various authors, editor James Edmund Harting

“ Our author takes us through many sports and some variety of country, beginning with one which we agree with him in thinking one of the most delightful—Fox-hunting. As we read, memories of the past come thick upon us. Again we see the wary old fox as he steals from the covert, the hounds quivering with excitement as they sweep on to the scent, and every nerve is braced as we follow our author o'er plough and pasture, clearing again, in fancy, the hurrying river, and crashing through the tangles of the bullfinch, too high to top. ”

“ Rooks attacking Acorns.—There are three oak trees close to our windows, one being not more than ten or twelve feet distant, the branches of which in autumn are covered with acorns. As long as I can remember Rooks have been in the habit of visiting them every season in order to pull off the acorns, six or seven Rooks being often on the trees at a time, and occasionally quite a flock. On alighting on a branch a Rook seizes an acorn in its bill, and, if it is fast on and green, gives it a twist, and flapping its wings wrenches it off and flies away with it. ”

“ Of this point I have recently been more convinced than ever from the study of two living specimens of Owls—the Snowy Owl and the Short-eared Owl—which have been in my possession for some months. For instance, taking one out of the many positions indulged in by the first of these birds, what would my criticising friends have thought and said had I represented him as a round ball of white feathers, head hardly perceptible, feet entirely concealed, and squatting on the ground like a hen covering her chickens? ”

“ This little volume, as may be gathered from its title, is written perhaps rather for lovers of sport than for lovers of Natural History, but to both the book will be welcome. Every page bears upon it the impress of an observant study, both of man and animals, a power of imparting the fruits of such study to others, and a thorough appreciation of all those little lights and shades in Nature, apparently unimportant in themselves, but which unite to give force and beauty to the picture of life. ”

“ We have known a Welsh Rough-legged Buzzard proved in this manner to be only an importation and subsequent escape. When one meets a Parrakeet, a Whidah-bird, or a Canary in its yellow plumage at large, it is justly concluded, from sufficient grounds, that these must in some manner have escaped from their cages; but with birds which are not commonly kept in confinement and which might without any very great difficulty wander to these shores, in the lack of proof to the contrary, one would be disposed to pronounce them wild birds and not escapes. ”

“ I have never seen an old blue male except in these months, and if I have seen a male Merlin at all in December or January, it has generally been in very bad weather, when the Fieldfares, Redwings and Sky Larks begin moving about in search of food. As a rule, the female Merlin is as nearly as possible the same length as the male Sparrowhawk, viz., twelve inches, but the specimen obtained last year was nearer thirteen inches, and was very white on the nape, like a hen Sparrowhawk. The female Merlin is very distinct from the male on the wing. ”

“ It is not easy, it is well nigh impossible, to lay down any hard and fast rule, and to pronounce of one bird that it is an escape, of another that it can only be a genuine immigrant. Unless there are the easily-detected signs of captivity, or some private markings about the bird, the presumption should be that it was "a bonâ fide traveller." And private markings have sometimes upset the reputation of specimens of birds which are generally admitted as British visitants without any question. ”

“ It is very curious how rarely we meet with the Velvet Scoter in any stage of plumage near our coast or within the estuary of the Humber. It is essentially a sea duck, and rarely occurs close in shore. It is far commoner at sea off the Norfolk coast than along the Lincolnshire or Yorkshire seaboard; in the former locality nearly every flock of the Common Scoter will contain one or more pairs of Velvet Scoters, readily distinguishable by the white speculum on the wing. North of the Wash it is quite a rare occurrence when at sea to come across any of these ducks. ”

“ James Lumsden, F.Z.S., read a paper "On the Mammals of the Neighbourhood of Lochlomond." He said that in the country which borders on Lochlomond there has been found a large proportion of the land mammals of Britain, but as in other districts several species which were at one time common are now rarely if ever met with, the advance of agriculture and the greater attention paid to the preservation of game having been most destructive to many of our wild animals, as well as to our rapacious birds. Within late years a great change has taken place in the mammalian fauna of this district. ”

“ In fine, the attitude of a bird is anything conceivable. The form of the bird is of far greater importance than its attitude, and in the specimens selected for this work this was carefully perpetuated by means of girths and numerous measurements made from the bird while in the flesh, and generally immediately after death. "Of still greater importance, however, than either of the foregoing points is the careful selection, already referred to, of proper or typical forms of plumage, of young, old, male and female birds. ”

“ There are no two more deserving members of the rural police than the White and Brown Owl: the foolish fashion of exhibiting the masks and wings of these birds in the form of hand-screens is leading to their constant persecution and slaughter, and in some parts of the country they are fast becoming scarce. ”

“ The mode of hunting by the Golden Eagle is most interesting to watch. Generally speaking two of these birds hunt together, a hare being the favourite prey. When the hare is started one of them follows it as near the ground as possible; the other poises in the air, or as a falconer would say "waits on," and watches intently. If a rock or anything else intervenes, and the bird in pursuit loses sight of the hare, the other at once stoops and takes up the running ”

