4 false grinders, and 6 true ones; it is the dentary formula of man, and of all the apes of the old continent.

The incisive teeth are equal in size, they are almost vertical, and ranged in a transverse line; the canine teeth are short, vertical, and would meet without going beyond each other; the first false grinder is not at all inclined backward from the pressure of the upper canine, and is on the contrary quite vertical as in man; the grinders have their crown armed with blunt tubercles disposed in oblique pairs. By all these characters it is easy to recognise the jaw in question, as belonging to one of the Quadrùmana, to an ape properly so called, and to an ape elevated in the series.

"Now, says M. de Blainville, as the gibbons are certainly the group of apes which ought to follow immediately after that of the orangs, if indeed they be distinct from each other, we see that M. Lartet is very near the truth, so much the more as the true grinders have, tolerably distinct, the 5th tubercle characteristic of these teeth among the gibbons. Nevertheless as this disposition is not certainly so well indicated in the fossil ape, as in the living gibbons that we are acquainted with, and that besides this it offers a much more evident peculiarity in the proportion of the last grinder, which comes very near to that existing in the Semnopithèci, and even in the baboons, it seems decisive that the fossil ape should form a small separate section, unless we can refer it to the Colobi, which in South Africa seem to represent the Semnopithèci of India. The other fragments, which M. Lartet supposes, it is true, to have belonged to Quadrùmana, have appeared to the secretaries as referable rather to other groups.

"

To resume our subject, says M. de Blainville, though we are at present unable by any possibility to admit the extraordinary fact of the assemblage in one locality of fossil remains belonging to animals so rigorously limited in their geological boundaries as the true apes, the marmosets, and the makis; yet the discovery of fossil bones belonging indubitably, as M. Lartet has clearly seen and pointed out, to an ape more nearly related to the gibbons, apes limited to the farthest parts of Asia, than to any other living species, does not the less remain to be considered as one of the most fortunate and unlooked for discoveries which has been made in palæontology of late years, and we propose in consequence, that the academy should continue to M. Lartet the encouragements which it has begun to afford him, in order to facilitate his researches, and render them more extended, and consequently more fruitful. (L. Hermes, July, 1837.)

Lamium intermedium. Of this plant I have this year gathered three specimens amongst the weeds of my garden

at Shrewsbury, which correspond with specimens received as this species from Edinburgh. I had observed a few individuals occasionally springing up for the last three years, but always passed them by as only luxuriant plants of Làmium amplexicaúle. Assuredly, to the best of my knowledge, the seeds have not been introduced.-W. A. Leighton. Shrewsbury, July 4. 1837.

Fedia carinata.-On the 29th of June last, in company with my inestimable friend, Mr. J. E. Bowman, I collected this plant in a situation which could leave no doubt on any one's mind of its being truly wild. It covered a space of about 100 yards, along a dry hedge bank, in a wild and retired lane, close to the Long-lane Quarries, near Cheney Longville, Shropshire. The adjoining corn fields were passed over with moderate attention, and not a single specimen of any Fèdia observed. — Id.

On Woodcocks, Fieldfares, and Redwings building within the British Islands. In reference to the extremely interesting communication of Mr. Fairholme (p. 337.), I am fully disposed to concur in ascribing the undeniable fact of the increasing number of woodcocks which now breed in this country to the circumstance of the young returning to the place of their nativity, and also the old birds to their former building haunts. That woodcocks repair every season to the same winter station, is sufficiently attested by the facts recorded by Bewick: and it is only in conformity with what is noticeable in other species, and more prominently in the razor-billed awk and common guillemot, for individuals from more northern latitudes to replace our native birds during the winter months. It is not improbable, also, that the progenitors of a large proportion of our indigenous woodcocks were wounded birds, the descendants of which have returned to the localities where they were reared.

I have known many instances of this species breeding in Surrey, within a few years. In 1836, I obtained a young one, about a third grown, which had been killed and mangled by a cat, so early as April 23., notwithstanding the extreme backwardness of the season; and, several days subsequently, I saw many of the adults, together with snipes and jacksnipes, exposed for sale in Leadenhall market. I know of one pair, which I suppose have bred, during the present season, within a distance of six miles from London Bridge; and, four years ago, of a brood that was reared safely in a very populous neighbourhood, but of the existence of which only myself and two other persons were aware; at least, so far as I have been able to learn. These birds used, early of a morning, to haunt a brook beside the public road, above

which the latter had been raised several feet. This instance sufficiently shows that the greater attention which is now bestowed on natural history, and the circumstance of deviations from ordinary rule being more habitually recorded, require also to be taken into consideration by those who would explain phenomena, which have hitherto been accounted rare, or quite overlooked.

In a Volume of the old series, I inserted, on the authority of a friend, on the accuracy of whose observation I place strict reliance, that the fieldfare thrush had been noticed to reside the summer through in a particular wood in Aberdeenshire. A correspondent also writes me from Yorkshire, that he has watched this bird, with the assistance of a glass, in July; but was unsuccessful in the endeavour to ascertain whether it had a nest near. Mr. Hewitson, who discovered it breeding abundantly in Norway, relates:-"We were surprised to find them (so contrary to the habits of other species of this genus with which we are acquainted) breeding in society. Their nests were at various heights from the ground, from 4 to 30 or 40 feet or upwards, mixed with old ones of the preceding year. They were, for the most part, placed against the trunk of the spruce fir: some were, however, at a considerable distance from it, upon the upper surface, and towards the smaller end of the thicker branches. They resemble most nearly those of the ring ousel." Of the young, in immature plumage, we yet require a description; which it is wished that some one, who may now possess the opportunity, will soon supply.

