2 s. to. % (ml. j}l*-G£ eL i v UmMjaJJL ft\& hr^s ^f* \r&$A • ?VUu^ jy'jtjL fyJrtXA ha /'Cc4 ^U^Su 4 fvnvw- $1 {hA^^X Jt^dzil ©IF TSBfife , Quarterly lb. . i TON firings in 171 Vesct ih, Frr z John iq'/Yson 20 AEVXJ. firings in 21 WALT FT EOF 22 < >L nJVE VI L 23\BULMER 24. Ribald 2.5 GLANV7LLE (. ( !JUBERWOStTII 7 JLASCELX.fi B TBrFRAVLLl F. firing 9 KYME 10 Fl'TfJ'. brings m \i\Fjtz M CEL 1 2 I.1ZOURS 13 Frrz Wai.tr r 14 ( HE YNl'.Y 1.5 VESCY brings- in 261 WA RI> 27 Fl. F.NKENSOP 2H SCROOPE of BoX.TON firings 29 DEJ.A L FOOJ.E .30 U-ISTANGE vet EASTINGS 31 Wingfield 32 Tlptofx 33 Badt.f.smerf. 34 SCROOPFofi 'TSAI.!, and 36 Wanton 1 ' J D * OYJU S < ifsion «. I by Ccnstcibfe T/lr fourth as tkr J-'irst 2 scarcel ,3 Wyceitf i France 5 Bcrtok SYNOPSIS OF THE Jletocastle Museum* LATE THE ALLAN, FORMERLY THE TUNSTALL, OR WYCLIFFE MUSEUM: TO WHICH ARE PREFIXED MEMOIRS OF MR. TUNSTALL, THE FOUNDER, AND OF MR. ALLAN, THE LATE PROPRIETOR, OF THE COLLECTION ; WITH OCCASIONAL REiMARKS ON THE SPECIES, BY THOSE GENTLEMEN AND THE EDITOR. BY GEORGE TOWNSHEND FOX, ESQ., F.L.S., MEMBER OF THE NEW ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, AND OF THE LIT. AND PHIL. AND ANT. SOCIETIES OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE. NEWCASTLE: PRINTED BY T. AND J. HODGSON, AND SOLD BY EMERSON CHARNLEY, BIGG-MARKET; AND AY. WOOD, 428, STRAND, LONDON. 1827. videri supervacuum.— Plin. Hist. lib. xi. c. . seem superfluous.”— Holland's translation of Pliny, p.dll. THE PRESIDENT VICE-PRESIDENTS, COMMITTEE, AND MEMBERS, OF THE LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, TO WHOSE LIBERAL ADOPTION OF THE PURCHASE OF THE ALLAN MUSEUM THIS WORK OWES ITS ORIGIN, account of it# Contents, IN AID OF HIS CORDIAL WISHES FOR ITS INCREASE AND PROSPERITY, IS, WITH A VIEW TO THE INTELLEC¬ TUAL BENEFITS OF THE RISING GENERATION, AS IS JUSTLY DUE, RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY THE EDITOR. mmwap** CONTENTS. Preface,... List of Authors ..V.V.V.V.V.*.*. Memoirs of Mr. Tunstall, -Mr. Allan,.. Allan Museum. Mammalia, . Birds, British,. —- Desiderata, . -Foreign, . Amphibia, .. Fishes, . Insects,.**’**.**' Vermes—Mollusca, . Testacea,. •- British Desiderata .. Vegetabilia,. Minerals,. . Antiquities—1. Roman, . 2. Miscellaneous, . Curiosities—1. Asiatic,... 2. Modern, . 3. Dresses, Shoes, &c. __ Seals—1. Royal,. 2. Town and Corporate, . 3. Ecclesiastical, . 4. Private, . Savage Utensils—1. From New Zealand, 2. Owhyhee, &c. 3. Otaheite, &c. 4. George’s Island, .... h. New Amsterdam,_ 6. New Caledonia, . 7. America, .. 8. St. Vincent’s. 9. Labadore. Appendix —Allan MS. . —--- Additions and Corrections, . ---Index, . Recent Acquisitions—arranged alphabetically, . Compendium,.*.. Brown’s Illustrations, . Bewick’s Birds, . Consett’s Tour, . Notes and Illustrations, .’*’’* ””*’*” Recent Acquisitions (additional), Page. v ... xix ... 1 ... 27 .. 43 ... 48 ... 102 ... 127 .. 163 .. 164 .. 165 .. 167 . 167 .. 175 .. 176 .. 178 .. 179 .. 180 .. 191 .. 191 .. 192 .. 193 .. 193 .. 194 .. 196 .. 197 .. 198 .. 198 .. 199 .. 199 .. 199 .. 200 .. 200 .. 200 ,. 201 .. 203 .. 218 .. 225 ,. 269 .. 284 .. 287 .. 289 .. 293 .. 304 LIST OF PLATES AND WOOD CUTS. Tunstall Arms.Frontispiece. Portrait of Mr. Tunstall..7 ‘VVlV‘c *'-'V*^ 1 Elevation of the New Building of the Lit. and Phil. Society (the upper story of which contains the Museum) engraved by Mr. Lambert from an accurate architectural drawing made by Mr. Green, the architect of the building, and presented by him for the use of this work ... Croziers (Wood Cut) ... 1QO Pix, Jug, Medal of Chas. XII., and Coin of Domitian. Font of Easby Abbey ... Old Seal of Greatham Hospital . Seal of Newcastle Society of Antiquaries . Rakkelhan Grous . 2 Wombat. Egyptian Mummy. Medal of Dr. Chas. Hutton.••.•••••••".V. The Pedigrees to be pasted in to a guard, at the end ol 1 unstall Memoirs . 24< ’ 2o The Binder is requested to place the loose Plates in the order above indicated. PREFACE. The acquisition to the town of Newcastle upon Tyne of the Museum purchased of George Allan, Esq. of the Grange, near Darlington, having rendered a Descriptive Catalogue of the articles contained in it desirable, I have undertaken, with the sanction of the Committee of the Literary and Philosophical Society, to which the Mu¬ seum now belongs, to prepare the same, and, in doing so, I have thought it not unbecoming the work, and only due to the worthy and learned gentlemen, to whom the collection owed its origin and increase, to prefix some account of them, particularly as concerning their labours in forming the collection. These historical or biographical notices relate to the late Marmaduke Tun- stall, Esq. (the last of the name) of Wycliffe, on the Tees, in Yorkshire, in whom the Collection, which hence be¬ came known by the title of the Wycliffe Museum, ori¬ ginated ; and to the late George Allan, of Blackwell Grange, Esq. who purchased the Museum after Mr. Tun- stall’s death and greatly augmented it; and to whom it is b VI PREFACE. only due to record the collection as derived from hi» successors by the name of the Allan Museum, a term which is used in the following pages, wherever the articles re¬ ferred to formed part of the present Collection. I am aware that the notoriety, which the Museum obtained during the life-time of Mr. Tunstall, from his literary connections and longer possession, has rendered the for¬ mer name more classical, yet, when it is considered what Mr. Allan did for it whilst it remained in his hands, in the elucidation of the subjects he had purchased, his at¬ tention to their preservation by regular repairs, and his actual augmentation of the collection, and when, in ad¬ dition, it is known that I had no means of distinguish¬ ing, when I began this work, (though certain documents have since come into my hands, as will be seen,) what portion originally belonged to Mr. Tunstall, except in certain detached instances, it will be admitted, I hope, that there is no impropriety, or rather, it was a matter of necessity, to designate the Museum, as derived from Mr. Allan, by his respectable name. For the same rea¬ sons it has been thought advisable to adopt the name of the Newcastle Museum for the whole Collection, as at present constituted; which, though consisting in great part of the former Collections, will continue, from the probable increase of its contents, to identify itself more and more with the town of Newcastle. Besides the utility of a general Catalogue, or Synopsis of the Museum, it occurs to me that a correct list of the articles contained in the former collections of Mr. Tun¬ stall and Mr. Allan, as far as they remain, will be use¬ ful in a scientific point of view, as enabling students in PREFACE. vii Zoology to compare and identify the actual specimens of many subjects which have become, in some degree clas¬ sical, by their having served for the original descriptions and delineations of authors; particularly of Mr. Pennant in his various works, Brown in his “Illustrations of Zool¬ ogy,Dr. Latham in his “Synopsis of Birds,” Col. Montagu in his “Ornithological Dictionary,” and our ingenious and worthy neighbour, Mr. Bewick, who was induced to undertake his popular work on “British Birds” by the opportunity offered him through the liberality of the proprietors to draw the birds then in the Museum.— Even since the possession of it by the present owners, he has availed himself of the opportunity of completing his work for a new edition by a further selection from the Collection after it arrived in Newcastle. A list of the engravings made by him from the specimens in the Wy- cliffe and Allan Collection, is added for the purpose of reference. For a similar purpose, and as not irrelevant to the present Catalogue, I have thought fit to publish a list of the subjects contained in Mr. Peter Brown’s work, as ♦ above noticed, to which I have arranged and added a Linnaean Index. The latter will, I hope, be useful to those, who possess the work, as a scientific reference, for which work no such index has, as yet, been published, that I know of. Mr Brown w r as an artist and zoologist much employed and patronized by Mr. Tunstall, who seems to have been a liberal rewarder of merit, and it was under his auspices, it is understood, that his work was brought out, which contains many of Mr. Tunstall’s birds, considered then as rare subjects. PREFACE. viii Mr. Brown’s work itself, although of no great extent, and the descriptions rather meager, possesses some inte¬ rest with the scientific naturalist, from its consisting of fi¬ gures of animals, altogether of rare occurrence, not before published, and few of them since his time. Several of the specimens of the birds there figured are still existing in the Museum, and may thus be compared for the pur¬ pose, if judged necessary, of improving the colouring of the original work, which, though for the most part cor¬ rectly drawn, is generally found very defective in that respect, owing, probably, to the repetition ot the copies being left to unpractised artists. I cannot help noticing here how valuable it would be to students in Natural History il Linnaean or scientific Indexes, adapted to modern systematic arrangement, were published of the works of authors preceding the time of Linnaeus, or subsequently to his time, whose •works are without them. The low degree of esteem in which index-making is held, and the labour attending it, has hitherto deterred competent persons from under¬ taking so ungrateful a task; but those only are able to estimate the value of such helps in Natural History, who have had to make them for their own use. Mr. Tunstall is understood to have been an able zoologist as regards the time he lived in, but no cata- logue of his was found with the Museum, though there doubtless had been one, when it came into Mr. Allan’s hands. From this, probably, Mr. Allan began to name scientifically the subjects, which undertaking was com¬ pleted by him in a very masterly manner, shewing marks of much research and reading. All the specimens un- PREFACE. IX der glass were labelled by him in the neatest and most beautiful hand-writing, with their common and scientific names, and references were made to the works of Pen¬ nant, Latham, and some others. Besides this, he added a compendious account of the animals, drawn up in a remarkably well compressed form, containing oftentimes original notices, though principally, perhaps, selected from the works of the above authors whom he referred to. When the Museum arrived at Newcastle, several of these labels had suffered, and become illegible, yet so much interest appeared in those which remained, as to make them be judged worthy of being preserved, and, for that purpose, I transcribed them as carefully as pos¬ sible, wherever they could be read, which was to the amount of about two-thirds, and in the subsequent cata¬ logue I have inserted them in their proper places. This labour would have been spared had I sooner become pos¬ sessed of Mr. Allan’s MS. catalogue, which has since fallen into my hands, and which contains an entire copy of these labels, and from which I have been enabled to correct and add several that were wanting, as will be seen in the Appendix to the Allan Museum. Since commencing this arrangement of the Museum, there has also come into my hands, through the Rev. I. Headlam, Rector of Wycliffe, an original MS. of Mr. TunstalPs, consisting of remarks on Dr. Latham’s Synop¬ sis of Birds, apparently addressed to him soon after the publication of his earlier volume, about the year 1783, with additional remarks and corrections, in 1784. Dr. Latham made use of part of the remarks in the 1st Sup¬ plement to his work, but as there remains much which X PREFACE. he has omitted, I have inserted the whole (or nearly so) in the places, to which the subjects refer, after the Allan labels, which will be found to occasion some unavoidable repetition. Much light is thus thrown on the Wycliffe Collection by this acquisition. The remarks are entirely original and shew much acumen and taste in the author, particularly his observations on the Game Birds of this country. It must be noticed that where the words “you” and “ yours” and “ here” occur, they relate either to Dr. Latham, or the first two volumes of his Synopsis, or to Wycliffe, where Mr. Tunstall then resided. The present Museum consists of various specimens of the three different kingdoms of nature, though the most prominent and valuable part is the ornithological, and of this the British Birds are the most numerous. Of late years a taste for this latter subject has gradually grown up in this kingdom, which promises to render that depart¬ ment of our Natural History as fully known and as well discriminated asits Botany has been.* Many doubtfulfacts have been cleared up in regard to the different plumages which ai’e owing to sex, age, or season in the more common birds of this kingdom, the want of which knowledge had multiplied the species improperly. Of this the Ringtail, as female of the Hen-Harrier, the Stone Falcon, as male of the Merlin, not to mention the numerous varieties of * “ With respect to Great Britain, a vast deal more has been ef¬ fected in the sister science of Botany than in Zoology. But Zoology is now marching after her with rapid strides, and I trust will in time overtake her, so that the sisters may run the remainder of the race as they should do, hand and hand together.”—Mr. Kirby’s Address at the Foundation of the Zoological Club (Nov. 29, 1823 ),—sec Zoological Journal, vol. ii, p . 2. PREFACE. xi Water Birds, particularly in the Linnaean genera of Scolopax and Tringa, which have received of late so much illustration, are palpable instances. On the other hand, the attention given to discrimination by British Naturalists, who are now scattered over all the kingdom, has detected several new species of British Birds, as oc¬ casional visitors at least, and repetitions of these disco¬ veries are every day confirming the correctness of the original statements.* The work of M. Temminck, the Dutch ornithologist (Maw. d'Orn.), has greatly aided the labour of British students, by enabling them, from his correct descriptions, to distinguish the varieties of our birds, and to add some continental species of which we had before no description. And it is only justice, in this place, to notice the recent publication of Mr. Selby, whose 1st volume of the text work of “ Outlines of British Ornithology,” to say nothing of the splendid work itself, reflects the highest credit on his talents and industry. This work is likely to become to the British, what M. Temminck’s is to the foreign Ornithologist, serving the purpose of solving the problems, and recon¬ ciling the paradoxes which have hitherto perplexed stu¬ dents ; and having in it all the benefit of a practical know¬ ledge of the subject, it carries with it undoubted authen¬ ticity. A list of Desiderata in the department of British Birds is added for general information, from which the Society hopes to derive the benefit. Fortunately, this list will be * E. g. Gallinula Foljambei, and G. Baillonii, Accentor Richardi, Tringa Temminckii, Lestris Pomarinus, Scolopax Sabini, Sterna arctica, &c. Also, the Squacco Heron, lately shot at Bridgewater. Xll PREFACE. found to contain a considerable proportion of our com¬ moner birds, and therefore more attainable. The pro¬ portion of rare British Birds at present in the Museum is very extensive, and, in some instances, it has to boast of specimens almost, if not quite unique. 11ns list of birds, joined to that of the birds now in the Museum, may serve as a complete list of British Birds, as far as I am acquainted with them, in which I have thought well to insert every bird considered as British, whether indigenous or occasional visitor, and I have taken some pains to arrange those that are now deemed only varieties, along with their adjudged species. I have not hesitated to notice every species of birds which is on recoid as having been, at any time observed in the British Isles. I know that the subject of birds as occasional visitors is held by some as unworthy of particular regard in a Bri¬ tish Fauna, and that it is said we should content ourselves with enumerating those only which are either indige¬ nous or well known. Nature having bestowed upon this beautiful portion of creation the quality of loco-motion almost beyond that of any other of her creatures, it be¬ comes us to admire this property, and to pay to it a just tribute of our wonder by admitting its favoured possessors to their title of locality. Is the astonishing power of flight to be disregarded, and are we not rather called on to seize those insulated cases of extreme change of place as objects of our highest admiration ? I therefore con¬ tend for the propriety of enumerating, though carefully, and with due investigation, all birds of which we have evidence of their being taken wild in these dominions. The circumstance of a single specimen being so captured PREFACE. xiii is deserving of notice, since what one individual of a spe¬ cies has accomplished, may again be effected by others. This is strikingly proved in cases where species have been recorded by the earlier writers as visitors, but which have remained long unnoticed by subsequent generations, un¬ till a fortunate modern discovery has proved the correct¬ ness of the older observations. All that is therefore re¬ quired is, that we should be as tenacious as possible of the evidence afforded of the capture, that a falsity may not be recorded instead of a truth. It has become the fashion of late to attribute unusual or unaccountable captures of birds to the improbable circum¬ stance of escapes from menageries, and this has, among others, expunged from the British Fauna Ardea ccquinoc- tialis and lentiginosa (the Little White and Freckled Herons of Montagu); but it behoves us to be very guard¬ ed of admitting such loose reasoning in opposition to ac¬ tual testimony, particularly in the case of Birds suited by their conformation to long flights. The power of flight across the Atlantic, at least the narrower parts of it, has not been sufficiently ascertained, and we are too ready to consider the space as an impassable gulph to aerial travellers. This may be allowed in cases, where, from conformation and shortness of wing, to say nothing of temperature, it implies an almost physical impossibility, as in the case of Humming Birds and Parrots; but in the Duck and Heron tribe, it is too much to say that we can¬ not admit the possibility of an extensive eastern and western flight, as well as a northern and southern one, though the latter may be the more ordinary direction, which birds are found to take, impelled by change of c XIV PREFACE. temperature in search of food, or for the pui poses of incubation.* The Foreign Birds follow next after the Desiderata , and it is in this department that the Museum will, on an attentive investigation, be found extremely interest¬ ing*. as it contains some birds which have served foi the original descriptions of authors, and which thus connect themselves with their works. Of the remainder of the Allan Museum, beyond the Natural History subjects, consisting of Antiquities, and Miscellaneous Curiosities, I have endeavoured to give the best account in my power, in some of which I have been aided, in addition to Mr. Allan’s labels and the Sale Catalogue, by the communications of esteemed friends, and some printed Catalogues belonging to the late Mr. Allan. * “ The ability of birds to take immensely long flights is proved (says Dr. Jenner) by the observations of almost every person con¬ versant with the seas- My nephew, Lieut. Jenner, on his passage to Newfoundland, 100 leagues from land, saw a Hobbv-hawk, and the day after a Swallow came onboard. His brother, in crossing the Atlantic, observed an Owl gliding over the ocean with as much ap¬ parent ease, as if it had been seeking for a mouse amongst its native fields. He had also, in subsequent voyages, taken in the Atlantic, several hundred miles from land, the Nuthatch, Hoopoe, and Snipe, and birds of the Linnet tribe. Wild Geese have frequently been shot in Newfoundland, whose crops w T ere plentifully stored with maize or Indian corn; consequently these birds must have taken a pretty bold flight in a short time, as no corn of this kind is cultivated within a vast distance of that Island. The Pigeons of Holland are said to make a daily marauding excursion to the opposite shore of Norfolk, to feed on vetches, a distance of 40 leagues; which may be considered almost as daring a flight as that of the bird which crosses the Atlantic, for it is not at all probable that the shores of England can be visible to the flock when they set out ”.—See the late Dr. Jenner’s Paper on the Migration of Birds in Phil. Tr. for 1804, vol. cxiv, p. 14, where is to be found the author’s new and curious theory of the cause of migration. PREFACE. XV After the articles of the Allan Museum, I have nu¬ merated the Recent Acquisitions , which have been added to the Museum since it came into our hands, up to the latest moment before sending to the press. The record of the donation will be accepted, it is trusted, as a general acknowledgement of thanks; and the list con¬ sidered as a respectable earnest of the good-will towards the Collection, and the desire to increase it, which al¬ ready prevail. Mr. Allan’s Museum was advertised to be sold by auction, along with the household furniture, in June, 1822. The regret that so celebrated a collection should be dispersed, induced me to enter into a negociation for the same, and, aided by the exertions and assistance of Mr. Adamson and Mr. Brockett, I was enabled to effect the purchase of the whole by private contract, previous to the day of sale, for the sum of d£400. The liberal conduct of Messrs. Wright, of Grange, and of John Allan, Esq. of Blackwell, in concluding the negociation, in which they took every pains not to compromise their pledge to the public, was only equalled by their cour¬ teous and obliging behaviour to me, in addition, in the subsequent arrangements. I must not omit to notice the respectable guarantee List of Subscribers, who favoured us with their names prior to the completion of the purchase, and before the assent of the Philosophical Society could be obtained, nor the handsome manner in which the members of the Society acceded to the contract as soon as they could formally take notice of it. The liberality of Anthony Easterby, Esq. in his offer of the accomodation of a room for the reception of the Museum, I consider an act of XYI PREFACE. private friendship, which I take this opportunity of ac¬ knowledging, leaving to the Society the proper mode ot returning its thanks as a public body for so ample a be¬ nefit afforded its property. I rejoice in being the hum¬ ble instrument of this respectable Collection ot Science having being preserved to the public of the neighbour¬ hood I reside in, and I claim no other merit than what an ardent desire for the welfare, and for the promotion of the study of subjects which have afforded much plea¬ sure, may be considered worthy of. It behoves me in the last place to return my thanks for the various assistances and civilities I have received in the arrangement of this Catalogue. First, to the Members of the Committee of the Literary and Philosophical So¬ ciety of Newcastle I am indebted so generally that it would be injustice to the rest to particularize any of them. I have also to offer my acknowledgements to the following Gentlemen for their ready communications, whenever I have had occasion to apply to them; viz. in the de¬ partment of Birds, to Joseph Sabine, Esq. of the Horti¬ cultural Society of London ; Nicholas Aylward Vigors, Esq., Secretary of the Linnaean Society; James Francis Stephens, Esq. F. L. S.; William Yarrell, Esq., of Ryder Street, St. James's, F. L. S.; Rev. J. Ker Vaughan, of Aveton Gifford, Devonshire; Mr. Henry Mewburn, of St. German's; Matthew Culley, Esq, of Copeland Castle; Prideaux John Selby, Esq. of Twizell House, Northumberland, F. L. and W. S.; Henry Edmondston, Esq , of Newcastle; Mr. Thomas Bewick, of Gateshead, and Mr. Benjamin Leadbeater, of Brewer Street, Golden Square, F. L. S. PREFACE. XVU In the departments of Testacea, Botany, and Minera¬ logy, to John Adamson, Esq. F. L. and A. S.; Mr. Grorge Gibsone, Nathaniel John Winch. Esq., F. L. S., Mr. William Hutton, and Mr. John Thornhill, Jun., the Curator of the Museum, all of Newcastle. In the Antiquities, Tunstall Memoirs, and Miscel¬ laneous Literature, to the Rev. John Headlam, Rector ofWycliffe; Rev. James Raine, of Durham; Rev. John Brewster, Rector of Egglescliffe; Rev. William Turner, of Newcastle; Rev. Henry George Liddell, Rector of Boldon; Thos. Bowes, Esq. of Durham; Sir Cuthbert Sharp, of Sunderland; Mr. John Bruce, of Newcastle; and generally my thanks are due to the Very Rev. the Dean and Chapter of Durham, for the liberal use afforded me of their excellent College Library; and recently to the Lord Bishop of Durham, for the use of the Episcopal Li¬ brary. I must not omit to notice the care and attention of Messrs. Lambert, Nicholson, and R. Bewick, in exe¬ cuting the engravings committed to them severally, which may serve to give a value to this composition after its interest is otherwise extinguished. In the perusal of this work it will be perceived that much of it has been composed during the progress of the printing, which has occupied above a year, and that se¬ veral of the later pages are illustrative and explanatory of the earlier. LIST OF WORKS AND EDITIONS QUOTED. 0 Albin .A Natural History of Birds, illustrated with 255 Copper-plates, engraven from the Life, by Eleazar Albin , with Notes by Dr. Derham, 3 vols. 4to. 1738. Amoen. Acad .Caroli a Linne Amcenitatcs Academical, ed. 3a. cu- rante Schrebero, 9 vol. 8vo. Erlangse, 1787. Ann. of Phil. . Annals of Philosophy , new Series, 1821, &c. Art. Syn . Petri Artedi Synonymia Piscium, Ichthyologiae Pars IV. Lugd. 1738. Bciv. Birds .History of British Birds, by Thomas Bewick, 2nd ed. 1805. Bew. N. Ed .The same Work, last, or 6th ed. 1826. Bcw. Quad .A general History of Quadrupeds, by Thomas Bewick , 5th ed. 1807. Bcclist ... J. M. Bech stein, Gemmeinnutzige naturgeschichte Deutschlands; und Ornithologisehes Tass- chenbuck von und fur Deutschland. Bloch. ..... Bloch , Ichthiologie, ou Histoire Naturelle des Pois¬ sons; trad, de l’Allemagne, 6 tom. fol. Berlin, 1785-97. Briss. .Ornithologie, par A. D. Brisson. 6 tom. 4to. 1760. Brown's Jam .The Civil and Natural History of Jamaica, by Patrick Brown , M. D. fob 1789. Brown's III. .New Illustrations of Zoology, by Peter Brown, 4to. 1776. Biffi ...Histoire Naturelle generale et particuliere, par G. L. Lc Clerc de Bnffon. 4to- Paris, 1764, &c. The 1004 coloured plates known under the name of Planches enluminees, were made for this work, in addition to the plates first pub¬ lished. They consist of Birds and Insects alone. Gates. Car .The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands, by the late Mark Catesby , F. R. S., 3rd ed. revised by Mr. Edwards, and a Linnaean Index added; London, 1771 ; 2 vols. tol. and App. The 2nd ed. by Mr. Edwards was published in 1754; the original XX LIST OF WORKS AND EDITIONS QUOTED. Chalmers .General Biographical Dictionary, by Alex. Chalmers. 32 vols. 8vo. 1816. Clarkson's Rich .History of Richmond, by Christopher Clarkson , Esq. 1821, 4to. Cramer .De Uitlandsche Kapellen ; ou Papillons exotiques des trois Parties du Monde, par M. Pierre Cramer, Amsterdam, 1782, 4 tom. 4to. Cook's Voy .Voyage to the Pacific Ocean in 1776—1780, 3 vols. 4to. 1785. Cuvier .. .Lemons d’ Anatomie comparee, de G. Cuvier, 5 tom. 8vo. Paris, 1805. Daiibcny .Description of active and extinct Volcanoes, by C. Daubeny , M. D. 8vo. 1826. DiUw .Descriptive Catalogue of recent Shells, by L. W. Dillwyn, 2 vols. 8vo. 1817. Don .The Shells, Insects, and Fish of Great Britain, by E. Donovan , Esq. 26 vols. 8vo. 1799, &c. Drury .Illustrations of Natural History, or Figures of Exotic Insects, by D. Drury, 3 vols. 4to. 1770-1782. Du Cange .Glossarium ad Seriptores mediae et infimae Latinita- tis, Auctore Car. Du Fresne, Domino Du Cange , 6 tom. Paris, 1733. Edwards .Natural History of Birds, and Gleanings, by George Edwards, 7 vols. fol. 1803. The original work was published in 1743-1764, in 7 vols. 4to. Fn Suec .Caroli Linnei, Fauna Suecica., ed. 2da. 8vo. Stock-' holmiae, 1761. Gesn . Conr. Gesneri Medici Tigurini Historia Animalium, 3 vol. fob Francofurti, 1620. Gm . or Gmel .Car. a Linne Systema Naturae, ed. 13 aucta, Cura Jo. Frid. Gmelin, 5 vol. in 10, Lipsiae, 1788. Hughes .The Natural History of Barbadoes, by the Rev. Mr. Griffith Hughes, F. R. S., fob 1750. Holland's Pliny .The Historic of the World, commonly called the Natural Historic of C. Plinius Secundus; translated into English by Philemon Holland, Doctor of Physicke, London, 1634. Keate's Pelcw Is .Account of the Pelew Islands, in a Voyage by Capt. Wilson, in 1783; compiled from his Papers by G. Keatc, 4to. and 8vo. 1789. Lath. Syn . and -M....General Synopsis of Birds, by John Latham, M. D. 6 vols. 4to and 2 Supp. 1781,-1801, and 2d ed. 1824, and Index Omithologicus, same Author, 2 vols. 1790. Lev. Mus. and Mus...Museum Lcvcrianum, containing select Specimens Lcv ‘ from the Museum of the late Sir Ashton Lever, Knt. with Descriptions by Geo Shaw, M. D.; published by James Parkinson, Pro¬ prietor of the Collection, 1792, 4to. LIST OF WORKS AND EDITIONS QUOTED. XXI Lin . Caroli a Lmne Systema Naturae, ed. 13, 1767, 3 vols. Where this Work is not found in the Synonyms of Animals, it shews that the sub¬ ject was not described there, but only by later authors, which generally are placed in the or¬ der of their dates, except where a later au¬ thor’s nomenclature is preferred. Lin. Fn. Suec .Vide Fn. Suec. Linn. Tr . Transactions of the Linnean Society , 1791, &c. Merr .Tentamen Systematis Amphibiorum, Auc. Blasio Merrem , Marburgi, 8vo. 1820. Meyer . Dr. Meyer , and Dr. Wolfe, Tasschenbuch der Deutschen Vogelkunde, und Naturgeschiehte der Vogel Deutchlands,” as quoted by Tem- minck. Mont .Ornithological Dictionary or Alphabetical Synopsis of British Birds, by George Montagu , 2 vols. 8vo. 1802, and Supplement, 1 vol. 1813. Nat. Mis .The Naturalist's Miscellany , by Shaw and Nodder, 24 vols. 8vo. 1789, &c. Penn ...The Works of Mr. Pennant quoted are Arctic Zoology, 3 vols. 4to; Quadrupeds, 2 vols. 4to., and British Zoology, 1st ed. in fol., 2d ed. 5 vols. 8vo. 1768, 3rd ed. 4 vols. 8vo. 1776—1777, and new ed. 1806, 4 vols. Pet. Gaz . Jacobi Pctiveri , Gpzophylacium Naturae et Artis, fol. Lond. 1702, and new ed. 1764. PI. Enl . See Bulfon. Phil. Tr . Philosophical Transactions , of the Royal Society of London, 114 vols. 4to. 1665 to 1824; and the first 90 vols. of the same, abridged by Drs. Hutton, Shaw, and Pearson, in 18 vols. 4to. 1800.—The original title of this extensive work which, continued to vol. 66 for 1776, when the present one was substituted, was as follows—“Philosophical Transactions; giving some account of the present undertaking, studies and labours of the ingenious, in many considerable parts of the world.” Phyll. or Phillip .The Voyage of Governor Phillip , to Botany Bay. 4to. London, 1789. Pult. Cat ...Catalogues of the Birds, Shells, and rare Plants of Dorsetshire, from the new and enlarged ed. of Mr Hutchins’ History of that County, by Rd. Pultejiey, M. Z)., fol. 1799. Ra V .The works of Mr. Ray quoted are Synopsis Ana- malium Quadrupedium, &c. 1693; Syn. Me- thodica Avium et Piscium, 1713; Philosophi¬ cal Letters between him and several Corres¬ pondents, published by Dr. Derham, 1718. Rose I .Insecten Belustigung or De Naturlyke Historic der Insecten, door den Heer August Johan Rosel XXII LIST OF WORKS AND EDITIONS QUOTED. Shaw .. Shaw's Led . Selby . Sweet . Temm .. Turner . Turt . Tuns. Orn. ... Walton . Watt . Will, . Willd . White's Journ. White's Selb... Wood . van Rosenhof, door den heer C. F. Kleeman, 3 vols. in 6, 4to. without Date; and a 4th vol. by Rosel, and 2 Supp. by Kleeman. .General Zoology, by Dr. Shaw , and continued by Mr. Stephens, 1800, &c. .Zoological Lectures, by G. Shaw , 2 vols. 1809. .Illustrations of British Ornithology, by P- J. Selby , J£sg.,.Part I. Edin., 1825. Hortus Suburbanus Londinensis, by Robert Sweety F. L. S. London, 1818. .Manuel d’Ornithologie, par C. J- Temminck, 2d ed. 2 tom. Paris, 1820, Synopsis of the British Fuci, by Dawson Turnery A. M., 2 vols. l2mo. 1802. General System of Nature, translated from Gme- lin’s edition of Linneus, by T. Turton , 7 vols. London, 1806. ..Ornithologia Britannica, Lond., 1771. Biblia Sacra Polyglotta, edidit Brianus Waltonusy S. T. D., Lond., 1657. . .Bibliotheca Britannica, by Dr. Robt. Watt , 4 vol. 4to. . .Francisci Willughbeiiy Ornithologia, fol. Lond. 1676, . Species Plantarum. a Willdenow , ..Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales, by John White , Esq. 4to. London, 1790. ..Natural History and Antiquities of Selbome, in the County of Southampton, by the Rev. Gilbert White , new ed. 2 vols. 4to. 1813. ..Index Testaceologicus, ora Catalogue of Shells, British and Foreign, illustrated with 2300 co¬ loured figures, by W. Wood, F. R. & L. S., 1825. .History of Richmondshire, &c. by Dr. 'Whitaker , 2 vols. fol. 1823.— Vide infra , p. 20. Wern. Soc ...Memoirs of the Wernerian Natural History Society of Edinburgh. With .Arrangement of British Plants, by W. Withering. 3d ed. 1796. Zool. Journ . The Zoological Journal , conducted by Messrs. Bell, Children, and Sowerby, Vol. I. & II 1824, &c. Also, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4th ed. 1810. The Edinburgh Ency¬ clopedia (by Brewster)-, Rees’s Cyclopedia; and the Gentleman’s Magazine, and some other works the names of which are given at length. fllmom OF MARMADUKE TUNSTALL, ESQ. LATE OF WYCLIFFE. The subject of these Memoirs was descended from two of the most ancient and honourable families of the coun¬ ties of York and Lancashire, viz.—the Tunstalls, of Thurland Castle, near Hornby, in Lancashire; and, by the female line, the Wycliffes, of Wycliffe on the Tees, in Richmondshire. He was also connected, by intermarriages, with several other considerable families, and was duly entitled to a coat of arms with 35 quar- terings, as he himself, who was an excellent herald, ascertained and had emblazoned at the Herald’s Office. In the paucity of materials for his individual history, I shall give a short account of the genealogy and most remarkable personages of the two principal families, as is found in more copious reports, and then proceed to detail such notices of him s as the only printed documents which are extant, furnish, with the exception of some additional connecting matter communicated by a friend. The Lords of Wycliffe are traced back to the time of Edward I. Their descendant, William Wycliffe, who died in 1584, and whose monument remains in the church of Wycliffe, had two wives, by the former of which, Dorothy, a co-heiress of Hanlaby, in Yorkshire, and ol the Surteeses, of Dimsdale, he had a son, Francis, to whom descended his father’s large estates. At the B MEMOIRS OF third descent from Francis Wycliffe, his line became nearly extinct by the death of the only son and heir, Ralnh Wvcliffe, a youth of fourteen. 1 his melancholy event took place in the life-time of his father, who in¬ scribed upon his monument, on a brass plate, with the family arms and a youth kneeling at a desk, wuthin the altar rails of Wycliffe church, the following affect- U1 “Radldpho Wiclifo, setatis suae decimo quarto, anno vero Domini, ] 606, die Januarii quinto, inversa fatorum serie defuncto filio suo unico superstes pater Guhelmus Wiclifus hoc quantum est monumenti non sine summo rerum humanarum fastidio posuit. Pietatis et amons 61 m'to Ralph Wycliffe, who died in the fourteenth year of his age, the 5 th day of January, in the year of our Lord, 1606, in the inverse series of the fates, his surviving father, William Wycliffe, erected this monu¬ ment, such as it is, to his only son, not without great weariness of human affairs, a tribute of his piety and Two daughters survived the death of their brother, and were joint co-heiresses of the family estates. The eldest, Dorothy, married John Witham, of Cliife, Lsq., in Yorkshire ; and the youngest, Catherine, Marmaduke Tunstall, Esq., of Scargill Castle, in the parish of Bar- mingham, Riclimondshire, from whence sprung the connection of the two families. The history of the Wycliffe family is rendered most interesting by its supposed* connection with John Wick- liffe,f “ The Morning Star of the Reformation,”—“ the * Whitaker’s History of Rick month: hire, i. p. 199.— Gent. Mag. 181 321. f ’He was born in 1314, in the veign of Edward II. During the Ion" rei"n of Edward III., whose liberal principles admitted greater latitude & of discussion in matters of religion than those of his imme¬ diate predecessors or successors, Wickliffe repeatedly dared to ex¬ hibit his freedom of opinion on the abuses of the Papal authority and government. He died a natural death (uncommon in his circum¬ stances), in 1387, and was buried in his own church, at Lutterw'orth, iu Leicestershire, a rectory which had been presented to him by his MR. TUNSTALL. 3 last maintainer of religion (before the general decay thereof) and its firm restorer,” who has long been con¬ sidered as sprung from this family .—(See Fuller's Worthies , i. 327, Tanner , p. 767, &c.) The evidence of this fact is, however, contested by Mr. Whitaker, in his Histoiy of Richmondshire , who, however, admits, that Wickliffe must have been born in this neighbour¬ hood at least, as it is specially so recorded by LelancL* The family of Wycliffe existed until lately in the younger branch, descended from William VVycliffe, royal master, as a reward for his able opposition to the Papal claim of Peter’s pence, for the refusal to pay which the Pope had cited Edward to Avignon. Forty years alter his bones were taken up and burnt, by order of the Council of Constance.—f Gilpin's Life of Wickliffe ) He wrote a tract on the schism of the Popes; and published a translation of the whole Bible in the English language then spoken; but not being sufficiently acquainted with the Hebrew and Greek languages to translate from the originals, he made his translation from the Latin Bibles, which were at that time read in the churches. So offensive was this translation of the Bible to those who were for taking away the key of knowledge and means of better information, that a bill was brought into parliament, in 1390, for the purpose of suppressing it; on which the Duke of Lancaster (the King’s uncle) is reported to have said, “ we will not be the dregs of all, seeing other nations have the law of God, which is the law of our faith, written in their own language.” The bill, through the Duke’s influence, was rejected ; and this gave encouragement to some of the Wickliffe s followers to publish another more correct translation of the Bible. But, in 1408, at a convocation at Oxford, it was decreed, “ That no one should, thereafter, translate any text or holy scripture into English, by way of a book, or little book, or tract; and that no book of this kind should be read, that was com¬ posed lately in the time of John Wickliffe, or since his death.” This decree led the way, as might be expected, to great persecu¬ tion ; and many persons were punished, some even with death, for reading the scriptures in English.— (D'Oyley and Mant's Bible . Int.) , A portrait of Wickliffe, understood to be painted by Antonio de More, the painter of Queen Mary and several of the crowned heads of Europe, was presented by Dr. Zouch, the late Rector of Wy¬ cliffe, in 1796, as an heir loom to the Rectory House, where it re¬ mains. It is probably a copy from some illumination in one of Wiek- liffe’s Bibles, as is conjectured by Mr. Whitaker, who doubts, how¬ ever, if it was painted by More. It is marked with his name on the back of the picture. * Fuller says that the Wycliffe family, in his day (1661), "con¬ tinue a just claim of their kindred unto him.” 4 , MEMOIRS OF who died, as stated above, in 1584, by his second wife, who was of the noble blood of Eure. They resided in the town of Richmond, but the family is now extinct by the decease of the last heir.