bee (Bombus terréstris)," "the nectaries of the common columbine" were the subject of its perforations, and the mode in which it perforated them, this:-"The bee settles on the outside of the flower looking upwards, then bites a small hole in the nectary with its mandibles, and instantly thrusts its proboscis into the aperture." The observer of this fact has added:-"On examining a number of flowers, not less than 250, I found that at least two thirds of them were thus perforated."]

[PRESERVING the Eggs of Humming-Birds and those of other Birds.]-The eggs even of the smallest humming-birds cannot be long kept in hot countries. They retain for some time in our cabinets their natural colour, but afterwards become discoloured, and burst: they should all be emptied, and injected with plaster of Paris, or chalk made into a paste. Small perforated brass or silver points of this shape should be always at hand. [The drawings represent two miniature funnels; one about an inch long, with the upper or receiving part cylindrical, but the greater portion of its length composed of the conducting part, which is gracefully tapered to a fine point; the other funnel is shorter, less slenderly tapered, and its point not so fine: each is represented as banded with a ring in relief round the centre of the cylindrical portion of its length, as if to render holding by the finger and thumb more ready.] A small aperture is to be made at each end of the egg, rather laterally, and, one of the tubes being fixed on a goose quill, the contents are to be expelled by blowing. A common pewter syringe is then to be filled with the paste, and, the tube being pressed on its point, the egg is filled in a moment. Any ingenious silversmith could make them neatly: the only dif ficulty is in filing away the metal carefully from the point. They are very useful at all times; in

The Injection of Pupa and Larva, the Bodies of Spiders, and other fleshy and perishable Objects. [Mr. Guilding has, in another note relative to the query on preserving spiders, in II. 291., pursued this subject.]

Spiders, I find, are easily preserved by means of the perforated pointed tubes I have above alluded to. Sand, or any heavy substance, should be avoided in distending them. Process-Puncture the abdomen rather laterally beneath; gently press out the contents on a rag, and with the forceps remove the remaining viscera place the pin in the thorax on the right side; take the tube on a quill, and distend the abdominal skin with air: fill the syringe, with its tube, with any size-preparation (see Pole's Anatomical Instructor) used

for fine injections, or with thick flour-paste, or even [paste of] pounded chalk, and inject gently till every part is plump and well extended. Let the specimen hang up to dry for a few hours till the injection is firm; then clean the aperture with a penknife, and extend the legs as you would those of insects. I have minute spiders as well as the giant Arànea aviculària L. [Mýgale aviculària W.]; dull-coloured kinds, as well as those clad in robes of gold and silver [see in p. 570.], so well preserved, that they could not be told from living specimens; and all is done in less time than is taken to describe the process. In my case of preserving instruments, I have coloured powders to tinge the injections: but they are seldom used. A small portion of corrosive sublimate or arsenic mixed with it would expel mites, but this would not be necessary in well-kept camphorated cabinets.

St. Vincent, May 1. 1830.

[On preserving the Shells of Eggs for Cabinets, see, besides the advice above by Mr. Guilding, that of Mr. Waterton in V. 515.: see, also, in IV. 145., An Observer of Nature's figure and description of an instrument (similar in principle to that of Mr. Guilding) which he had had made for withdrawing from egg-shells their contents: see in VI. 171., Mr. Murray's suggestion of the employment of the air-pump for this purpose: see in I. 492.

On the Preservation of the Colours of the Fleshy Bodies of certain Insects, see Mr. Waterton in VI. 90. On the preservation of dead insects generally, see V. 495. 683. 746.; VI. 90, 91. 554, 555.]

ART. V. The Accumulation of all possible Information respecting the Habits of the Rock Birds of Britain, by the cooperative Agency of Naturalists residing near Headlands on the Coasts, suggested. By J. D. SALMON, Esq.

In the notices with which naturalists have favoured us of the arrival in, and departure from, Britain of the birds of passage, they have confined themselves, for the most part, to the species which visit, for the purpose of incubation, during summer, the interior of the country; while scarcely any information has been published on the migratory movements of the equally numerous species of rock birds; although some of these, like a greater part of the others, leave, on the approach of autumn, their place of nidification, to migrate to other countries, from north to south, or vice versâ.

I wish to draw the attention of those who reside nearest

the different headlands along the coast to this latter subject, as these are the places usually resorted to by these birds. To this end I have drawn up, from Martin's Voyage to St. Kilda, the annexed statements; and, although I am aware that they may be very imperfect, I am induced, by the reflection that no other work offers so much information upon the subject proposed, to submit them; and I hope that they will prove a means of inducing a contribution of much information, additional, and, where necessary, corrective.

It will be perceived that the inhabitants of St. Kilda consider the state of the wind and weather as having a great influence on the arrival, &c., of some of the birds.

In relation to the subject generally, I may quote as follows, from a letter received, this summer, from a friend at the Isle of Wight: — "The birds never leave the cliffs altogether, but keep coming, through the winter and spring, at short intervals, up to the time of breeding. The first eggs taken this year of the guillemots and razorbills were obtained on May 1.; eggs of the herring gull, on May 4. On May 13., I procured eggs of these in abundance, quite fresh. Puffins and shags sitting, the former having ceased laying." Is it not probable that these short intervals are caused by the state of the weather, which may more or less affect their acquisition of food?