A dealer in birds, who annually raises a considerable number of young thrushes and blackbirds, assures me that, a few seasons ago, he purchased of a boy a nest of young redwings, near Barnet, in Middlesex; and, as I am quite certain that he could not have mistaken the species, from his thorough acquaintance with the smaller British land birds, I see no reason to doubt his assertion; the more especially, as other information, which he furnished me with at the same time, I knew, of my own experience, to be scrupulously correct. As this person rears every summer a great variety of young birds from the nest (of every species which he can obtain), I had asked him questions relative to those species which ordinarily winter only in the south of England. The fieldfare and bramblefinch he had never known to breed, the redpole very seldom; and he had occasionally obtained siskins in their moulting plumage; which latter I have seen: as regards the redwing thrushes he was quite positive.*

* As the redwing, during its stay in this country, flies in looser and more straggling flocks than the fieldfare, and of which the members depart

Here I may mention, that, during the present spring, great numbers of live ortolan buntings have been brought to the London markets from Prussia. It is not unlikely, therefore, that, from time to time, some of these may escape from captivity and be retaken in the southern counties. For this reason, it will be necessary to scrutinise very narrowly any specimen that may occur, and not only as regards the appearance of its quill and tail feathers (which may have been moulted), but more particularly that of its feet and claws, which are almost certain to retain traces of protracted captivity: should the upper mandible be found to grow over, also, this would be a suspicious character. I have known more than one instance of small birds escaping from the market-people, which, having been newly caught, could not have been afterwards recognised as cage specimens. The bearded reedling is brought in immense numbers to the London markets; and I once received a specimen of this bird which was knocked down in Surrey with a stone, several miles from any haunts to which it could naturally have resorted. I could also enumerate two or three species of tropical finches which have been captured at large in the same county. Specimens, however, that have been once confined, will always be found to be more at home in the cage, when first caught, than others.

There is a fine male ortolan, now alive and doing well, in the Zoological Gardens, which was taken last winter in a bird-catcher's net, near the metropolis, along with yellow buntings. This bird was exceedingly wild when first caught, and exhibited no sign whatever of previous captivity. it came over of its own accord is, also, the more likely, as I cannot learn that, before the present season, any live specimens have been imported. -Edward Blyth. July 10. 1837.

That

Habits of the Viper. - The curious fact stated, at p. 383., by Capt. Manby, I am in so far able to corroborate, as that I have twice received information of it from different persons, one of whom was a regular viper-catcher, who spoke of it as a common occurrence; the other, a man who had killed one of these reptiles, and, returning by the place some hours afterwards, found another in contact with it, as described, which he also destroyed.

Many persons doubt that the young vipers retire, upon alarm, within the mouth of their parent; but I have been informed of this by so many credible eye-witnesses, that I can

gradually in spring, and not altogether, as in that species, it is probable that they never breed in society.

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not hesitate in yielding implicit credence to the fact. One man particularly, on whose word I fully rely, tells me that he has himself seen as many as thirteen young vipers thus enter the mouth of their parent, which he afterwards killed and opened, for the purpose of counting them. The following extract shows that the habit is common to other venomous Serpentidæ; all which, I believe, are, without exception, ovo-viviparous. It is stated of the rattlesnake, in Hunter's Memoirs of a Captivity among the North American Indians, that, "when, alarmed, the young ones, which are generally eight or ten in number, retreat into the mouth of the parent, and reappear on its giving a contractile muscular token that the danger is past." The same writer says, of the fascinating power of the rattlesnake, that, "whenever they fix their piercing eyes on a bird, squirrel, &c., they commence and keep up an incessant rattling noise, until the animal, convulsed by fear, approaches within the reach of its formidable enemy. This, however, is not always the result; for I have repeatedly seen animals thus agitated, and in imminent danger, make their escape without any intervention in their favour, except the recovery of their own powers."

I have dissected a female viper, of which the ground colour was rather darker than in the male, that was found to contain excluded young, three only in number. The parent was of moderate, but not particularly small, size, though I cannot now state its exact dimensions. I believe that they become darker towards the time of parturition. The largest specimen which I have ever yet obtained was a scaly one, measuring 2 ft. 3 in. - Id.

On certain alleged Tokens of Affinity which have been held to connect the Pigeons with the Poultry. It has been stated, that the large Nicobar pigeon, and its immediate allies, resemble the true poultry in the circumstance of producing numerous eggs upon the ground; the young following their parent upon exclusion, and picking up their own food, like young partridges. In what degree, however, the following fact tends to cast a doubt upon all this, I leave the reader to determine. I learned, the other day, at the Zoological Gardens, that an unimpregnated female produced two eggs (mark the number), and not on the ground, but in a box at the elevation of several feet!

On the other hand, it has been held that the Ptérocles genus, with their long pointed wings, manifest also a further approximation to the pigeons, in the fact of their producing but few young at a time, which are hatched helpless, and fed for some time by their parents. Now, if it can be shown