* The estates passed by intermarriage to the '1 unstalls. I next proceed to the family of Tunstall, “who long flourished at Thurland Castle, in wealth and honour, and produced several characters of name in English history.” Sir Thomas Tunstall, who was an adherent of the House of Lancaster, had a grant from Henry IV. to inclose the manor of Thurland Tunstall, in Lancashire, and to fortify it. Hence the origin of Thurland Castle. He afterwards attended Henry V. to the battle of Agincourt, and was rewarded with the town of Ponthever, in France. Richard Tunstall, his grandson, was a man of great renown, and created a Knight of the Garter through the liberality of Richard III., though he had been a firm Lancastrian before, as were the whole fa¬ mily from the time of his predecessor, Sir Thomas Tun¬ stall, who received the boon of his Monarch, as above related. That “ stainless knight,” Sir Brian Tunstall, as he is called, nephew of the last-mentioned Richard, was a valiant soldier, and died fighting in the battle of Flodden Field, where he commanded the Lancaster men; and he is understood to have been the only Eng¬ lishman of rank, who died in that battle.f It is, however, * Thomas Wycliffe, Esq. of Gayles, who lately died at Richmond> f Then good Lord Murmion, by my life ! Welcome to danger’s hour ! Short greeting serves in time of strife : Thus have I ranged my power. Myself will rule the central host, Stout Stanley fronts their right, My son commands the vaward post. With Brian Tunstall, stainless knight , Lord Dacre with his horsemen light Shall be in rear-ward of the fight, And succour those that need it most. Marmion , canto vi. sec. 24. “ Sir B. Tunstall, called in the romantic language of the time * Tunstall, the undefiled,’ was one of the few Englishmen of rank slain at Flodden. He, perhaps, derived his epithet of ‘ undefiled’, Mil. TUNSTALL. 5 doubted, by Whitaker, if he was ever knighted, or that his body was transported to Tunstall church, as tradi¬ tion has asserted.* His son, however, was a true knight, and, probably, he who is styled Knight of Rhodes. Next follows the elder brother, as he is con¬ sidered by the late genealogists, of Sir Brian, viz. the celebrated Cuthbert Tunstall, Bishop of Durham. The legitimacy of his birth has been called in question by some, on the assertion of Leland, who was his cotem¬ porary. He is considered the son of one of Conyers’ daughters, of Hornby Castle. “ Such has ever been,” says Mr. Whitaker, 44 the chastity of English women in the higher ranks, that there have been few natural chil¬ dren so well born on the mother’s side as Cuthbert Tunstall. At Hackforth, in an adjoining township, he was certainly born, his mother having, probably, been sent away from Hornby for the greater privacy.” He was born in 1475, and being educated for the church, first at Baliol College, Oxford, and afterwards, on ac¬ count of the plague, at King’s Hall, Cambridge, he passed through various ecclesiastical preferments, until in 1522, he was consecrated Bishop of London, from whence he was translated to the see of Durham, in 1530. 44 1 unstall was one of those few and gifted men, who, in head and heart, adorned the mitre. In an ao*e of persecution, and invested with princely power, he was no persecutor. A sincere Catholic, he applied the flames, not to men, but to books.”f 44 Bishop Tun¬ stall, says Mr. Hutchinson,J 44 was an accomplished, learned, and excellent prelate, and author of many valuable works, highly beloved, admired, and praised by all his learned cotemporaries, both at home and abroad; among whom were the great Erasmus, Sir rhomas More, and Dean Collet, and by many other illustrious persons, who have all been lavish of their from his white armour and banner, the latter bearing a white cock about to crow, as well as from his unstained loyalty and knightlv faith. —Sir Walter Scott's Note on Marmion . # Whitaker, Richm. ii. p. 271-275. f lb. p. 52. 53. t Hist . of Durham , i. p. 440. 6 MEMOIRS OF encomiums on him ” He lived in difficult times, and his history is chequered with many changes ot op 1 " 10 "’ which, in the progress of the reformation, it eca ™,~ most necessary to adopt. On the whole, he was raffiei disposed to bend and conciliate; though, at one time, he went so much in opposition to the court, as to sutt deprivation of his see, and to undergo imprisonment, in the Tower, for two years. He was restored on the accession of Mary, with whom he sided, but being again called on, at the accession of Eli^beth, for another re- cantation, in subscribing to her supremacy, he declm making it at his late period of life, though by no means ^ friend to the see of Rome, the abuses of which he was well convinced of, and he was, therefore, finally deprived of his see a second time, which event, he survived about a year, dying in 1559, m his 8oth ^ Bishop Tunstall, though a churchman, was frequently employed, much to his honour, in foreign embassies ot m-eat weight and moment. In 1516, he accompanied Sir Thomas More, as ambassador to the Emperoi Charles V., then at Brussels, where he became ac¬ quainted with the great Erasmus, who speaks of him in the most flattering terms, as a man, “ than whom this * It was during bis episcopacy that the first appointment of the Dean and Chapter of Durham took place, in consequence of the surrender into King Henry VIII.’s hands of the priory of Durham amongst those of the larger monasteries of the kingdom. By the net of parliament, which vested all religious houses, with their pos¬ sessions, in the crown, the King, on the 12th May, 1541, founded the Cathedral Church at Durham, and appointed a dean and twelve prebendaries therein for ever; dedicating the church to the glory of Christ, and the honour of the blessed Virgin, by the name of the Cathedral Church of Christ and blessed Mary > the Virgin. The King appointed the surrendering prior, Whitehead, the first dean and twelve of his fraternity, prebendaries, and granted them a common seal, with power to the dean, for the time being, to ap¬ point inferior officers and ministers of the church. By letters patent, he, at the same time, endowed the church with all its former possessions; and few, if any, such appropriations as this, at Dur¬ ham were made out of the dissolution of religious houses, which took place at that time.— See Hutchinson's Durham , i. p . 423, 4^4, IM It. T UN ST ALL. 7 age possesses none more learned, better, or more hu¬ mane.” When Bishop of London, he was sent by the King to the Diet, held at Worms; and again, in 1525, he went with Sir Richard Wingfield to Spain, as am¬ bassador, a second time, to the Emperor Charles V., on the memorable occasion of mediating for the freedom of Francis I., of France, taken at Pavia, in all which he was selected on account of his superior abilities.* “ His accomplishments were both great and various ; he was a scholar, a man of business, a civilian, a states¬ man, and a divine. His knowledge of the Greek language was critical; he was not unskilled in the He¬ brew ; he wrote a clear and intelligent work on arith¬ metic; he perfectly understood the mathematics (such as they were) of the age; and, in addition to all which, was an eloquent and impressive speaker. “I shall conclude this account of him with the short and elegant character given by Sir Thomas More. 6 Ton- stallo, ut nemo est bonis literis instructior, nemo in vita moribusque severior, ita nemo est usquam in convictu jllcundior. , An intermarriage with the family of Scargill, of Scar- gill Castle, in the parish of Barningham, Richmond- shire,J having added that domain to the Thurland Tun stall property, these both continued in the Tunstall family for three or four generations. Francis Tunstall alienated Thurland Castle, with other large possessions, early in the reign of James I.; when it became, or soon aftei, the property ot a branch of the Girlingtons, a * , Mr * Tunstall presented Mr. Hutchinson, for his History of Durham, with the portrait of his ancestor. Bishop Tunstall The onginal Fucture is now in the possession of the Rev. James Raine ot Durham, who purchased it at the sale of the furniture of Wycliffe Hall, in 1 824, together with the emblazoned coat of arms of Mr Tunstall in thirty-five quarterings; to whom I am indebted for the loan ot the latter for this work, and for several particulars noticed in these Memoirs, t Whitaker, ii. p. 53. t Viz of Sir Marmaduke Tunstall, with Mary, daughter and co- h . e ^f SS T>° f SlF , Robert Scargill, Knt. He died in 1556.— Mr. Tun - stall s Remarks in Nichols , voL viii. p. 323. 8 MEMOIRS OF family since gone to decay and extinct, who held it toi two generations.* His son Marmaduke, probably to repair his father’s improvidence, married Katherine, a co-heiress of Wycliffe, as before stated, and as an additional act of prudence, he purchased ol Dorothy, the other co-heiress, his wife’s elder sister, the moiety which had jointly descended to her. He, however, suffered severely in Cromwell’s time by sequestration, and was obliged to compound for his estate, f I now come to our Mr. Tun stall. Marmaduke Tunstall, Esq. late of Wycliffe, was born in 1743. He was the great great grandson of the last named Marmaduke Tunstall, the first owner of Wycliffe of the name, and was himself the son of Cuth- bert Constable, of Burton Constable, near Hull, Esq. by a second marriage with Ely, daughter of George Henneage, of Hainton, Esq. a Catholic family, in the county of Lincoln. His father, who was the son of Francis Tunstall, of Wycliffe, Esq. had, in consequence of succeeding, in 1718, to the estate of Burton Consta¬ ble, in Holderness, left him by his maternal uncle, Wil¬ liam Constable, Lord Viscount Dunbar, changed his name for that of Constable.^ Marmaduke was his second son (his only one by his second marriage), and was born at Burton Constable, then his father’s residence. In his early infancy he lost his father, who died in 1747, when he was only four years old. Fortunately he was not deprived of the maternal cares of his other * “ Thurland Castle was lately in the possession of the Evelyns, of St. Cleer, in Kent, who sold it about 1768.”— Mr. Tunstall in Nichols , ut supra . “ The manor of Thurland was afterwards sold, whether immediately I do not know, to the family of Welsh, who sold it again, with the advowson of the Parish Church, to Miles North, Esq. in the last generation.”— Whit. Rich. ii. p. 273. | Whit. Rich, in tab. vol. ii. p. 270.— Nichols, v. p. 341. J He had previously married Amy, daughter of Hugh, 2d. Lord Clifford, of Chndleigh in Devonshire, to which family (the Cliffords) the estates of Burton Constable and Wycliffe have now descended by an entail made by his son, William Constable, Esq. who died in 1791, and who, after his own relations, inserted in the entail those of his mother.— Rev. J. Raine. MR k TUN STALL 9 parent, who must have early instilled into him those prin¬ ciples of virtue, which marked the conduct of his mature years. Under her direction, as his natural guardian, though probably with the concurrence and aid of his uncle, whose heir he was to be, he was sent for his edu¬ cation to the college of Douay in France, where he was always distinguished for mild manners and retired and studious habits. At what age he went there, or how long he remained, I have not been able to ascer¬ tain. % When lie was seventeen, he succeeded, in 1760, to the family estates of Scargill, Hutton Long Villers, and Wycliffe, by the decease of his uncle, Marmaduke 1 unstall, Lsq. who died a bachelor in his 89th year, and who had settled those estates on his brother Cuthbert (our Marmaduke’s father), and his issue male by his second wife. He then resumed the name of TunstalJ, as directed by his uncle’s deed of settlement, instead of Constable, by which he was born.f Two years after coming to his fortune, he lost his mother, who died in 1762, and thus totally deprived of parental care, with an ample fortune, he might easily have fallen a victim to the excesses of youth, had not those principles conti¬ nued to operate, which had been so carefully inculcated in his tender years. An early-formed taste for literature * I find, however, from his own writings, that he was in London in the winter of 1754-55-56, when he was 11—13 years old, and therefore he did not probably go to France until after then.— See Tunstall, M.S. f The aforesaid deed of settlement is dated August 21, 1/34, and recites, that his brother, Cuthbert Constable, had only one son by his then late wife, who, upon the death of the said Cuthbert, his father, would be entitled to a considerable real estate, by virtue of the will of the Right Hon. William, late Lord Dunbar (viz. the estate of Burton Constable), and, that the said Marmaduke Tun¬ stall, the uncle, was then seized of a considerable real estate which upon his death, without issue, he had agreed to settle upon his said brother, and his issue male, by any after-taken wife, such issue taking upon them the name of Tunstall on coming into possession: and also reciting, that the said Marmaduke, the uncle, was not then disposed to marry, but was desirous that his'brother should marry again for the support of the name and family of the Tunstalls, &c. &c. c ]0 MEMOIRS OF and science supplied the vacancy of leisure, and pi in¬ vented the necessity of having recourse to less worthy pursuits. When he was only twenty-one, we find him elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, in Lon¬ don, of which he became, by his attention to the sub¬ ject of antiquities, a worthy and esteemed member. After finishing his education, he resided for several years in London, in Well beck-street. Here it was he commenced forming the Museum, where the opportunity was afforded him of procuring subjects in every branch of natural history. These were not confined to preserved specimens, but he kept an extensive collection of living animals, particularly birds, which enabled him, as he himself observed, “ to study their habits, manners, and eeconomy.” It was here that Brown had the advantage of his patronage and collection ; and the names of Mi. Moon, Mr. Tennant, and others, as collectors of natural history, are to be found connected with him at this pe¬ riod. It was during this time also, that lie considerably improved and enlarged his house at Wycliffe.* In 1776 he removed there, on his marriage with Miss Markham, the daughter and co-heiress of-Markham, Esq. of Hoxly, in Lincolnshire, which estate was then sold, and is now the property of Lord Yarborough. I he Museum was removed to Wycliffe also, though not immediately, nor until he had completed buildings suitable to receive it, viz “ a handsome, large, airy room, in the back of the house, much better than that in London,” which was about the year 1780 or 1781. Soon after, we find him congratulating himself on the extent of his collection, which, with the exception of Mr. Green’s, of Litchfield, and of Dr. Latham’s, he considers the best, out of London, in the kingdom, at least of birds. In a letter to Dr. Latham, written about this time, he says, “ I have, unfortunately, no ornitho¬ logist in my neighbourhood to help me out, nor are * These alterations must have been made before or about 1773, as Mr. Pennant, in his Tour to Harrogate in that year, speaks of it as a new house.— Vide infra . ♦ MR. TUNSTALL. 11 there naturalists of any kind in this country, though the clergyman of the parish” (Dr. Zouch) 66 is a very good botanist. The history and ccconomy of the horse and dog must be excepted, which are scarce known better in any part of the kingdom, as also of the fox. As I have not a very strong sight, I cannot always make out satisfactorily the birds I see in the neighbourhood. I was, from my earliest years, an ardent pursuer of the natural history of birds ; and I am sorry to say, that, notwithstanding I have never desisted prosecuting the same favourite study, I find some of my very juvenile observations superior to many made in riper years.” Mr. Tunstall continued a firm Catholic, as his imme¬ diate ancestors had been, notwithstanding the example held out to them in the history of their presumed pro¬ genitor, John Wickliffe. But this did not prevent him being on the most intimate terms with Dr. Zouch, the incumbent of Wycliffe, the similarity of whose pursuits, in their fondness for Natural History, was a sufficient bond of attachment. This connection was the more honourable to them both, as Dr. Zouch had succeeded to the living of Wycliffe in opposition to Mr. Tunstall. He had been presented by the University of Cambridge, on the ground of Mr. Tunstall, the patron’s personal incapacity as a papist. The family had made several conveyances of the advowson, but it was doubtful whe¬ ther any of them were bond Jide , or only in trust. A caveat was put in against Dr. Zouch’s presentation, and he filed a bill in Chancery to compel a disclosure of secret trusts; but Mr. Robinson (the son of the late in¬ cumbent), for whom the presentation was supposed to be intended, dying six weeks after his father, the oppo¬ sition was dropped, and Dr. Zouch’s presentation took effect.*' * Michaelmas Term, 1769.—The University of Cambridge and Thomas Zouch filed their bill against Marmaduke Tunstall, charging several deeds to have been made upgn private trusts for Papists, and that the said Marmaduke Tunstall was then seized, but being a Papist, was disabled to present, and by law the said University be¬ came, and were, the lawful patrons of the church of Wycliffe for 12 MEMOIRS OF Mr. Tunstall seems to have been a most amiable character, highly respected for his libeiality am t ic taste of his pursuits, the testimony of which is to be found repeatedly in the works of Mr. Pennant, and Dr. Latham, and the letters of Mr. Allan Mr. Watson, and others. His attachment to Natural History must have been early excited, as his printed tract on British Birds was published at the age of twenty-eight. The extreme rarity of this treatise of Mr. 'I unstall on British Birds* (which was not published for sale) in¬ duces me to give in this pla:e an analysis of its contents. The work is written in Lai n, and consists of four pages only of letter-press, in imperial folio, preceded by the following title:— 44 Ornit/iclogia Britannica , sen Avium omnium Britannicarum tan Tcrrestnum quam Aquati- carum Catalogus, Sermone Latino, Anglico, et Gallico redditus: cui subjicitur Appendix Aves alienigenas in the present term only, and had executed a presentation unto Thomas Zouch—they, therefore, prayed the said several deeds to be de¬ clared fraudulent and void, and the presentation of Thomas Zouch established. . . To this bill answer was put in, but the cause never came to issue, being abandoned by the defen dm ts, and, therefore, Mr. Zouch was instituted and inducted. It aj pears, also, that m Eastei l ei in, 10th Geo. III. John Burdon declared, in a Quare inwedit, against the Bishop of Chester, the University, and Thomas Zouch, for the last presentation, stating his title to be an assignment from the Executors of William Lodge, the Assignee of a deed of the ^oth July, 1703, but Burdon also deserted this action. The several pre¬ sentations returned by the Bishop of Chester’s Secretary are as follows :— , 31st May, 1704.—The University of Cambridge, on the death of John Chapman, presented Franris Smales. In 1731.—The Crown presented Thomas Robinson, by lapse, loth May, 17(>0.—On the deith of Thomas Robinson, the Uni* versity of Cambridge, on account of Mr. Tunstall’s disability, claim¬ ed that term, and presented Thomas Zouch. The foregoing extracts of deeds, I am enabled to make bv the favour of the Rev. John Headlam, the present incumbent of Wy- c’.ifle, to whom, as well as for several other points of information, I am* indebted for his liberal communication. * I am enabled to give this account of it from a copy of Mr. Tunstall’s work; lately presented to the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle, by Mr. B ockeft, MR. TUNSTALL. 13 Angliam raro advenientes cornplectens In tcnui labor at tenuis non glorfti. —Virg. London : Printed for the author , by J. Dixvoell^ in St. Martin’s Lane , 1771. At the head of the first page is a characteristic print of the Water Ouzel, male and female, as large as life, beautifully engraven by P. Mazell, from a painting by P. Brown, the author of Illustrations of Zoology , which Brown must have made from the specimens in our pos¬ session, as is shewn by the attitudes. Then follows a list of British Birds, divided into four columns, the first con¬ taining the genus, and the others the trivial names in Latin, English, and French, which, as is stated in a note, are taken for the most part, the Latin from Lin¬ naeus or Pennant’s British Zoology , and the French from Brisson’s Ornithology. Of the species which mi¬ grate, a single or double asterisk marks the vernal or autumnal migration. In his arrangement he has followed nearly that of his friend Pennant in his second edition of British Zoology , published shortly before, in 1768 and 1769, in three volumes, 8vo. with a volume of illustrations, in 1770. It is as follows:— I. Aves Britannic® terrestres, including 23 Genera, in the follow¬ ing order :—Falco, Strix, Lanins, Corvus, Ficus, Jynx, Cuculus, Sitta, Alcedo, Pyrrliocorax , Certhia, Tetrao, Otis, Columbus, Turdus, Sturnus, Alauda, Hirundo, Motacilla, Loxia, Fringilla, Emberiza, Parus. II. Aves aquatic®. 19 Genera. Div. I. Fissipedes. Gen. 1—7. viz. Ardea, Scolopax, Tringa, 11® mat opus, Charadrius, Rallus, GaUinula. Div. II. Pedibus pinnatis. Gen. 8—10. viz. Phalaropus. Fulica, Colvmbus. Div. III. Pedibus palmatis. Gen. 11—19. viz. Recurvirostra, Alca, Mergus, Larus, Sterna, Proeellaria, Merganser, Anas, Pelecanus. Appendix.— Aves raro in Britanniam advenientes, et qu® vix un- quam ibi nidificare cognoscuntur. 1. Terrestres.—Nutcracker, Roller, Hoopoe, Little Bustard, Rose- coloured Ouzel, Chatterer, Hawfinch, Pine Bullfinch, Cross¬ bill, Greater Brambling or Snow Bird. 2. Aquatic®.—Spoonbill, Crane, Stork, Egrette, Great White Heron, Little Bittern, Red Sandpiper. 14 MEMOIRS OF Oil the above composition the following remarks oc¬ cur—Though Linnaeus’s twelfth edition of Systerna Natures had been published four years before Mr Tunstall’s work, he has shewn considerable freedom ot opinion in his adoption of genera. Amongst these are found Pyrrhocorax, Gallinula ,, and Phalaropus, three genera which have been adopted by modern systema- tists. Pyrrhocorax is mentioned by Ray as the trivial name of the Cornish Chough. Gallinula, as a genus he took from Ray also;* and Phalaropus from Brisson. It is worthy of notice, that Mr. 1 unstall preceded Latham and Cuvier in the use of these generic terms; though the credit of their adoption is given by Temminck to his more copious followers. He also adopted Mergus from Brisson for the Divers, in which he included the Guillemots, or Uriae of Brisson; and Merganser for the Goosanders. Besides this testimony of the learning of Mr. I un¬ stall, there is sufficient reason in the notices of the learned friends, with whom he corresponded and held commu- nication, amongst whom was Linnaeus himself, to justify the opinion of his attainments. He was elected a Fel¬ low of the Antiquarian Society of London, in 1764, and of the Royal Society, 1777-+ I have been able to find only one paper of his writing in the transactions of the latter Society,:): which is an account of lunar rainbows, an uncommonly rare phenomenon,§ three of which, in one year, he was an eye witness of. “ The first was seen 27th February, 1782, at Greta Bridge, Yorkshire, be¬ tween seven and eight at night, and appeared in tolera¬ bly distinct colours, similar to a solar one, but more faint: the orange colour seemed to predominate. It happened at full moon, at which time alone they are said to have been always seen. Though Aristotle is said * Rail Av. p. 40, 113. f Nichols viii. p. 473. ^ See Phil. Trans . 1783. $ The same was, however, witnessed in this neighbourhood, on Saturday evening, 25th November, 1825, which was seen by many. —See Newcastle Chronicle . MR. TUNSTALL. 15 to have observed two, and some others have been seen by Snellius, &c. I can only find two described with any accuracy, viz. one by Plot, in his History of Oxfordshire , seen by him in. 1675, though without colours; the other, seen by a Derbyshire gentleman at Glapweli, near Chesterfield, described by Thoresby, and inserted in No. 331, of the Philosophical Transactions. This was about Christmas, 1710, and said to have had all the colours of the Iris Solaris. The night was windy, and though there was a drizzling rain and dark cloud, in which the rainbow was reflected, it proved afterwards a light frost.” Two others were afterwards seen by Mr. Tunstall; one on July 30, of the same year, which lasted about a quarter of an hour, without colours. The other, which appeared on Friday, October 18, was “ perhaps the most extraordinary one of the kind ever seen. It lasted from nine o’clock until two of the morning, and exhi¬ bited all the brilliant colours of a solar rainbow, though somewhat fainter. No lunar Iris that I ever heard or read of lasted near so long as this, either with or with¬ out colours. It is a singular circumstance, that three of these phenomena should have been seen in so short a time in one place, as they have been esteemed ever since the time of Aristotle, who is said to have been the first observer of them, and saw only two in fifty years ; and since, by Plot and Thoresby, almost the only two Eng¬ lish authors, who have spoke of them, to be exceeding rare. They seem evidently to be occasioned by a re¬ fraction in a cloud or turbid atmosphere; and, in gene¬ ral, are indications of stormy and rainy weather : so bad a season as the late summer having, I believe, seldom occurred in England.”* This is all the communication made by Mr. TunstaR to the Royal Society, though in one of his unpublished letters he proposes to transmit another paper shortly, which, from the date, he was probably prevented doing by his death. There are some corrections of his for a * Tun stall in Phil. Trans, ut supra .—See also Gent. Mag. for 1788, where is an account of another. 16 MEMOIRS OF future edition of Camden’s Britannia , inserted in Nichols’ Literary Anecdotes , vol viii. p. 321. It was at once honourable to the head and heart ot Mr. Tunstall, that, though of very retired habits, lie was on intimate terms with men ot the most amiable and learned characters. Of these the Rev. Daniel Wat¬ son, Rector of Middleton Tyas, was not the least deser¬ ving. I extract from Mr. Watson’s letters to Mr. Allan the following remarks relating to Mr 1 unstall: « May 11, 1784.—He writes with some glee of the Antiquary Society being in a flourishing state, and of the Earl of Leicestei becoming President, and the Duke ol Montague and our present Premier (Mr. Pitt), lately becoming members in the illustrious crowd. And then he goes on to ask me if I would choose to be one; and says, he should be happy to be my godfather; and pays me a profusion of compliments I am no way entitled to. I pa} as little regard to feathers as most men, and yet I would, on no ac¬ count, affront so valuable a friend. “ He is commenced politician ; and thinks taking silks, wines, and oils from France, on a preference given to our woollen and hardware, would be advantageous. The Spital Fields manufac¬ turers and the Portuguese would be the only sufferers. The former might be better employed, and the latter are an ungrateful people. He does not like the talk of lowering the duties on such pernicious liquors as tea, and increasing the tax on windows.”* D. \V. “ June 3, 1784. —He has again named the Society. I told him, that, except sometimes stumbling upon the true reading ot a Ro¬ man inscription or coin, I had no knowledge of any thing else that was antique, and was so lazy, that I should only be a disgrace to my godfather. I am, indeed, under great obligations to him. He sent me two massy volumes in French lately, which have been very entertaining. I remarked to him, on Buffon’s Supplement, 4 that an Englishman would express himself full as much to his purpose in one page, as a Frenchman does in three; and, that what run off and pleased in French, would be fulsome circumlocution and tau¬ tology in English !’ His answer is, ‘your remarks on the French language are extremely just. The expressive conciseness and energy of English is the most preferable ; ) r et there is something very fas¬ cinating in the elegant, though diffuse, style of the French. The English is sometimes chargeable with, ‘ Dum brevis esse volo } obscu - rus jio .’ ” D. W. * Mr. Tunstall here discovers a scintillation of our present liberal policy ; and has the credit of projecting ideas in Political (Economy, as well as in Natural History, which have been subsequently adopted. MR. TUNSTALL. 17 This amiable man did not long continue to be an or¬ nament to society and a benefactor to his neighbourhood. Probably sedentary habits had induced a temperament, unfavourable to long life. He died suddenly on the 11th Oct. 1790, in his 48th year, and was buried in the chancel of his own church of Wyclilfe, on the 18th. No monumental inscription has as yet been placed in the church to his memory, though often talked of. The only local record of respect is to be found in the church register, where, after the entry of his burial, is added, “ Multis ille bonis Jlebilis occidit , “ Nulli flebilior qnam mihi .* T. Z.” —A tribute of affection from his friend Dr. Zouch, by whom he was much esteemed. A letter of Mr. Watson’s to Mr. Allan thus describes the event: Oct. \ 7,1/90.— Dear Sir,— You would be shocked at the sudden loss of our good and valuable friend, Mr. Tunstall. On Tuesday I had a letter, by the order of Mrs. Tunstall, informing me of it. It was only on the Friday evening before, that he wrote me a kind and ong letter, asking us to dine before his old friend Joe left us. This letter was the last action of his life; and in it he gave an instance of strong friendship for my family, by telling Horace to make use of his name to Captain Gell, if he went on board his ship, saying how intimate he and the Captain were at Sir Harry Hunloke’s. I wish¬ ed to pay a tribute to his memory, but know not whether’I am not precluded by some friend of his in some of the Newcastle papers. D. W.’ Though posthumous eulogies are not always penned in the language of truth, the following characters of Mr. Tunstall, which are given by Dr. Whitaker and Mr. Nichols, as drawn by the hand of friendship, bear the internal evidence of correctness. They are, besides, not inelegant pieces of composition, and I insert them, as they will, at least, furnish a better account of his habits aud opinions than I am able to procure elsewhere. “ Character of MarmaduJce Tunstall , Esq. of JVjcliffe Hall , supposed to be written by the late Dr. Zouch “On the 11th Oct. 1790, died at Wycliffe Hall, * Horace, lib. i. car. 24, 1. 9. D is memoirs OR Marmaduke Tunst.ll, Esq. F. R. »U- death of this truly amiable gentlemtm be » 0 «| regretted. In the privae, of an eeg™ retnen ent was a most munificent patron ofk*»*Jfe knowledge ready to encourage and reward nter,^ Ht^now^.^ Son His mind was always active, always engaged n tlS reseaXf useful truth/ Great as his literary abili¬ ties were he was possessed of more valuable accomplish U ’ svvcet affability of disposition, an engaging uS^ of manne^and y enlarge] liberality of thought. The words of passion and resentment never popped from his lips; he was all mildness and benevo ence. His deeds of charity were many; he was literally the poor man’s friend.”* .. Character of the alone M.Tmdull, Esq- k) Rev. D. Watson f Red,sr ofMtddh M “On Monday, 11th day of Octobei, 1790 , aiea at Wycliffe Hall, in Yorkshire, the ancient seat of the family of Tunstall, Marmaduke Tunstall, Esq. atte only two hours’ illness, which makes the blow m ° ie * e ' verely felt by his afflicted lady, whose constant and affectionate attention to him, together with a taste like his own for retired life, rendered them perfectly happy in each other. Had it not been for this predilection for retirement, their suavity of manners and cheerful polite conversation would have been a great acquisition to society.^ ^ F R and A _ g> and was honoured with + ^This Composition is attributed by Nichols to Rev. Dr. Pegge, and apparently correctly so, as in a letter of Mr. Watson s he ad¬ verts to Dr. P. undertaking it .—See Lit. An. cm. pp. 341, 4/3. MB. TUNSTALL. 19 the correspondence of many distinguished literary cha¬ racters both at home and abroad. He has left a noble library, many of the books of the best editions, and very scarce and curious. His very large collection of fine and valuable prints does equal honour to his good taste; and such was the pleasure he took in the study of Natural History and Antiquities, that few private gentlemen are in possession of a Museum containing so large a collec¬ tion, especially of the feathered race, or of so rich a cabinet of antiques. 66 He was a steady Roman Catholic ; but always spoke with great respect of the Church of England. Nor was he an enemy to any society of Christians, whose prin¬ ciples are not inimical to the British constitution, which he loved and revered ; but could not help expressing his hopes and wishes for a time, when he thought it might still be improved by holding out its blessings to all, who should from the heart pledge themselves to be faithful to it. He was a friend to establishments in religion, but a warm advocate for a general toleration. He spoke with abhorrence of religion being taken up as the livery of a party. He lamented the progress of infidelity both amongst Protestants and Catholics, and especially amongst the latter of the higher orders in France and Italy, which he attributed to a neglect of the scriptures, and to a preference given to metaphysics and flimsy systems of philosophy. “ His morals were the morals enforced by our com¬ mon Lord and Saviour, in the Sermon on the Mount. He was a friend to merit in distress, however distant the object. And, it is hard to say, whether his domestics, his tenants, or the poor, will most lament his death. In a word, this excellent man believed what he pro¬ fessed, and acted upon principle ; and though his mode of faith was in many articles different from mine, may my soul be w r ith his. “ A CLERGYMAN “ Of the Church of England.”* * Whit. Rich. ii. p. 38.—Nichols, viii. 473.—For another short character of Mr. Tunstall, sec Gent . Mag. for 1730, vol. lx. p. 959. 20 MEMOIRS OF In addition to these evidences of the merits of Mr. Tunstall, 1 cannot resist subjoining the short, but strik¬ ing testimony of Dr. Whitaker; and we have only to regret, that he did not live to fulfil the intention therein expressed of a detailed account of Mr. Tunstall, which his style and acquaintance with the subject would have rendered doubtless highly interesting. “ The descents of this manor,” says the author, in his account of Wycliffe, “ are regularly traced in the an¬ nexed pedigree. But the promiscuous and undistin¬ guishing commemoration of a pedigree is for ordinary men. The late amiable man and excellent naturalist, Mr. Tunstall, is entitled to a particular memorial, which will be given in the appendix to this volume.”* Mr. Tunstall having died without issue left both his estates to his half brother, Wm. Constable, Esq. of Burton Constable, who survived him only six months, and who left all his property to his nephew Edward and Francis Sheldon, Esqrs, in succession. The former * The work of Dr. Whitaker, to which I am greatly indebted, merits a particular notice in this place. It is entitled, u A History of Richmondshire, in the North Riding of York; together with those parts of the Everwickshire of Domesday, which, form the wapentakes of Lonsdale, Ewecross, and Amunderness, in the coun¬ ties of York, Lancaster, and Westmoreland. By the late Thomas Dunham Whitaker, LL. D., F. R. A., Vicar of Whalley, and of Blackburn, in Lancashire. Printed for Longman & Co., London; and Robinson and Hernaman, Leeds, 1823.” In 2 vols. folio, on demy paper, 251. 4s.; royal paper, with proof impressions of plates, 501. 8s. This work is illustrated with 45 plates, engraved in the very best style of the art, by 18 of the first engravers, from beautiful drawings by J. M, W. Turner, Esq. R. A., and Mr. Buckler; and with nu¬ merous wood cuts of castles, forts, and antiquities, by Mr. Branston. It includes the History and Antiquities of an interesting district, holden formerly under one common Lord, where, in their magnificent castle, which they built on the Swale, the Earls of Richmond held splendid courts, and maintained a port little inferior to that of royalty, until the title merged into royalty itself in the person of Henry VII., son of Margaret, the celebrated Countess of Richmond. It was re¬ vived by James I. in the person of his kinsman, Stuart,' Duke of Lennox, but becoming again extinct in 1672, passed once more by investiture 1675, into blood royal in the present family of Lennox, descended from Charles II. MR. TUNSTALL. 21 on coming into possession of Wycliffe in 1791, sold the Museum, library, and pictures. Mr. Allan was the purchaser of the Museum, and Mr. Todd, of York, bookseller, of the books.* On their death without issue male, the estates were entailed to the Cliffords of Tixall in Staffordshire, a younger branch of Lord Clifford's family, from which family Mr. Constable himself was descended by his mother's side.f In pursuance of this entail, the estates of Scargill and Wycliffe, together with that of Burton-Constable, passed in 1821, to Sir Thos. Clifford, of Tixal, who took the name of Constable. This Sir Thomas Constable w r as originally Mr. Clifford, of Tixal, and he was created a baronet in 1814, at the special request of the late King of France, on his leaving England, to whom he had paid great attention during his residence here. On his death, the estates descended to his son, the present owner, Sir Thomas Aston Clif¬ ford Constable, who is a minor. It appears, therefore, that the family, now possessing the Wycliffe estate, does not inherit the blood either of the Constables, Tunstalls, or Wycliffes. The Scargill estate has accompanied the Wycliffe ever since Marmaduke Tunstall, of the former place, married the daughter and co-heiress of William Wycliffe, of Wycliffe. Mr. TunstalPs lady lived with him at Wycliffe till his death in 1790, in a very secluded state. During her widowhood she resided in different religious houses; at one period at Cocken, in the County of Durham, and she died at Sales House, near Shipton Mallet, in * Mr. Tocld sold the books jointly with some other libraries, by a catalogue published in 1792 .—See Nichols' Lit. An. vol. viii. p. 753. f See the connexion of the families of Constable and Clifford in the annexed table. The present noble family of Clifford is a younger surviving branch of the Cliffords, whose ancestor, Fitz- Ponz, came in with the Conqueror, descended from a common an¬ cestor (Roger, Lord de Clifford, temp. Ric. IT.) with the elder branch, the late Eads of Cumberland, who, with their ancestors, were Lords of the manors of Hart and Hartlepool for three centu¬ ries. See Sir Cuth. Sharp’s Hist, of Hartlepool, p. 21 —45, with a table of pedigree of the elder branch of Clifford. The chief seat of the present Lord Clifford is at Ugbrooke, near Chudleigh, in the- county of Devon. 22 MEMOIRS OF Somersetshire, in October, 1825, having survived her husband 35 years. The description of the residence of Mr. Tunstall I extract as follows:— . “ The beauties of Teesdale are nearly concentrated m the three contiguous parishes of Brignall, Rokeby, and WyclifFe. « WyclifFe is the “ Cliff by the Water” an etymology strikingly adapted to the character of the place. Few situations of a retired character can surpass those of the Manor-House, the parsonage, and the church of Wy¬ clifFe, in which all the unmeaning features of a level country are completely excluded, while the eye is limited to the banks of the Tees, which have not yet ceased to be deep and precipitous, and brows hung with native and luxuriant woods, which are only interrupted by masses of rock.”