwen, now in the collection of Sir 
Rowland Hill, Bart.— F. 0. Morris, Doncaster, August 7, 1837. 
Insect Food. —A peculiarly disgusting insect is eagerly devoured by the 
Chinese Hottentots; caterpillars are cooked into a dish in some parts of Australia, 
and the people of New Caledonia eat Spiders. Ants and their eggs are eaten by 
several nations, and this kind of diet has been eulogised by some Europeans who 
have partaken of it. In some parts of the East Indies it is said that vast quanti¬ 
ties of Termites (white Ants) are collected, and made with flour into a variety 
of pastry; but an inordinate use of this food occasions colic, dysentery, and 