Many species that are supposed to inhabit only the sea shore are to be found in other situations: the ring dottrel (Charadrius hiatícula), provincially called the stonehatch, is to be met with abundantly on all the rabbit warrens in the interior of this county [Norfolk] during the breeding season, usually making its appearance in the middle of February, and taking its departure in about the end of August. The first appearance of birds of this species, last spring, upon an adjoining warren was on Feb. 16.; they were sitting on March 30.; and had all taken their departure previously to August 25., to the sea coast, I presume.

Thetford, Norfolk, Sept. 10. 1834.

DATES of the Arrival, Breeding, and Departure of the Rock Birds at the Island of St. Kilda, with some other Facts relative to them, as ascertained by M. Martin, Gent., during a l'isit to that Island, in the Spring of 1697.

Fulmar (Procellària glaciális Lin.).—Arrival. In November; the sure messenger of evil tidings, being always accompanied with boisterous west winds, great snow, rain, or hail. Breeding. Commonly lays its egg about the 1st, 2d, or Sd day of May. The young ones are hatched in the middle of

June, and are ready to take wing before July 20. Departure. Stays there all the year, except the month of September, and part of October. Remarks. A sure prognosticator of the west wind. If it comes to land, no west wind is to be expected for some time; but if it keeps at sea, or goes to sea from the land, whether the wind blows from the south, north, or east, or there is a perfect calm, its keeping the sea is always a certain presage of an approaching west wind.

Lavy, or Foolish Guillemot (Uria Troile Lath.). - Arrival. With a south-west wind, if fair, Feb. 20. Breeding. No remark. Departure. Depends upon the inhabitants' taking or leaving its first, second, or third egg. Remarks. If it stays upon land for the space of three days without intermission, it is a sign of southerly wind and fair weather; but, if it goes to sea before the third expires, it is then a sign of a storm.

Falk, or Razorbill (Alca Tórda Lin.).— Arrival. No remark. Breeding. Lays its egg in May; its young take wing in the middle of July. Departure. No remark.

Solan Goose (Pelecanus Bassanus Lin.). - Arrival. About the middle of March, with a south-west wind, warm snow or rain. Breeding. They continue to pluck grass for their nests from their coming till the young fowl is ready to fly in August or in September. Departure. According as the inhabitants determine the time, i. e., by taking away or leaving its first, second, or third egg. Remarks. There is a tribe of barren Solan geese, which have no nests, and sit upon the bare rock; these are not the young fowls of a year old, whose dark colour would soon distinguish them, but old ones, in all things like the rest.

Borger, or Puffin (A'lca árctica Lin.).- Arrival, With a south-west wind, about March 22. Breeding. Lay their egg April 22., and produce a fowl May 22., if their first egg be not taken away. Departure. No remark.

Scraber, or Shearwater (Procellària Puffinus Lin.). Arrival. In March, and in the nighttime, without regard to any wind. Breeding. Its nest is very far under ground, whence the bird never comes in daylight. Departure. Goes away in August, if its first egg be spared. Remarks. It is never to be seen but in the night, being all the day either abroad fishing, or upon its nest.

Assilag, or Storm Petrel (Procellària pelágica Lin.). Arrival. About March 22., without any regard to winds. Breeding. Produces the fowl towards the middle of October. Departure, Goes away about the end of November.

Reddag, (supposed) Kittiwake (Larus Ríssa Lin.).- Arrival. April 15, with a south-west wind. Breeding. Lays its egg

about the middle of May. Departure. Goes away in the month of August. Remarks. There are three sorts of sea malls (gulls) here; the first of a grey colour, like a goose; the second considerably less, and of a grey colour; and the third sort white, and less in size than a tame duck, called reddag.

Gair Fowl, or Great Auk (A'lca impénnis Lin.).— Arrival. May 1., without regard to any wind. Breeding. Lays its egg upon the bare rock; and, if it be taken away, it lays no more for that year. Departure. Goes away about the middle of June.

Jirma, or Oyster-Catcher (Hamátopus ostrúlegus.).—Arrival. In May. Breeding. No remark. Departure. Goes away in August. Remarks. If it comes the beginning of May, it is a sign of a good summer; if later, the contrary is observed.

The inhabitants observe, that, when the April moon goes far into May, the fowls are ten or twelve days later in laying their eggs than they usually are. Every fowl lays an egg three different times, except the gair fowl (great auk) and fulmar, which lay but once. If the first or second egg be taken away, every fowl lays but one other egg that cept the sea malls (gulls), and they usually lay the third egg, whether the first or second egg be taken away or not.

year, ex

[In V. 415–425. there is a communication of much interest by Mr. Salmon himself, consisting of "Observations on the Eggs and Birds which were met with in a Three Weeks' Sojourn in the Orkney Islands."]

[THE state of weather must much influence the movements of the rock birds. Mr. Macgillivray (in his account of the Outer Hebrides in Cheek's Edin. Journ. of Nat. and Geograph. Science, i. 249.), in a sketch of a winter tempest witnessed from a headland of the west coast of Harris, has these words: "No sign of life is to be seen, save when a gull, labouring hard to bear itself up against the blast, hovers overhead, or shoots athwart the gloom like a meteor. Long ranges of giant waves rush in succession towards the shores. The thunder of the shock echoes among the crevices and caves; the spray mounts along the face of the cliffs to an astonishing height; the rocks shake to their summit, and the baffled wave rolls back to meet its advancing successor. If one, at this season, venture, by some slippery path, to peep into the haunts of the cormorant and rock pigeon, he finds them huddled together in melancholy silence. For whole days and nights they are sometimes doomed to feel the gnaw