* Mr. Pennant thus writes. “ About half a mile from Greta Bridge, on the Tees, is WyclifFe, a new house, belonging to my worthy and respected friend, Marma- duke Tunstall, Esq. of the parish of the same name. The celebrated John WyclifFe, the proto-reformer, took his name from this place, being that of his birth. He bravely withstood the incroachments of the mendicant orders, at length attacked the tenets of the church of Rome, and had the good fortune to die in peace in 1384; leaving his bones for his adversaries to wreak their revenge on, 42 years after, by taking them up and burning them to ashes.”— Pennant's Tour from Alston Moor to Harrogate in 1773, p. 44. Mr. Tunstall’s own description is as follows:— “ My house is beautifully situated on the banks of the Tees, a romantic rocky river dividing this county from the Bishoprick of Durham, sometimes nearly destitute of water, and perhaps the very next day, rolling a rapid stream, breaking against the rocks, and rising in billows like a tempestuous sea. I am, you see, consequently on the northern verge of Yorkshire, about nine miles North * Whit. Rich . viii. p. 897. MR. TUNSTALL. 23 West from Richmond, and about four South East from Barnard-Castle in Bishoprick of Durham.— Mr. TVs Letter to Mr. Latham , M. S. I shall close my account of Mr. Tunstall with the following original letters of his, which have not been before published, furnished me by Mr. Bewick; and I take the opportunity of adding also three letters from Mr. Pennant to Mr. Bewick, as not uninteresting to the student of Natural History. Messrs. Bcilby and Bewick . Gentlemen, I duly received your’s of the 31st ult., as also the prints for the Lapland Tour,* which demand my grateful thanks ; think them very finely executed, especially the birds, which are not peculiar only to the high northern latitudes ; the Kader is undoubtedly the Wood- Groose of Pennant, the Cock of the Wood of most authors, and lately, at least, existing in the highlands of Scotland, and called in the Gaelic or Erst tongue, Capercalley, is still found in several parts of France, Germany, Switzerland, &c.; the Orre is undoubtedly our Black Cock, though the tail is more curled than usually found in ours, probably an accidental variety, most likely the effects of age, as in those wild parts, they frequently arrive to a greater age ; have heard observed here by sportsmen, that the tail grows more curled by age; the Inorypa is, I think, undoubtedly the Scotch Ptarmigan ; the Hicrpe I am not scf clear about, but am apt to think it the Ptarmigan in its brown plumage. I approve of your idea of putting the Chillingham bull and cow into one plate, and that a copper one. I should like to have about sixty impressions taken off and sent me with the plate, when finished together with your account, which I will immediately discharge the amount of. Am glad you like the box engraving, it was intended for a cut in Ariosto or Tasso, and probably all in that edition were done in the same manner. The sooner you can compleat and send me the plate and impressions, the more you will oblige, Gentlemen, Your obedient and very humble servant, MAR. TUNSTALL Wycltfe, Nov. 6,1788. * This refers to “ Consett’s Tour through Sweden, Swedish Lap - land, Finland , and Denmark , in 1786, made in company with Sir Henry George Liddell, Bart, the account of which is printed in a thin 4t° volume by R Christopher, Stockton, in 1789, with engravings h l Mr. Bewick and lus partner, Mr. Beilby. It contains three plates of the birds referred to by Mr. Tunstall, found at Tornao, in Lap- land, and one of the rein deer, with views of the midnight setting 24 MEMO!IIS OF Gentlemen, . Am much obliged to you for the impressions you sent me, which arefveryweU executed; ^the lion has a fine effect mins, -to pnde; the bear is very curious, I never saw the figure of it before. A also obliged to you for the account of the wild cattle, at Mr Lekh’s of Lyme, have been told they were at Mr. Leigh s of High-Leigh, also in Cheshire, but on enquiry found itamistake^- The cuts for me beg may be done in the manner you think the best effect Have no objection to what you propose for the Ites being madeuse of in a particular account of them ; but as I have collected many anecdotes about them, most of which I have already communicated to you, and hope to be able to procure more, propose making up a small memoir, to send to Sir Joseph Ban , thePresident of the Royal Society, of which lam a member, which probably may be ready for the next winter, and should be sorry it should \>e anticipated by the publication you mention; but after that, it is of no importance. Remain Your obliged humble servant, MAR. TUNSTALL. Wycliffe, Feb. 11, 1789. Gentlemen, I duly received the six impressions of the Chillingham bull, on vellum they were rather relaxed and a little rumpled m the com¬ ing; the figure is well engraved, and has much expression ; would have I think, fifty impressions taken off, half with and half without the border, all on strong good paper; should be glad to have printed under them, Bull of the ancient Caledonian breed , now at Lhil- linsham Castle , Northumberland. I understood by your last, that both bull and cow were to be in one plate, which would have made the expense much less ; can say nothing about the cow, till 1 know the price of this engraving, which I desire you will send me, as also of the specimens taken off, both on vellum and paper, which 1 will then send a note for the payment of. Remain till then Gentlemen, Your most obedient humble servant, MAR. TUN STALL. Wucliffe, July 15, 1789. When will your work on quadrupeds be compleated ? On again looking at the engraving, I think the shading of the muzzle rather too faint, and there seems to be a white line straight down from the mouth; but this last may probably have happened in the taking off, though observable in all; can it be meant to shew the foam ? sun at Tornao, the entrance into Upsal, and portraits of Sighre and Ameia , two Lapland women brought to England by the tourists, and sent back “ in comparative opulence,” to their native mountains by Sir H. Liddell. It is a work in some demand from its rarity. MR. TUNSTALL 25 MR. PENNANT TO MR. BEWICK. Sir, Downing , Feb. 13, 1798. I am greatly flattered by your present, signified in your favour of the 1st inst. I am the more happy, as report had put an end to all your labours : long may they be continued to your emolument as they are to the high gratification of the curious. A few prints of your birds fell into my hands, which gave me great pleasure. I never expected to hear more of them. I am at a loss to shew my gratitude. Would two or three non-descripts, by Moses Griffith, be acceptable for your second volume ? I would send them with pleasure. How am I to get them to jou at present? Pray send me a common volume of the new edition of your 1st vol. I feel now the weight of years and ill health ; both which, 1 trust, to bear up against, as a man. Long may you flourish according to your deserts. If my old friend, Mr. Allan, is in being, pray forward to him the inclosed, by post. If not, please commit it to the flames. I am, with true esteem. Sir, Your much obliged humble servant, THO. PENNANT. On recollection, my non-descripts are exotics. But, perhaps, any specimens of Moses Griffith’s still may be acceptable. Do you know a linnet smaller than the common, head and breast darker than usual, black spot under lower mandible, cross line of yellow across the greater coverts of wings, bill yellow; called Thorny Linnet , in Yorkshire, found near Masham. The Twite? Sir, Downing , June 28, 1/98. I am uneasy at your silence in respect to my offer of shewing my gratitude for your magnificent present of the 1st vol. of your History of Birds. I must insist on your acceptance of some token of the sense I have of the favour. I sent last week a copy of my History of London, the best edition, to Mr. White, bookseller, Fleet-street, to be delivered to your order. May it prove some amusement to you. I am greatly disappointed at not receiving some account of my friend, Mr. Allan. I hope you will indulge me with letting me know how he is, I am, Your obliged humble servant, THO. PENNANT. SiR, Downing , Aug. 20, 1798. I will endeavour to get Moses to draw his portrait, and if I suc¬ ceed, will send it in a frank. If possible, introduce into your book all the birds omitted in mine, which will make yours a perfect work. Pray, who makes the paper for your great paper copy of birds, and how much a ream is it ? I want to make a small complimen¬ tary work to a deceased friend. Your sincere well wisher, THO. PENNANT, E The late Mr. George Allan, the subject of these me¬ moirs, was the eldest son of Mr. James Allan, of Grange, near Darlington, (“ a good lawyer, and very accurate antiquary,”) who had succeeded to that estate, in 1785, by the demise of his cousin, Miss Ann Allan. She was the last surviving descendant of the line of her father, George Allan, who built the house at Grange, about 1710. The amiable qualities of this lady have already been eulogized in print, and justify in this place the re¬ insertion of her praises. 66 Her memory is so much and so deservedly revered at Darlington,” writes the present Mr. G. Allan, “ that the portrait hangs over i 28 MEMOIRS OF the chimney-piece of every respectable parloui in the place,”* George Allan, Esq. of whom we write, was born 7th June, 1736. He possessed a strong and active mind ; and, independently of the proper studies of his profes¬ sion (the law), which he never neglected, paid very great attention to Antiquities and Genealogical researches. In Heraldry, particularly, he had acquired so very ex¬ traordinary a degree of skill, that in 1763 he had se- rious thoughts of publishing an elaborate copper-plate Peerage; for which, he actually circulated proposals; but, after engraving, at least, one large plate, (partly deterred by the prospect of the hazard and expense, and partly from two similar works having been about the same time entered into by Mr. Jacob and Mr. Edmon- ston,) he declined the undertaking. From a congeniality of pursuits, he soon became acquainted with the late Ralph Bigland, Esq. (at that time Somerset Herald and Registrar, afterwards Garter King at Arms,) and with Isaac Heard, Esq. (then Lancaster Herald, afterwards Sir Isaac Heaid,) who assisted, as Garter King at Arms, at the ceiemony * The following character was exhibited in the country papers soon after her death :—•“ On Sunday last, Oct. 16, 1735, died, at her seat, the Grange, near Darlington, most deservedly lamented, Mrs. Ann Allan, a maiden lady, in the 68th year of her age. Se¬ vere is the blow society in general must feel, and the poor in par¬ ticular, by the loss of so distinguished a character. Her household, always at unity in itself, not so much from the command of the mistress, as from the influence of a persuasive example, exhibited an instructive lesson of piety and virtue. Possessed of an ample fortune, she dispensed blessings to all around her. Pope’s man of Ross built a church and an alms-house. Mrs. Allan’s charities were more extensive; many of them public and open; more secret and silent; nor were they confined to sect or party, or to her own neigh¬ bourhood. Wherever she heard of misery and distress, though at some hundred miles distance, her heart and hand were open to al¬ leviate them ; and in such numberless instances, that it may be truly said of her, that she fed the hungry, cloathed the naked, and caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy !” A monument was erected in Darlington church, by Mr. Allan, to her memory and that of her sister and his wife; and her portrait, as above referred to, was also published by him, of which a copy is now placed in the Museum.” MR. ALLAN. 29 of the coronation of his present Majesty, in 1820, but who is since deceased. His correspondence with those gentlemen was on all sides mutually communicative and instructive ; and, in 1764, on a vacancy of the office of Richmond Herald, Mr. Allan was very handsomely in¬ vited to accept it; an offer which he as handsomely de¬ clined, though not without exciting, on account of the offer, the envy of Mr. Edmondston, who succeeded to the situation, which, however, he held only two months. He was also in communication about this time, on the subject of antiquities, with the Countess Dowager of Stafford, by whom he seems to have been highly esteemed.* On the 24th September, 1766, Mr. Allan added con¬ siderably to his comforts, and to his property, by a mar¬ riage with Anne, the only child of Mr. James Colling Nicholson, of Scruton, in Yorkshire. By this lady he had six children, who, with their children, are the pre¬ sent representatives of the family. She died in 1787, aged 46, and “ a better woman never breathedwhich is the honourable testimony of her son’s filial piety. In or about the year 1768, Mr. Allan commenced his typographical labours; in which he had in view the two-fold purpose of printing occasionally his leases and other papers relative to his profession, and of amusing himself by multiplying at an easy rate, any curious ob¬ jects in Antiquities or Biography, that struck his fancy ; all ©f which, from the small number of copies that were taken ofi^ have long since become libri rarissimi . He first commenced with a small folding press, of the size of one page, with which the tract on Gateshead Hos¬ pital (consisting of only 50 copies) was nearly all printed. He next had a frame made for holding four quarto pages, and sent the paper, ready damped, to be worked off by a printer in the town. With this, the tracts on Greatham and Sherburn Hospitals were printed; and it is curious to observe, that the proofs scarce ever stood in need of correction, he being himself not only the * See their Letters in Nichols, vol. viii. p. 708 et seq. 30 MEMOIRS OF compositor, but the distributor of the types when the form was broken up. Not so, when, sometime aftei- wards, procuring a press from London, he hired a poor fellow of the name of Smith, as his devil , whom he re¬ tained, after assisting him in business, out of motives of humanity; but who was the perpetual cause of trouble and anxiety to him, from the dirty manner in which he kept the forms, and the filthy state in which he dis¬ tributed the types. He was at last dismissed,* having become shamefully addicted to cock-fighting, a vice vtry prevalent in the county, and which his master, mich to his honour, held in the greatest abhorrence. Ihe amusement of printing was afterwards carried on by he assistance of a relation ; and the correction of the press was latterly the only part he performed. Independent of the Antiquarian Tracts, and the little performances for his friends, a great variety of fugitive satirical pieces were printed, particularly election squibs. He printed also copies of the Family Wills, and he once intended to have printed all the Title-deeds of his estates, which would certainly have been a labour of little use or prefit. His last intention was to have printed a catalogue ofhis Museum, which, by the manuscript preparation* foi it, would have been very amusing; and it is to be lamoit- ed, that he did not execute it. After his death, the press and materials were sold to a printer of the tovn, without the knowledge of his successor, which he re¬ gretted. Amongst his good customers (for he printed gratis ), was Thomas Pennant, Esq. the celebrated naturdist and traveller; to whom he was first introduced through the medium of Bishop Egerton, in 1775. This was in¬ troductory to a friendly and valuable correspondence, which lasted from this date to nearly that of each otlers deaths, a period of above 23 years.f # In 1779, * ee Letters, Nichols, viii. p. 743. f An extensive collection of the letters are preserved and >ub- lished by Mr. Nichols, extracts from which, as connected with this subject, are placed at the end of these Memoirs. It is remarkible, that they contain on either side so little matter relative to Nalural History, to which they were both so attached ; and which occaaons these extracts to be the more meagre. iVIR. ALLAN. 31 Mr. Allan was not more fond of printing than of transcribing. When a boy at school, he had his Ho¬ race interleaved ; and he transcribed the whole of Fran¬ cis’s translation, in the neatest hand-writing. Not a blot or correction is to be seen throughout the whole. The 8vo. edition of Clarke’s Homer s Iliad he also em¬ bellished with Pope’s translation. In 1775, Mr. Allan became possessed, by his death, of Mr. Randall’s MSS. # which induced him to turn his thoughts towards a History of the County Palatine of Durham, , for which he circulated his “ address and queries but soon relinquished his plan in favour of Mr. Hutchinson, to whom he became a most assiduous and very excellent assistant and patron. Mr. Hutchinson acknowledged the generous access to his library, with the use of five large MS. volumes of the parochial history, arranged and digested by himself, besides innumerable collections from various authorities and records; with charters, seals, coins, and other anti¬ quities, and for many curious and valuable pedigrees, plates, &c. Nor is it any discredit to Mr. Hutchinson’s industry to say, that it proceeded under the guidance of Mr. Allan’s judgment. “ The work,” in fact, (to use Mr. Allan’s own words) “ was undertaken at his instiga¬ tion and importunity, he furnishing a variety of MSS. and printed collections unarranged and undigested; and Mr. Hutchinson did accordingly compose and write, and was solely the author of the work.” Mr. Hutchin¬ son, in the History of Durham^ vol. iii. p. 193, says, " In the wa y from Darlington to Blackwell, you pass the Grange , on an elevated situation, with a S. E. aspect, long eminently distinguished as the seat of benevolence and the virtues; ostentatious monuments are not dis¬ played here; rural beauties and simplicity are maintained as the chief graces of this pleasant place.” * These were 20 MS. volumes, in 4to. relating to antiquities of the counties of Durham and Northumberland, bequeathed to him by wi!l dated 1774, by the Rev. T. Randall, vicar of Ellingham in the latter county, and many years successively usher and head- master of the free grammar school at Durham. He died 25th Oct 1/75 .—See Nich. viii. p. 287. MEMOIRS OF 32 About the same period he commenced a corres¬ pondence with that eminent antiquary, Francis Grose, Esq, by whose particular recommendation he was elected F. S. A. 15th Dec., 1774; which led to an inti¬ macy with Mr. Gough, at that time director ot the So¬ ciety, and the celebrated author of British 1 opography. In 1790, on the death of his lather, Mr. Allan de- dined the business of solicitor; but with uni emitted ardour continued his antiquarian and other scientific amusements; and in 1791, he made a very considera¬ ble addition to his stock of curiosities (of which he had always been a collector) by the purchase ot the entire Mu¬ seum of his departed friend, Mr. Tunstall; in which the collection of birds alone is said to have cost .*50004 The whole was purchased of the proprietor, Edward Sheldon, Esq. by Mr. Allan, for less than .£700. Ot this Museum it is asserted that the birds alone tilled a written catalogue|| of two volumes, in which were pro¬ bably included the descriptions which Mr. Allan com¬ posed, of which those to be found in the following cata¬ logue form part. A third volume comprised a descrip¬ tion of “ a large collection of curiosities, brought by Capt. Cook from Otaheite, &c.; a collection of India armour inlaid with gold, consisting of sabres, bows and arrows, &c.; a small collection of shells and fossils; some reptiles, and a variety of specimens of sculpture in Roman brass; some insects; some coins, a few laie ones, but the bulk chiefly of the lower empire; a pretty * Vide infra extracts of letters between Mr. Gough and Mr. Allan. J I consider this estimation an extravagant one. || For want of this catalogue, which, from the subsequent letters, seems to have past, at Mr. Allan’s decease, into the hands of Dr. Carr and Mr. Gough, it is impossible to ascertain exactly what arti¬ cles now in the collection, belonged originally to the Wyeliffe Mu* seum, though the identity of several of them has been determined bv Mr. Allan’s own descriptions, and subsequently by Mr. Tunstqjl’s MS., which has come into my hands. The greater part of the Mu¬ seum, as above enumerated, is however now in possession, as re¬ corded in this catalogue ; which I have considered it my duty to do as minutely as possible, notwithstanding the trifling nature of some of the contents, in order to my own justification and responsibility.— Ed, MR. ALLAN. 33 numerous collection of the provincial hall-pennies, spe¬ cimens of Roman pottery, and Chinese curiosities. The Museum was removed from Wycliffe to Mr. Allan’s residence at Grange, where it occupied two large rooms on the north side of the house. The larger room was principally filled with the birds, the cases of which were so placed in partitions, back to back, as to form the room into three smaller apartments, through which you passed by two arches in the centre. On these were painted the following mottoes :—On the first, “ These are thy glorious Works , Parent of Good ” and on the second, “ O Lord, how manifold are thy works — in wisdom thou hast made them all: the earth is full of thy wisdom ” And on the entrance to the Museum was hung a label with these words, “ Quid hie ? Intuen naturam .” u To many of the departments Mr. Allan made considerable additions. Paintings were not forgotten; these filled every pannel, gradually insinu¬ ated themselves along the passages, and clothed the walls of the great staircase.”* Of portraits some of the most remarkable were, Lady Castlemain, Dutchess of Cleveland, by Sir P. Lely, in his best manner; and Sir Henry Wotton by the same; Lord and Lady 1 embroke by Jansen; Lord Fairfax by Lely* a capital and interesting picture; Head of a Corpse "by L. Ca- racci; and a curious picture, containing the Portraits of the Reformers. The Museum was first opened for public inspection in June, 1792; and from that time to January, 1796 (three years and a half), it had been viewed by 7,327 persons, as we are informed by a printed label of Mr. Allan’s, now in the Museum. Whilst thus usefully and pleasantly employing his fortune and his leisure, he was interrupted by a warn¬ ing, thus described in a letter to Mr. Watson, August 3, 1797 1 “ You will wonder at not hearing from me before this; but when you know the situation I have been in, you will readily excuse me; for, on Tuesday * Surtees’ Hist. Durham , iii. p. 370. F 34 MEMOIRS OF week, at Grange, I was suddenly seized with a paralytic stroke, which deprived me of all reason and sight tor two hours. I was writing, when seized, and tell last I continued however, 1 thought a stii fi om home. chair. Till Tuesday very with near off my poorly; huwcvci, * . — , T more exercise, might relieve me; and accordingly I arrived here last night, and have the pleasure to say, I am daily grown better, and hope to God I shall soon recover, .though my eyes and head are still much affected.” He again, however, rallied; and resuming his former occupations, survived till May 18, 1800, when he died, aged 64. A few years before his death, he borrowed a Mb. Visitation of Yorkshire, by Dugdale, which he accu¬ rately copied in two volumes folio, and emblazoned the arms in a very neat manner. Sir M. M. Sykes pui- chased the original afterwards, but the copy was pre¬ ferable. He never read but with a pen m his hand; and if the expression may be used, as to Heraldry, An¬ tiquity, and Natural History, as well as Classics, Ins adversaria are numerous and valuable. Considering his extensive professional business before he retired, and his constant labour in writing, it is believed he wrote almost a quire for every day he lived. His habits were very regular and temperate; but, neveitheless, le (. u- not preserve a healthy regimen, and was continually ailing. He rose at half-past seven, ate a hearty break¬ fast at eight, very seldom took any exercise, and scarce ate any animal food at all; about three glasses of wine were his allowance after dinner. He drank tea, but seldom ate supper. He was fond of having his family to sit in the study with him, and, although, constantly employed, the conversation of others never appeared to interrupt him, and yet he heard all that passed. It was generally two o’clock before he retired to his room ; and he always read the newspapers in bed, by a reflect¬ ing lamp, which burnt all night. MR. ALLAN. 35 Letters between Mr. Allan and Mr. Pennant. Sir, Downing , March 28, 1775. Accept my best thanks for your two packets. 1 have been very unsuccessful in getting an account of certain portraits in Lumley Castle, which I am very desirous of. Several I have described, but there were some that were placed so high, that for want of a step- ladder, I could not read the inscription. Annexed are my desiderata. Favour me with a brief description, &c. T. P. Dear Sir, April 23, 1775. Lumley is a small village, about a mile southward from the castle, where there are remains of an ancient hall house, supposed older than the castle. That the Lumley family were seated here at the time of the conquest, Camden and Dugdale are clear in. It has been said that the castle was built in the time of Edward I. by Sir Ro¬ bert de Lumley; many additions were made by his son Marmaduke, whose son, Sir Ralph de Lumley ( Temp. 1G, Ric. II. 1392) obtained license to make a castle of his manor-house. I am told there are several dates on stones about the castle, but could never get infor¬ mation what they are. You have, no doubt, taken such a description of the castle, and its pleasant situation, as to need no further notes from me; but I beg leave to observe (which, perhaps, you might neither see nor be told off) that about 300 yards south west from the castle, are the remains of an old chapel, wherein are several stones, apparently tombs, but no inscriptions, and sunk in the earth. Below this is an arched vault, which, it is said, has a communication with the chapel. A stone now covers the entrance, and it is rather difficult to find. A tradition is handed down at Chester, that, about 170 years ago, some stones were taken from this chapel, to mend a hi-each^in the fishery dam across the Wear; but whilst one stone remained therein, the dam could not be kept up. The park was much larger formerly, and paled round, but now walled. There is statue of Liulphus (ancestor of the Lumley family) mounted on ahorse in full proportion, placed in the great kitchen of the castle. Soon after the accession of King James to the crown of England, in one of the tours he made round the kingdom, he was entertained by Lord Lumley at this castle. The Bishop of Durham (William James), a relation of his Lordship, who was there on a visit at the same time, thinking to possess his Majesty w ith a grand idea of the importance of the Lumley family, began to acquaint the King with a genealo¬ gical detail of his Lordship’s progenitors, and attempted to deduce their origin from a period so remote, that it exceeded every decree of credibility. The King, whose patience was quite exhausted, topped short the Rev. Genealogist, by saying, “ O mon, go no fur¬ ther let me digest this knowledge 1 have gained; for, by my saul, I did na ken that Adam s surname was Lumley.* GEO. ALLAN. * in se>; tio n °f this letter is given to shew that Mr. Pennant, who first published this popular anecdote, owed it to Mr. A .— Ed, 36 MEMOIRS, &? London, April 4, 1776. —I beg to subscribe f6r three sets of your friend’s botany (Mr. Rob¬ son, a quaker, of Darlington). I have not yet read Mr. Hutchinson s book, but have ordered it. I feared his manner would not jdease. Downing, Nov. 16, 1777• —I am much indebted to you for the British Flora,* which I think a most useful work, and very explanatory of the terms of art; but, as I am not a professed Botanist, I cannot pretend to correct, even if the work stood in need of it. T. P* Downing, Feb. 24, 17/8. —My portrait in the magazine was, I belive, copied from Wedge- wood’s model of me in his curious ware, which is a good likeness of me. I may this summer present you with a portrait of your friend, done from a picture I sat for to Gainsborough, which is now engraving at an expense 1 blush for.*)* T. P. Downing, Dec. 16, 1/83. —I admire, greatly, Mr. Bewick’s, ingenuity. The moment I can make him useful, I will. To make him known, if that is your wish, I would immediately strain a point. T. P. Downing , Nov. 27? 1 / 86. —I am very happy in having it in my power to oblige any onej con¬ nected with you, who confer so many acts of friendship on me. The tailless Marmot and the Jackal, have never been engraven, the last never described, but I never saw more of it than the draw¬ ing I wish I had more to send, but I have long since been ex¬ hausted. I admire Mr. Bewick’s neatness, and I wish him success. Is his work (the Quadrupeds) by subscription nearly ready. ^ T. P. Downing . July 17,1786. _I have bought Mr. Bewick’s pretty book of Quadrupeds. As I am most intent on illustrating my own work with prints, let me beg your interest for some of his. I have some little claim on Mr. Bewick, as my works are a considerable help to him. T. P. Downing, January 16, 1792. _I am glad to hear that you have health and spirits to keep up your amusements. Much as I lament Mr. Tunstall, I am glad that his museum has fallen into such hands. Long may you live to en¬ joy it. T. P Downing, Dec. G, 1/92. —I am very sorry to hear of the fate of Mr. Tunstall’s collections. I know he impoverished himself by the ardour of his pursuits after these objects. T. P. * The British Flora, containing the select names, characters, places of growth, duration, and time of flowering, of the plants grow¬ ing wild in Great Britain. To which are prefixed, the Principles of Botany. By Stephen Robson.—York, 1777. f This is a private print, and is very beautifully engraved by T. K. Sherwin. A copy of it is in the Museum.— See Cat, X I imagine this relates to Mr. Bewick, who engraved his tailless Marmot, from a drawing communicated by Mr. Pennant to him,— See Pen. Quad. 3d. ed. 2 p. 137. MR. ALLAN. 37 Downing , December 31, 1792. —Bewick cut an animal of the dog genus, whereof he sent me an impression. What do you call it ?* I see he has advertised a third edition of the Quadrupeds. G. ALLAN. Downing , January 13, 1793. —Thanks for your kind letter. The animal you mention is the Aye Aye, of Madagascar, a species of Squirrel (Sciurus Madagascarensis, Gm.) I rejoice at Mr. Bewick’s success. It will be some tempta¬ tion for you to come here, when I say that next summer you may see 44 folio volumes of my “ Outlines of the Globe,’* fairly written, and most richly illustrated. T. P. Dear Sir, Downing , February 13, 1798. It is so long since we have heard of each other, that I flatter my¬ self we shall be glad to hear an account of our healths. May they be as good as may be expected in the gloomy season of age.f I may say that, since we saw each other, I have, till the year 1794, little cause to complain of any thing. The will of Heaven must, however ungrateful to mortals, be calmly submitted to. 1 inclose this in a cover to the ingenious Mr. Bewick; from whom I was happy in receiving a letter, supposing he was no more. He is a wondrous artist. Pray let me hear from you soon, and a full ac¬ count of your health. I am, with every good wish, Dear Sir, Your obliged friend, T. PENNANT. Extracts of Letters between Mr. Allan and Mr. Gough , published in Nichols. Dec. 5, 1755.—The skreen behind the altar has been elegantly engraved, from a drawing, by Ebdon, a Durham gentleman (appren¬ tice to Pain, the architect); who also published a beautiful inside view of the church, inscribed to the late Dean Cooper. To the prints already published, in this county, you will not forget to add your friend Mr. Cade’s, Vicar of Darlington Church, engraved by Rooker, from a drawing of Samuel Wilkinson’s (late an innkeeper, in this town). Mr. Bailey, an ingenious young artist, in this neigh¬ bourhood^ and who has been patronized by Mr. Grose, is now at work on a perspective view of the town. G. ALLAN. Oct. 31, 1779.—Inclosed are some impressions from a copper seal, lately found in the Chapter Library, at Durham. The old coat of our Cathedral is now scouring, and will undergo a thorough * The plate is to be found in Pennant’s History of Quadrujieds, 3d ed. v. ii. p. 142. f Neither of these friendly correspondents long survived the date of this letter. Mr. Pennant died Dec. 16, 1798; and Mr. Allan May 18, 1800. % He engraved most of the plates in Hutchinson’s Durham. 38 MEMOIRS OF repair, the Chapter having appropriated 10001. a year for that pur¬ pose till finished. Inclosed is a specimen of engraving on wood, by , young™,* „ I lately received from Mr. Hutchinson a printed apology for the delay of his History of Durham. Tins, and the account of some Roman antiquities in the Palatinate, communicated by Mr. Cades to the Society of Antiquaries, and inserted in their /th voh, is all I have heard from them for some time. I admit your multifarious engagements, for a silence on your part; but 1 flatter myself I shall have your assistance, to render Mr. Camden’s account of Durham as complete as possible. , r * 1 Enfield, Jan. 3, 1/86. —Can you inform me how the pictures at Lumlcy Castle are dis¬ persed ? I presume one may both condole and congratulate you on the alteration at the Grange. (The death ol Mrs. Ann Allan, see before.) GOUGH. An original unpublished Letter of Mr . Allan s to Mr. Bewick . Sir, I received your favour, and shall at all times be happy in ac¬ commodating you with every assistance in my power tor your in¬ tended work. On looking over Mr. Tunstall’s books, there are a number of beautiful drawings of birds, in all their proper colours, within circles of 3 inches diameter, which I apprehend may save you much trouble, being ready drawn, and to the same size you mean to give them. On the other side you have their names, and if you wish to copy them, they shall be sent you, as I can easily take them out of Pen¬ nant’s Zoology , wherein they are slightly stuck with gum, but I must request the utmost care, as they are all to be returned to Mr. Tunstall’s nephew. By Christmas I hope to have all, or the greater part of the Museum removed to Darlington, and after that time, I shall be glad of your company to spend a week, or as long as you can make it convenient, to draw whatever you think proper. I wish to have a neat emblematical ticket cut in wood, and to be printed on cards, as an admission for people to see the Museum. I doubt not your ingenuity can contrive a proper design, which I shall be glad you would think of against I see you, and to bring with you a pencil sketch thereof. Mr. Tunstall has stuck into Pennant a print of the Whitley Ox, which I never saw before, and observe it is engraved by Mr. Beilby. When you send me any impressions of other things, please to in¬ close one of the ox. 1 suppose you correspond with my worthy friend, Mr. Pennant, to whom I have long been remiss in writing. * “ The ingenious Mr. Thomas Bewick, whom Mr. Allan had very early patronized, and who was then busily employed on the beautiful engravings for his e Quadrupeds .’ ” MR. ALLAN. 39 When you write, pray acquaint him in whose hands the Wycliffe Museum now is. I beg my compliments to Messrs. Beilby and Hodgson, and am, Sir, your obedient servant, GEO. ALLAN. Grange , 2d Dec. 1791. Black or Common Eagle, Osprey, Goshawk, Kite, Honey Buzzard, Hobby, Woodchat, Hooded Crow, Jay, Hairy Woodpecker, Grosbeak or Hawfinch, Bullfinch, Green Grosbeak, Goldfinch, Sparrow, Pied Fly Catcher or Coldfinch, Nightingale, Golden Crested Wren, Hartford Warbler, Velvet Duck, Two Scoter Ducks, Cock and Hen Scaup Ducks, Shieldrake, Shoveler Ducks, male & female, Gadwell Ducks, Two Ruffs fighting, Knot, Cream-coloured Plover, Rednecked Grebe. Letters between Dr. Carr and Mr. Gough, relative to the Museum, at Mr. Allarts Death . Sir, Hertford, Oct 31, 1809. Mr. Allan, w ho lately died at his seat, near Darlington, has left a large and expensive collection of curiosities of various kinds. In some conversation with his son on the subject, it occurred to me, that you might be consulted on the most elegible manner of offering his Museum to sale, as I had often heard his father speak of Mr. Gough with the greatest respect. Though I can hardly claim the honour of my name being known to you, I am no stranger to your merit, and hope to be forgiven the liberty in begging the favour of a line, at your leisure. ^ J. CARR. SlR > Hertford, Feb. 6 , 1801. I have received a letter from Mr. Allan, a part of which I sit dow n to transcribe for your perusal. “ I have communicated to the gentleman who has the manage¬ ment of my father’s affairs, what you mention respecting the Mu¬ seum ; but he informs me a Mr. Fothergill, of York, has offered 300 guineas for it; and seems rather of opinion, that the expense of conveyance to London, and the risque of a sale there, might in¬ duce him to close with the offer. I shall, however, prevail on him to defer it a little longer, and will send you two volumes of my father’s Catalogue of the Birds; and another list I will make out as well as I can myself. Perhaps, from them, you might be able to guess what the whole might produce in London. The collection of birds alone, I am told, cost Mr. Tunstall upwards of 50001.; and, I think, from what I have been able to make out from memorandums, 40 MEMOIRS OP the whole may have cost my father about 7001. As far as I can imhrethe collection must be worth considerably more than 3151., Si am very anx"ous to ascertain what it might posstbly produce in So n fcTkr. Allan. The catalogues are nof come to Hertford. When they do, you are likely to have some additional table on thiS £Srd S Feb. 7, 1801 . -Immediately after writing to youyester- dav T/eceived these two catalogues from Mr. Allan, who apologises foT’not bdng able to make out a third. He expresses some reluc¬ tance at the thoughts of parting with his father’s Museum buthopes the sale may benefit those to whom he left his personal estate. I hope to hear of your receiving this, and having your opinion respect- in Jthe sale. The only objection to a sale in London, seems to be I misapprehension' of Mr Allan’s Museum had led me to undertake more than I am able to perform, for his family, in the disposal of it. I imagined it in- dueled the whole of his collection, books, &c. when I recommended Mr Leigh to sell them. I am perfectly unacquainted with the value of subjects of Natural History; but considering the difference of value to Mr. Tunstall and Mr. Allan, I am not surprised, that they should 1 be estimated at only half what Mr. Allan gave for them. Considering also, the expense and hazard of sending them up to London I should, were it my own case, be rather inclined to ac¬ cept Mr’. Fothergill’s offer, supposing he cannot be prevailed on o increase it or to take upon himself the risque of removing the birds from Darhn'ton to York. If, under these circumstances, you should incline to stop Mr. Allan from sending up his catalogues which might lose time, you may, perhaps, save some trouble , but you think it more advisable, that they should be shewn to the Lon¬ don virtuosi, I will endeavour to find them out, for the) are entire.y Grangers to me since I quitted both the Royal and^ntiq^nan Societies. Mr Allan did not, however, choose to let the Mu¬ seum pass out of the family at the foregoing offer; but purchased it himself of his father’s executors, in 1801, to remain at the Grange, where it continued until it was purchased by the Newcastle Society, in 1822. Its conveyance from thence was effected by its being most commodiously packed in a frame of wood work, placed on a spring glass-waggon, which was lent for the pur¬ pose, by William Cuthbert, Esq. of Benwell, and it arrived safely in Newcastle without the injury of a fea¬ ther, notwithstanding its encountering oil Gateshead Fell, one of the highest gales of wind ever known. The 41 MR. ALLAN. whole collection was received into a spacious room, be~ longing to Messrs. Doubleday and Easterby, to remain until the New Building of the Literary Society should be ready to receive it; and, it is only too slight a return to these gentlemen, to acknowledge in this way, their liberality and accommodation during the three years that it has remained in their charge. The room being an upper one, was exceedingly dry, and fires were boun¬ tifully supplied by Messrs. D. and E. This interval afforded the opportunity of the whole of the birds gradually going through the hands of Mr. Richard Wingate, who has cleaned and repaired them, where necessary, in an able maimer, and they are now in bet¬ ter condition than they have been for many years, and in some departments, particularly the Hawk and Duck tribes, are as perfect as when first set up. G ENUMERATION OF THE ARTICLES CONTAINED IN %\)t Lilian ^Husnun, WHICH WILL BE FOUND LABELLED WITH CORRESPONDING NUMBERS. MAMMALIA. ENTIRE ANIMALS. 