“ The wings of the moth were removed, and I was not entomologist enough to name the species, but I observed that the birds hunted for their prey among the lower part of the stems of the furze. During the summer Dartford Warblers may generally be found in most of the large patches of furze that are scattered over the South Downs, although, being remarkably shy, they are liable to escape observation, for on the slightest sign of danger they immediately seek the shelter of the bushes. In the winter they seem to be of a roving disposition. ”

“ Remembering that the summer broods of season-dimorphic species are smaller, and apparently vitally weaker than the spring ones, and that it is from the former that the latter are usually descended, may we not assume that the provision by which some few of the direct offspring of the spring forms are preserved through the winter in the pupal state, and so are enabled to pair with the offspring of the summer form, is of advantage to the species, in affording a 'cross' between individuals which have developed under very different conditions? ”

“ I am not aware of the exact range of this species, having no book on the subject, nor do I know if it has hitherto been detected as occurring in the Moray Firth. This I know, however, that the specimen here alluded to is the first I have ever met with. If I may offer the advice of an old man, let me urge upon your readers who live by the sea and take an interest in marine forms of animal life, never to pass the spots where the fishermen clean their lines without first searching them well. They will not always be successful, that is not to be expected ”

“ When old, it gets very gray on the rump and tail, and I got one this year in which all trace of rufous had vanished from those parts. Even in immature plumage the male may usually be distinguished by a deeper tone of colouring on the back and darker quills. In this stage he looks a curious coppery colour when sitting. Though more slenderly built, and as a rule a shorter bird than his mate, his wings do not seem any shorter in proportion, and he consequently looks longer-winged. The reverse is the case with the Merlin, the distinction in size being manifest in all the proportions. ”

“ I have also a Long-eared Owl, but never knew him to wash, although he sits outside in rain and wind both night and day, and seldom seeks shelter or even a dark corner; it is quite the contrary with the Barn Owl, as he does not seem to like the light, and seeks the cellar in the day-time. ”

“ My experience, however, among naturalists has been that no two agree as touching any position which may be chosen for a bird; and consequently no plates, no matter how perfectly executed, could please all. Besides I have invariably found that those who find most fault in this respect are persons who have been little on the field themselves, or, in other words, who rather belong to the class known as closet than field naturalists; the latter knowing well that it is really almost impossible to conceive of a position which is not sometimes assumed by the living bird. ”

“ It is almost the difference between a Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk, the wings of Archibuteo lagopus being long and slightly pointed, instead of straight and round: this feature is very noticeable when the bird is flying away from you, the points of the wings being directed backwards. In the rapid beating of the wings, with alternate smooth glidings and shootings, the Roughlegged Buzzard resembles the Hawks and Falcons rather than the Buzzards. Sometimes even he will sweep along with curved wings almost like a Sea Gull. The head looks less heavy than in the common species. ”

“ The Somersetshire Purple Gallinule.—The facts forwarded to you by me relative to the occurrence in Somersetshire of the Purple Gallinule were supplied me by the owner of the bird, and by a gentleman who is his near neighbour. There can be no reason why their statements should not be received that one bird was captured and another seen. It is beyond me to understand on what grounds the Purple Gallinules, and some other birds, which have been obtained in this country should be set down as escapes. There is no antecedent impossibility in any bird that can fly finding its way to England ”

“ The trap was watched, and just after dusk an Owl was seen working the field over: it then alighted on the ground, when a pair of Partridges were seen running away from the Owl, when the Owl flew and attacked one of them, but after a few seconds the Partridge got away, the Owl pursuing it on the wing for a short distance. After this the Owl came and hovered over the baited trap, and whilst doing so was shot. I always thought that these Owls only preyed on rats, mice, larks, etc., but I now believe they destroy game. ”

“ Now that it has at last reappeared so far west as Kildare, it is extremely probable that this curious Asiatic species has been met with in other places, and it behoves every naturalist to record every authentic instance of its occurrence. The uncertainty which surrounds every question of migration can only be dispelled by diligent colligation of facts.—Henry T. Wharton. ”

“ When aroused, however, she draws herself up, her head and feet become visible, and she presents such a figure as one of those given on the two plates allotted to this species in this work. The Short-eared Owl has many remarkable attitudes, and most of these differing from any of those in which the bird is figured in ornithological works. His wings are seldom kept close to his body, but rather in a drooping position, and either resting on the perch on which he sits, or, as the case may be, trailing on the ground; while his head is generally sunk deeply between his shoulders. ”

“ Roosting Habits of the Starling.—During the past winter countless numbers of Starlings have been roosting every night in a wood on the left bank of the Liffey, about half-way between Lucan and Dublin. On several occasions, a short time before sunset, I have watched flocks arriving from all directions to this roosting-place, and, when several miles away from it, have seen flocks flying towards it. ”

“ Vennor appears to have been under the impression that the species was hardly distinct, there is really not the smallest doubt as to its being a very well-marked species, and representing in the northern part of the New World the well-known Common Buzzard of Europe. Again, Mr. Vennor follows Mr. Ridgway in treating the South-American Harrier (Circus cinereus) as a mere "variety" of C. Hudsonius; but we must remark, en passant, that if such well-marked birds are not to be considered as true and distinct species then all the other Harriers of the world may as well be united under one heading. ”