1. Sanglin, or Striate Monkey. (Simia Jacehus, Lin. & Gmel. —L’Ouistite, Buff. — Edw . Birds, v. t. 218.— Beta. Quad. 475. “ Inhabits Brazil. Feeds on vegetables; will also eat fish; makes a weak noise; very restless; often brought to Europe.”— Pen??. Quad. i. 224. c 2 . Ring-tailed Maucauco. (Lemur Catta, Lin. & Gmel— Le Mococo, Buff.—Edw. Birds, iv. t. 19/.— Bew. Quad. t. p. 442. “ Inhabits Madagascar. It has all the life of a monkey, without its mischievous disposition : is very cleanly and easily tamed when young. In a wild state goes in troops of 30 or 40.”— Penn. Quad, i. 230. 3. Little Maucauco. (Lemur murinus, Gmel 8c Turt.—Shaw's Zool. vol. i. tab. 37. — Brown!s Ill. Zool. tab. 44,) “ Inhabits Madagascar. Seems to be the same animal that 44. AIXAN MUSEUM (MAMMALIA.) Buffon calls the Madagascar rat. s uppos^ to live on palm and feeds on fruit. It eats, holding it. food. m ts *o squirrels. Is lively, and has a weak cry. Wto particularly noticed, though the author had only see P — Ed . 4. Great Madagascar Bat. (VespertilioVampyrus, Q'>ad.M4 pl.10.%—5W t v Zo ‘ 0 i. pi. 44 .—Ternate Bat. Bewiclc s Quad. p. •>'■>, witn fig.—La Rougette, et la Roussette, Buff. This is the true Vampyre or Blood Sucker of authors. In the evening and morning they fly in flocks, and perfectly obscure the a,r with their numbers Du'ri/g the tlay they hang on tr^ hke c us- tppe nf hoes This bat is so dextrous a bleeder, as to insert its acu leated tongue into a vein without being perceived, and often suck the blood untiUt is satiated. It is therefore unsafe to rest in the open a ; r ._( utloa's Vrnj. i.p. 61.) Notwithstanding its fondness for blood, it is said not to be carnivorous. It inhabits westernA ri ca,soi^- em Asia, and islands in the Indian ocean and South Sea. It is the type of the Harpy of the ancients. 5. Least Ant Eater. (Mvrmecophaga didactyla, Lin.—Edw. Birds, v. t. 220.- v ‘ Zool. i. t. 52.) « Native of Brazil and Guiana. Runs slowly, and frequently swims over rivers, and climbs trees. Allan 6 . Six-banded Armadillo. (Dasypus sex-cinctus, L««.-L’Encouvert ouTatou a six bandes, Buff. — Bew. Quad. 500.) “ Armadillo. Inhabits South America. Burrows under ground, keeps in the hole all day, rambles at night. en ?, . jf itself into a ball. When surprised runs to its hole and thinks itselt secure if it can but hide its head and some part of its body. It is caught by its tail. When it fixes its claws in the earth strongly, it is moved with difficulty. Breeds every month, four at a time. W hen young, delicious eating; when old, bad .”—Allan MS. 7. Nine-banded Armadillo. (Dasypus novemcinctus, Lin.— Le Cachicame, ou Tatou a neut ' bandes, Buff.—Lev. Mus. p. 247 .—Beu>. Quad. 501.) 8. A Young, or Fcetal Armadillo, in spiiits. 9 . Lap-Dog. (Cards familiaris, Lin. var.) -Shaw's ALLAN MUSEUM ("MAMMALIA.) 45 10. Fox, with Pheasant in its grasp, (Canis Vulpes, Lin.) “ This lively and crafty animal is common to every part of Great Britain, and is so well known as not to require a particular descrip¬ tion. There are three varieties in this island, which differ from each other more in form than colour, viz. the Greyhound Fox, the Mastiff Fox, and the Cur Fox.”— Allan MS. 11. Zorilla, or Skunk. (Viverra Mephitis, seu Zorilla, Gm. —Le Chinche, Buff. —Mus. Lev. p. 171. Bew. Quad. 265) “ Zorilla, a native of New Spain, and perhaps the most offen¬ sive of all creatures. Is an active and most mischievous little ani¬ mal. Its stench extends to a considerable distance, and is so pow¬ erful as to overcome even the Panthers of America, which is one of its greatest enemies. Do not emit their odour unless when heated or punished.”— Allan MS. It appears to be a variety of the Striated Weazel, though its stripes are only three.— Ed. 12 . The Otter. (Mustela Lutra, Lin. —Le Loutre, Buff. — Shaw's Zool. i. pi. 100.— Bew. Quad. 487.) 13 . The Martin. (Mustela Foina, Gm .— La Fouine, Buff.) “ Inhabits most parts of Europe. A most elegant and lively ani¬ mal, and capable of being tamed. Is good natured and sportive. Lives in woods and breeds in hollow places, and during winter shel¬ ters in magpie’s nests. Has from four to six young at a time. De. stroys poultry, game, &c. Will eat rats, mice, and moles. The skin and excrements have a musky smell. The fur is of value, and is used to line magistrates’ robes .”—Allan MS. 11. The Pine Martin. (Mustela Martes, Gm .— La Marte, Buff.) “ Pine Martin (Mustela sylvestris, Gcsn.) Found in Great Bri¬ tain, particularly in Scotland, where it inhabits the fir forests, build¬ ing its nests on the tops of trees. Loves a cold climate. North America abounds with them, and prodigious numbers of their skins are annually imported from thence. Breeding at an early age, goes nearly sixty days, and has five or six young ones .”—Allan MS. 15 . The Stoat, 2 brown and 1 white. (Mustela erminea Lin. & G?nel .— Le Rosalet, et L’Hermine, Buff. — Bew. Quad. 246.) 46 ALLAN MUSEUM (MAMMALIA.) 16. The Weasel. (Mustela vulgaris, Gm.— La Belette, Buff.—Bew. Quad. 242. —Pen. Arct. Zool. iv. 26.) “ Are very destructive to young birds, poultry, rabbits, andmoles, and a great devourer of eggs. Does not eat its preyon P ’ and after killing it by a blow on the head, carries it off to its yo g in a hole. Very active, and will run up the side walls of a house. A great enemy to rats and mice. Brings five op six young at a time. Its skin and excrements are intolerably fetid. — Allan MS. 17. Virginian Opossum. (Didelphis Marsupialis, Lin. ?—Lev. Mus. p. 24. pi. 6.— D.Vir- giniana, Shaw's Zool. i. p. 473. t. 1070 “ Common in many parts of South America.”— Allan MS. IS. White Mole. (Talpa Europsea, var. y alba, Gmel.-Seba Mus. i. t. 32, f. 1. v 1 —Briss. Quad. 20a.) 19. Canada Porcupine. (Hystrix dorsata, Lm.-L’Urson, Buff-Shaw's Zool.pl. 125. 20. Beaver, young. (Castor Fiber, Lin. junior.) 21. Jerboa, -2 specimens. (Dipus Sagitta Shaw's Zool.p. 174. t. 175.— Edw.h 2 .) Inhabits Egypt and Palestine. 22. Long-nosed Cavy, or Java Hare. (Cavia Aguti, var. /3. leporina, Gniel.—Uns leponnus, Lin — Java Hare, Cates. Car. 3. t. 18.) This animal is found only in the new world, and not, as ^ sup- from a specimen in the possession ot the this country, and who had been deceived in the account of its habi 23. Common Hare, young, or Leveret. (Lepus timidus, Lin. junior.) 24. Alpine Hare ? (Lepus variabilis, Gruel.?) 47 ALLAN MUSEUM (MAMMALIA.) This is wholly white, and less than the common Hare; but as it wants the black on the ears, I am doubtful of the above synonym. 25. Lamb, Lusus Naturae (Ovis aries, Lin. Monstrum.) PARTS OF ANIMALS. 26. Horn of Rhinoceros. Very large. 27. Foot of Seal. 28. Claws of Tiger. 29. Jaws of Leopard. 30. Nose and Teeth of Ditto. 31. Foot of Pygmy Musk. 32. Skull of Stag, with the Horns sawn off', found in the walls of the ancient Isurium, near Ald- borough. 33. Horns of Antelope, double and single. 34. Horns of Chamois Goat. 35. Horns of Merino Ram. 36. Horn of Buffalo. 37. Horn of Wild Cattle. 38. Calculi, or Hair Balls of Ox. 39 . Tooth of Hippopotamus (grinder). 40. Tooth of Sus Babyroussa ? 41. Whalebone, or Tooth of a BaljENa, cast on shore at Castle Eden. 42. Tooth of a Physeter, or Spermaceti Whale. 48 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS.) BRITISH BIRDS. I. LAND BIRDS. 43. Cinereous Eagle. (Falco albicilla, Gm.— Vultur albicilla, Lin.) » Cinereous Eagle, or Erne. This species inhabits the moun¬ tains of Scotland, and the Orknies, and feeds on fish as well as on land animals. Has been found on Skiddaw, and that neighbour¬ hood. It is easily tamed, and can distinguish its master. Is a cow¬ ardly and sluggish species, and will be put to flight even by turkies. —Vultur albicilla, Lin,— White-tailed Eagle,’’ Allan MS. “ Eagles have not unfrequently been shot in Yorkshne, and seve¬ ral in various parts, since I have been a resident there. s 1 not see them myself, cannot determine of what species. The t extraordinary, according to the papers, (if they may be depende ) was one shot near Bridlington, in September, 1776, said to h weighed 6 stone 9 pounds. Its talons were 4f inches long; its legs each GA inches in circumference. It was first seen hovering in the air 116 yards high, as measured by the quadrant. Might no this possibly be a Condor? These birds, though rare, seem some¬ times to have been seen in Europe. Salerne mentions a bird,'Seem¬ ingly by its size, to be of that enormous species. —TunstaU Mb. The four British Eagles are now reduced to two species; the Ring-tailed being found to be the young of the Golden ; and the Sea Eagle , that of the present species. This is the only true Eagle t e Museum possesses at present,* the fine specimen of the Sea Lagle (F. ossifragus, Lin.) of the Wycliffe collection, from which Mr. Bewick made his engraving, having suffered by moths before the Museum came into our hands. It was consequently lett behind, at Grange, where I saw it.— Ed. 44. Osprey. (Falco Haliaetos, Lin. & Gmel.) A fine specimen of this species. 45. Kite. (Falco Milvus, Lin. & Gmel.) “ Fork-tailed Kite, or Glead. Very common in England, where it continues the whole year. Breeds in large forests, and mountainous and wooded countries. Lays two, or at most, three eggs, white, spotted with a dirty yellow. Its motion in the air is so smooth and * Since the above was written, the Museum has come into possession of another Eagle, which will be found noticed in Recent Acquisitions . 49 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITJSH BIRDS). even as to be scarce perceptible. Sometimes motionless, at others, glides through the sky without the least apparent action of the wings.” —Allan MS. “ At the end of the 16th century, the Kite, in London, (like the Vulture, in Egypt) was a privileged and protected bird. Clusius relates, that he saw multitudes of them in the streets of the city, whither they resorted to feed on the offals. This anecdote does but little credit to the police and cleanliness of our London ancestors.” — Pult. Dors. Cat. p. 3 . 46. Rough-legged Buzzard (Selby), with Green Wood Pecker in its claws. (Falco lagopus, Gmel.) “ Rough legged Falcon. Pedibus lanariis.”— Allan MS. The rest of the description effaced. The Museum is also in possession of a recently killed specimen of this rather uncommon hawk, shot near Marsden Rocks.— See , Recent Acquisitions. 47. Moor Buzzard, or Marsh Harrier of Selby. (Falco aeruginosas, Lin. & Gm. —F. rufus, Temrn.*) tl Frequents moors and marshy places. Never soars like the other havyks, but commonly sits on the ground or on bushes, where it makes its nest. It is a very fierce and voracious bird, and a great destroyer of rabits, and ducks, and other water-fowl, (whence it is sometimes called the Duck Hawk,) and also of fish. The head in this is light coloured.”— Allan MS. *. This well-known bird has lately undergone such a change of denomi¬ nation, as to make it be almost lost to the general reader. Temminck having considered the Falco rufus of authors, or Harpy Falcon of Latham, to be the adult state of the Moor Buzzard (but why I cannot tell, as the characteristic yellow colour of the head is not noticed in the descriptions of F. rufus, and I should rather take it, if the two are to be united, as the young bird,) gave this name to the species, although the Linnaean term asruginosus , rusty, which he considers as relating to the young, is more cha¬ racteristic of the whole. Indeed, Linnaeus seems to have been of the same opinion as lemminck in regard to the two being only one species, as the rufous bird had been described by Brisson, under the name of Circus rufus, or Buzard roux, when Linnaeus published the 12th ed. of S. N., where he records only F. ceruginosus. It would, therefore, have been as well to preserve the Linnaean nomenclature by merely rejecting F. rufus , and continuing airuginosus for the whole. But this is not all. Temminck has added the name of Linnaeus to the word rufus, as if he were the first describer of F. rufus, although Linnaeus did not describe anv bird by that name, and it was Gmelin who first so described it. This is not the only case of injustice with which he has treated original describers; and he has, in several instances, added the name of some late writer to the name which was first used by Linnaeus, or his successor Gme- u <. e lule ° f a s y stematis t should be to add the name of the author who first used the term, whenever he adopts that term in his system. I fear the evil of M. femminck’s carelessness in this respect has already extended widely, his name having got copied by r other writers, who have H 50 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). 48. The Moor Buzzard, young? (Falco spadiceus, Gm .& La*.f -Chocolate » • y/? vol lxii. and Fost. Amer. Cat. p. en ' 9 —F. teruginosus, Lin. var. ?-Bay Falcon, Lath. ? I put the above synonyms with ^^“froma specimen that our bird is in that stateJacobite* throughout, without any Mr. Tu.istair. nant, in the large British Zoology. sent him by iTr \y y.. hut always understood ,t "'^ S ^° t t h c c/,«L«t Falcon of Forster; might be your American variety A., the LJtocy A/S.—The but the legs would still oppose that opinion. —TmrtaUM legs, however, are slimmer than Mr. T. represents.-^. depended on his accuracy which,«» rally correct. I point out the following erritanto*™* GmL Page 22, Falco Peregnnus , Lin. read _ ° Quhhutpn. Lath. X —- 25 ; - Subbuteo , Lath. 42,-narvius, Lin. 44 ,-pennatus, Lin. 49 ,-albicilla. Lath. 65, - Lagopus, Lin. 69, - rufus, Lin. 86 , Strix funerea. Lath. 88 ,-nebulosa, Lin. 94 , - Tengmalmi, Lin. 96*, - Acadica, Lin . 99 , _ brachyotos, Lath. 122,* Pyrrhocorax Graculus,. Temm. 144, Lanius minor, Lin. 172, Turdus saxatilis, Lath. j> 74 } -- cyanus, Gmel ■UlU HI ***•» "-“ j read Briss. or Gmel. Lin. Gmel or Tcmm. Gmel. n , . Lin. Fn. Suec. or Gmel . Brun. or Gmel. - Gmel. or Temm. . Lin. . Gmel. . Gmel. . Gmel. . Gmel. or Phil Tr. - Tunstall. . G mel - Lin. - Lin. - Temm. - Gmel. Gmel or Temm. i/'*, j . . ,. . 211, Sylvia provincialis Gmel. 509, Otis Houbara, Lin. _ uma . or aware, in attributing them to.Latham. huverboreus. 709 The same remark may be extended to Phalaropu* JP* ii.i.i Tnrl. Zool. read Brown 111. Z«ool. 51 ALLAN MUSEUM ^BRITISH BIRDS'). 49. Hen Harrier, male. (Falco cyaneus, Lin. & Gm.) 50. Hen Harrier, female, or Ring-tail Hawk. (Falo cyaneus, fem. Mont. —F. Pygargus, Lin. & Gm. “ This has generally been supposed to be the female Hen Har¬ rier, but late observations contradict it. Males have been seen of this species.”— Allan MS. “ The long adopted error of the Ring-tail and Hen Harrier being only sexual varieties, shews how easy these mistakes may happen, and ought to animate ornithologists not to confide too much in generally received opinions.”— Tunstall ATS. The original supposition is, however, now confirmed by the expe¬ riments of Mr. Montague an4 others, and the two birds reduced to one species. 51. Goshawk, young, or Gentle Falcon. (Falco palumharius, anthorum , junior.—F. gentilis, Lin. & Gm. Gentle Falcon, Br. Zool. cum. tab. The bird, in this case, was erroneously, by Mr. Allan, marked Common Buzzard. Mr. Richard Wingate, in re-cleaning it, deter¬ mined it to be the young of the Goshawk, agreeably to the descrip¬ tions of Buffon and Bewick; which opinion is confirmed by Mr. Selby’s excellent plate, No. 12*. It is also the Gentle Falcon of late authors. 52. Sparrow Hawk, male. (Falco Nisus, Lin & Gmel .) This bird is named from Nisus, King of Megara, who being slain by Minos, King of Crete, through the treachery of his own daugh¬ ter, Scylla, in cutting off a purple lock of his hair, on which his safety depended, is fabled by Ovid to have been changed into an Eagle, and his daughter, on whom, through indignation, he was about to pounce after his transformation, into a bird called by the poet Cmis. Quam pater ut vidit (nam jam pendebat in auras, Et modo factus avis fulvis Hauleetus in alis) Ibat, ut haerentem rostro laceraret adunco. -plum is in avem mutata vocatur Ciris, et a tonso est hoc nomen adepta capillo. Ovid Met. lib. viii. Modern ornithologists have disputed, and justly, the propriety of applying Ovid’s bird to our Sparrow Hawk, as he expressly calls it a Sea-Eagle, Haliaetos (ab ccX$, mare , et cctros, aquila). See Penn. Br. Zool., art. Sea Eagle, and Vigors in Zool- Jour. No. 3, p. 327; to which I may add the expression rostro adunco as more applicable to an Eagle than a small Hawk. Linnaeus, however, was not the original misnomer, as the Sparrow Hawk had been called Nisus by earlier writers. See Ray & Will., Frisch, &c. 52 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). The other bird I consider to have been meant by Ovid for^ ™ Egrette (Ardea Egretta,or Garzetta), and not a lark, as ta™"™ tators suppose, as its name, Ciais, in addition to ^£" of * lock of hair, implies a bird of the kind^ with Wed feathers^ as Cmis quasi Cirrus, a fnzzled lock. The Egrette is a PP f to the Drev of an Eagle, and more suitable to the maritime scene ot Ihe fabfeThe name has been applied by Linn*us, ratter. whimsi¬ cally, to an American Bunting (Embenza Cins), which is in oui Museum. See Foreign Birds, No. 329. — Ed. 53 . Sparrow Hawk, female, with nest and 2 young; and Wren. « The most pernicious of our Hawks, and makes great havoc among pigeons and partridges, and said to be the boldest and best of all others for the chase : builds in hollow trees, old nests, ruins, and high rocks. Lays 4 white eggs, encircled near the blunt end with red specks, Pen. 168—Lath. 99— Buff. 22o. —Allan MS. 54. Jer-Falcon. (Falco Islandicus, Lath.— F. candicans, Gmel.) “ This is the Gyr-Falcon of all Ornithologists, except Linnaeus, (who described the immature bird, the Brown Jer-falcon .)—Ed Is an inhabitant of the North of Scotland, and sometimes found quite white. Was in high estimation when falconry was in vogue, and used for the noblest game, such as Cranes and Herons. This bird was presented to Mr. Tunstall by the late Earl of Orford, in 1775, and the other specimen” (which is ■Wanting) was sent from Denmark, by Mr. Fabricius, about the same tome:—Grytalcon— Falco Gyrfalco. Inhabits the North of Scotland and othei cold re-ions. Are many varieties, exceeds all other, in the largeness of its 0 size, for he approaches nearly to the . . . Is courageous, fierce, nor fears an eagle himself .”—Allan MS. “ White Jer-falcon —have two fine specimens, one given me Dy the Earl of Orforil, which he used for many years in catching hares, rabbits, &c. He said they told him it came from Inland, and possibly originally from Greenlandthe other I had from Den¬ mark, much resembling the former, but the brown spots rather larger at the ends of the feathers, and rather longer, which, espe¬ cially in the coverts of the wings, appeared rather heart-shaped. — T Mr. Bewick has engraven this bird, after it has been well repaired by Mr. R. Wingate. The excellent condition of this valuable spe¬ cimen, considering its age, is indeed a curiosity. Ed. 55 . Hobby, m. and f. • (Falco Subbuteo, Lin. & Gmel.) “ Are birds of passage, but bred in England, and migrate in Oc¬ tober. Were used in the humbler kinds of falconry, particularly what was called Daring of Larks. Are said to be the most rapid in flight of all the hawks .”—Allan MS , 53 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). 56. Kestril, 2 females, nest and 3 young. (Falco Tinnunculus, Lin. & Gm.) Kestril Hawk. This is the commonest of the English hawks, and which we see so often hovering in the air, watching its prey, which, when discovered, it darts on with great rapidity. Breeds in hollow trees, holes of rocks, and old buildings. Lays 4 white eggs, mottled with red. Feeds on field mice, small birds, and insects. Was once used in falconry for small birds.”— Allan MS. 57. Merlin, 3 females. (Falco TEsalon, Gm.) “ This bird does not breed in England, but migrates here in Oc¬ tober, coming about the same time the Hobby disappears ; was an¬ ciently used in falconry, and though inferior in size, was not so in point of spirit to any of the hawks of the larger species.—Falco -^E sal on, Lin. Bch Aid. L’Emerillon, Brisson—Allan MS. It seems, however, to breed in the North, as Mr. Selby asserts, having frequently met with its nest in Northumberland.—^/. 58. Great-eared Owl. (Strix Bubo, Lin. & Gmel.) Inhabits, for the most part, ruined edifices, mountainous and cavernous places, and inaccessible rocks. Seldom seen on the plains, nor often perched on trees. Its prey—hares, rabbits, moles, rats, mice, and feathered game. They have been shot in Scotland and \ orkshire. Its appearance in cities was deemed an unlucky omen. Rome once underwent a lustration, because of one of them having strayed into the Capitol. The ancients held them in abhor¬ rence, and thought them, like the Screech Owl, the messenger of death.”— Allan MS. Great horned Owl. “ The 29th December last, (1782,) one was shot in England, at Hurst-monceaux, near Lewes, in Sussex.”— Tunst. MS. 59. Snowy Owl. (Strix nyctea, Lin. & Gmel.) “ This exceeds the great eagle owl in size, but head not so big. The whole plumage white. Found in the northern parts of Europe, America, and Hudson’s Bay. It preys by day as well as by night. Its chief food is the Ptarmigan, or White Partridge ; but feeds also on mice and small birds. Builds in the hollow of rocks, at a distance from all habitations.”— Allan MS. It is only of late years that this bird was know r n to be an inhabi¬ tant of the British Islands, Mr. Bullock being its first discoverer at Orkney Islands, in 1812. He exhibited his original specimens, in Newcastle, a few years after. Our bird must, therefore, necessarily be considered a foreign specimen, in the absence of all authority.— »• ~ *■ Horn Owl, Otus Asio, Ray:'—Allan MS. 61. Short-eared Owl, 3 specimens, viz. 2 ancl ' (Strix brachyotos, Gmel. & Phil. Trans, vol. Ixii. p. 384.) « Short-eared, or Bong-winged Owl. Is. a bird of passage ■ visits us in October, and retires early in the spring, like the Woodcock ItV summer retreat supposed in Norway. Is a solitary bird, and Its summer rerrea 11 consist on , of a smg i e acmding inhabited P'uees. d ress at pleasure. During be dav lies hid in long “d grass ; when disturbed, seldom fl.es far, <<*Being 1 particularly^ag^after mice, whence it is caUed Mouse Hawk is sus Woodcock Owl, as frequently migrating with it. It is extremely his^un 8 It \s singular, this species should never have beende- scribedby any before Mr. Pennant, as it is by no means rare m England in the winter.” 62. White Owl, female, nest and young. (Strix flammea, Lin.) “ Common Barn, or White Owl. The manners of this bird1 are known to every farmer, whose bams supply them with food, under whose protection they live. Their food is only mice, twilight quits its perch, and takes a regular circuit mund the helds, in search of field mice, and then returns to its usual residence. In breeding season takes to churches, holes in lofty buildings, o hollow places. Said not to hoot.”— Allan MS. 63. Tawney, or Brown Owl, 4 specimens, viz. 3 & 1* (Strix Aluco, Meyer, Temm , & Pult. Cat.— Strix stridula & Aluco, Lin. “ The former, the females and young; the lat¬ ter, the old male.” Temm.) “ Great Brown, Grey, or Ivy Owl. This also called the Screech Owl, to which it owes its name from its cries .... The lawny Owl is the same bird, only differs in. "—Allan MS. It is 55 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). creditable to our author that his opinion of the identity of the Brown and Tawney Owls of authors, should now be confirmed by late ob¬ servations. The change of plumage, occasioned by age and s^x, having occasioned the description of several species instead of one, we are indebted to M. Temminck for clearing up the confusion, and he has reduced, under one head, seven of Gmelin’s species, amongst which he includes St. stridula and Aluco, and places St. Ululawith St. braehyotos, which three names have hitherto been the stumbling block of writers on ornithology— Ed , 64. Little Owl. (Strix passerina, Lin. & Gruel.) “ Is very rare in England. Inhabits Hudson’s Bay among pines, on which it builds its nest of grass, and lays two white eggs. Is solitary to an extreme, very active at nights, but is drowsy and sel¬ dom moves in the day. Its voice is a most acute whistle, by the imitation of which small birds are readily collected together, and the Italians make use of it as a decoy. The Germans bring them over with Falcons and Hawks, of whom Mr. Tunstall bought this bird.”— Allan MS. “ Frequent in Russia.”— A ret. Zool. “ I bought once of the Germans, who annually brought over hawks for Lord Orford, the Strix passerina, little Owl which is frequently trained there, as well as in Italy, for catching birds. It lived with me some time, and was a very entertaining bird.”— Tunst. MS. 65. Little Horned Owl. (Strix Scops, Lin. & Gmel .) “ Small, or Little horned Owl (St. Scops.) Common in many parts of Europe, but not hitherto observed in England. At certain times they war with the field mice, which in some years have mul¬ tiplied so much as to become a heavy scourge, eating up all the com. On this occasion, these owls have arrived in great flocks, and attacked these depredators so successfully as to destroy them all in a short time— Lath. 1 20. ’ 5 — Allan MS. This bird has only of late years been observed in England, and therefore our specimen, from its age, must necessarily be considered a foreign one.— Ed. 66. Great Grey Shrike, 2 specimens. (Lanius Excubitor, Lin. & Gmel.) “ Cinereous Shrike. Though this bird is very seldom seen in the south, had one, a male, brought me alive, taken near Brentford ; lived some time with me; is now setup in my Museum.”— Tunst. MS. 67. Red-backed Shrike, 3 males and 1 female. (Lanius Collurio, Lin . & Gmel.) This case is interesting, by containing a good specimen of the female.— Ed. 56 AX/LAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). 68. Raven. (Corvus Corax, Lin. & Gmel.) “ Well know in England, and an inhabitant of jn^y s o ut hem parts of the world, and every where esteemed for its hon d appetrte for carrion, that would otherwise prove a nuisance; is a teij docile bTrd and may be taught to speak and to fetch and carry- also is very’ crafty and familiar, yet apt to pilfer, often hiding things of \ alue. Ses its nest in trees, and lays 5 or 6 eggs, of a pale bluish-green colour, and spotted with brown. Will destroy rabbits, chickens, and sometimes falls on lambs when very young.— Pen. \. p. 187. Lath i. o. 367.”— Allan MS. , . « The Raven is very rarely seen \n these parts, yet one made its nest near my house some years ago.”— Tun it. MS. 69. The Carrion Crow. (Corvus Corone, Lin. & Gmel.) “ Are like the Raven in form and manners, but much less in size. Make their nests of sticks chiefly, in woods. Aremost frequency met in pairs, and said to remain so throughout the year. In 1533 they were grown so numerous, and thought so prejudicial to the far¬ mer, as to ? be considered an evil worthy of Parliamentary redress. An Act was passed for their destruction, in which Rooks and Choughs were included. Every hamlet was to provide crow nets for tl years and all the inhabitants obliged, at certain times to assemble during that period, to consult the proper method of ext.r- Pa ^Adte6ncifon not often made use of between the Carrion Crow and the Rooks seems to be a good one—the Carrion Crow has always the upper mandible longer, sharper, more curved, and reaches farther over ^thc lower,, than the Rook's which has it, as itwere. cut off, and scarcely projects at all over the inferior.— Tunst. M!>. 70. The Rook, 3 specimens, 2 black and 1 white-var. (Corvus frugilegus, Lin. & Gmel.) “ Somewhat bigger than the Crow, but the same in colour, and scarcely to be distinguished apart, except from being bare about the nostrils, and root of the bill, which parts of the Crow are clothed w ith feathers, and of the other with bristly hairs. Does not live: on car¬ rion, but on insects, and all sorts of gram. Are sociable, living in vast flocks among clumps of trees. Eggs like the Crow s, but less, and spots larger. Build in March, and after the breeding season for¬ sake their nest trees, and roost elewhere ; but return m August and repair their nests in October. Young birds are accounted good eating, especially if skinned, and put into a pye. They do mucn good in corn land, by clearing it of cockchafers, which do great da- mage.”— Allan MS. “ Have a rook quite white, even the bill. A young brancher was shot last year, in a rookery by my house, in which the greater coverts of the quill-feathers, in both wings, were nearly quite white ; and the single quill feather was party-coloured, black and white; some white 57 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). feathers on the throat. One was taken this spring, near my brother’s hi Holderness, which was all over of a light brown colour, and white eyes. Its four partners of the nest were as usual. The brown colour was nearly the same as the brown in a Jay.”— Twist. MS. 71- The Hooded Crow. (Corvus Cornix, Lin. & Gmel.) “ Royston, or Hooded Crow (Corvus Cornix). Plenty in divers parts of England, in winter; but retires in spring to breed elsewhere. Their manners coincide with both the Rook and the Crow. Are gregarious and build in trees, laying 6 eggs; but separate into pairs in the breeding season, after which they again unite in bands. Fre¬ quent on the shores of the Thames, both in Kent and Essex, and by some called Essex Crow.”— Allan MS. 72. The Jack Daw, 3 specimens. (Corvus Monedula, Lin. & Gmel.) “ The Jack Daw is subject to great variety between black and white, in different parts of Europe. A white variety sometimes occurs in Dorsetshire.”— Puli. Cat. p. 5. “ I have a slight variation of the Jack Daw, having some of the scapular feathers of a chocolate colour; not shot in the north.”_ T unstall MS. N. B. This specimen is one ofthe above in our pos¬ session.— Ed. 73. The Magpie, 3 specimens. (Corvus Pica, Lin. & Gmel.) “ This omnivorous and mischievous bird is but too common.”— Putt. Cat. p. 5. 74. The Jay, 2 specimens. (Corvus glandarius, Lin. & Gmel.) “ This noisy mischievous bird is not uncommon in this country. Its beauty and imitative powers subject it to domestic confinement; in which its insidious craft and petulance are often more than a ba¬ lance for the amusement it affords.”— Putt. Cat. p. 4. 75. The Cornish Chough, or Red-legged Crow. (Corvus Graculus, Lin. & Gm. —Pyrrhocorax Oraculus, Tunst. Orn. Brit. p. 2, and Temm. Man. d’Orn.) “ Thinly scattered over the northern world; not found in other parts of Europe, except England and the Alps. Common in De¬ vonshire and Cornwall. Builds in high places, laying 4 or 5 white eggs> spotted with yellow. Feeds on insects and new sown corn. Flies high, and may be taught to speak. Resembles the Jack Daw in manners. Thievish and meddling, and even dangerous to keep tame, as it has been known to catch up lighted sticks, whereby houses have been set on fire, which is the reason that Camdeivcalls it Inccndiariu Avis.'* — Allan MS. 58 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDo). Gesner and Aldrovandus described a cr ( :st 5 d i"'flat!'ed^'10, as found in the Alps, which Linnaeus recor s Y j^ham ^ av ing as Upnpa Eremita, and afterwards as Cw viis . L f „ ure d copied it from these descriptions and from ^m ; who had s it in 1731, Mr. TunstaU remarks, “is the existence or tne Eremita sufficiently proved? I own it appears so J Admitted it Mr. Pennant doubted it some years since, and has sub ; ect it in his list of Extra Britannic European Birds. On th.s^ect Temminck says, “ La description du Coracws hupp , , mita, a e't is shewn in next^article, and are labelled inside, « Tamen Heher Sie. F 10111 one o! tnen Mr. Bewick made his figure.— Ed. 77. The Roller, male and female. (Coracias Garrula, Lin. & Gm.) f “ Frequent in several parts of Europe ; in most paits is a in o which is very filthy; does not come to its col ° i ^ r tdl k “ l ® nd such v jirds flies in troops ; often seen in the grounds with rooks ana sucn o , searching for worms, small seeds, and roofe; rennar S a chattering noise ; lays 5 eggs, of a clear green, sprinkled pair of the CM ^ me from Hamborough, together with a fine pair of the C J ocatactes. The male and female Roller seem not to Mer, erccp that the colours are not so rich in the latter. 78. The Waxen Chatterer, 4 specimens, viz. 3 & 1. (Ampelis Garrulus, Lin. & Gm.— Bombycivora garrula, Temm.) “ Bohemian Chatterer Silktail. Sec., here at certain times ^sup¬ posed to breed in Bohemia, and other parts o • • • • • p ec( l s in northern parts of this . . . . , especially visiting . • • • on berries.”— Allan MS. Labelled inside, “ Setdat Schv.,S “ Boh. Chatterer.—I have a pair of European Chatterers from Hamborough, as cock and hen, which seem not to dff each other, both having the yellow m the «* d tte red n appendages, though in one they appear rather rno r e ™ . neit her larger than in the other. The American variety 1 Have, ne male or female have yellow in the wings, and one only. I s pp cock, has the red appendages on the wings, as strong■*un ropean, and what appears to me very singular hdb very sm 59 ALLAN MUSEUM ('BRITISH BIRDS). appendages to the ends of the two or three outward feathers of the tail, on each side; are inferior in size to the European.”_ Tunst. MS. This remark on the tail of the American Chatterer (which is now considered a distinct species) merits attention for the sake of discri¬ mination. The want of the red appendages of the wing is owing to the birds being young. See Temm. Man. 1. p. 125.— Ed. 79 . The Golden Oriole, 3 males and 1 female, in 2 cases. {Oriolus Galbula, Lin. & Gm.) “ Oriole, Loriot or Golden Thrush. This beautiful bird is com¬ mon in several parts of Europe, but rare in England. Inhabits woods, and hangs its nest in the shape of a purse, fastened to the extreme ends of the outmost twigs, and is composed of hemp. Flesh account¬ ed good eating.”— Allan MS. “ Knew once a nest of the Oriolus Galbula found in French Flan¬ ders, near Douay ; had one young one remaining, full-fledged, of the colour of the hen; they sometimes keep them in cages for their beauty. They don’t sing.”— Tunst. MS. Though this be the only European species of a large natural fa? nnly, its mode of nidification proves its relation to its foreign con¬ geners, and displays beautifully the general laws of instinct. Some curious hanging nests of foreign Orioles are in the Museum.— Ed. 8.0. The Cuckow, 3 specimens, viz. 2 and 1. (Cuculus Canorus, Lin. & Gm.) “ The Cuckow I have seen a variety of, with much white about the head and neck; it is seldom heard here till late in April, or be¬ ginning ofMay, though I imagine it comes sometimes before it begins to call. For the four last years it was heard first here as follows • — 1781, April 17; 1782, May 3; 1783, April 29; 1784, April 26. It was heard very early in April 1779, after that mild winter. Have kept them some time in a cage, but they always died in the com¬ mencement of the frost.” — Tunst. MS. 81. The Wryneck, 4 specimens, viz. 3 and 1. (Yunx Torquilla, Lin. & Gm.) “ Is a bird of passage; comes always before the cuckoo ; its food chiefly ants. The young ones hiss like snakes in the nest. Their tongue is of an enormous length.” (White says, so as to wrap round the head. Hist. Selb.— Ed.) u Build in hollow trees, and lay nine white eggs, the shell so thin that the yolk may be seen through it. Takes the name from turning the head back on shoulders. The latter end of summer, grows fat, and is good eating; by some called, the Ortolan. Is active in following the Cuckoo, and for that reason called its attendant and provider; but is far from following with a friendly intent: it only pursues as an insulter, or to warn its little companions of the Cuckoo’s depredations.”_ Allan MS. Had once a nest of young \\ rynecks brought me, which seemed to take food very readily, but frequently darted out their long tongues; 60 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS), they all died the next day. Sometimes called Cuckow's Maiden, as they are supposed t agr ecd in the same time, and are found often togethedably ^S ^ same table of food, and coming in for a share. 82. The Great Black Woodpecker, male and female. (Picus martius, Lin. & Gnu) « Found on the continent, but not in plenty, « Inhabits Italy, and rarely seen in France;L^VwWteSi. They lar trees, making large and deep n»tt, 1^ ^ ^ an(J fa ^ so often excavate a tree that 11 r- j >»_ Allan MS. 3Kjj@5SSfis«» Hambrough. — Tunst. MS. rjritish birds, on the authority of This is here inserted, among the f ® n ‘‘f ^ Tunstall that it had Pulteney and Latham, (t^to was Iby^^ g ewick has engraven a been sometimes seen in • J n wedit . on the same authority. iSarMu— no, b, Mr. 83. Green Woodpecker, 2 birds, nest and 3 young. (Picus viridis, Lin. & Gm .) , , to their nests ”e *»ade a^perfeedy round as a h Congthem e ”^« f Touf to Allton S" ..d“go~d 1" .1.01- »' z ","; Sffc £ a large variety of the Common Dipper, as no other lk found. See Mont. Orn. Die. Supp.— Ed. 102. The Crossbill, 2 fem. or fern, and young. (Loxia curvirostra, Lin. & Gm.) “Crossbill common. A person who was herein July last, ana was weU S-inted with then cry was persuaded he »>eard some a hat time in my woods. As they have never been known to breetl here, I much doubted ; but, as they breed very early, it was pos=i- ble.” — Tunst. MS. 103. White-winged Crossbill, male. (Loxia leucoptera, GW—L. falcirostra, Lath.—Duon’s Voy- age round the World, tab. at p. 385. tern.) “Dec. 20, 1803.—Mr. Templeton, A. L. S-, ot Orange Gro\e, 65 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). near Belfast, in a letter to far. Dawson Turner, F. L. S. mentions, that the White-winged Crossbill (Loxia falcirostra, Lath.) was shot within 2 miles of Belfast, in Jan. 1802. It was a female, and per¬ fectly resembled the figure in Dixon’s Voyage to the North- west Coast of America.”— Linn. Tr. vol. vii. p. 309. I am justified, by the above quotation from the Linnsean Transac¬ tions, in placing our specimen of this bird in the British department, though Montague doubts whether the bird, so recorded, was not a Common Crossbill. I see no reason for such scepticism, as the re¬ porter refers to Dixon’s characteristic figure, which he could not have mistaken. Dixon’s bird, from its yellow colour, was a female, as well as that taken in Ireland ; ours is a male, in its scarlet plumage, the white bars of the wing being permanent in both sexes. In the red and yellow colours of the male and female of this species, they agree with the conterminous species of Pine Bullfinch and Common Crossbill.— Ed. 104. The Pine Grosbeak, male and female. (Loxia Enucleator, Lin. & Gm .—Pyrrhula Enucleator, Temm. & Selb.) ‘Loxia Enucleator—Pine Bullfinch. I imagine the birds de- scnbed by Mr. Lhnyd, in a letter to Dr. Robinson, No. 331 of the I hd. transactions, thought to be Virginian Nightingales/ were these Pine Grossbeaks, and not Crossbills, as my worthy friend, Mr. Dailies Barrington, conjectures ; the cocks seeming to resemble m colour and shape (most of any Europaean bird known,) the Vir¬ ginian Nightingales. Indeed, he says, the hens were red underneath which, I believe, agrees not well with the hen Pine Bullfinch, but not better with the hen Crossbill; if they had been the latter, the singular construction of the bill would probably not have remained unnoticed. Possibly those with red underneath were young cocks not yet arrived to the perfect colour.”— Tunst. MS. ’ These are rare birds, which generally are found only in the pine forests of Scotland. A female, now in my possession, through the favour of Mr. Yarrell, was, however, shot near Wellwyn, in Hert¬ fordshire. Mr. Bewick has figured our male bird for his new edi¬ tion.— Ed. 105. The Bullfinch, male and female. (Loxia Pyrrhula, Lin. & Gm.— Pyrrhula vulgaris, Temm.& Selb.) “ Mr. Tunstall has several times attempted to breed these birds, but did not succeed, the cocks, for the most part, falling a victim to the fury of its mate.”— Lath. Supp. i. p. 152. “ L ° xi ? Pyrrhula—Bullfinch. Have had many Bullfinches, black, and all the mtermediate colours between that and the natural one, being spotted with black, &c. Have known several persons to breed them in a cage, but though I often attempted it, never succeeded: the cock mostly fell a victim to the fury of his mate. They are very plenty in the north of Yorkshire.”— Tuna. MS. 7 7 * Loxia cardinalis, Lin , K 66 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). 106. The Hawfinch, male, and young of t > <'■»» Coccothraustes, been considered the female— Ed. 107. The Greenfinch, male and female. ■ (Loxia Chloris, Lin. & ^.-FringiUa Chloris, Temin. and “ A well-known bird; makes its ne^t in of dry grass, lined with hair, wo^Ae. ,Uys . * tcTgTOW bUnd^ff exposed to rite ^ FHes in au ( canary.”— Tunst. MS. . 108. The House Sparrow, 3 specimens, viz. male am female, and 1 male. (Fringilla domestica, Lin. & Gm.) 109. The Tree Sparrow. (Fringilla montana, Lin. & Gm.-'- Hamburg Tree Creeper, V ° Albin. 3, t. 24.) and less extended, in the f ® ma ‘ e T ^“** r ^ have some reason to “ Hamborough Grosbeak, or T ree \ G orrrkW • desired to think this bird is nothing else than'mfcm avow, was no have one from Hambrough, and the bird sent me, b;u other. Albin was not always accurate in his draw ings, at , t ^ and attitude excepted, his figure does not dififei much. 110. The Chaffinch, m. and fern, nest and 4 young. (Fringilla coelebs, Lin. & Gmel .) “ This species entertains ns agreeably with its song very ear 3 m ALLAN MUSEUM ( BRITISH BIRDS). 67 the year, but towards the latter end of summer assumes a chirping note.”— Allan MS. v 8 “I caught one once, with legs coal black, near London. In the North of England called Spink from its cry, as is probably its French name Pingon; also White Linnet, and sometimes Flaxfinch.”_ Tunst. MS. 111. Do. a light-coloured variety. “ This specimen is a curious variety of the Chaffinch, and was shot at . . . and given to Mr. Tunstallby Mr. Vane.”— Allan MS. I own myself that your variety C. of the Snow Bunting ( See Lath. Syn. iii, p. 163), called in Albin, Pied Chaffinch, appears to me nothing else but an accidental variety of the Chaffinch. Have seen such • remember one at Paris, very similar, which frequently came into a garden there in the year 1762, and had one given me, some¬ thing similar, by Hon. Fred. Vane, of Sellaby, brother of Lord Dar¬ lington, taken in this neighbourhood, now in my museum. It had much white, and some fine yellow feathers on the back and shoul¬ ders. If it had not been taken in a wild state, should have almost judged it to have been bred between a Chaffinch and a jonquil Ca¬ nary Bird.”— Tunst. MS. 112. The Mountain Finch. (Fringilla montifringilla, Lin. & Gmel .) “ Bramble or Mountain Finch (Fringilla montifringilla). Migrates into England in certain seasons, but does not build here. Are fre¬ quently found among Chaffinches, and sometimes in great flocks_ Make their nest on the top of tall firs, and lay 4 or 3 eggs_ Lath vol. n. 316 .”—Allan MS. 80 113. The Greater Redpole, Common or Brown Linnet, 3 specimens and nest. (Fringilla cannabina, Lin.& Ternm. —Fr. Linota, Gm. & Lath.) Is common on our sea coasts, and often taken in flight time near London. Is familiar and cheerful in five minutes after it is caught. Their nest is rarely found, but they are said to breed in the north of England, particularly Cumberland: sings very indif¬ ferently.”— Allan MS, 6 ' 114 1 . I he Mountain Linnet or Twite.. (Fringilla montium, Gmel.) ‘ Mountain Linnet or Twite (Linaria montana). Inhabits the illy parts ol this kingdom. Taken in the flight season near London, with the Linnets, and there called Twites, probably from their twittering note, having no music in it. Supposed to breed in the ? n ° r o e "?“ parts of this islanci - Penn. vol. i. 293— Lath. vol. n * 3^7. —-Allan MS. Mr. Selby says, “ During summer it fre¬ quents the mountainous districts of England and Scotland, where it Oreeds; and it is found to extend as far as to the Shetland Isles.”— lllus, 2 , p. 278 , ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). 68 115. The Lesser Redpole, 4 specimens (Fringilla Linaria, Lin. & Gm.) . “Common in England, but not Ja brook, comJo"d' art . S ' A Known about London by the name of Stone Redpoic.”— Allan MS. 116. The Siskin, male and female. (Fringilla Spinus, Lin. & Gmel.) 117. The Goldfinch, male and female, and nest. (Frineilla carduelis, Lin. & Gm.) •• The — beautiful uf «. >»«“'S£SlSS3*S sS£ STJiUSa-/-»—*■ — Tunst. MS. 118. The Common Bunting. (Emberiza Miliaria, Lin. & Gm.) 119. The Yellow Bunting, male and female. (Emberiza Citrinella, Lin. & Gm.) North “Yellow Bunting or Yellow’ Hal ^*g bccl “,old will sometimes Goldspink, as also Yellow Yowley. H breed.”— Tunst. mix with a Canary Bird, and pro uce a P Goldspink, which MS. Mr. T. must be mistaken in the local term ouiu i belongs to the Goldfinch.—JW. 120. The Reed Bunting, 2 specimens. (Emberiza Schoeniclus Lin. & Gm.) 121. Tiie Green-headed Bunting. me by a common bird-catcher. I did not buy ’ , tl< i | m a- when it died, gave it me, and I haves itP ' heard of one pine it had escaped out of some cage, jet never saw hk Notndth^toading that doubts remtun on Ul^dertRyo^this ^ as a species, it would be unfair in regard to this Museum 69 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). not to notice it as such, since it is from the bird being in the possession of Mr Tunstall, and thence described by Latham, and figured by Brown, that the subject has attained its notoriety.— Brown says, he made his figure from a bird in the possession of Mr. Moon, which was caught by a bird-catcher in Marybone-fields.— We are enabled, from the above remark of Mr. Tunstall’s, to ascer¬ tain that this is Mr. Moon’s original specimen, and that only one bird of the kind has as yet been taken, and not two, as appeared from the descriptions. J fear, that I have already been the unfortunate cause of some confusion on the subject of this bird, which I am anxious to rectify. A living Bunting, taken at sea by a coasting vessel on this coast, having fallen into my hands in 1822, I judged it, on examination, to be the Emb. chlorocephala of Gmelin, with which I thought it to agree more nearly than with any other species. This conjecture was for the moment confirmed, when the Wycliffe collection came shortly after before me, where I found a Bunting in a case with a Common Bunting and a white bird, which precisely agreed with my bird, and knowing that the Green-headed Bunting had been originally in the Tunstall Collection, I concluded this to be the bird. I communicated my bird to Mr. Bewick, who was obliging enough to draw a figure of it, and to publish it in an appendix. I also, at the request of that eminent ornithologist, Mr. Sabine, handed him the two specimens, to lay before the Linnaean Society_ His opinion, I confess, was not in favour of their being a new species, and he was induced, at first view, to consider them as the female of the Cirl Bunting. The latter species having never been taken so far to the north, made the conjecture perplexing. I felt some surprise, when lately going carefully over the unnamed birds of the Allan Museum, I discovered a Bunting in a detached case, with an effaced label, which, on comparison, I found to be the exact bird as figured by Brown and described by Latham, as the Green-headed Bunting. It agrees in some respects with the before mentioned specimen,‘particularly in the olive head, yet differs so materially in the rest of the colouring as, at least, to render it certain that it is not a Cirl Bunting, nor belonging to any other known British species, much less to the Yellow Bunting, as conjectured by Montague, its belly, back, and tail being so dark a brown as to preclude^ all idea of connexion with that species. The subject, therefore, remains where it was, though rather cleared of conjecture, and the Green-headed Bunting must be recorded as a species, until farther evidence is * produced to the contrary. Mr. Bewick’s figure must, however, be rejected as the Green-headed Bunting of Tunstall and Latham. With regard to the two former birds (Mr. Tunstall’s and mine) I now suspect that they are Ortolans (Emberiza hortulana.) They agree nearly with the figure of the Ortolan in PI. Enl. ; and there is on the case, from which I withdrew the Allan Museum specimen, a legible label of “ Ortolanbut which I at first applied to the white or straw-coloured bird in the same case, as a variety of Or¬ tolan. If this conjecture be confirmed, it must be admitted, in re¬ spect to my bird, that the Ortolan, a bird of France, is an occasional visitant on this coast, a circumstance by no means improbable, though hitherto not before detected, as it is found to travel into Sweden. U i 4 hi I ; Kyi 1 am 70 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). May not our Green-headed Bunting, the only specimen known, be a variety of the Ortolan ? 122. The Tawny Bunting. . . r „ 7 - p n Snpc_Emb. mustelina, Gm .— M Mountain Each, Will. & Albin.) .... i j These are the young or females of the white birds in the ad- • • • 1 “ which till lately have been considered distinct species. a n,n lery Cs wellSL y ed tL relations and distinctions We rely on his authority respecting the Mountain Bunting (Em . Montana) as belonging to this species. See Ill. ofOm. p. 247. 123. The Pied Fly-catcher, 2 specimens. " ’(Muscicapa atricapilla, Lin & Gm.-Mus luctuosa Temm & Selby —Cold Finch, male and young, Edw. Birds, t. ou.) A rather rare bird in England, principally met with in the West Riding of Yorkshire.— Selby. 124. The Sky-Lark, 2 specimens. (Alauda arvensis, Lin. & Gm.) “ Plentiful in England, but mostly about Dunstable, where they assemble in vast flocks in winter, and then grow fat, and during the season 40,000 are the SSffin g as they fly, aSth/yoften soar to such a height, that we are charrned with their music when they are no longer m S '^Thelatter "part^'of this remark refers to the Sky-Lark, as the Wood-Lark describes its flight in circles. La- 295 The Wood-Lark, 2 specimens. ' '(Alauda arborca, Lin. & Gm. & Lath .-Also the Lesser-crested V Lark, Alauda cristatella, Lath .—And Al. nemoiosa, Gm.) « Lesser-crested Lark (Alanda cristata minor). Found m plenty in the northern parts of this kingdom. Flies in flocks. con- . trarv to the greater-crested Lark, which is seldom seen but alone. Fov thc most part met with in woods and thickets where it^m^ its nest.— Penn. i. vol. no. 191.— Lath. n. vol. p. d91. 126. The Field, or Tree Lark, 2 specimens. (Anthus arboreus ( Bechst .), TVww.—Alauda minm, m. 7 Lath .—Alauda trivialis, Lin. & Gm. —The lesser Field , Bew. Sup.) 127. The Tit-Lark, or Meadow Pipit, 6 specimens, 2 and 4, with nest and 5 young. (Anthus pratensis {Bechst.), Temm. —Alauda pratensis, Lin, & Gm.) 71 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). “ Frequent in England; perches on trees ; has a fine tone, though not much variety in it; yet some compare it to the Nightingale. Sings in all situations. Builds its nest on the ground, and lays 4 or 5 eggs, of a deep brown colour.” —Allan MS. 128. Pied Wagtail. (Motacilla alba, Lin. & Gm.) “ White Wagtail—Have seen not unfrequently in the north of Yorkshire, in the middle of winter, as well as the grey. Saw one this year (1783?) Jan. 8, in a very hard frost and snow.”_ Tumi. MS .—On this subject see Selby 111. i. p. 208. 129. Grey Wagtail. (Motacilla Boarula, Lin. Mant. & Gm. & Temm.—Mot. sul- phurea, Bechst. & Brit. Mus .—Edw. Birds, t. 259.) 130. Yellow Wagtail. (Motacilla flava, Lin. & Gm. & Temm.—Mot. chryso^astra Beck. & Brit. Mus.— Edw. Birds, t. 258.)* & 131. Ihe Nightingale, 2 single specimens. (Sylvia Luscinia, Lath.— For the rest of the genus Sylvia, in¬ stituted by Latham, refer to Motacilla of Linnaeus.) “ The most famed of the feathered tribe, for the variety, length, and sweetness of its notes. Visits England beginning of April, and leaves us m August. Seldom found north of Yorkshire. Frequents thick hedges, and generally keeps in the middle of the bush, so as to be rarely seen.” —Allan MS. “ The Nightingale is never heard or seen here. It is frequently heard near Boroughbridge, about 37 miles farther south; and a few miles farther, near Abberford, particularly at Hazlewood, the seat of Sir Walter Vavasor, is extremely lavish in song. Have kept them for years in cages, both those brought up from the nest, and those taken when old. The nestlings would sing almost the whole year, and often be. in full song at Christmas; but their song was nothing comparable to those taken old, but which was only at regular seasons.”— Tunst. MS. J 132. The Black-Cap. ( Sylvia atricapilla. Lath.) “ Is a bird of passage, and not uncommon here. . Comes in spring and retires in September. Sings finely, and has a full, sweet, deep, loud, wild pipe, and by many is called the Mock Nightingale. Makes nest in some low bush, and lays 5 eggs of a pale reddish brown, sprinkled with a few dark spots.— Lath. v. ii. p. 215.”_ Allan MS. 133. The Sedge Warbler. (Sylvia Phragmites (Bechst.), Temm.— Sedge Bird, Lath. Syn. and Penn. Arct. Zool.; but not Motacilla salicaria of Lin. & Gm.) 72 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). 134. The White-Throat, 4 specimens, viz. 1, and 1, and 2, nest and eggs. “ Is a bird of passage, and visits us in the spring, and leaves in autumn. Frequent in hedges, and makes a nest a little above the ground, composed of moss and stalks of herbs and dry straw. Lay:, 5 eggs, of a greenish grey, marked with rufous and brown spots. Is a shy and wild bird. Its note is harsh and displeasing. —Allan MS. 135. The Dartford Warbler. (Sylvia Dartfordiensis, Lath.— S. provincialis, Temm.) This is a rare British bird. It was first noticed in England m 1773, by Dr. Latham. The species is abundant in Provence, from whence it is named by Gmelin and Temminck. It is rarer farther north in Europe and is unknown in Holland (Temm.) — Ed. 136. The Redbreast, 3 specimens, viz. 2 and 1. (Sylvia Rubecula, Lath.) 137. The Redstart, 3 in case, viz. m. f. and young. (Sylvia Phaenicurus, Lath.) “ Redstart—pretty common here. I never could get any to live in a cage for any time, though I have tried both old and young.”— Tunst. MS. 138. The Greater Petty Chaps. (Sylvia hortensis, Lath.— The lesser Fauvette, or Passerine Warbler, Bew. Birds, with figure.) The Rev. R. Sheppard, F. L. S. has deduced, from a particular examination, that Motacilla hippolais of Linnaeus is the Greater Petty Chaps of English writers, and not the Lesser , to which ifc is usually referred (see Zool. Jour. vol. i. p. 584,) That some connexion of the synonyms of those two species is necessary, is proved by the confusion which has prevailed, owing to their general resemblance, it being doubtful which of them (for he only knew one) Linnaeus was acquainted with. See Mr. Bewick's remarks on the subject, in Br. Birds.— Ed. 139. The Lesser Petty Chaps. (Sylvia hippolais, Lath —Least Willow Wren, Bew. Birds.) “ Petty Chaps, Beccafigo or Fig-eater—Common in many parts of England; makes nest of an arched form, composed of dried bents mixed with moss, and thickly lined with feathers. Placed on the ground, at the bottom of some bank. Lays 5 white eggs, sprinkled all over with small red spots (mostly so at the larger end, Lath.) In Dorsetshire, called Hay Bird; in Yorkshire, Beam Bird, from its nestling on beams, in old buildings.— Lath. Syn. p. 413.”— Allan MS. ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). 73 140. The Yellow Wren. — Mont. (Sylvia Trochilus, Lath.—" S. Fitis Seeks/ Brit. Mus. no. 91.—Willow Wren, Bew.) \ellow Wren (Motacilla Trochilus.) Common in England, and frequent places where willows grow. Makes nests in holes at roots of trees, hollows of dry banks, &c. : and not unlike the Wrens._ Lays o eggs of a dusky white, marked with reddish spots: its note is trifling, scarcely more than twit, twit. Feeds on insects, and is perpetually creeping up and down trees. Is migratory, but comes pretty early.— Penn. i. y. 319.— Lath. ii. y. 512.” —Allan MS. 141. The Wood Wren.— Mont. (Sylvia sylvicoia, Latk.—S. sibilatrix, Bechst . & Selby.— Yel¬ low Willow Wren, Bew.) The four preceding species, from the resemblance of their colour- mg, have occasioned much confusion in the descriptions of authors. I hey appear, however, now to be well understood, and I am in¬ debted to my friend Mr. Yarrell, whose collection of small birds and eggs is most valuable, for pointing out the following distinctions:_ “ 1. Great Petty Chaps. Olive brown above, under parts dirty white, over the eyes a slight white streak, legs purple brown. 2. Lesser Petty Chaps. Colour nearly the same as last, but more inclining to green above, tinged W’ith yellow underneath, over the eyes a yellow streak, legs brown. 3. Yellow Wren. Olive green above, under parts yellow, yellow streak over the eyes, legs light brown ; on the whole yellower than the last, which it resembles. 4. VVoo d \Vren. Head, neck, and back olive, primaries and tail- teathers brown, edged w ith bright yellow, and upwards silvery white, over the eyes a bright yellow streak, legs light brown. Eggs, No. 1. Dirty white, spotted with green and ash colour, like those of the common White-throat, but larger. No. 2. White, with a few dark red spots. No. 3. White, w ith numerous pale red spots. No. 4. W lute, mottled with reddish brown.” The distinction of the eggs, where they can be obtained, is the most satisfactory; and it is by his minute attention to their nidification, as well as to their habits and anatomy, that Mr. Y. has reduced and confirmed the species of many British birds. I may add, that this gentleman’s knowledge is only equalled by his complaisance and liberality; and it is to him that Air. Bewick, through my solicitation, is indebted for the loan of several well preserved subjects, of rare occurrence, to complete his work, viz. the Gardeman Heron, Leach’s Petrel, the Purple Sandpiper, the Great Snipe, and the female Pine Grossbeak, all British specimens, which he has also granted, for a similar purpose, to Mr. Selby, to complete his magnificent w r ork. 142. The Golden Crested Wren, 2 specimens. (Sylvia Regulus, Lath .—Regains auricapillus, Selby.) “ Golden crested Wren. —Never saw this little bird here myself, yet I suspect it is here. One was sent me that was killed about eight miles off, to know its name, by a lady. Am told it is even L 74 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). seen in the winter in Northumberland, but in very hard weather r frequently found dead.”— Tunst. MS. 143. The Common Wren, 4 specimens. (Sylvia Troglodytes, Lath.— Troglodytes Europaeus, Cnv. & Selby.) * Mr. Selby, after the example of Cuvier, has separated the above two species into distinct genera.— Ed. 144. The Stone Chat, 2 males and 1 female. (Sylvia rubicola. Lath.— Saxicola rubicola, BechsU ) “ Stone Chat. There is a warbler which in its motions, &c. re¬ sembles the manners of this bird, as related (See Lath. Syn. m. p. 418.)—It builds in whins, and is perpetually flying up and down, when any one approaches, repeating a cry like Entie , by which I judged it to be the Whin Chat, as Morton says they are known in Derbyshire by that name from their cry. ”— Tunst. MS. 145. The Whin Chat. (Sylvia rubetra, Lath. —Saxicola rubetra, Bechst.) 146. The Hedge Spartow, 2 with nest and 3 young. (Sylvia modularis, Lath.— Accentor modularis, Cuv. & Temm.) « The Hedge Sparrow would never live with me long in a cage. — Tunst. MS. 147. The Greater Titmouse, 2 specimens. (Parus major, Lin. & Gm.) 148. The Blue Titmouse, 3 specimens. (Parus caeruleus, Lin. & Gm.) “ This beautiful species frequents gardens, and does grent injury to fruit trees, by bruising the young buds in search of insects. Breeds in holes of walls, and lays 12 or 14 olive eggs. Penn. i. vol. 331.”— Allan MS. N. B. Mr. Selby denies that this bird is so prolific of eggs, which he restricts to six or eight.— Ed. t 149. The Marsh Titmouse, 3 specimens, viz. 2 and 1. (Parus palustris, Lin. & Gmel.) “ Common in England, and frequents wet places ; inhabits woods, and seldom infests our gardens. Supposed only a variety of the Cole Titmouse. Lays up a store of seeds against winter, and said to be fond of bees. Also lays a number of eggs.— Pen .”— Allan MS. 150. The Cole Titmouse. (Parus ater, Lin. & Gm.) “ The Cole and Marsh Titmouse, I strongly think with you, though ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS)., 7 5 against Willoughby and others, are only varieties, probably sexual, of each other. Have kept the Colemouse in a cage above a year, as also the Biamicus , or Bearded-Titmouse. I do not recollect ever to have seen the Long-tailed Titmouse here. We have plenty of the others, particularly the Blue.’*— Twist, MS. This bird was not found in the Museum, though the following description was:—“ Colemouse (Pams ater) common in woods, or¬ chards, and gardens, where it lives on the same food as the rest of the species of this genus, and lays a number of egs. Pen. i. vol. 332. Lath. ii. vol. 540.” —Alain MS. A specimen will be found among the recent acquisitions.— Ed. 151. 1 he Long-tailed Titmouse, 3 specimens. (Parus caudatus, Lin. & Gm.) An elegant species, and common in our gardens and orchards. Active and restless, flying backwards and forwards, and running up and down the branches in all directions. No bird makes a more elegant or curious nest. Is an oval, with a small hole in the side for entrance; the out-materials, moss and wool, curiously interwoven and lined with feathers. Lays from 10 to 17 eggs, which are greyish, with a reddish mixture.”— Allan MS. 152. The Bearded Titmouse, male and female. (Parus biarmicus, Lin. & Gm.— Least Butcher Bird, Edw. Birds, t. 55.) This is a rare British species, residing in fenny places among reeds ; Mr. Tunstall has had it alive— Pd. 153. Swallow, 3 and 1 white variety. (Hirundo rustica, Lin. & Gmel.) “ Common Chimney Swallow (Hirundo domestica, Ray). Well known in England, where it resides all the summer, and leaves us in September. Builds in chimneys. Its nest of mud mixed with straw and hair, and lined with feathers. Lays 4 or 6 white eggs, speckled with red, and has two broods in a year. Feeds on flies, which it catches in its flight. Distinguished from the other Sw r al- ows by the forkiness of its tail, and red spot on the forehead and under the chin. Much has been wrote concerning their migration. Sec Pennant, vol. i. 336—342. Latham , ii. v. 561.”— Allan MS. Swallows usually arrive here about the middle of April. For the last four years were first seen as follows, viz. 1781, April 15- —82, April 21 S3, April 10;—84, April 26. The Martins come soon alter. Heard an instance of one, whether the Chimney Swal¬ low or Martin I cannot tell, found in winter torpid, in an old house, on pulling it down, which revived, when put nigh the fire This TJX'lZSwSf** when 1 ' vas here ’ but toM mel, y a p crso " 154. Ditto, a white variety. (H. rustica, p. Lath. —H. alba, Briss.) 76 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). “ Common or Chimney Swallow. Arrives in March and leaves us in September. Builds in chimneys; nest of mud, straw, and hair, lined with feathers. Lays 4 or 6 eggs, speckled red, and has two broods in the year. Feeds on flies: distinguished from the other Swallows by the forked tail and red spot on forehead and under chin. This white one was shot at Bradford, on the Tees. Allan MS. 155. The Martin, 2, with nest and 3 young. (Hirundo urbica, Lin. & Gm.) “ Martin, Martlet, or Martinet (Hir. agrestis, seu rustica.) Com¬ mon and more numerous than Chimney Swallows ; builds like them under eaves of houses, only its nest is covered above, having a small hole for admittance. Lays twice a year, first time 5 eggs, and the second hatch 3 or 4. Arrives in England about twenty days after the House Swallow, and departs the beginning of October.— Pen¬ nant, i. vol. 330. Latham, ii. vol. 561.”— Allan MS. “ Martin. Have a white variety of, 1 think, the Urbica or Alar- tin ; have seen others here. A white one was seen at Whorlton, a village in Durham, on the Tees, August, 1781, and another was brought me just flown about the same time.”— Tunst. MS. 156. The Sand Martin, 3 birds. (Ilirundo riparia, Lin.& Gm.) “ Sand Martin, or Shore Bird (Hir. riparia). The least of this genus. Builds in holes of sand pits, and in the banks of rivers, some feet deep, boring through the soil in a wonderful manner.— Makes nest of hay, straw, &c., and lines with feathers. Lays only once 5 or 6 white transparent eggs. Is the earliest of the swallow tribe in bringing out its young. The young are said to be very fat, and not inferior to the Ortolans. Penn. i. v. p. 338. Lath. n. v. p. 568.”— Allan MS. 157. The Swift, 3 specimens. (Hirundo apus, Lin. & Gm. —Cvpselus murarius, Temm. & Selby.) “ Black Martin, or Swift (Hirundo Apus). Larges t of our Swal¬ lows, and more on the wing. Arrives latest, and departs soonest. Builds in high places, as church steeples, towers, &c. Only hatch once a year, and lays 5 white eggs, of a longish form : their food, flies and insects. Chiefly fly morning and evening, and lie in their holes during heat of day. Their feet very small. These and the other swallows are inveterate enemies to the hawk, which they will drive away. Pennant i. v. 340. Latham ii. v. 584. Allan MS. 158. The Goat-Sucker, 4 birds, viz. 2 and 2. (Caprimulgus Europaeus, Lin. & Gm.) “ Goat-Suckers, Goat Owl, Fern Owl, Chum Owl (Caprimul¬ gus Europceus). Is a bird of passage, and makes a short stay m England, where it is very common. Lives in woods and feeds on 77 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). insects, which it catches on the wing in dusk of evening, like the Owl, anti retires in the day. Its notes are singular. The loudest resembles a spinning wheel, and thence the Welsh call it the Wheel Bird; the other a sharp squeak, which it often repeats when in pur¬ suit of the female. Lays its eggs on the bare ground, usually two, of a long form, white, blotched with bluish brown. As to its suck¬ ing the teats of goats, which the antients supposed it to do, it is scarce worth mentioning, except it be to ridicule the idea of the circumstance. Penn. 351,— Lath . 593.” —Allan MS. 159. The Ring Dove, or Cushat, male and female. (Columba Palumbus, Lin. & Gm.) “ Found throughout Europe. The major part of them emigrates here .”—Allan MS. “ Ring Pigeon. Have many here, and what is singular, more in the winter than summer, even in the severest weather. Are very mischievous in gardens, destroying all sorts of grains, cabbages, &c. Their flesh I think hard and disagreeable, even of those taken out of the nests. They usually begin cooing in March, though I have heard them in January, in mild warm weather.”— Tunst. MS. 160. The Stock Dove, or Wood Pigeon. ' o (Columba Oenas, Lin. & Gm.) 7 The common name of this species should be altered by writers, as it leads to the erroneous conclusion of its being the origin of our tame Pigeon, which has been hitherto supposed, but which is found to relate to another species, also indigenous in Great Britain, viz. the Rock Dove (Columba livia, Briss). The black bars on the wings of the Stock Dove, and the want of the white rump (which is common to the Rock Dove and tame Pigeons,) and the difference of their habits, our bird inhabiting woods, principally in the inland counties, whilst the Rock Dove is found only on the rocky shores of the island, as far as the Orknies, and in Wales, sufficiently prove them to be distinct species. See Selby, Illus. p. 291—29 3. White's Selb. lett. 44. 161. The Turtle Dove. (Columba Turtur, Lin. & Gm.) 162. The Common Pheasant. (Phasianus Colchicus, Lin. & Gm.) ^63. Hybridal Pheasant. (Phasianus Colchicus, var. s. hybrida, Gm. & Lath .—Le Coquar, Buff .—Pied Pheasant, Hayes, Brit. Birds, t. 21.) 1 “ An Hybrid bird between Pheasant and common fowl.”_ Allan A/N. Mr. White, in the History of Selborne, has described and figured a bird which he calls the Hybrid Pheasant, conjecturing it to be the produce as above ; but from the figure, it seems to have been the old hen with the male plumage, as his Editor, Mr Mark wick, nghtly supposes. 78 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). 164. The Cock of the Wood, male bird. (Tetrao Urogallus, Lin. & Gm.) This species, which formerly was well known in Scotland, is con¬ sidered extinct in this country ; though the fact of extinction is by no means clearer than that of some other rare species, and from the de¬ cidedly British specimens which remain in our museums, it still pre¬ serves its title to description, as a matter of history at least. I am unable to make out if the present specimen be really of British cap¬ ture. Whether it be cleared up by the following remarks of Mr. Tunstall’s, recently come into my hands, the reader of a literal copy of them may judge. I have heard that it was formerly considered by visitors to the Wycliffe Museum, as the rara avis of the col¬ lection ; and it may be therefore inferred that this character would only have been given to it from such circumstance, as foreign spe¬ cimens are sufficiently common, and easy of attainment. The Bri¬ tish Museum, the Directors of which have lately taken great pains to fill the British bird department with native specimens, is in posses¬ sion only of the female Wood Grouse, as British, which was formerly in Mr. Bullock’s Museum. The male bird there exhibited is a foreign specimen, and the only instance of the kind that I have observed in it. Our Museum is now in possession of a female of this inter¬ esting species, from Russia, as well as of a young male, presented by Mr. Hodgson, of St. Petersburgh. See Recent Acquisitions.— Ed. “ Cock of the Wood. I know some old Scotch gentlemen who say, they remember, when young, there were in Scotland both the Cock of the Wood, as also the Hybrid us. It is so few years since one was killed in Scotland that I hope this glorious species is not yet quite extinct there. Have a very fine specimen, which came out of Siberia. They have them in Lorraine, near the Vosges. In Lon¬ don I have tasted of two from Norway. Their flavour seemed similar to that of the Black Cock. “ 1st. P. S.— Have a capital specimen of the Cock represented in all pride. (This is decidedly our bird, whether it be the Siberian one, noticed above, or not.)— Ed. “ 2d. P. S.—Not uncommon in the last century there (Scotland). So large a species could not possibly long survive the art of shooting flying, One of my name, a distant relation, who did not die above fifty years ago, (cir. 1730) is said to be the first good shooter flying in these northern parts. Almost wish the art had remained in oblivion ! , “ 3d. P. S_I measured a Cock, 3 feet 7 inches, between tips of wings stretched out. . . “ 4th. P. S.—Have had it from Denmark, where, however, it is now become extremely scarce; so large a fowl, and at times so in¬ cautious, can never preserve itself long against the great tyrant man, in a cultivated country, when assisted with fire arms.”— Tunst. MS. 165 . Black Cock. (Tetrao Tetrix, Lin. & Gm.) “ Grown very scarce all over the North of England, and I am told also in Scotland, for which many probable reasons are given: ALLAN MUSEUM ("BRITISH BIRDS). 79 the principal seem to be the great improvement of late years in the art of shooting flying; moors and commons taken up ; the hurt sustained by burning the ling in the moors to make the herbage grow, which it is very difficult to prevent, being commonly done by stealth in the night; when once fired will reach miles : this done in the spring destroys many eggs, and the old ones upon them ; has, in particular, done much damage in Scotland; lastly, the facility of carrying them to London and the great trading towns ; and the great demand there for them by flys and machines, and various other causes. “ The whiteness of part of the breast so singularly contrasted by the surrounding black flesh, seems rather a singular circumstance. Com¬ monly called in the north the White Muscle. This is not found in the congenerous species of the Cock of the Wood, or Red Grouse. The Black Cock is a very rare bird in Yorkshire at present. Was assured by an elderly gentleman, that he remembered them on our neighbouring moors; now a Phoenix or a Parrot might as well be seen : in short, except in a very few places, where they are diligently guarded, they are rarely to be found in this or any of the other Northern Counties. (P.S. I believe Northumberland has the most.) Some¬ times a few are found in wild, boggy moors, where none can come at them. According to Kraczinsky and others, are found in great plenty in Poland and the other Northern Kingdoms. The Black Game will live well in menageries, but I never heard it propagate in that state.”— Tunst. MS. ° Ititi. Red (jtrouse, 2 males, 2 females, and 1 young. (Tetrao Scoticus, Lath . & Turt. —T. lagopus, y et \ Gm.) • ‘1 R r d i7 G 1 me J M £ 0r Cock ’ or Gorc <>ck. Plentiful in the North parts of England. Pair m spring, and lay from 6 to 10 eggs. The young brood follow the hen the whole summer. In winter join in tiocks ot 40 or 50, and become remarkably shy and wild. Always keep on the tops of hills, scarce ever found on'the sides, and never descending into the vallies.—No. 94.”— Allan MS. . u Red iF°j k ‘ This singular species of moor game appears to rue to be confined to the British Isles. Brisson and Buffon, though the latter describes it m two places, and all the Extra-Britannic Ornitho¬ logists, seem to have known little or nothing of it; some describing one species of Grouse, some another, but none exactly the right_ This fine species, like the Black, has been much diminished these late years, to my knowledge have a pretty large tract of moor my¬ self, of some miles extent, where I have known 25 or 30 brace killed °1 a Clay, but are now miserably fallen off, tho’ carefully watched • and in the same state are most of the moors in the North, owing to the f me causes as the destruction of the Black Cock. Some even say, the Act of Parliament, postponing the time for the commence¬ ment of shooting, has done more harm than good, as, when the hrnn!? ° n t- T™ kdl ®? 80 ear i y ' the old birds frequently had a second Whin f'h hlCh , esc ? ped .’ y et this appears to me rather problematical. When the early shooting was not forbid, they began in June, when killid hi°t°h dS Were 17 Sma11, and as man y w * re worried by dogs as R frt r he 0ne & r P at cause of their decrease, as well as the Black Game, is the population and enclosing of wild lands and moors. ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). It is singular this species is never found farther South than Stafford¬ shire, whereas the Black is found in the southern counties of Hamp¬ shire, Devonshire, Dorsetshire, &c. ; nay, some say, has been seen so nigh London as Bagshot. A confused story I have heard of some having been formerly on the New Forest Hampshire, but, on a dili¬ gent enquiry, have found no foundation for it. Few were formerly sent to London, as being a bird that keeps ill. Have been told, some tavern keepers in London profess to give a guinea a-piece for any they receive in condition; a shameful practice, and which en¬ courages poachers innumerable. I have been told, (and this from good authority,) even his Majesty had not tasted any till about ten years since, which, I believe, came from my moors. I sent a fine pair, well set up, to Linnseus, in the year 1773, which he admired much, and acknowledged in a very polite letter. He said, he had received from Dr. Ramsay a pair, the same year, very different in colour, which I much imagine must have been the Ptarmigan in its summer coat; I fancy in that state unknown to him.—(Red Game is, however, found of a light colour, and spotted with dark brown, which is most likely Dr. R.’s bird. See Selby , Ill. p. 309.— Ed.) He seems to think the Red Grouse peculiar to the British Islands, and is certain they are not the Lagopus. Said he was then about a new edition of his Systema Naturce (which I believe has never yet appeared, that great father of natural history and his son being now both dead), in which this species would come under the name of Bonasia Scotica, which I think not a good appellation, as tending to confound it with the Summer Ptarmigan, which, altho’ it is dis¬ tinct from, certainly bears great affinity to (particularly as they are in no way peculiar to Scotland, to which, indeed, the Ptarmigan, now at least, seems almost entirely confined). They are much more feathered, or, rather, downed, on the feet and toes in winter than summer : the claws are remarkably concave. One, of a much supe¬ rior size than usual, was killed near Richmond, in Yorkshire, in Oct. 1777, which weighed 25 ounces. Tho’ very shy in mild win¬ ters, yet in severe weather they will come down to the vales in the neighbourhood of the moors, and feed with the common fowls, and sit on the ling coverings of the poor cottages, sometimes in great numbers, the poor peasants not regarding them, or meddling with them. Was told by a neighbouring apothecary, who goes into the fells to visit his poor patients in this weather, that he has seen the whole roof of the house covered with moor game, sitting so quiet that they appeared at first like domestic poultry. “ They abhor wet, yet, on pursuit, will sometimes seek asylum near the bogs. In a wet season, many nests fail; and in a very dry one, many are said to perish for want of water. A pack generally consists of about 7 or 8 birds. They will run about when extremely small, long before they can fly. “ The Dutchess Dowager of Portland assured me she had bred some in her menageries, which I should scarce have credited, had I it not from her own mouth. Her Grace told me they had frequently pots of ling put into the menagery. “ Excuse this long digression, as I am in the country of this fine bird, the species of which I see daily expiring under my eyes, to my great regret, even in my own property, notwithstanding what care I can take of them.”— Tunst . MS. ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). 81 167. r he Ptarmigan, 4 specimens, 2 and 2. (Tetrao Lagopus, Lin. & Gm.) “ Met with on the highest hills in Scotland, and not uncommon m the Hebrides and Orknies, and a few inhabit the lofty hills near Keswick, as well as in Wales. Met with in flocks in winter; are stupid, silly birds. Lays 5 or G eggs, spotted with red brown. Sup¬ posed to be monogamous, for if the hen is killed, the male will not forsake her, so may be killed also with great ease. They are called Birch Partridges in America. Penn. i. v. no. 95.”— Allan MS. In the above account, Mr. Allan includes Wales in the habitat of the Ptarmigan, which Mr. Pennant omits, and Mr. Tunstali de¬ nies. Mr. Selby considers this bird as now entirely extinct in all parts of this island, south ot Scotland ; and he states that the female lays from 8 to 15 eggs.— Ed. “ Ptarmigan. I think this species is nearly the same as the Ame¬ rican \\ hite Grouse, if not the White Partridge. Have examined them together, and the difference is very small indeed, and not more than is usual in any long-established varieties.” (Mr. T. is right in the former supposition, though not in the latter, the American White Grouse, or Birch Partridge being decidedly our Ptarmigan, though the W hite Partridge (Tetrao albus, Lin.) is a different species.— Ed.) “ j. “ ave enquired much of the Cumberland people about them,_ believe scarce any are now to be seen about Keswick; in very severe winters some are seen on the great hill of Skiddaw, in Cum¬ berland, but this very rarely ; never heard of any in Wales.”_ Tunst. 168. The Common, or Grey Partridge, male and female. (Perdix cinerea, Lath.— Tetrao Perdix, Lin. & Gm.) Common Partridge.—Was told a brace of Partridges, quite wlute, were killed last year, at East Botchworth, by the Hon. Mr. Markham, son of Ld. Romney; they have often been seen in ac¬ cidental variety. The Norfolk Partridges seem superior in size and flavour to most of the British—think the French Partridges, as well as other game, superior in flavour to ours, perhaps as being a drier country, which all the Tetrao , or Perdix 9 species seem fond of”_ Tunst. MS. 169. The Guernsey, or Red Partridge, 2 males and 2 females. (Perdix rufa. Lath.— Tetrao rufus, Lin. & Gm.) Red Partridge. It is singular this species has never yet been t loroughiy propagated in England—many have been turned out in various parts by the Duke of Northumberland and others, but seem not to succeed ; probably this country is too moist for them. Mr. Hudson toid me one was shot at Newhaven, in Kent, in 1779, and some others had been seen there. The venerable Gen. Oglethorpe, so respectable for his age and merits, informed me he had heard many were turned out by Charles II. about Windsor, and he M 82 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). remembered some of them, or their descendants, being seen in that neighbourhood. The Perigord pies, so much esteemed in r ranee, are made of this species.”— Tunst. MS. . ,. This species, though it does not breed freely, if at all, m tins country, is, however, ranked among British Birds by Montague and others. Mr. Selby omits it,, and, perhaps, justly.— Ed. 170. The Quail, 2 specimens. (Perdix Coturnix, Lath.—' Tetrao Coturnix, Lin. & Gm.) “ The Quail. A few are found here, but not frequent. Those that come to London are mostly from French or Austrian Flanders, where I have seen them in great numbers. Those that are caught are mostly all cocks, being allured by the cry of the female, many of which, for decoys, are kept in single cages all oyer that country, and are perpetually calling. Cannot think this species can ever pass over the channel, except, indeed, aided by a hard gale of wind; they are so heavy flyers, and having such short wings”.— Tunst. MS. 171. The Great Bustard, male and female. (Otis Tarda, Lin. & Gm. — Edw. Birds, t. /9, male, with a view of Stonehenge, and t. 80, fern.) « The largest of our land fowls. Inhabits most of the open countries of the south and east parts of this island, especially At nti, and sometimes met with in flocks of 40 or 50. Are exceedingly shy, difficult to be shot, run fast, and when on the wing can fly, though slowly, many miles without resting. Keep near their old haunts, seldom wandering above 20 or 30 miles. They feed on corn, vegetables, and earth worms. Makes no nest, only scrapes a hole in the ground, and lays 2 large eggs, of a pale olive brown, marked with spots. Are esteemed delicious eating. The hen aban¬ dons the nest, if the eggs be touched in her absence.”— Allan MS. “ Bustard. This fine fowl, in my opinion the prince of English wild fowl, as well for delicacy of flavour, as also for its superiority of magnitude, I think, is not so rare as some imagine ; notwithstanding its size, by its extreme caution and shyness, it rarely is exposed to the sportsman, except in breeding time. Some still remain on our Yorkshire wolds. An acquaintance of mine pursued for three days the last summer, without effect, a brood of seven, and one of twelve at least, he had heard of. They sometimes, especially the male, be¬ come extremely large. Have been assured one now in the Levenan Museum, when entire, weighed 29 pounds. P. S. A gentleman of veracity once assured me that going over Salisbury Plain in a chaise, and seeing a Bustard at no considerable distance, he quickly sprung out of the chaise, and seized it before it could rise into the air.”— Tunst. MS. The Bustard is considered extinct in the Wiltshire Downs, where it used to be most common, and is now only to be met with, and that rarely, in extensive enclosures in Norfolk. ( See Selb. Ill.)—Our male specimen furnished the figure for Mr. Bewick’s work.— Ed. 83 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). 172. The Little Bustard. (Otis Tetrax, Lin. Sc Gm. —French Field Duck, Albin. iii. t. 41. Edw. Birds, t. 251.— Bew. Birds, i. p. fem. ?) “ Little Bustard. Had one of this rare species in England given me in 1774, shot, I think, in Sussex, about Christmas. Was as¬ sured by the person who dissected it that it was a male, yet had no¬ thing of the blackness of the neck. I have it now in my Museum. Quere, whether a variety, or, not as yet moulted of the nest feathers ?” — Tunst. MS. Our specimen, though a male bird, as shewn by Mr. Tunstall’s remark, wants the dark throat of that sex in its perfect plumage, and adds another instance to those given by Mr. Selby, of this negative state of plumage, which is probably the winter dress of the male, our bird being, with the rest, killed at that season. The point remains to be proved by the naturalists of the continent, where the species is sufficiently common, particularly in countries bordering on the Mediterranean, and where it is esteemed as the choicest gibier. The bird mentioned by Latham, in his Supplement, as killed in Sussex, I judge to be our identical subject, and that he derived the account of it from Mr. T.’s above observation, which was addressed to him. The beauty of our well-preserved specimen is deserving of particular notice on account of its age and condition.— Ed. 173. The Thick-kneed Bustard, or Stone Cur¬ lew, 2 specimens. (Otis Oedicnemus, Lath. —Charadrius Oedicnemus, Lin. Sc Gm. —Oedicnemus crepitans, Temm.) “ Thick-kneed Bustard. Very rare in these parts, yet one was taken in this neighbourhood in August, 1782, probably blown out of its customary haunts by storms, many of which were felt about that time. It was extremely lean and pined.*’—TV/ twL MS. “ I wonder that the Stone Curlew should be mentioned by wri¬ ters as a rare bird: it abounds in all the campaign parts of Hamp¬ shire and Sussex, and breeds, I think, all the summer, having young ones, I know, very late in the autumn. They cannot, I think, with any propriety be called, as they are by Mr. Ray, circa aquas versan- tes," for with us, by day at least, they haunt only the most dry, open, upland fields and sheep-walks, far removed from water: what they may do in the night I cannot say. Worms are their usual food, but they also eat toads and frogs. The Stone Curlew lays its two or three, on the bare ground, without any nest, so that the countrymen, in stirring the fallows, frequently destroy them. Ocdic- nemus is a most apt and expressive name for them,* since their legs seem swollen like those of a gouty man.”— White's Selb. iett. loand 16 . The habits of this bird being those of the Bustard, have justified . those authors who have placed it in this genus, rather than in that of the Plovers, with which it forms the connecting link. It is placed among the Grallse, or Waders, by Temminck, though never found in watery places: and also by Linnaeus.— Ed. * Ex oitw, tumeo, et KVtipn, tibia. 84 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS)# II. WATER BIRDS. 174 . The Spoonbill, adult male with long crest. (Platalea Leuco rodia, Lin. & Gm.) « Spoonbill. I imagine the crest is the distinction of the male as well as in the Herons. Have two without the least appearance of a crest, but another with a very elegant one, composed of many lea¬ thers.”— Twist. MS. - , . . Mr. Tun stall’s supposition of the crest being a mark ot sex is not found to be correct, any more than in the Common Herons, as the female of the Spoonbill has a short crest, and it is the young birds, (as in the adjoining case,) or the old in moult, of both species, that are without. Mr. Bewick has figured one of our uncrested speci¬ mens, and it is to be regretted that he did not prefer the crested one, as his figure has been copied for the type of the adult bird ( See Shaw's Zool. vol. xii.) The species is most numerous in Holland. (Temm.)— Ed. 175. Spoonbill, 2 young birds. (Platalea Leuco rodia, les jeunes de 1’ anne'e, Temm. PI. nivea, Cuv.) Without crest, and margins of the wings brown. They ^e, how¬ ever, taller than the adult specimen. Cuvier has described this state as a distinct species, though Temminck had the best means of judging, and denies it— Ed. 176. The White Stork. (Ciconia alba, Temm .—Ardea Ciconia, Lin. & Gmel.) “ Scarce ever met with in England. In France as well as in Holland they build on the tops of the houses, where the inhabitants place stones for them to make their nests in, which are composed of sticks ; lays from 2 to 4 eggs, size of those of a goose, but a little longer. The young are hatched in a month : the male and female watch them by turns ’till they can take care of themselves. The Stork sleeps on one leg; snaps with its bill in a singular manner: devours reptiles—hence the veneration of all sects for this bird.-— Its flesh is.and unsavoury.”— Allan MS. Mr. Bewick’s figure was made from this specimen. 177 . The Common Heron. (Ardea cinerea, Lath.—A. major. Lin. & Gm.) The 3 specimens which came with the Museum were found to be decayed, and are now replaced with 1 young bird— See Recent Acq. ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). 85 178. The Night Heron. (Ardea nycticorax, Lin. & Gm.) Mr. Bewick’s figure was taken from this specimen, which should have three white feathers in the crest, of which one is wanting— , 1 , rdenlan and spotted Herons of authors are the young birds of the 1st and 2d year.— Ed. 179. The Great Bittern, 2 specimens, and a Weasel in same case. (Ardea stellaris, Lin. & Gm.) Bitterns. Common in this kingdom, and very retired, conceal¬ ing themselves amongst reeds and marshy places, where they make their nests, and lay 4 or 5 eggs, of a pale greenish-ash color, and the young are hatched m 25 days. Is an indolent bird, and stirs little v lv H f d3 a r °" Scd J 1 ™ ,10t difficult t0 as it flies hea- vi y; feeds on fish mice, and frogs, and other reptiles: builds its nest with leaves, on a dry clump among the reeds, and lays 5 or 6 eggs. IiirtT 8 " °) H |"'u VI f L tHeS ? birds were held in high esteenfat our tables, and valued at Is.; and they seem to be again rising into mirkcr’ be, T g u eXP °f d t0 f't’ as , wcl1 as the Heron, in the London markets. The palates of the Irish relish it greatly, as sometimes half a guinea is given for one at Dublin; their flesh has much the flavour of a hare, and nothing of the fishiness of the Heron.' "—Allan “J he ® itte ™’ Many of these, as well as the Ardea cinerca, in these parts. Is the old error sufficiently refuted, of the Bitterns making the bumping or bellowing noise with its bill in a reed ? it is buds.iraZtd/r’ " ^ m0St ° f the unusual ~er cries of 180 . I he Little Bittern. (Ardea minuta, Lin. & Gm.) “ Ihave a specimen of the Ardea minuta, shot about the year l/<3, near Christchurch, in Hampshire.”— Twist. MS. ^ 1 hough common in Holland, this is a rare bird in England ami therefore, the indifferent state of our specimen may be exensed - sv ' e , ,‘ e f| lt be i thC ° n f T n ? i c led by Mr ’ Pennant as caught on the h? nn’r ' ' e 0, \ ly »T* C h t, bad heard of > cannot b c ascertained, though is not improbable. Mr. Bewick made his first figure from it but Supp- e to g Br V . en Birds.-£i ram “ and be “ er S P ecimen - 181. The Little White Heron. (Ardea mquinoctialis, Lin. & Gm. —A. russata, junior. Team. La Garzette blanche. Buff. ?_Red-bilIed and little-white Herons Penn. Arct. Zool.-Caies. Car. i. t. 77-Mot Supp. tab. 9.—Brit. Mus. No. 136.) “ Tattle white Heron. Once in plenty in these kingdoms (?) hnf now extinct. Inhabit Carolina in the spring, and believed to breed 86 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). there ; not seen in winter. Are common in New York and Jamaica. Ardea cequinoctialis."—Allan MS. “ Have a beautiful specimen of a small white Heron, I take to be the Ardea cequinoctialu of Linnaeus, given me by bir Ashton ^Lone before Mr. Montague introduced as a British bird, the Little White Heron (Ardea cequinoctialis , Lin.), those names were applied, as above, to the bird in the Wycliffe Museum, now under consi¬ deration, as a British species Doubts having been thrown on the fact of Montague’s bird being really British, by M. Temminck de¬ nying the possibility of it {Sec Man. p. 565), we are obliged for the present, either to consider our specimen as not of British capture, or as belonging to some other species. It is no easy matter to de¬ termine which, from the little that is known on the subject of white Herons, which seems to be the plumage of the young of 5 or 6 dif¬ ferent species. M. Temminck appears well acquainted with the distinctions, but having described, as within his plan, only the two European species, (Ard. Egretta Sr GarzettaJ land given a few slight indications of the American ones, I am not able from his remarks to satisfy myself respecting our bird.— See Man. A Orn. p. 066. Much confusion has occurred on the subject of white Herons— Almost all Herons are adorned, in their adult state, with loose orna- mental feathers on their head, breast, or back, or all. In their young state and moult, they are without these appendages. Hence the great and little Egretts have furnished 4 species instead ot l. Uur specimen agrees with the unplumed state of neither of these species, being much less than the former, and having a coloured bill and red lores, different from the latter, though agreeing in size. 1 am there¬ fore disposed to consider Mr. Tunstall’s original indication as most correct, and to leave it named as by him ; hoping that, notwithstand¬ ing M. Temminck’s assumption, we may still prove the species to be a traveller to Britain. Mr. Bewick has engraved a figure of our bird for his new edition of British birds.— Ed. 182. The Curlew. fNumenius arquata, Lath. Mont. & Temm.— Scolopax arqua- ta, Lin . fy Gm.) “ Curlew. These birds are seen upon the moors in Autumn, and are then reckoned very delicious meat. The different accounts of them, by different authors, some condemning them as rank and fishy, others extolling them as delicacies, seem at first contradictory, but may be reconciled; as, when near the sea-coast and marshes, they are very disgusting; when they come inland, and on the moors, they become very palatable, and loose entirely their marau taste— According to the old proverb, a Curlew, be she white, be she black, she carries 12 pence on her back.”— Tumt. MS. 183. The Dunlin and Purre. fTrinea variabilis, Meyer & Temm.— Tringa alpina et Cinclus, 6 Lin. & Gm.) “ Purre or Stint (Tringa cinclus). Come on our coast in prodi¬ gious flocks during winter, and in their flight perform their evolutions 87 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). with great regularity, appearing like a white or dusky cloud, as they turn their backs or breasts towards you. Leave us in spring, and retire to some unknown place to breed. W ere formerly a great dish at our tables.”— Allan MS. 184. The Knot, 2 birds in case. (Tringa cinerea, Temm. —T. cinerea, grisea, and Canutus, Lin. —Red Knot, Steph. in Shaw's Zool. The Knot is the most Proteus- formed bird of this division, and has occasioned the greatest reduplication of species in the description of authors. Its winter dress includes the Grisled, Ash-coloured, and Knot Sand-pipers of Latham ; its summer plumage, the Red Sand¬ piper (T. Islandica) of the same author; and the young, during their first moult in spring, his Dusky, Speckled, and Southern Sand¬ piper, and the Aberdeen S. of Pennant. The specimens in our possession are in that state when it is most usually seen in winter, the Ash-coloured ( cinerea ). The other states are among our Dcside- rata. Mr. Allan’s note is as follows“Knot (Tringa Canutus). Frequent the Lincolnshire coasts, and are there taken in great num¬ bers : m general disappear on the first frosts. When fattened are by some preferred to the Ruffs.”— Allan MS. It is supposed to derive its name from its being a favourite dish of our Danish king, Canute, changed in process of time into Knot_ Ed. 185. The Ruff, 2 birds. (Tringa Pugnax, Lin. $ Gm.) The male is called a Ruff, and the female a Reeve, which wants the ruff. Their plumage is so various that it is scarce possible to 6ee two alike. Found in Lincolnshire, the Isle of Ely, and East Riding of Yorkshire, and are reckoned most delicious eating, equal to the woodcock. The males are constantly fighting for the females He chuses a stand on a dry bank, running round a particular spot so often as to make a bare circle, and the moment the hen appears the ™ a * es b £? m fi £ h , tin £* Has thc same actions as the Cock.”— Allan In hlS 1S a so ’ . as we ^ as tJle a most variable species, and the different quotations of authors will be found among our Deside - 186. The Redshank. (Totanus calidris, Temm.— Scolopax calidris, Lin .—Chevalier —Chevalier aux pieds rouges, ou la Gam- •,nH I f a ?h eWick COn j e :, tured that the Striated Sandpiper of Pennant and Latham was of this species, which is confirmed by Temminck who states it to be the “ young in moult taking their winter livery.” £L„; Pher ' S ’ th ° Ugh awar L e °i this remark > P Iaces the Striated saxzisr" “"" S”’'” 1 ”' «”* ■.« 187. Bewick’s Sandpiper, Mont. 2 birds. (Totanus Bewickii, Stephens ,in Shaw's Zool.—Tringa Bcvvickii, 88 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). Mont. Supp. App.—Red-legged Sandpiper, Bew. Br. Birds, ii. p. 113, with figure.) We seem to possess one specimen, :f not more, of this bird, described by the above authors as a distinct species. Mr. Bewick, however, disclaims it as such, and thinks it only a state of some other well-known species, with red legs, probably that next to which I have placed it, or of a Ruff. 188. The Green Sandpiper. (Totanus ochropus, Temm. —Tringa ochropus, Lin, & Gmel.) “ Common in many parts of Europe, but scarce in England, and is, for the most part, a solitary species, frequenting waters and streams, but never found near the sea. Has a musky smell, like some of the Petrel genus. Never met with in greater numbers than 4 or 5.”— Allan MS. The age of this specimen is ascertained by a printed label, inside the case, to be 51 years, thus :—“ All sorts of birds and lady’s lap- dogs stuff by Thomas Hall, in Foster’s Buildings, in White-cross, London, Sept. 5, 1774.” 189. The Common Sandpiper, 5 birds. (Totanus hypoleucos, Temm. —Tringa hypoleucos, Lin. & Gju.) 190. The Black-tailed Godwit. (Limosa meianura, Temm. —Jadreka Snipe of authors.—Red Godwit of Penn. & Lath.) 191. The Barred-tail, or Common Godwit. (Limosa rufa, Temm.) I refrain from giving the Linnaean synonyms of these two species, which would only continue the confusion which has hitherto reigned between them, they being both subject to similar changes of plumage, and red in their summer dress. This is fortunately cleared up by Temminck by his reduction of various species into these two, which he has arranged in the Genus Limosa, viz. the black-tail kinds, which include the Jadreka Snipes and Red Godwits of authors; and the bar tailed, which are all different states of the Common Godwit, and includes the Red-brested Snipe of Montague, its proper summer dress. I may mention that Temminck quotes Sc. aegocephala and Lapponica, Lin. as synonyms, both belonging to the Black-tailed God¬ wit, whereas the former term is generally applied to the Common Godwit. Hence the necessity of losing sight of the Linnrean syno¬ nyms altogether.— Ed. 192. The Woodcock, 2 birds, 1 light coloured. (Scolopax Rusticola, Lin. Sc Gm.) “ Woodcock. Very few in this neighbourhood, yet some are ge¬ nerally seen very early in October, on the moor edges. Old people, almost throughout the kingdom, mention their being much dimi¬ nished of late years, which probably does not happen from any ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). 8$ scarcity of the breed, but, as I think, is most probably occasioned by the winters being, in general, for some years much milder than formerly over almost all Europe, so they find not the necessity so great of leaving their native country. The frost, which prevents them thrust¬ ing their bills into the ground in search of worms, their natural food, iL P l°A >a /iL t o e oN immediate causc of their Last Winter indeed (I <83 .) was very severe, and still woodcocks, if possible, scarcer than ever in these parts; but then the weather in England, and even in Ireland, was very little milder than the rest of Europe. V ■ vera b though, were killed in Cumberland and some other parts of the north). In September, 1782, a young Woodcock, about two-thirds grown, was shot near Durham. Some dun and white varieties have been seen. One was sent me, shot about 30 miles ott, about four years since; and in the year 1766, one was killed in VViston lordship, near York, which had all the large feathers per- • THe ^ me o rica , n S P ecieS ’ less tha " <>«**, with short legs and differing much, (Scolopax paludosa, Gm.) seems omitted in anl by most others ' 1 llave a specimen.’•— Twist. IA - 1 he latter is wanting in the Museum now_ Ed. 193. The Common Snipe. (Scolopax Gallinago, Lin. & Gm.) No bird so universally spread over the globe as this species, summer they disperse in different parts” (csetera desunt).— Allan i! 194. The Jack Snipe. (Scolopax Callinula, Lin. & Gm.) 195. The Lapwing, or Pee-wit, 8 birds, viz. 2 and 4 young, and 2 ditto. (Vanellus cristatus, Beck. & Temm .—Tringa Vanellus, Lin . & Gm.) 196 . 1 he Grey Peover, or Sand -piper, 2 specimens. (Vanellus melanogaster, Seek. & Temm .—Tringa Squatarola et Helvetica, Lin. & Gmcl.) Now and then seen in small flocks in winter. Found in Caro¬ lina, also in Siberia, appearing there in autumn in great flocks. They are also found common in the regions of the Arctic Circle and ex- treme North, where they breed. Their flesh is very delicate.”— rv . ' ,,u ; specimen is in its winter dress, such as is usually lL * 1 ?. Englan 1 ( ?>. the surnmer plumage, or Swiss Sandpiper, is oe lound in an adjoining case, received from Siberia_ Ed. 197. The Golden Plover, 2 specimens. (Charadrius Pluvialis, Lin. & Gm.) The summer plumage of this species, as well as of the last, has the black breast; in which state it has also been described by In MS. 90 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). authors as a distinct species. Vide Charadrius apricarius, Lin. & Gmel.-— Alwargrim Plover, Lath. — Edxc. Birds, t. 140. 198. The Dottrell, 3 birds. (Charadrius Morinellus, Lin. & Gmel.) “Common in some parts of England, where they appear in^ April, and stay to the end of May and part of June, during which they are fat and much esteemed for their delicate flavour. Are stupid birds, easily enticed into a net. A dull person is proverbially called a Dottrell.”— Allan MS. 199. The Ringed Plover, or Dottrell, 3 birds, viz. 2 and 1. (Charadrius Hiaticula, Lin. & Gmcl.) “ Sea Lark (Charadrius, sive Hiaticula). Frequent our shores in summer, but are not numerous. Lays 4 eggs, of a dull white colour, sparingly sprinkled with black. Disappear on the approach of winter. There is alight coloured variety in this Museum.”— Allan MS. 200. The Oyster Catcher, 3 specimens, viz. 2 and 1. (Ilaematopus Ostralegus, Lin. & Gmel.) “ Sea Pie, Olive, or Oyster Catcher. Common in England. Feed on shell-fish, and particularly oysters and limpets. Seen in great flocks in winter, but do not leave us. In summer are met with only in pairs. Lays 4 or 5 eggs on the bare ground, above water-mark. Hatch in three weeks. Are wild in flocks, yet easily brought up tame, if taken when young.”— Allan MS. 201. The Water Rail, 2 specimens. (Railus aquaticus, Lin. & Gmcl.) “ Water Rail, Bilcock, or Brook Ouzel. Common in this king¬ dom in the north, where it is seen in winter. On appearance of danger rather trusts to its legs than its wings, as it runs fast and flies ill. Though its feet are not webbed, it takes the water, and swims tolerably. Is sometimes found in the London markets, but it is by no means comparable to the Land Rail. Allan MS. 202. Crake Gallinule, or Corn-Crake, male and female. (Gallinula Crex, Lath.— Rallus Crex, Lin. & Gmel.) This bird shews the impossibility of any perfect arrangement, founded on the grand divisions of land and water birds, as its habits are much more those of the former class, though its exterior cha¬ racters are decidedly those of the Water Hen and its congeners; and Temminck states its habitat to be principally in the neighbour¬ hood of marshes, though with us it is found mostly, as is well known, ALLAN MUSEUM ('BRITISH BIRDS). 91 in corn fields. It derives its name of Crake, or Crex, from its note, which words it resembles. — Ed. 203. Spotted Gallinule, 2 birds. (Gallinula Porzana, hath .—Rallus Porzana, Lin. & Gmel.) Spotted Gallinule. This pretty species, rare in most parts of Lmgiand is not unfrequently shot here, and as late as October.”— Twist. MS. „ ,T hese two specimens were, by mistake, labelled by Mr. Allan Common Water Hen.” They are very handsome, and in fine preservation _ Ed. 204-. Common Water Hen, 2 birds, and 1 with 3 young. (Gallinula chloropus, Lath. —Fulica chloropus, Lin. & Gmel.) 205. The Coot, 2 birds and 1 young, with nest and eggs. (Fulica atra, Lin. & Gmel,) 206. The Crested Grebe, male and female, (Podiceps cristatus, Lath .—Colymbus cristatus, Lin.) 207. The Tippet Grebe, 2 specimens, viz. 1 and 1. (Podiceps cristatus, junior.—Colymbus Urinator, Lin.) “ Said to be rather scarce in England, but has been shot on the shore. Common, in the wintertime, on the Lake of Geneva, and are killed for the sake of their beautiful skins; the under side of ™ e . m jessed with the feathers on, and made into muffs.”— Allan MS. This is the young of the preceding species.— Ed. 208. The Eared Grebe, male, and female? or young ? with nest and eggs. (Podiceps auritus, Lath.—r Colymbus auritus, Lin. & Gm.) 209. The Little Grebe, 2 birds, (Podiceps minor. Lath. & Mont.) “ Little Grebe, Didapper, Dipper, Dabchick, Small Ducker, Loon, or Arsfoot (Colymbus fluviatilis). Frequents same places as other Grebes, even more common. Makes a large nest, floating in the water, and lays 5 or 6 eggs. Always cov.ers them when it leaves the nest. I hey eat fish, insects, and plants. Is an excellent diver.” —Allan MS. 210. 1 he Avoset, 2 specimens. (Recurvirostra Avocetta, Lin. & Gmel.) Frequent in winter on the sea shores of this kingdom. In the breeding season qre found in vast numbers in the fens in Lincoln- 92 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). shire, Cambridge, and Suffolk. Feed on worms and insects ,«Udi they scoop out of the soft mud with their bills. Like the Lap\ g, when disturbed, they fly over our heads, extending their neck a id long legs, and make a shrill noise; and for this reason the counter people call them Yelpers. Often wade into the water as far as then legs will let them, and occasionally swim, but always close to the shore.”— Allan MS. Mr. Bewick made his drawing from these specimens. 211. The Great Auk. (Alca impennis, Lin. & Gin.) “ Breeds on the island of St. Kilda. Lays one egg, close to the sea mark, 6 inches long, which, if taken away, they will not lay another that season. Feeds on fish, is a very shy bird, walks ill, but dives well, and is seldom observed beyond soundings. The wings are so small as to be useless for flight. The skin of the body is sup¬ posed to be used by the Eskimaux Indians for garments. The old ones are rarely seen ashore, though the young are not unfrequently met with.”— Allan MS. . rfl Our bird is apparently a young one, agreeably to Mr. Allan s re¬ mark. I add some description of it, as the young was not known to Temminck—Neck black, spotted or mottled with white ; bill, up¬ per mandible, with one large sulcus at the base, none a ^ he ^P^ this respect analogous to the young and old Razor Bill (Alca Toida and Pica, Lin.) 6 or 8 grooves at the tip of the lower mandible, but without the white ground.— Ed, 212. The Razor-billed Auk. (Alca Torda, Lin. & Gm.) 213. The Puffin, 2 birds, 1 and 1. (Alca arctica, Lin. & Gm.—Mormon fratercula, Temm .) “ Puffin, Coulter-neb, or Sea Parrot (Alca arctica). Frequent several parts of the British coasts, but in the greatest numbers at Priestholm Island, off Anglesea. Are birds of passage, and resort there annually, where they dislodge the rabbits from their holes, and take possession thereof. Lay only one egg, white, and hatch in July. The old ones shew vast affection for their young, and seem totally insensible of danger in the breeding season. Their flesh is excessive rank, but when pickled with spices, are esteemed by those who love high eating. Their noise, when taken, is like the efforts of a dumb person to speak. Pennant.”—Allan MS Alca arctica, or Sea Parrot. It is amazing how long this and some other congenerous species will live without food. I had some sent me out of the Isle of Wight, that were long npon the road ' without food, and yet seemed apparently in health when they arm ed, but on food being given them, they all died the next day. " n> ' MS. 214. The Little Auk. Alca Alle, Lin. & Gm.— Uria Alle, Temm.) 93 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). 215. The Foolish Guillemot, summer plumage, 2 birds, viz. 1 and 1. (Uria Troile, Lath .—Colymbus Troile, Lin. & Gm.) “ Are found in amazing numbers on the high cliffs of our coasts, and are very simple, for notwithstanding they are shot at, and see' their companions killed around them, they will not quit the place. Like the Auk, they lay one egg, 3 inches long, of a blueish white or pale sea green, particularly spotted and streaked with black, that no two are alike. Known by the name of the Sea Hen. Penn:' _ Allan MS. 216. The Black Guille3iot. (Uria Grylle, Lath —Colymbus Grylle, Lin. & Gnu) “ Black Guillemot. Found in the Bass Isle of Scotland and St. Kilda, and the Farn Islands. Except at breeding time it keeps al¬ ways at sea, and very difficult to be shot, diving on the flash of the the pan. Makes the nest round, and lays a grey egg.”_ Allan MS, 217. The Great Northern Diver, young. (Colymbus glacialis, junior, Lin.) A mature bird of this species must have been in the collection formerly, as Mr. Bewick made his figure from it, which marks the perfect plumage. We are in possession of a fine adult specimen, killed last year in the Tyne, amongst the recent acquisitions_ Ed. * 218. Red-throated Diver. (Colymbus septentrionalis, Lin. & Gmel.) “ Breeds in northern parts of Scotland, on the borders of lakes Live in pairs.was marked with black spots. Make their nests m grass, contiguous to the water. Auk ward only on land. Dives well, and flies high and admirably .-at times a hideous howl. The Rain Gosse. Feeds on fish.and insects.”— Allan MS. “ Colymbus septentrionalis and arcticus. Red and Black-throated Divers.^ ^ Have been assured these are only sexual varieties.”_ Tunst. MS. This opinion is reviving.— Ed. 219. The Speckled Diver. (Colymbus septentrionalis Temm. junior.— C. stellatus, Gm,— First Speckled Diver, Bctv. Birds.) “ Great Speckled Diver, or Loon (Colymbus glacialis stellatus). Common in winter in our seas and rivers—called by the fishermen Spnd Loon, being often seen in vast numbers among the shoals of sprats, upon a wing after them, and frequently.when fishing ....... are subject to vary in their spots and colours • some have the necks surrounded with a speckled ring, in some the spots are round, in others oblong. Lay 2 eggs on the grass, on the borders of lakes and ponds near the sea, exactly of the size of a goose’s. "—Allan MS. * 94 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). 220. The Common Tern, 2 birds. (Sterna Hirundo, Lin. & Gm.) “ Frequents our sea coasts, and the banks of rivers and lakes during the summer, but mostly near the sea. Lays 3 or 4 eggs.”— Allan MS. 221. The Lesser Tern. (Sterna minuta, Lin. & Gm.) “ Common, and frequents sea coasts. Are very delicate, and unable to bear the inclemency of winter on our coasts, but return in spring. Feed on small fish and insects.”— Allan MS, 222. The Black Tern. (Sterna fissipes, Lin, & Gm.) “ Frequent fresh waters, and are found in vast numbers, in sum¬ mer, in the Lincolnshire Fens; but never associate with the other Terris. Make a great noise. 7 ’— Allan MS. 223. The Common Gull. (Lams canus, Lin. & Gnu) 224. The Kittiwake. (Larus tridactylus, Lath. —L. Rissa, Lin. & Gm.) “ These birds inhabit the romantic cliffs of Flambro’ Head, (where they are called Petrells) the Bass Isle, &c. The young are a favour rite dish in Scotland, being served up roasted a little before dinner, in order to provoke the appetite ; but from their rank taste and smell, seem much more likely to produce a contraiy effect.”— Allan MS. 225. The Brown-headed Gull.—(A lbin.) (Larus ridibundus, Lin. & Gm. —Mouette rieuse ou a capuchon brun, Temm; Plumage d’ete.— Albin. 2, t. 86.) “ Black-headed, or Laughing Gull (Larus ridibundus). Called by some Sea Crow, Black Cap, and Pewit Gull. Breeds on the shores of Essex, and also on the Lincolnshire Fens. Are birds of passage. Make their nest on the ground with rushes and dead grass, and lay 3 eggs, of a dirty olive colour, marked black. The young were formerly highly esteemed in our noblemen’s feasts ; even now are thought good eating; and are in London called Red- Their notes a coarse laugh, hence their name.”— Allan MS. This is the exact state of Albin’s figure.— Ed. 226. La petite Mouette grise, of Bewick. (Larus cinerarius, Lin. & Gmel ,—Red-legded Gull, Lath.) The specimen from which Mr. B. made his figure. It is the winter plumage, or young moulting of Larus ridibundus— Ed. 227. The Herring Gull, young. (Larus fuscus, Lin. & Gm.) ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). 95 ‘‘9 0mm ° n in this kingdom, and breed on the ledges of rocks that over-hang the sea. Make a large nest of dead grass, and lay 3 eggs, of a du ty white, spotted with black. Feed on fish, and are a great enemy to herrings. Is a constant attendant on nets, and is bold as to seize its prey before the fisherman’s face.”— Allan MS. 228. The Wagel. (Larus marinus, Lin. junior. —L. naevius, Gm.) 229. The Skua Gull. (Larus Catarractes, Lin —Lestris Catarractes, Temm.) “ Inhabits the northern parts of these kingdoms. Is a voracious and fierce species, its prey being not only fish, but what is wonder- ul in a web-footed bird, all the lesser sort of water fowl. Has the fierceness of an Eagle in defending its young. Will attack the in¬ vaders of its haunts without fear should they approach, so that they hold a knife erect over 1 their head, on which the bird will transfix it- GanneL”11to l7 lU0Ughby * is SUpp0Sed t0 be tbe C °™ b “ Skua Gull. Have one from Edinburgh.”_ Tunst. MS. 230. The Shearwater Petrel of Pennant. (ProcellariaAnglorum, Temm. —Puffinus Anglorum, Ran _ Procell ana Puffinus of Brunn. “ but not of Linnceus, nor of Lamm, to whom this bird was unknown,” Temm .—Manks i uttm, Edw. Birds, t. 359.) Plentiful in the Orknies and Western Isles, though hitherto con¬ founded with the Lmnsean Puffin Petrel, which is a larger bird, and inhabits the southern coasts of Europe. Mr. Bewick’s figure was made from our specimen.— Ed. 231. The Stormy Petrel. (Procellaria pelagica, Lin. & Gm.) “ Petrel, or Storm-finch. One was sent me killed in Derbyshire an inland county; a rare instance of their being seen so far from' sea. Tunst. MS. Another was exhibited last year (1825) to the Lmnsean Society, by Mr. Bicheno, killed also in an inland county! viz. m Berkshire.— See Zool. Jour. vol. ii, p. 135. 232. The Goosander. (Mergus Merganser, Lin. & Gm.) . n The t e b j rds . frequent our rivers and other fresh waters, especi- cially in hard winters. Are great divers, and live on fish. Never seen in southern parts of Great Britain during summer, when they IbbT f Thu rth t0 breed ' u '. leommonl y rank, and scarcely eat! able. This specimen is the male bird, and was shot in the river Tees, near WychfTe, in January, 1789. The female is less than the male, and supposed to be the Dun Diver, or Sparling Fowl.”— All. MS. 96 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). 233. The Dun Diver, female of Goosander. (Mergus Merganser, Temm. fern.—Mergus Castor, Lin. & Gm.) 234. The Red-breasted Merganser, male. (Mergus Serrator, Lin. & Gm.) 235. Ditto, immature? 2 specimens. 236. The Smew. (Mergus albellus, Lin.) 237 The Red headed Smew, young of the Smew. (Mergus albellus, jun.—M. minutus, Lath. —Lough Diver, Bew.) 238. The Tame Swan, 2 specimens. (Anas Olor, Gm.) 239. The Bean Goose, or Wild Goose. (Anas segetum, Lin. —L* Oie vulgaire ou sauvage, Temm.) “ This species inhabits the English Fens, and is not believed to migrate, as they are known to breed there during the winter. In their flight they preserve great regularity in their motions, some¬ times forming a straight line, at others something in the shape of a wedge, which facilitates their progress ; for they cut the air the rea¬ dier in that form than if they flew indiscriminately. It is called the Bean Goose, from the likeness of the nail of the bill to horse beans.” _ Allan MS. The first sentence of this description relates to a differ¬ ent species, the Grey Lag Goose. The whole is taken from Pennant. Till of late years the two species have been confounded. This breeds in the Hebrides, and other northern climes, but not in Eng¬ land, as does the Grey Lag Goose. It is, however, not less com¬ mon, but is distinguished from it by the bill being orange in the middle, and black at the base and tip.— Ed. 240. The Red-breasted Goose. (Anas ruficollis, Gm.) tt Anas sen Anser rnJicoUis. Siberian Goose. Have a beautiful specimen of this scarce species. It is not, I am pretty sure, either in the British or Leverian Museums. Is, I believe, only described by Pallas, in his Spicilcgia Zoologica , fasciculus sextus , p. 21, with a figure; at least some of the best judges have determined it to be the same. It was shot in the severe frost in the beginning of the year 1776, near London. Never heard, I think, but of two more seen in England. One was taken alive in this neighbourhood, and is still living._(P. S. Was the property of a lady lately deceased. )—It is kept in a pond with some ducks of the wild breed, with which it is very sociable, but never produced any breed together, though there 97 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). i* one it particularly associates with, and seems to be partial to. It js very tame and familiar. This is, I think, the most beautiful of the Anas genus.”— Tunst. MS. Mr. Latham, in copying this account, adds, from subsequent information, that the last mentioned interesting bird lived until 1785, when it lost its life by an accident. It is not known what became ol its remains, which were probably not preserved, as being in a coun¬ try where, as Mr. Tunstall remarked, there were no ornithologists, except himself. — ( Vide Memoirs, p. 10.) It will be found by com¬ paring the above account of Mr. Tunstall’s (and for the fidelity of the transcript I pledge myself,) with Latham’s extract, that the latter is incorrect, in stating 1766, rather than 1776,* as the year our bird (w Inch was the London one) was killed, and that it occurred in the beginning of the frost , rather than in the frost which happened in the beginning oj the year, both which mistakes are copied in Shaw's General Zoology, vol xii. and Bewick's Birds ; a too common con- sequence in Natural History, of not referring to original documents. Ihe Museum has reason to be proud of this subject, no less from its extieme rarity, than from the beautiful state in which it is preserved. Our specimen is repeatedly quoted in the descriptions of authors. bee Latham's Synopsis, Bewick's Birds, and Stephens' Continuation ot Shaw t Zoology, in which last work Mr. Bewick’s figure, which was made from our bird, is copied_ Ed. 241. The Bernacle. (Anas erythropus, Lin.) This species was supposed to be produced from the Lepas anati - Jcra, a shell so named by Linnseus, to record the vulgar error._ Ed. 242. The Brent Goose. (Anas Berniela, {Lin. & Gm .) “ Frequent our coasts in winter. Easily become tame, and being fatted, are thought delicate food, though rather fishy. Are often sold in London markets. Fly in the shape of a wedge, like the Wild Ljoose. In Scotland are called Horra Geese, from being found in Horra Sound, in the Shetlands. Breed in the islands, and along the coasts, but never fly inwards. Penn."—Allan MS. “ The Brent, I much apprehend, is the same as the Berniela, though varying in colour, yet resembling so much in shape, size, and manners, are only varieties; perhaps even sexual. Find that Mr. * Lhe correctness of this date is further proved by a reference to the Zll\t'T er in the which we are enabled to shewfrom a where it if stated P fh«t' n « « h ® Phll . oso P hlcal Transactions for that year, ouaiiitvnff! i r le year bt 'S an wet > hut there soon fell a greater ftos mo\n^ t f0r S6V yCa, S past: we had > P erha !»> 'he sharpest beeinn"™ ” *Thl li Was m ? re lntense at "'e latter part of it than at the between ?9 and ui ""rrf' ? verj S ed at Lyndon, in Rutlandshire, 'R Barker Em See Re f?' of Weather for 1776, to have been killed about'the 'lattor^Sd o'f'^nntVT™-^ Sto cor" •asss: $ ”, r js* “ ^ 98 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). Johnson of Brignall, as quoted by Willoughby and Ray, was of that opinion, and asserts that they were frequently together in the same flocks ; nor do those eminent naturalists seem to dissent much m opinion from him.”— Twist. MS. The passage referred to of Wil¬ loughby is as follows :— u D. Johnson literis nuperrime ad nos data lianc foeminam esse putat superioris (sc. Berniclae) eo przecipue ar- gumento, quod aucupes has cum Berniclis congregari & una volitare observent ut ab ipsis sibi relatum est.”— Will. Orn . p. 275— See also Raii Av. p. 137. 243. The Eider Duck. (Anas mollissima, Lin.) “ Found in Western Islands of Scotland, and on Fern Isles, where they are called St. Cuthbert’s Ducks. In the last they breed, and seldom lay more than 5 eggs, on the ground, of a pale green glossy colour. The nest is lined with fine down, plucked from their breasts, which is of the lightest and warmest nature of any thing known. The natives take away both nests and eggs. The Duck lays again, and repeats the plucking its breast; if robbed after, she will still lay, but the Drakes must then supply the down, and if the eggs are taken a third time, wholly deserts the place. Their food is shells for which they will dive a great depth. Live to a great age, and then become grey. Penn."—Allan MS. Mr. Bewick says, Mr. Tun stall’s Eider Duck was shot at Hartlepool.— Ed. 244 The Scoter or Black Diver, male and fern. (Anas nigra, Lin. & Gm.) “ Found on the Northern coasts of England and Scotland in the winter season, but in greater numbers on the French coasts. In pur¬ suit of shell fish they dive great depths, swallow them whole, but soon digest the shells. Their flesh is fishy to an extreme degree. The Catholics are allowed to eat them during Lent ."—Allan MS. 245. The Wild Duck. (Anas Boschas, Lin. & Gm.) “ Common Wild Duck. Heard an extraordinary instance of one being found at Etchingham, in Sussex, sitting upon nine eggs, m an oak, 25 feet from the ground. The eggs were supported by some twigs, laid crosswise.”— Tunst. MS. 246. The Hook Billed Duck. (Anas Boschas, var. T. Lath. —A. adunca, Lin.—Albm, 21. »6 and 97.) “ Have seen in these parts the Anas adunca , or Crooked-billed Duck, pretty certainly an accidental variety at first of the Domestic Duck, though now I believe it mostly permanent.”— Tunst. MS. 247. The Shieldrake, male and fern. (Anas Tadorna > Lin . & Gmel.) ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). 99 ... “Sheldrake, Sly or Burrough Duck, (A. Tadoma)•» description illegible. From the male specimen Mr. Bewick made his figure. 248. The Scaup Duck, male and fern. (Anas Marila, Lin. & Gm.) pi 62 e afiTrfii e p bi ^ d haS been described in the British Miscellany, ii. The ,V c c n Pt ' < ' ,es ’ u,Mler thenam e of the White-faced Duck. Setnesom^r 14 T* th ? male - the zigzag trans- verse lines of the back, is well marked by Temminek— Ed. 249. The Shoveler, 2 males and 1 fern. (Anas clypeata, Lin. & Gm.) 250. The Gadwall, male and fern. (Anas strepera, Lin. & Gm.) 251. I he Wigeon, male and fern. (Anas Penelope, Lin. & Gm.) 252. The Pochard, male. (Anas ferina, Lin. & Gm.) “ Pochard or Red-headed Wigeon (Anas ferina). Frequent the Lincolnshire fens in winter, and brought to the London 1 markets namf of tL 1 Vr S H e T ble 5"“^’ where the ^ are k ™vvn by the n meot the Dun Birds and are esteemed excellent eating. Not know n for certain whether they breed in England. Hay.?a hiss mg voice: flight rapid.”— Allan M$. 253. The Pin-tail Duck. (Anas acuta, Lin. & Gm.) 254. The Long-tailed Duck, male and fern. (Anas glacialis, Lin. & Gm.) our‘^ e tsTn th f h™° 8t "° rthmi l’ a « s of the world, and only visit our coasts in the severest winters, but never in numbers • make their nest among the grass near the sea, and lay 5 eggs. When the young are hatched, the mother carries them to the water in her bill fcwims and dives well, flies swift, and is a crafty bTrd has a loud 1 rf'i!"' } $ emaMs vcl % laci “lis)-"—Allah MS. cies sent ^r* i Ha / e a Vrett y S 00(1 P air of this scarce spe¬ cies sent me from Edinburgh.”— Tunst. MS, The same are now in our possession m good preservation.—^. 255. The Golden Eye, adult male. (Anas Clangula, Lin. & Gm.) 256. Do. female and young male of the year. ■ 1 fl , a 100 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). 257. The Velvet Duck, female. (Anas fiisca, Lin. & Gmel .) This was marked the Morillon, a name which hks «ecfei6rfed son,* confusion, but which is now by Temminck used 3| . h ' 9 that Tufted Duck (Anas fuligula). The figures of Bnsson, under that name, he places among the synonyms of the young of the year ofthat spectes” 6 Dr. Latham considered the Morillon as the young of the Golden Eve, but probably the name hasbeen attributed to the young of different birds. I am enabled to determine the present specimen as the female of the Velvet Duck by Temminck s description— Ed. 258. The Garganey. (Anas Querquedula, Lin. & Gm.) 259. The Teal, male and fem. (Anas Crecca, Lin. & Gm.) 260. The Couvorant. (Pelecanus Carbo, Lin. & Gm— Carbo Cormoranus, Temm.) “Common in this kingdom, and inhabits highest cliffs over the sea: make their nests of sticks, grass, &c. and lay 6 or 7 .white e^cs. In winter disperse along the shores, and visit the fresh \\ aters, where they make great havoc among the fish Are remarka y gra¬ cious, and has the rankest and most disagreeable sme 1 of any bird, even when alive. Its form is also disagreeable, its voice hoarse and croaking* and its qualities base. Their skins are tough, and are used by the Greenlanders for garments.”— Allan MS. “Corvorant. One was shot very near my house a few years since, (Sept. 1782,) though near 30 miles from the main sea. Tunst. MS. 261. The Crested Corvorant. (Pelecanus cristatus, Lath .—Carbo enstatus Temm—Lt Cor- inoran, Buff. PI. Ent. 927.) In this age for the reduction of species this bird has met a fate, being declared by Temminck to be distinct from the Common Corvorant, with which it has been considered as a variety Mr. Bewick’s figure was made from our bird. He says jhrtMr. - stall had a Crested Corvorant out .of Holderness, m U7o, uhicti was full of eggs.— Ed. 262. The Shag. (Pelecanus Graculus, Lin—Carbo Graculus, Temm.) “Frequents several parts of these Islands, and said to build on trees. Eggs long and white. Said to be a stupid bird when on shore, but difficult to shoot on the water. Swims with the head erect, the body immersed in water, and when a gun is discharged, the moment he perceives the flash, darts under water, and rises great distance. In the north often called a Crane. —Allan MS. 101 ALLAN MUSEUM (BRITISH BIRDS). 263. The Gan net, young bird. ( Pelecanus Bassanus, Lin .—Sula alba, Temm.) “ Soland Goose ( Pdccanus Bassanus). Inhabits the Northern Isles, and particularly that of the Bass, in Scotland, whence the name. In Cornwall and Ireland are called Gannets. Remarkable for quickness of sight, and pursuing the herrings and pilchards, whose motions it watches, and the fishermen know the coming of these fish by the appearance of these birds. The young birds are a favourite dish with the North Britons in general, and sell at Edin¬ burgh for 20d. a piece, where they are roasted, and serve before dinner as a whet. Builds in rocks, and the method to catch them is very dangerous, a person being let down by ropes against the sides of the rocks to search for them.” —Allan MS. ADDENDUM TO PINE GROSBEAK, No. 104. The particulars relating to Mr. TuristaH’s remark are to be found in two letters in the Phil. Tr. from Mr. Edward Llwyd, (keeper of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford, and a native of Wales,) address¬ ed to Dr. Tancred Robinson, F. R. S. (both names well known to the readers of “ Ray's Letters,”) containing observations in natural history made in his travels through Wales, dated Swansey, Sept. 14, 1696, and Oxford, Dec. 22, of same year; of which the follow¬ ing is a combined extract -.— “ This time two years” (viz. Sept. 1694,) “ there came a flock of birds (about a hundred) to a hemp-yard, at a place called Lhan L)hewi V elfrev, in Pembrokeshire, and, in one afternoon, destroyed all the hemp-seed.—They were about as big, or little less, than Blackbird*, with bills more stubbed and larger than that of a Bull¬ finch They were very tame, or at least so intent on their feeding, that, being forced from their places, they would not remove above 2 or 3 yards. The cocks were a deep scarlet colour, without any distinction in the feathers of their wings, excepting that the tail, and the lower part of the belly, were a little paler. The hen had a lovely scarlet breast, her head and back grey. I suspect them to have been Virginian Nightingales; otherwise I know not what to make of them. The person that gave me the account of them was , . Pouerts. whom you will find mentioned in Camden, Pembroke¬ shire. He is somewhat curious in birds, and says, he never saw any that resembled them as to their colour.”— Phil Tr for 1712 vol. xxvii. no. 324, p. 464, 466; or Shaw's Ah id. vol. v.*p. 677.-1 Mr. 1 unstall’s opinion of these birds being Pine Grosbeaks is cor¬ roborated by that of Dr. Shaw, and the editors of the last abridge¬ ment of the Phil. Trans. The fact is curious, considering that the species is rare in this country. The flock had probably just landed fi om the pme forests in Norway, after the breeding season ; and the buds, with red breasts (if at all), were young ones, and not females. 102 ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATA). DESIDERATA. BRITISH BIRDS, WANTING IN THE ALLAN COLLECTION. N. B. Those marked * have been since obtained, and are to be found amongst the “ Recent Acquisitions.” The List includes Varieties as well as Species, both ascertained and doubtful. These desiderata form, it is expected, with the Birds in the Allan Museum, a compleat British Ornithology. I. LAND BIRDS. Golden Eagle. (Falco chrysaetos, Lin. & Gm. —Aigle royal, Temm.; les vieux.) A notice by John Hogg, Esq., of Norton, Durham, read to the Linmean Society, 3d February, 1824, stated, that a fine specimen of the Golden Eagle had been lately shot near the mouth of the Tees ; being the fifth known to have been killed in England.— See Zool. Jour. vol. i. p. 276.—Mr. Bewick informs me that his figure was drawn in 1791, from a specimen then in the Wycliffe Museum. Ring-tailed Eagle, young of Golden Eagle. (Falco fulvus, Lin. & Gm. —Aigle royal, Temm.; les jeunes.— Edw. Birds, i. t. 1.) The two last species of authors are now united by practical orni¬ thologists, the white plumage of the base of the tail being the state of the young. In addition to the testimony adduced by M. Tem- minck and Mr. Selby, I have to add the information I lately re¬ ceived from a Highlander, who had travelled to Durham with a young Eagle, which he had reared from the nest, for sale, and who assured me that the young birds of the Golden Eagle had the greater part of the tail white, which afterwards became brown. Willoughby and Ray considered them as one.-— Ed. *The Sea Eagle, young of Cinereous Eagle* (Falco Ossifragus, Lin. & Gm.) See Recent Acquisitions. ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATA). 103 Honey Buzzard. (Falco Apivorus, Lin. & Gm.) “ Called in Dorset the Capped Buzzard. Very rare, but probably often mistaken for the Common Buzzard. Is caught in snares in b ranee in the winter season, and reckoned delicate food.”_ Pult Dors. Cat. p. 3. Goshawk, adult bird. (Falco Palumbarius, Lin. & Gm. Pult. Dors. Cat.) Dr. Pulteney says it is not very uncommon in Dorset, though it is considered more peculiar to the northern parts of our island.— # Peregrine Falcon. (Falco Peregnnus, Gm.) This is now considered the type or origin of the Common Falcon (K communis, authorum) and all its varieties. See Temm. & Sdhy It is distinguished in all its stages by its large moustache, or brown band, placed on the side of the neck. It is remarkable that the pa¬ rent of our ancient falconry should have remained so long undetected. The Lanner. (Falco Lanarius, Lin., Gm. & Temm.— The Lanner, Penn. Br. Zool. pi. 23.) V hether the true Lanner (a species well known in the eastern and northern parts of Europe) has ever been found in England (notwithstanding the testimony adduced by Pennant) I am unable to determine. It is not unlikely that the bird described by him un¬ der that name, was a Peregrine Falcon, as his figure seems to indi cate, one stage of which Buffon has figured in Planches enluminees. t. 4<30, under the name of Le Lanier.— Ed. The Spotted Falcon of Pennant. (Falco versicolor, Gm. & Lath Penn. Br. Zool. pi. 25, new ed.— Lewin , Br, Birds, i. t. 13.) The birds first described by Pennant, under the above name, were perhaps some of the many varieties of plumage of the Common Buzzard, as Temmmck has given to the Buzzard the above Gmeli- man synonym. The subject is, however, open to investigation, and 1 insert the name for that reason. 1 do not think, from Pennant’s figure, that it belongs to the Common, or Peregrine F.lcon, as con- jectured by Dr. Shaw in Gen. Zool., from its wanting the charac¬ teristic moustache — Ed. Montagu, in his Supplementary List, has given the Booted Falcon fC pei,mates, £•»•) as a variety of the Rough-legged Falcon, found m England The true Booted Falcon belongs to a different division of the ralcomdte, the species of which, thanks to the labours of Mr. Vigors, and the friends of the new circular typical arrangement, are now capable of being properly assorted, and the varieties properly 104 ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATA)* attached. It must, consequently, be withdrawn from-the list of Brit¬ ish birds.— Ed. The Swallow-tailed Falcon. (Falco furcatus, Lin, & Gm.— *Nat. Mis. t. 204.) At a meeting of the Linnaean Society, 4th November, 1823, a paper was read, giving a description of the Swallow-tailed Falcon, taken in 1805, near Hawes, in Wensley Dale, Yorkshire. (See Zool. Jour. vol. i. p. 130). It is an inhabitant of America and the Polar regions, and is migratory; and unless we solve the problem ot its capture, by the modern theory of escape from a menagerie, we must conclude that it is entitled to be ranked as a British occasional visitant. It is figured in Cates. Car. vol. i. t. 4, and in Penn. Arct. Zool. t. 10. It is milk white, with the back, wings, and tail, of a purplish black, and feeds on insects on the wing.— Ed. # The Stone Falcon, male of* Merlin. (Falco iEsalon, Temm. —F. Lithofalco, Gm.) Temminck considers the cinereous blue colour of this bird as com¬ mon to both the adult male and female Merlins, and the red brown as peculiar to the young bird only, and not the female, as is usually considered.— Ed. The Ash-coloured Falcon, of Montagu. (Falco cinerarius, Mont. —Busard Montagu, Temm .— Mont. orn. Diet. supp. with fig., male.— Selby Ill. pi. 11 & 11.*— JSetv. Br. Birds, supp.) The British Museum possesses several specimens of this newly discovered and described British bird, both male and female, the latter of which is brovvn-chesnut coloured. A fine specimen of the male, killed by Mr. Selby, in Northumberland, has been figured by Mr. Bewick, as well as by himself.— Ed. The Kestrel, male bird.— See before, p. 50. The Woodchat. (Lanius rufus, Briss. & Temm ., sed non Linn. —L. Collurio, var. y rufus, Gmel.—Pult . Dors. Cat. p. 4.) This species, though of extremely rare capture in England, is well known in France, and the testimony of its being found here is, there¬ fore, as credible as that of our other rare birds. See Brit. Mus. Cat. no. 26, where the specimen (ex mus. Leach) is recorded as being taken at Starcross, near Dawlish, Devonshire, and Dr. Pulteney says, it has now and then been shot in Dorsetshire. I have also found it in private collections of British birds. It is most exactly figured and coloured in PI. Enl. t. ix. f. 1, as I have ascertained, by comparison with an excellent specimen furnished me by Mr. Lead- beater, of Brewer Street, Golden Square, for Mr. Bewick’s use. I have reason to expect that Mr. Selby will favour us with a figure of ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATA). ]Q5 in e aTiif n C f h R- i\ a " a PP et ' dix t0 his “ Illustrations.” It is given there L bv IWe « 71™ the C “ ton of Geneva, as not uncommon tnere, by Professor Necker. See Zool. Jour. vol. i. p. 90. recorded * hv* T*7? the Hail 7 Woodpecker, (Picus villosus, Lin.) as froma lfr whictT l ° ^ taken ,,ear Halifax > in Yorkshire, land l i e f T V "1 the c °l |ec tion of the Duchess of Port- and. I am indebted to Joseph Sabine, Esq. for the anecdote which ifmrr° n t ed ’ll introduction int0 the list of our birds, and nich, if correct, will serve to exclude it. It is a well known North Amencan spec,es and is figured in Caleb's Carina, vol It 19 fusio„ a ofnam 0llt ! IalifaX ’ in N ° V1 * Sc ° tiil; and b >' SOI,,e Grange coni i • , of names, its capture was transferred to Halifax, in Yorkshire Je'et^rfCoJ. Montagu and the British Mus’enm! wh^a I find however ® tdlre “ al . ns > though excluded from the list. ofDmwnTnf R ,S f ,’ D ' h< i H i"7 Woodpecker, in the Catalogue above p 30 wh^ l B ‘ rd f’ b . e % ging to Mr. Tunstall, quoted apedes as heS 7 tharmakes . m fevourof its identity as a British common?”_ir ded “ * dlStnct where !t is said t0 be “ un- 'The Bee-eater. (Merops Apiaster, Lin. & Gm. See Recent Acquisitions, and Brit. Mus. Cat.) * hirdfrom som'Xf 1 ?' 6 f ° r ,t" indigea0US s P ec imen of this beautiful 9 meo{ .our south or south-western country contributors, been eonWrT*! V i7 tS f '° m the neighbouring continent have hitherto been eonfined to these points of the British empire. A specimen Plymouth! B See ^ a garde "> *The Snow Bunting, summer or white plumage. (Emberiza nivalis, Lin. & Gm.) We are in possession of a specimen of this bird in its rarer state p umage, killed in this neighbourhood last year. Sec Rec. Ac'q. The Mountain Bunting, “ young of Snow Bunting,” (Emberiza montana, Gm.—“ Tawney Bunting, Beta. Birds.”—. Se/by.) *The Cirl Bunting. (Emberiza Cirlus, Lin. & Gm.-Mont. Orn. Diet, cum tab. et ejusd. Supp./^.) and^of tlfp^snl 0 • ^ ecent Acquisitions for an account of this species St C\ r ^ presented to our Museum, by Mr. Mewburn of fn'd^hkis’knd^nTl 1 ’ t0Which district th^P-iefse^mTcon iCtagu d ’ 8nd Where 11 was first detec ted by the late Col. }06 ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATAJ. The Lapland Finch, Penn. Arc. Zool. & Lath. Syn. (Emberiza calcarata, Temm. — Fringilla Lapponica, Lin. & Gm. —Greater Brambling, Albin. Birds, in. t. boj In mentioning the above as a British Wrd, I merely antiei^s more detailed notice of it in the Linn. Tr., which I ' take place bv Mr. Vigors and Mr. Selby, the latter of ^ horn lately discovered it in the collection of the former, amongst his birds of British capture. I refrain, therefore, from any iJ™"" ’ d t the bird is unknown to me, otherwise than by Albin s figure, a do not wish to entrench upon more correct description. The Common Crossbill, male.— See Allan Mus. No. 102, for female. The Parrot Crossbill. (Loxia Pytiopsittacus, Becks. Temm. & &%.—L. eurvirostra major, Gm. & Lath.-Selby Ill. ot Orn. p. 2.o4, t. 53.) Found also in North America, though only 'f el 5' c | is ‘‘ , 'f^g C ^ as a species in England. This is one of the obl.gat.oswe owe to the continental ornithologists, in the discrimination of bird seems to have been known before in England, thou S£ k j nd - IS”.” i„“sZS »d b, Mr. Bewick. The Spotted Flycatcher. (Muscicapa grisola, Lin. & Gm.) This species is not uncommon with us. The Rock Lark, or Pipnv (Anthus aquaticus (Bechst.) Tcmin.-Alauda Spinoletta ii^ Al. compestris, var. p. spinoletta, ».-Vai. of Meadow Lark, Lath. Syn.) Not uncommon on the rocky coasts of this country. The Pipi s^ or Genus Anthus, which has lately been separated from the true La£ Zu“e distinguished by their longer and slenderer bill, and shorter hind claw. The Dusky Lark, young of last. (Aiauda obscura, Gm. & Lath. Dusky Lark, Lewin, & Don. Lin. Tr. iv. p. 41. f. 2.) This also- inhabits rocks, and is found to be the young of the last speeies. It is well figured in Lmn. Tiansactions. Richard’s Pipit. (Anthus Richard! (Vieill.) Temm.-\ igors in Zool. Jour.vol. i. v p.28fl 411, t. 14.) ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATA). 107 tinThJ M eW v? qU ' Sit - 011 1 ^° T' , Zoolo =y was late 'y introduced to no¬ tice by Mr. Vigors, m the Zoological Journal, from a young bird of Ais speces tefcen ahve in a net in the. fields, north of London; in yctober, 1812, which is now m his possession, and which he has kindly granted for Mr. Bewick and Mr. Selby’s use_ Ed. The Red Lark of Pensylvania. (Alauda rubra, Gm.—Edw. Birds, t. 297.) This bird is known in America, but is a most doubtful British species, and the several specimens recorded as taken near London may have only been dark coloured varieties of Alauda cruiatus _ Ldwards figure has the appearance of a distinct species; but, al¬ though he is considered as the great authority for its capture in this from a y Rriil°l, n ° C - onclude [ mr ? his description, that it was made l , ! 1 S ? eC1 n en ’ as does not say so, and only adds at the J r l°. u P d . ,t m the newhbourhpqd 0 f London;” the correctness of which observation is matter of doubt, though there be none of his figure. Mr. Pennant says, he saw one at Sir Ashton Lever g, but in those days, a strict attention to the evidence of cap- ture, does not appear to have been attended to. The bird, how¬ ever, seems to have been in the collection of Mr. Allan, as a label remains which records ,t thusRed Lark, common in North met with in the neighbourhood of London.”— AUan MS Montagu also asserts having one in his possession which was killed ,n Middlesex. The hind claw, he says, is shorter and more curved than that of the Sky Lark. His specimen is not amongst the Montagu collection of British birds in the British'Mu' seiim that I could perceive. The Grasshopper Warbler, (Sylvia Locustella, Lath.—-Bew. Birds, Supp. with figure.) This bird which was formerly confounded with the Larks in sometimes found in this neighbourhood, though it is so shy as’ to be seldom seen. It has a sibilant cricket-ljke note (hence its name) and is a ventriloquist, as Mr. Selby justly remarks aswell Corncrake, causing the sound, at one moment, to proceed from the srterstf *• * nd -*• - rttxfs The Reed Warbler. (S,l,l, , )8 ._o« nt Mag. . m » m '- b »- The Lesser Whxte-Throat. (Sylvia Sylviella, Lath. Syn. Supp. p. 185, t. 113.) This little bird was first described by Mr. Latham. Mr. Selby 108 ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATA). has not been able to obtain a specimen so far north, and the species is, therefore, undescribed by him. Mr. R. Wingate had one which was killed on Newcastle Town Moor, and which was engraven by Mr. Bewick in Supp. It is not described by Temminck, unless it be his Sylvia Curruca, Fauvette Babillarde of Buffon, which latter synonym is given by Mr. Tunstall, in his list, as a bird inhabiting Britain. The Wheat Ear. (Sylvia (Enanthe, Lath.) A sufficiently common bird, though not in our collection. Mr. Allan’s note is as follows :—“ Visits England in March, and leaves us in September. In some parts plentiful and much esteemed especially about Eastbourn, in Sussex, where they are taken in snares annually to the amount of 1840 dozen, and sell for sixpence a dozen to the London poulterers. Are commonly potted, and esteemed as much here as the Ortolan on the continent. Frequent heaths, feed on insects and worms. Makes nest under some turf, clod, or stone, and lays from 5 to 8 eggs, of a light blue.”— Allan MS. “ They breed in forsaken coney burrows; and they catch them in Sussex by digging long turfs of earth, and laying them across the holes out of which they are digged, hanging snares of horse hair at the middle of the entrance. The birds being very timorous, at the appearance of a hawk, or dark cloud intercepting the sun’s beams, they run and hide themselves in the holes of the turfs, and are caught by the neck in the snares.”— Alim i. p. 53. The Alpine Warbler. (Accentor alpinus, ( Bechst .) Temm. —Motacilla alpina, Gin Sturnus collaris, Lath.) A female of this bird was shot in 1824, in the garden of King’s College, Cambridge, and is in the possession of the Rev. Dr. Thack¬ eray, F. L. S. of that University .—See Zool. Jour. vol. i- p. 134. It inhabits the mountainous parts of Europe, at the highest eleva¬ tions, and is well known to the travellers on Mount St. Bernard, Its capture in this country is well attested. *The Cole Titmouse. (Parus ater, Lin. & Gm .) The Crested Titmouse. (Parus cristatus, Lin. & Gin. — Bew. Birds, Supp. with fig. Alhin Birds, t. 57.) A very rare species, sometimes found in Scotland in pine woods. The Rock Dove, or Wild Pigeon. (Columba livia, Briss. & Temm .—Stock Dove, Albin iii. t. 44.) This is the bird with the white rump, from which our common Pigeons are derived, which have all the same mark. Ihe ^.tock ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATA). 1QQ Dove, now improperly so called (Col. (Enas, Lin.), or Wood P,V eo n S in the Museum. The latter inhabits Woods ; the Ck l!ove' the rocky coasts of our island, in which particular its descendants’ AT P Th ?n H- im 'v e ,t in their preference for old towers, steel History ofSeU,ome POS10n 18 n0tab ' y poi " ted out ^ White > hi* Albin has 5f ur ?^ both the Cul (Enas and livid, without his SrST* ^ Derbam ’ be,n S aware of the difference, as he has S Co h (FTs e de f"'P t,on t0 botb plates. He considers them both or { ® ’ "'h'fh name, he says, is derived from the purplish, 01 red-wine colour of the breast, shoulders, and wings fall vinuin.) In his English name, he happens to be correct without SIS ” 6 tl i e firSt Tr l ^ and the 'atter ^ Lr tec Atom , Birds, vol. n. p. 42, t. 46, and vol. iii. p. 41, t . 44. The Turkey. (Meleagris Gallopavo, Lin.) TunsbdPs'tn. he,e the ,T urke y> for the purpose of recording Mr I unstall s ingemous and learned remarks on the subject. * of Ame ' T lcan or common Turkey. Notwithstanding the oninion of many, I have many doubts about their original place being Arne " Ca only, with my friend Mr. Barrington. 0 That there afe v^fd' £ n ‘ b »t S they 6 might £*££ near the dm^ S H d Wh ' Ch he , COuld n0t but ha '' c kn °' vn > being so a- Ass. rA fo L h s« d ar of "the Turkey! 8 Dr^Mo ff ev ! dent ’ as ke has given an exact figure S’ fowl, so certainly does not confound them."-J’J(. Acf ° Mr* S j^ ^ et0 ^ ^' r ' 0 ^ ,n j i ® a ” n °t l do r better'than^reftf/ tcTa* 8 ape^of account of a theT^key Sli o^he I781 > fontaininga full the subject is most u^ltted ^ were, exhausted. lie disproves the fact of the TurL?be’i,m known rfthe Gdn?, e r r I" aW-^Jit^he 1 formeriLkhfgX de'scripdof therein [he presemduy^rVd'by t{ ^ ^their ^‘found’ wild r™ Mexico 1 sMr no ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATA). whence we received them in England ; aud from coming from this point of the Mediterranean, perhaps Cadiz, has error of their being brought from the Levant or Tu k^y ves- sels trading from both places. The flesh of the Wild lurkey is said to be superior to that of the tame, but redder. They grow t an enormons size, 30, 40, or even 60 pounds weight. They are black, with a greenish gloss; delight in the seeds of nettles , perch on the summits of the highest trees, out of gun-shot, which they gain by rising from bough to bough, being but indifferent flyers, th.ough «wift runners. In this stole of nature they go in flocks of 500, and crow so fat as not to be able to fly above a few hundred yards, and are then run down by horsemen. They are so stupid, or so insen¬ sible of danger, as not to fly on being shot at; bl £. the T s “r vlvors r “‘ main unmoved at the death of their companions. The Indians weave with their feathers and the bark of the mulberry tree (Broussonetia) an elegant clothing, and of the single tails are made fans, and um¬ brellas by the junction of four toils. Our well-known bird certainly derived its name from the assumed fact, whether true or not, of its being brought to us originally from Turkey. See Willoughby Om. p. 114.—His words are, Nostratibus Turkeys appellantur quomam « Turcia ad nos primum delatce creduntur.”— Ed. II. WATER BIRDS. The Black Stork. (Ardea nigra, Lin. & Gm .—Ciconia nigra, Temm .—Albin 3, t. 83. —Mont, in Linn. Tr. v. xii. p. 19.) A specimen of this uncommon bird is found in the British Mu¬ seum, No. 130, which was captpred alive on M est Sedge Moor, in Somersetshire, 13th May, 1814, where the white Spoonbill was also taken the preceding year. An interesting account of its mari¬ ners, whilst it remained alive, is given by Montagu, m the memoir referred to above. It is not enumerated in his Ornithological Dic¬ tionary, which, as well as the Supplement, was published before the capture.— Ed. The Crane. (Ardea Grus, Lin. & Gmel .—Grus cinerea, Bech. & Temm .— Albin 2, t. 65.) « Crane. It seems a very particular circumstance that these birds, which appear now almost totally to have deserted this country, were once so common, as well as the Egret. Is it not possible that some other water bird went by that name? Yet, I think, Ray speaks ot them as common in his time ; if so, such a desertion in so small a time, is very extraordinaiy, particularly as far the greater part of the Lincolnshire fens (particularly the great east fen), remain m the same state as then.”— Tunst. MS. Albin says, that in his time (1738) “they often come to us in ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATA). fl] England, especially in the fen countries, where there are great flocks of them ; but whether they breed in England is not determined.”_ Voi. a. p. 60. The Gardenian Heron, young of Night Raven. (Ardea Gardeni & maculata, Gm. —A. Nycticorax, Temm.: jun. —Spotted and Gardenian Heron, Lath. Syn.— Penn . Brit. Zool. new ed. p. 27, t. 7J A fine specinren of this subject was entrusted to me lately by Mr. Yarrell, for Mr. Bewick’s use. It was named by Pennant in Ate. Zool. from a specimen sent him by Dr. Garden, of South Carolina, and he suspects it, from the characterestio white spots on the wings, to be the same bird as the Brown Bittern , figured in Catesby's Caro¬ lina, i. t. 78, which, on a comparison of the bird with the figure, is, I think, a correct opinion, though Dr. Latham, in Ind. Orn. has de¬ scribed Catesby’s bird as a variety of Ard. virescens , with which it appears hardly to agree in any respect. Thepe is also little doubt of its being the young of the Night Raven, though the difference of plumage at the two stages is worthy of being noticed. It wants, as usual, the three crest feathers of the adult bird. Both young and old birds are of rare capture in England,— Ed. The Purple Heron. (Ardea purpurea, Lin. & Gmel.) A specimen of this is in the British Museum, which was shot in England within these few years. An equally fine one, in it's crested plumage, was liberally furnished, at my instance, to Mr. Bewick, for his new edition, by the Rev. K. Vaughan, of Aveton Gifford, near Modbury, Devon, a well-known practical ornithologist, “ whose Museum contains from 0 to 700 specimens of birds, some British, but mostly foreign ; and whose endeavour it lias been to obtain spe¬ cimens, the rarest in the respective countries they inhabit. His friend, the late Col. Montagu (whose collection has been transferred to the British Museum) had some rare native birds from him, and not long since he presented the British Museum with a good spe¬ cimen of theRoseafe Thrush.”— Ed. *The African Heron, young of Purple Heron. (Ardea caspica, Lath. —Ard. purpurea, b. Gmel.) This bird, which resembles the adult state in its general colour¬ ing, wants the crest and long breast feathers. It seems to be more commonly met with in this stage than the full-grown bird, and a specimen of it, shot last year, at Boulogne, was purchased by me, in London, and is placed in the Museum (See Recent. Acq.). Two of the same covey were, I understood, purchased for the Edinburgh Museum. Mr. Selby informs me, that this bird, in its young state, appears to be common in Holland, as he saw, during a late excursion there, the remains of several exhibited against the walls.— Ed. The Squacco Heron. (Ardea comata, Gm. & Lath .—A. ralloides, Temm.) 112 ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATA). The capture of a fine specimen of this bird (a female), at Bridge- water, last year (1825), has confirmed it among our occasional vi¬ sitants, which, hitherto, did not rest on good authority. Mr. Bewick has made an engraving from a foreign specimen, in Mr. Vigors’ Collection, which agrees in every respect with that lately killed, as I can attest, from having seen them both. The trivial name, originally given by Pallas, comata , or hairy, is most character¬ istic, the feathers of the back and scapulars resembling fine hairs.— Ed. The Little Egret. (Ardea Garzetta, Lin . & Gruel. This, which seems to have been common in England formerly, is of late extremely rare. Mr. Vigors informs me, that he has lately had an account of two having been shot in Cornwall (probably the same mentioned by Mr. Mewburn, vide infra), one of which he has had a promise of for the British Museum, where it has hitherto been a desideratum. This is a proof that this species is not extinct in England, as Mr. Stephens has asserted (see Gen. Zool. v. xi. p. 546), an expression we are too ready to use after a long lapse of visitation.— Ed. Great White Heron, young of Egret. (Ardea Egretta, junior, Temm .—A. alba, Lin. & Gmel. — Heron Aigrette, les jeunes avant l’age de trois ans, et les vieux en mue. Temm. Man. p. 572.) “ I think the Ardea alba should be expunged the list of British Birds; for whatever it.might be formerly, it is now, at least, only an accidental visitor, and a very rare one. Never knew any one who had seen it in Britain.” — Tunst. MS. This is one of the most doubtful British visitants, at least in the present day. Temminck says, it is sometimes met with so far east as Germany, but never in the western countries of Europe. Pen¬ nant has recorded it from Willoughby, who was told by his friend, Johnson, the Vicar of Brignall, that he had seen it in England. This is what has occasioned Temminck to say, “ they wish to find, in Europe, a White Heron, (Ardea alba , Gm.) which differs from the Egret; all those which have been shewn me, and which are to be found in the cabinets where I have been, are the young, or old in winter plumage, of our Great Egret.” No one has ever asserted, that the bird in its full plumage (viz. the Great Egret), has ever been found in England ; and, it is not a little remarkable, that the young of this and other Crested Herons, should be found more mi¬ gratory than in their adult state. This is witnessed in the Ardea purpurea , the young of which (Ardea Caspica , Lath., or African Heron ), is oftener met with in the northern countries of Europe than the full grown bird, or Purple-crested. Also, the specimen of Ardea JEquinoctialis , in the British Museum, if taken in England , is stated by Temminck, to be the young of an American species (A. russata, T.). May these not rather be the winter plumage of the adult, at which time, these birds may be disposed to migrate in search of food ?—Ed. ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATA). H3 The Freckled Heron. (Ardea lentiginosa, Mont. Orn. Diet. Supp. with fig.-Botau- rus ientiginosus, Step, in Shaw’s Zool. vol. xi. p. 596, tab. 46.) t a o3 h nn' SC0Very ? f th ' S new s P ecies > "’as first announced by Mon- tagu, on apparently strong attested evidence of its capture in Dor. ShMus n°nf’ Z\ k r c ? nse 9 uen tly placed,t^h in the 4 -1™? 1 ha x been S r mce removed from the British Bird lepartment, owing, as I am informed by Mr. Sabine, to the credi- bdity of its capture in England being impugned. Other specimens however, have been since taken in America, which confirmTit at Hi fim,r “• Spef,eS ’ “ We i‘ “ Mo,Ua ® a ’ s accuracy of observation! S 1S " 10 , st exact * I cannot, in the present uncertain state of the question, help recording it in the British List_ Ed. The Cayenne Night Heron. (Ardea Cayanensis, Gm. & Lath.) This species is stated in a letter from Mr. J. Youell A L S Vol Yp. 58l.-S Yarmouth > Dec - 1824. fe’Zool J.- The Ibis, in its green, glossy, and bay states. (Ibis Falcinellus, ZW-Tantahu falcinelius, igneus et viridis Gm. & Lath.) This is a late introduction into British Ornithology. A sneci- men was lately taken in Northumberland. Three others were^lso an^hpr He C ° v ty ° f L u on ? fo I v d » in Ireland, in September, 1824, and another, neai Yarmouth, m December of the same year. See Zool our. vol. i. p. 584, 590. The mummies of this species are said to with those of the sacred Ibis ( ™ s The Whimbrel. (Numenius Phaeopus, Lath. & Tepim.— Scolopax Phaopus Lin. & Gm.) r 5 The Pigmy Curlew'. (Numenius jiygmaus, Lath. & Afont.-Tringa platyryncha rYhnn r U h '- 0t ® coIo P ux Pygmsea, Gm. as quoted by Latham, which is a description belonging to the Dunlin ” Temm.—Beiv, Brit. Birds, Sup.) ’ I he Curlew Dunlin, or Red Dunlin. (Numenius afneanus, Lath .—Scolopax subarquata, Gm —Trin- ga subarquata, Temm.; and Brit. Mus. no. 140.1-Cape Ciul lew. Lath.— Red Sandpiper, Penn. Arct. Zool.) P R, v h i S i!- ,r i dj t T°^ gh fo . und in England, is not generally known as a British bird. It is in the British Museum, no. 140. ^ Q 114 ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATA).' Temminck’s Knot, or Sandpiper. (Tringa Temminckii (Leisler), Temm.- Becasseau TemmiaV Temm. Man. d’Orn. ii. p. 622—Ejusd. PL Col. pi. ) This bird, which is decidedly a British species, is placed m the Brit. Mus. no. 143. I am also in possession of an individual killed at Battersea, lent me by Mr. Leadbeater which exactly corresponds with Temminck’s description, and excellent figure in Planches Colo - rites. The Little Stint, or Least Snipe of Bewick. (Tringa minuta, Temm. ? —T. pusilla, Mont.?—Sew. Br. Birds, 5 p. 122.) On a careful comparison of the preceding species with Mr. Bewick’s description and figure of this, I think them dist.net. This is not to be found in the British Museum—The sides, only, of the breast in this is reddish, whereas the same colour extends fully across the breast of Temminck’s Sandpiper. The Selninger, or Purple Sandpiper. (Tringa maritima, Gm ., Lath. & Temm.) This is often taken on the Northumberland coasts, as I am in¬ formed by Mr. Selby. It is rare in the south. Mr. Yarrell s spe- cimen was shot near Yarmouth. The Black Sandpiper of Pennant. (Tringa Lincolniensis, Lath & Turt. Brit. Zool. no. 197-) This was described by Mr. Pennant, from a specimen sent to him by Mr. Bolton, from Lincolnshire. It is supposed by Montagu to Be an immatured Purple Sandpiper; and by Stephens'(in Slums Zool.) the summer plumage of the same Dura. The Brown Sandpiper. (Tringa fusca, Lath. & Turt- - Brit. Zool. no. 195.) Montagu thinks this to be the Little Sandpiper (Tringa pusilla) in an immature state. The bird was described by Mr. Pennant, fr om a specimen in Mr. Tunstall’s collection, which I regret is not now in our possession. I cannot find any reierence m Temmmck to these two last; though this is probably his Tringa mmuta. Varieties of the Knot. The names of these will be found on reference to the account of our specimen. Varieties of the Ruff. Greenwich Sandpiper! 0 f Young of the Year,” Temm . Shore Do. ) Equestrian Do. of Do. “ adult female and young, after autumn moult,” Temm. Yellow-legged Do. of Montagu. ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATA). 115 The Courland, or Dusky Snipe. (Totanus fuscus, Chevalier Arlequin, Ejusd. Its win¬ ter plumage is Scolopax Curonica, and Cantabrigiensis, Gm. & Eat/i and Cambridge Godwit of Brit. Zool. and Lath. ^ n * ^ 1 , Young before the first moult is Scolopax Tota¬ nus Gm. 6c Lath. Spotted Snipe, Lath. Syn. and Pew?. Arct. Zool. and Spotted Redshank of Brit. Zool. and Bew. Birds.—Tt s Summer dress, Scolopax fusca, and Tringaatra, Gm. & Lath.— Dusky Snipe and Black-headed Snipe, Lath. feyn. and Sup.) 1 at^° St H°7 the&G StateS ^ Wel1 dis P Ia y ed in British Museum, I he Wood, or Long-legged Sandpiper. (Totanus graHatoris, Steph. in Shaw's Zool—Totanus glareola, Brit. Mus. no. 150. and Temm.? —Tringa grallatoris, Mont. Wood and Long-legged Sandpiper, Ejusd.) I am satisfied of the identity of this bird as a distinct British speeds It does not seem dear that it is the Wood Sandpiper (l ringa glareola, Liu.) of former authors, as nothing is said by them i s great length of legs, which Montagu makes its distinguishing j ^ rac er \ ^5* Bewick is about to publish a figure of a specimen -f t me by Mr. Vigors, which he considers to be a female, from its wantmg the purple gloss peculiar to males of this whole tribe. 11 the species be distinct from the Wood Sandpiper, we owe the discovery to Montagu. It is probable, on the whole, that Mon- tagu s turd was only a longer legged specimen of the real Wood ^andpiper, as the bird belonging to Mr. Vigors is not so remarkable jn that respect as Montagu’s figure would indicate_ Ed. The Spotted Sandpiper. (Totanus macularia, Temm. —Tringa macularia, Lin. Lath.—Spotted Tringa Edw. Birds, t. 277, f. 2.—1 Birds, 2. p. Ill, with fig.) in ‘^ C T m . on Europe and America. It has also been met with Z tWf u-v Edwards imagines they are birds of passage, that from which he made his drawing was shot in Essex.”— -Allan V , regI f 1 jhat this rare bird, though formerly in our collection, as the above label testifies, is not to be found there now._ Ed. The Greenshank. (Totanus Glottis, Temm.; but not Scolopax glottis of Gm.b Lath. Ind.—Greenshank, Brit. Zool. with a good figure,) Greenshanks (Scolopax glottis) appear on our coasts and wet groun s m winter, in small flocks, but not very common. Their summer residence is, no doubt, to the northward, since they are met with in Sweden and other parts, and are plenty in Russia and Si- p.~i ia. is a bird of an elegant shape, and small weight in proportion Gm. & •Bew. Br. 116 ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATA). to its dimensions, weighing onty six ounces.*’— Allan MS. This bird, which was figured by Mr. Bewick, from a specimen in the Allan Museum, is now wanting He regrets that he was not fur¬ nished with a better specimen for his work at the time.— Ed. The Cinereous Godwit. (Scolopax canescens, Gm. & Lath. —Cinereous Godwit, Brit. Zool. and Lath. Syn.— Bev. Birds, Supp. p. 41, with fig.) This is conjectured by Montagu, probably enough, and by Ste¬ phens, in Shaw’s Zool. to belong to the last species, the Greenshank. Mr. Bewick’s remarks on the term cinereous , so indiscriminately used by authors, merit attention. The discrepancy has probably arisen from the variety in the colour of ashes } of wood or coal, redder or greyer. The Gambet, summer plumage of Redshank. (Totanus calidris, Temm. —Tringa Gambetta, Lin. & Gm.) The Greater Snipe. (Scolopax major, Gm. Lath, k Temm.) This is a well defined species. Its tail consists of 16 feathers, and that of the common snipe of 14 only. Its weight is about dou¬ ble also, being usually 8oz. Its habits, too, are solitary. It will probably be now much better known from the figure about to be given of it by Mr. Bewick, from a male bird of Mr. YarreU’s, shot at Arsly Manor, Bedfordshire, 2lst Sept. 1814; and it is hoped that a rescue from the spit may place us in possession of a specimen of it shortly. The Brown Snipe. (Scolopax grisea, Gm. Lath. & Temm. —Brown Long-beak, Macrorhamphus griseus {Leach.) Stepk. in Shaw’s Zool. Its Winter Dress is Brown Snipe, Penn. Arct. Zool. Sc Lath. Syn. ScMont. Orn. Diet, with pi. in Sup. — Its Summer Dress, Red-breasted Snipe of Penn. & Lath.; but not the Red¬ breasted Snipe of Montagu , which is only the summer plu¬ mage of common Godwit.—Brit. Mus. no. 159.— Mont . Orn. Diet. Supp. with fig.] This is a truly American species. Two individuals alone are on record as having been killed in Europe, one of which, taken in Eng¬ land, is that in the British Museum (ex Mus. Mont.); the other was killed in Sweden {Temm.). We despair, therefore, of a British killed specimen, but may hope for an American one to place in our British department. I do not know hew M. Temminck, who admits these specimens into his European list, reconciles their capture as excep¬ tions from his usual hypothesis of escapes from menageries. The tail feathers are 12. ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATA). ]]7 Sabine’s Snipe. (Scolopax Sabini, Vigors in Linn. Trans, vol. - and id. in Zool. Jour. vol. i. p. 280, 586.) , J, his n f v bird was first shot in Queen’s County, Ireland, Aug 21 | Ilf’ an f exhlb ‘ted to the Zoological Club by Mr Vigors, Apnl 13* R^hestoToct. 1 fr^ h ^ bee e Sh0t0n the Med’4 near ftocnestei, on Oct. 26, 1824, and is the property of W A Dunning San thVlnfn^as'M 11 ^-' 1 ? a PP roac hing the Woodcock rathfr *" a " tne 7 lp e. « •Mr. Bewick observes, who has had Mr. Vigors’ pecimen, from which he has made an engraving. It differs as g Mr Vigors remarks, from every other European spfcies by the total abi sence of white from its plumage, as wellas of those lighter stripes which extend more or less along the head and back of themT Italso twl ;, 0ll ;, al1 ’ except S - Gallinula, in the number of its tail fea- k Ch a „ ount 1° twelve, in which respect, however it agrees Si,».‘BS’SSr *■«-*•«*. XildSS The Sanderling. (Cal id 1 is are nar i a (111.), Temm. —Sanderling variable, Temm .— rim e a arenana, Lm. & Gm. — Bew. Birds, ii. p. 19.) The Turnstone. (Str6 MuT C T la ' iS ’ T emm - Strepsilas Interpres, III. and Brit. Mus. Trmga Interpres and Morinella, Lin. & Gm.) Al E Mo«/ RINE I>LOVER ’ “ y° un g of Ringed Plover,” (Charadrius Hiaticula, Lin. junior.-Ch. Alexandrinus, Lin. & Lath.) Kentish Plover. (Charadrius Cantiacus, Lath. Ind. Orn. Sup. & Temm.) Mn Y^reVthinkfk a h disLn°t t0 b '• 8 St! ^ e of the Ringed Plover, eu tninks it a distinct species. Temminck confirms it. Cream-coloured Plover. La"-Ch^T^ r) ’ ^' emm ' CursoriusEuropaeus, Cbaradnus Gallicus, Gm .—Le Courte-vite, Buff.) a]l chLcfS m itl y brin e gX U ’ ren ri 0ft !' iS bird in En e land > tenders complete the' lilt Iff hopeless. It is inserted here to Two British killed sneclir ' U ls .‘^jj'ica, and particularly Abyssinia, in France, whichfatter CnkheH^'ff 6 by Bewick, is the young of the year, be- I ath«m K U Umn m0U u’ °I S [‘ rna ” i ^ T0 > and not > as described by Latham, belonging to the Sandwich Tern. See Temm. ’ The Glaucous Gull. (Larus Glaucus, Gm. & Temm.) This bird, which has been made better known to us by Capt. British'list lntrep,d com P anlons > has also been lately added to our The Iceland Gull, ofEdmonston. (Larus Islandicus, Bew. Brit. Birds, Supp. with fig.) is ' a ne w introduction to our ornithology by Mr. L. Edmonston, ol Zetland, and is figured, both young and old birds, by Mr. Bewick, in his last Supplement and Appendix, from specimens furnished him £ h-dmonston. Mr. Stephens suspects it to belong to the Sil- y Gull (L. argentatus)— See Shaw's Zool. vol, x'iii. p. 191. Great, or Black-backed Gull. (Larusmarinus, Lin.&Gm. —“ Goeland & manteau noir.” Temm.) Temminck enumerates the mottled bird, called the Wagel (Laws aStJr 8 of the year of this species; M ° nta « u » ° f Lesser Black-backed Gull. (Larus fuscus, Lin .—“ a pieds jaunes,” Temm.) The Silvery Gull. (Larus argentatus, Gm.—“ a manteau bleu,” Temm.—Silvery Gull, Penn . Arct. Zool.) The Herring Gull is placed by Temminck with this species • I have let it remain, where it was described in the Allan Museum, with Larus fuscus. The Ivory Gull. (Larus eburneus, Gm.) This bird is a rare, if not a doubtful visitant. It is found in the arctic regions, from whence the inhabitants of Orkney and Shetland may occasionally detect it, as well as some other equally rare tra¬ vellers. It is m the Brit. Museum among the Arctic birds of Capt. 122 ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATA). Parry, and has been lately figured by Mr. Bewick, from an Oikney or Shetland specimen. The Common Gull. (Larus canus, Lin. & Gin.) The Museum is in want of a good specimen. The Winter Gull, young of Common Gull. (Larus canus, junior—Larus hybernus, Gin.) The Tarrock, young of Kittiwake. (Larus tridaclylus, Lath, junior.) The Black Headed Gull, summer plumage, The Red-legged Gull, winter plumage, The Brown-headed Gull, young moulting, The Brown Gull, one year old, The Little Gull. (Larus minutus, Gm. & Pallas.) This rare British bird is common in the eastern countries of Europe. Two fine specimens, in winter and summer plumage, are in the pos¬ session of Mr. Leadbeater, one of them taken at Chelsea. Another is in the Glasgow Museum, I believe. That figured by Mr. Bewick, is considered a young bird' of the Kittiwake. The Pomarine Gull. (Lestris Pomarinus, Temm.—Shaw's Zool. vol. xiii. pi. 24.) This new species has been taken at Dover, and is in the British Museum .—See no. 201. It inhabits the Arctic regions, and is some¬ times found on the coast of Holland. It is described and figured by Brisson, in his “ Ornithologie.” The Arctic Gull. (Lestris parasiticus, Temm .—Larus parasiticus, Lin. & Gm.— Ediv. Birds, t. 148. Old male.) *The Black-toed Gull, middle age of the last. (Lestris parasiticus, Temm. junior.—Larus crepidatus, Gnu See Recent Acquisitions.' The Fulmar Petrel. (ProceUaria glacialis, Lin . & Gm.) ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATA). 123 Leach’s, or Fork-tailed Petrel. (Procellaria Leachii, Tcmm.—Latli. Syn. 2d ed. vol. x. p. 194. Shaw's Zool. vol. sdii. pi. 25 .) Attentive and correct observation is every day reducing or in¬ creasing the species of birds formerly known. The well-known ptormy Petrel has now furnished four distinct species, of which thi* is one, and which is found to inhabit our Islands. The four species are, Procellaria pelagica, Lin —P. Leachii, Temm _P. oceanica, l orst.— and P. Wllsonii, Bonaparte. « In their geographical distribu¬ tion (as is stated b^ Mr. Vigors in Zool. Jour. vol. i. p. 426.) P. Wit - sonii appears confined to the western shores of the Atlantic, and P. pelagica to the European, while P. Leachii is common to both. P. oceanica is restricted to the shores of the Pacific ocean,” which, there- fore, must be the species seen by our navigators, the farthest towards “? e . • • it ° f any bird * A most P erfeet specimen of this new British bird (Leach’s Petrel) is at present in my possession, from Mr. Yarrell, and has just been figured by Mr. Bewick and Mi*. Selby. Mr. Y. ’s account of the capture of it is as follows “ This bird was brought to Leadenhall market alive, on 3d November, 1823, and was said to have been caught on the Essex coast. It was purchased by a poulterer, and when brought to me in the evening, was dying for want of proper food. While swimming in a bowl of water, placed J? t”® ! n which it had been confined during the day, it spouted liquid tiom its nostrils through the tube, in the manner described as peculiar to that genus.”—ATr. YarreVs MS. note. “ The month of .December following (1823) produced two other specimens, one killed in Devonshire, the second in Hertfordshire.”— Yarrcl in Zool. Jour. vol. n. p. 25. These captures disprove Temminck’s remark •oi the habitat of this new species, which, he says, is only seen in the Island of St. Kilda, where it is common.— Ed. The Wild Swan. (Anas Cygnus, Gm. —A. Cygnus (ferns) Lin.) , “ Tu-n b * rd ' s tbe hi&gcst of all the whole-footed water-fowl with broad bills, and it weighs twenty pounds. It is a very long lived fowl, so that it is thought to attain the age of 300 years. Albertus writes truly that its flesh is black and hard. As the bird itself is far bigger than a goose, so its flesh is blacker, harder, and tougher, having grosser fibres, harder of digestion, of a bad melancholic juice ; yet, tor its ranty, serves as a dish to adorn great men’s tables at feasts, being else no desirable dainty .”—Albin Hi. p. 91. In the anatomieal pieparations by Mr. Yarrell, of the skeleton of this and some conge- neious species, the convolutions of the trachea in the sternum, arc most ably demonstrated. ‘The Spur-winged Goose. (Anas Gambcnsis, Liu. & Gm .—The Gambo Goose, Will Orn p. 275, t. 71. ?) This, I believe, is the first annunciation of this bird as a British species; the particulars of its capture will be found in Recent Ac- quisitions, amongst which this Museum is proud to rank it. 124 ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATA). The Grey Lag Goose. (Anas Anser, Lin. & Gm.) The Museum was understood to have possessed a specimen of this species, which however, on examination, a PPf ar ® t0 be the Bean Goose, with which it is often confounded. The latter breeds with us only in the Hebrides; the former, in Lincolnshire, The White-fronted Goose. (Anas albifrons, Gm .—Laughing Goose, Edw. t. 153.— Bew. Birds, Supp. ii. p. 33.) The King Duck. (Anas spectabilis, Lin. & Gw.—Grey-headed Duck, Edw • 1.154.) This bird, which approaches to the Eider Duck in appearance, is found in the Orknies, Temminck says, in plenty. We hope to be favoured with a specimen of it from some of our friends. Itwas lately furnished, for Mr. Bewick’s use, by D. Dixon, Esq. of New¬ castle. The Black Duck, of Hudson’s Bay. (Anas perspicillata, Lin. & Gm. — Edw. t. 155.) This, which has never yet been admitted into a list of British birds, is enumerated by Temminck among the birds of the Orknies (les Orcades). Upon his authority, therefore, I introduce it here. An indifferent foreign specimen of it is in the Museum ( See no. 329), and it is well figured by Edwards, as above* The Harleouin Duck. (Anas histrionica, Lin. & Gm. — Edw. t 99, and t. 157-) We may hope to possess this bird from some of our whale ships. A fine specimen of it is among the Arctic birds of the British Mu*^ seum. It is amongst our rarest occasional visiters. Red-brested Shoveler, variety of Shoveler. (Anas clypeata, Temm. —“ variate du jeune male.”—A. rubens, Gm. & Lath.) Bjmaculated Duck. (Anas elocitans, Gm. & Lath. — Penn. Brit. Zool. Vigors in Linn. Tr.) Mr. Vigors being in possession of the only specimen of this beau¬ tiful bird, known at present, if is due to him to notice here his kind¬ ness and liberality in entrusting it to my care, for the pui pose ot being illustrated by Mr. Bewick. It was taken in a decoy, near Maldon, in Essex, in 1812, together with the supposed female, and sent to Leadenhall market. The male of this species was first described by Pennant, m the British Zoology, from a specimen taken in 1771; but from no further accounf of it being given, it has frequently been regarded as a doubtful native. This capture has set the question at rest, of the existence as well as of the locality of the species. The Tufted Duck (Anas fuligula, Lin. & Gm .—Canard Morillon, Temm.- headed Duck, Penn. Brit. Zool. 1st 8vo. ed.) This bird is sometimes taken in our northern marshes. A speci¬ men which came with the Museum was found to be decayed. The term Grey-headed Duck has been applied to three different species, and must be distinguished, viz. to this, by Pennant; to the Harle¬ quin Duck, by Edwards; and to the Anas cana , or Grey-headed Goose of Latham, by Brown. ' * The Velvet Duck, male. (Anas fusca, Lin. & Gm.) See the female in Allan Collection, no. 257. Castaneous Duck. (Anas Nyroca, Gm. & Lath .—Tufted Duck, Lath. Syn.—Anas leucophthalmos, Bech & Temm .—Canard a iris blanc, Temm. —Mont. Supp. with fi g.—Bew. Birds. Supp. ii. p. 34.) This bird, which was first described as a British species by Mon¬ tagu, seems to have been unnoticed here before, though it is found now not unfrequently, amongst the ducks taken in the fens, and sent up to the London markets. It is remarkable for the light colour of the irides. Its supposed connection with the ferruginous Duck of Pen¬ nant will be noticed in the following article. The Ferruginous Duck, of Pennant. and (Anas ferruginea, Gm. & Lath .—Red Duck, Arct. Zool. Br. Zool. new ed. t 45.—A. rufa, Fn. Suec. ?) Pennant, in 1768, published in the “British Zoology,” an account of a bird under the above name, from a description sent him by Mr. Bolton, of a specimen killed in Lincolnshire, which has been the £(>/« asinorum of all subsequent ornithological writers, owing pro¬ bably to the imperfection or meagerness of the original description, to which Pennant seems to have contributed nothing but the name He had not then seen the bird, but he afterwards, in “ Arctic Zoo • logy,” when he repeated the description, said he had received it from Denmark; and, in this latter work, he changed his first name of “ Ferruginous” to “ Red,” probably from the synonym of Anas rufa in Fauna Suecica (an equally uncertain bird), which he had attached to the first description, misquoting it, however, in Arc. Zool. as Anas rutila, a term not to be found in Fn. Suec—Which (if any) of the well acknovvledged British birds Pennant’s is, may never be satis¬ factorily made out. Conjecture, arising out of the circumstances and description and of the figure he published of it in a later edition, is a that is left us. Col. Montagu, who took some pains on the 1 26 ALLAN MUSEUM (DESIDERATA). subject, in coming into possession of a male specimen of the Nyroca Duck, was of opinion that Pennant’s bird was the female ot this species, to which he therefore gave the same name of “ Ferruginous , and that, at all events, it was a female. Afterwards, w "® n ,. e tained a female specimen of the Anas Nyroca , he retracted nis hrs opinion, and changed the name of his first bird to that of the Cas- taneous Duck,” thus separating it from Pennant’s* which he was now disposed to think might be a particular variety of the Common AVigeon. After much consideration and investigation, aided by the opinion of able ornithological friends, I am induced to adopt the ori¬ ginal supposition of Montagu, that Pennant’s bird was a specimen of the Castaneous or Nyroca Duck, which though not then known or described as a British bird, has several times been detected since amongst our other Ducks. I am led to this opinion by the follow¬ ing considerations :—That the Ferruginous and. Castaneous Ducks agree nearly in size, Pennant having placed his bird between tne Pochard and Wigeon; in the blue bill and feet, which correspond nearly; in the rust colour generally of the body, and light belly, which latter agrees, at least, with Pennant’s figure. These marks are more corresponding with the Castaneous Duck than with the Ruddy Goose, our specimen of which has been conjectured to be Pennant’s bird. The weight of the latter indeed (20 oz.) differs ; but in that respect it approaches nearer the first than the second.— Lastly, the Castaneous Duck, being now an acknowledged British bird, makes the supposition of its first capture in Lincolnshire more probable than that of the Ruddy Goose, which, unless our specimen be British, has never been known to have been taken in England. The following birds are also marked in Turton’s Lin¬ naeus, as found rare in England:— 1. Black Eagle, Falco melanaetos, vol. i. p. 144. 2. Black Kite, Falco ater, . . .148 3. Minute Falcon, Falco minutus, . . 164 4. Barred Owl, Strix nebulosa, . .169 5. Alpine Crow, Corvus Pyrrhocorax, . 226 6. Collared Turtle, Columba risoria, . 478 No. 1. is said by Temminck to be the Sea Eagle, or young of F. albicilla. Sir R. Sibbald is the authority for the Black Kite (no. 2.) being found in Scotland; but Mr. Sabine believes his bird was only a state of the Common Buzzard, which he heard so called by a Highlander. The rest, no. 3, 4, 5, 6, rest on Turton’s authority alone, as British visitants; unless he took no. 6, from Hayes’ British birds, where it is given at t. 13. ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). 127 FOREIGN BIRDS IN ALLAN COLLECTION. 1* Accipitres. 264. King Vulture. (Vultur Papa, Lin. & Gm.—Edw. Birds, t. 2.—PI. Enl. no. 428.— Albin's Birds, ii. t. 4.) “ The King of the Vultures. This bird is a native of South America and the \V est Indies. Lives on carrion, which it prefers to tresh meat. Feeds also on rats, lizards, snakes, and excrements of all kinds. It can draw its head and neck into the ruff upon its shoulders. Their smell is exquisite, and will scent a carcase many miles off. — AUan MS. J 265. Secretary Vulture. (Falco serpentarius, Gm .—Vultur serpentarius. Lath. Ind. Urn .-Ejusd. Syn. t, ii.—PI. Enl. 721.—Bew. Foreign Land Birds, t. p. 122.) a Inhabits Africa, principally at the Cape. Its food is snakes, lizards, and the like, for the destruction of which it is held in esteem. Its genus has been much disputed, whether a true Vulture or Fal- con; and some have even thought that it belongs to the Grallae or >> aciers, from its long shanks, and partially webbed feet: but Tem- minck, who has examined its anatomy, declares it a true bird of prey, to say nothing of its habits. It is arranged in a distinct genus, Gy^ogeranus by the continental ornithologists. Our specimen was figured by Mr. Bewick as above, and is thus noticed by Mr. Tun- stall.— Ed. “ I have a fine specimen of the Secretary, seemingly not quite so dark as your figure {see Lath. Syn. i. tab. 2.), and the bill not black, but ot a horn colour, and lighter at the end ; in other respects like yours, though I perceive not the white tips of the black feathers on the thighs. Probably mine is a younger bird; has lost the two lono- tail feathers. — Tunst. MS. ° 266. Virginian Eared Owl. (Strix virginiana, Gm. & Lath.—Edw. Birds, t. 60.) “ Great Horned Owl from Virginia (Strix Bubo). This bird came from Virginia. Frequents the woods, and builds its nest with a tew sticks laid across the pine trees. Lays two eggs of a dull \vhite, and the_young fly in June. Can erect and depress their horns at pleasure. By the Egyptians and Romans accounted a bird of ill omen, and is held to this day in superstitious fear by the American savages. By the Athenians held sacred, and, from its appearance of gravity, supposed emblematic of Wisdom, and w^as dedicated to Minerva. — Allan MS. » T ,le * bove classical remarks refer principally to the Homed Owl of the old world, from which this differs in hiving the ear-feathers |» aced at the base of the bill, It is also rather a smaller species._ Ed. 128 ALLAN MUSEUM (fOREIGN BIRDS)* 267 . Red Owl, of North America. (Strix Asio, Lin. & Gnu-Cates. Car. i. t. 7.—Penn. Arct* ' Zool.ii. t. 11.) Some have been of opinion that this is only the Long -eared*Owl Fill-one • but they are surely distinct. Linmeus, in separating them, gavcTo this the old name of Asio, which had been applied by Pliny to our Strix Otus—Notwithstanding the above indications, I can¬ not from a stuffed specimen, undertake to determine whether this be not also the Mottled Owl (St. nmvia, Gnu) the original descrip¬ tion of which in Arct. Zool. is hardly distinct from the Red Owl. 268 Sooty Owl, of Arctic Zoology ? (Strix cinerca. Gnu & Lath.) “ Inhabits Hudson’s Bay. Builds in pine trees; flies low, yet with such force, that it often strikes itself into the snow a foot deep when in chace of its prey, which is mice and rabbits, though it at¬ tacks hares, andean fly off with one in its talons. Lath, ex Arct. Z “ ,- Have several foreign Owls, but none very remarkable, except one smooth-headed species, which I am told is not cither m the British or Leverian Museums, and I think is not described by you. It is nearly of the size of the Great Horned or Eagle Owl, rather more round and bustly shaped It is all over nearly of the same colour, viz. undulated grey, and dirty white, the feathers very soft and silky, particularly on the breast; the claws dark brown ami very sharp, not much curved ; as to the irides can say nothing, as 1 had it dead.”— Tunst. MS. . It is a subject of doubt with me whether this be not the Barred Owl of Arct. Zool. (St. nebulosa, Gm.), the only distinction being a denudated stripe, reaching from the throat to the vent in the Sooty Owl, which probably was only an accidental circumstance in the subject first described.— £d. 269. Canada Owl, 2 single specimens. (Strix funerea, Lin. & Gm.) “ Inhabits Hudson’s Bay, and has two young at a time. Builds in trees ; eggs white. The young fly in June, its food often mice. Is a bold bird, and frequents the fires made by the Indians in the night.— Lath. Supp., 47.” — Allan MS. 270. Rusty Shrike. (Lanius ferrugineus, Gm.) Inhabits the Cape of Good Hope. ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). 1 29 2. PlCTE. 271. Red and Blue Maccaw. (Psittacus Macao, Lin. & Gm.) Inhabits Barbadoes and South America. Lives in the wet forests. orsavaimah 8 , planted with the palm tree (Cocos aculeata), hence called the Maccaw tree, on the fruit of which it feeds— (See Hughes' His- ory ot Barbadoes). Breeds twice a year, the male and female each nursing their young in turns. The young birds are easily tamed, but e o ones not at all. Its voice is squalling, rough, and disagree¬ able, as we often in this country can testify. Its flesh is used for car^itoff— to e P ile Ptic fits, which usually, in confinement, 2/2. Blue and Yellow Maccaw. (Psittacus Ararauna, Lin , & Gm.) Inhabits Jamaica and South America. The beauty and brilliant sonYv^et “p Il8.° f MaCCa "' S ’ is most etti km g \j elated i" An- 273. The Blue-headed and bellied Parrot. (Psittacus hasmatodus, var. y . Novae Hollandiae, Gnu— Ps. hae- inatodus, var. y . Lath. Ind— Brown's Ill. t. 7 .—Phyll. f*ot. Bay, t. p. 152.) * “ A nati . ve ° f New South Wales, in New Holland, and are verv ”e U :hB^ 0 k any , Bay - TWS bbd "’ as brou = ht itSW that it ’I’ h ° g r 11 t0 Mr - Tunsla11 - and infonoed him died at rS ^ u,,fortu " ate 1 7 V a > a "alive of Otaheite, who tionsof 7n^Z’ T bl - Way u° El ?f 1 f nd - P - Brown, in his Illustra- mi f hk,l k’S aSg l! en ? beai,tlful plate of this bird ."—Allan MS. name ofBWM™ *! H’ 1 prasume > kno ' vn in New Holland by the “ „ * TTA 0ry ’ ls f«PPOsed by most describees to be I Iu ) J 11 { ^-breasted Parrot of Latham (Ps. hcematodus , / - ; ’ ’ y ears after their arrival. They “f, ke P<'Chiefly for their external beauty and docility of manners, firjs any thing else ; for they do not talk, and the noise they make is far from agreeable. '—Lath. Syn. i. p. 310. The simi- terus 0 rJ3n ne k °u ? n . ot J'F r s P ecias of small Parrots (Ps. pyrrhop- terus, .Lath.) .which inhabits the South Sea Islands, described by fli Y f? rs ’ from a .P“' r °, f I'vmgones which came in the same ves- Saiidw ch lXn7 ed - h f -L ate U " f ? rtunate Ki "e alld Queen of the Sandwich Islands, is striking and interesting, as descriptive of the melancholy fate of those royal personages. “ Strongly attached to mtt and W !' 0t , ad ' nit separated, ^entamo- ment, and, vvhether in their cage or at liberty, ev ery act and every movement of one has a reference to those of'the other. They are witlf’nerfeot' “"f I fami,,, T'’ distinguishing those who attend to them with peifect confidence, but always in concert."—Zool. Jour. i. p. 53 c. 281 . Sapphire-crowned Parrakeet. (Psittacus Galgnlus, Lin. & Gm.—Edw. Glean, t. 293 f. * 11. Enl. 190, f. 2.— Hew. Foreign Land Birds, 133.) This is one-third less than the Guinea Sparrow. It is found in Sumatra and Philippine Isles. It is a stupid bird in confinement whlh'state'h w ? ll ‘ S ° tHa | t the - back turns towards the earth, in nhich state it will remain a long time —See .Oshcck’s Travels, i. p. r 7 de r ence aga,nst L the attac k 8 of monkies is in the fineness of the texture of its nest, which breaks before the enemy can get to the Without’.7' J ^ ls to the ground, much to his own d^omfiture! yo,m g.-Torccn’s Voyage, at ike c„ d of Linnaeus applied the specific name of Galgulus to this species in reference to the manners of a bird described by Pliny, under that name, thusAs for the birds called Galguli, men say for a ruth thinking bv k th‘t eir Sleep t , hanging aI1 H their legs to some branch! ofPUnyjVl c™?!!! Ed* are Ul m01 ' e safety. ”—//<,», Trans. 282 . White-throated Toucan. (Ramphastos Toco, Gm.—Latk. Syn. i. t. 9.—-I.e Toco PI EnJ. 82.) ’ ' “ I think I have a Toucan larger than any you have described near;y the size of the Rook, all black but the throat and b ea ’ white r! h e PyC ' S an , d C0V f! la of t,le tail, which are of a dirty "lute. It has a very long thick bill, of a dirty horn colour th. C.^ ( t ke i>r tat aU Semted; thC legs ^P far “» have been bare orerlooked e !h!!'h- V- ^remarkable that Mr. Tunstall should s ynoi " is ' vhtw!t " not ^ 132 ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). 283. Yellow-breasted Toucan. (Ramphastos Tucanus, Lin. & Gm.—Pet. Gaz.t. 13, Edw. Birds, t. 339.— PI. Enl. 307-) Inhabits South America, within the tropics, as does the whole genus. 084 . Green Toucan, male and female. (Ramphastos viridis, Lin & Gm.-Pl. Enl1 727, 728.-S haw's 1 Zool.—Nat. Mis. 17, t. /17-) The female, in this case, is chesnut on the head and neck. The male, of a dull dark green above. The species is well distinguished by the black line on the bill. 285. Red-beaki<:d Toucan, bill of. (Ramphastos erythrorhynchos, Gm .—PI. Enl. 262.—Edw. Birds, t. 238.—Nat. Mis. vi. t. 183.) The colour of the bill, which is all of the bird we possess, is well preserved, contrary to the usual effect in this family. Dr. Shaw says, “ The substance of the beak is extiemdy slight. The serratures placed forward, and not calculated for holding its pi e>. The Toucans feed only on vegetables, and are not (as has been er¬ roneously supposed) of a predacious nature.” On examination ot our specimen,'* the bill will be found, though very I'ght, extremely powerful, and not so ill adapted to the purpose ot attack as above supposed; and how far the other assertion is correct, of its want oi predacious habits, will be seen by what follows. It has been lately ascertained, from a living specimen m this country, that this species, at least, is carnivorous, and will devour small birds, killing them by the compression of its bill, which, until now, has always been considered powerless, and ill adapted to its purpose. The food of this captive bird was made to consist ot bread, boiled vegetables, eggs, and flesh, to which a little bird was added, as soon as the predisposition was discovered, every second or third day He shewed a decided preference for animal food, picking out all the morsels of that description, and not resorting to the vegeta¬ ble diet till all of the former was exhausted.— See the interesting Memoir of Mr. Broderip in Zool. Jour. vol. i. p. 484. « Th e habit of feeding on animal substances, which is conspicuous in the Corvidce , or Crows, and occasionally observed in the Buceridoe , or Hornbills, is thus partially preserved in the lihamphastidee, or Toucans, until it gradually disappears in the Psittaddce , or Parrots. _ Vigors in Zool. Jour. vol. i. p. 586. 286. Rhinoceros Hornbill, bill ot. (Buceros Rhinoceros, Lin. & Gm. —PI. Enl. 934 (Caput)— Edw . t. 281. B. (the head). It is only of late years that the birds of this genus, which hold the same place on the old continent as the Toucans do m the new, have been imported into Europe. Their bills and heads however, seem to have been brought by our earlier navigators, as they are iouncl m ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). 133 most or the older works on Ornithology. It is for this reason that this museum possesses the curious bill here noticed. A full series of Uus uncouth genus is in fine preservation, entire, at the Museum of Natural History, in Paris. The following label is in Mr. Allan’s hand-wntmg:—“ Head of a Humgum or Rhinoceros bird, a native of the East Indies. The Indian Kings preserve it as a great trea¬ sure, and account it as a Royal present, being esteemed an antidote against all poisons. — Allan MS . 287. Lesser Ani. (Crotophaga Ani, Lin. & Gm.—Cates. Car. iii. t. 3—PI Enl 102, fig. 2.) Inhabits the West Indies and the opposite continent. Lav their eggs, several females together, and hatch in one common nest. Their lood is fruit and insects, picked from the backs of cattle._ Ed. 288. Cinereous Wattle Bnj.1* (Glaucopis cinerea, Gm .—Callasas cinerea. Lath, in Syn. 1.14.) “ Brought from New Zealand. Often seen walking on the ground and sometimes perches on trees. Its food, various berries of all kinds and insects, and, according to some, small birds. The flesh is good to cat. Its note not unlike whistling, and sometimes a kind of murmuring, though not an unpleasant one. Its tongue is not like that of any known bird, being of a sub-eartilagenous nature, dlv j£ ed em ’ or rat ^ er dee Pty serrated and ciliated, Lath 30o .—Allan MS . ’ “ My Wattle Bird, which was brought to England from New Zea land, that voyage when Sir Joseph Banks and Dr. Solander aecom- pamed Captain Cook, has the wattle of a light yellow; seems not so shin a bird as your figure (Syn. of Birds, vol. i. pi. 14.) represents near y of the size and colour and shape of a Jack-daw ; it seems not at all, m appearance, to be like a singing bird; if it is one, it is almost a singular instance among the Pica;; seems to come very nigh the genus Corvus .”— Tun at . MS . y 8 Cne 289. Cinereous Crow. Corvus Canadensis, Lin. & Gm.. —PI. Enl. 530.) Inhabits Canada and Hudson’s Bay, where they are called WhiSku Jack. Are very bold pilferers. “ 290. Blue Jay. (Corvus cristatus, Lin. & Gm.—Cates. Car. i. t. 15.) 291. Black and yellow Oriole. (Oriolus persicus, Lin. & Gm.) Nests pendant at the ends of branches ; sometimes 400 on a tree. Inhabits South America; as do the greater part of the whole of this numerous natural family, under the Linnaoan genus Oriolus, which 1 emnmick has divided into two genera, viz, lss Loriots (Oriolus), 134 ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). for the birds of the old continents ; and les Troupials (Icterus), for those of the new. The subject has received further illustration in the hands of Mr. Vigors .—See Zool. Jour. vol. 11 . p- I°*- 291,*Crested Oriole. (Oriolus cristatus, Gm. —PI. Enl. 344.) 292. Icteric Oriole. (Oriolus Icterus, Lin. & Gm. —PI. Enl. 532.— Cates. Car. iii, t. 5.—Albin ii. t. 40 ) “ Found in Carolina, Brazil, and all the Caribbee Isles, and in Jamaica is common. Feeds on insects, and hops like a Magpie, and resembles the actions of the Starling. Their nests are cylindri¬ cal, and suspended at the end of the utmost twig of a tree, to prevent the rapine of snakes and other poisonous animals. In their wild state very agile and playful, but very docile, when kept tame.”— Allan MS. This is the type of the whole family, the greater part of which are of black and yellow colours, and hence its characteristic name of Icterus , the jaundice, applied to it by Linnaeus; which term, however, was used by Pliny for the Golden Oriole of Europe, for which he as¬ signs an additional, and whimsical reason. “ A Bird there is called in Greeke Icterus, of the yellow colour which the feathers carry, which if one that hath the jaundise do but looke upon, he or she shall presently be cured thereof, but the poore bird is sure to die for it.”f Holland's Trans, of Pliny. 293. Red-winged Oriole, 3 specimens. (Oriolus.phoeniceus, Lin. & Gm. —PI. Enl. 402.—Albin i. t. 33. — Cates , i. t. 13.) Inhabits the northern continent of America only. Called Maize Thief, from its attacks on that grain, while green. Taken in nets in such numbers, as to oblige them to be knocked on the head on the spot to secure them.— Ed. “ It makes its nest over the water among reeds and sedges, the tops of which they interweave so artfully, making an arch or cover¬ ing, under which they hang their nest, and so secure from wet, that when the tide flows, it is observed never to reach them .”—Albin i. p. 36. 294. Red-breasted Oriole, 3 specimens. (Oriolus Americanus, Gn 4 ,—PI. Enl. 236, 2.) Found in Guiana and Cayenne. All the Orioles build pendant nests, as security against squirrels and monkies, and this species of the most remarkable length, which is necessary, that the bird may not be thrown out by a gust of wind. Some nests, which are conjec¬ tured to belong to this species, and to the Oriolus pcrsicus, are in the Museum. f “ Avis Icterus vocatur a colore, quae si spectetur, sanari id malym tra- duiifc, etavem raori.”— Plin. Hist. Nat. 1 . xxx. c. 11. ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRD'S). 135 295. Baltimore Oriole. (Oriolus Baltimore, Lin. & Gm. —PI. EnL 506,1 .—Cates. Car. i. t. 48.) Inhabits North America, from Canada to Mexico, and even to Brazil, attaching their elegant purse-shaped nests to the forked twigs of the magnificent tulip and other trees, the splendour of which they go to increase by their brilliant colours; the bright orange seen through the green leaves, resembling a flash of fire, from whence they are called Fire Birds by the country people, near whose habi¬ tations they abound. The common name of the bird is derived, according to Catesby, from the colour of the arms or livery of Lord Baltimore, (formerly proprietary of Maryland) which was black and orange. In Wilson’s “ American Ornithology” (a work of great informa¬ tion) it is stated, that “ since the streets of the American cities have been planted with that beautiful and stately tree, the Lombardy poplar, these birds are our constant visitors during the early part of summer; and amid the noise and tumult of coaches, drays, wheel¬ barrows, and the din of the multitude, they are heard chaunting ‘ their native wood notes wild;’ sometimes, too, within a few yards of an oyster woman, who stands bellowing, with the lungs of a Stentor, under the shade of the same tree.” 296. Lesser Bonana Bird, of Edwards. (Oriolus Xanthornus, Lin. Gm . & Lath. — Edw. t. 243.) I name the bird as above, from the close resemblance to Edwards’ figure. In the same case is also another less bird of a deeper yellow, which corresponds with the figure in PI. Enl. 5 , f. 1 . of Carouge du Mcxiquc , included by Latham in the same species with Edwards’ bird. They will prove on comparison, surely, distinct species. The smaller one is probably the true Linnaean bird._ Ed. 297. Yellow-headed Oriole. (Oriolus icterocephalus, Lin. & Gm.—Edw. t. 323.) Inhabits Cayenne. 298 Olive Oriole. (Oriolus Capensis, Gm. —PI. Enl. 607, 2.) Inhabits the Cape of Good Hope, and, if Buffon is to be depended on, Louisiana also; which, however, if true, makes against the di¬ visions of this family by Temminck, into those of the old and new continents. 299. Black Oriole. (Oriolus niger, Gm. —PI. Enl. 534.) Inhabits North America; the female is greenish brown. J 36 ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN RlRfiS}. 800. Mino, or Minor Grakle. (Gracula religiosa, Lin• & Gm. —Lesser Minor, or Miuo, Ldw. i. t. 17.— Bew. Foreign Land Birds, p. 12/.) « Found in several parts of the East Indies; remarkable for sing¬ ing, whistling, and talking well, and more so than any of the Parrots, and in particular very distinct.* Is a very tame and familiar bird. Its food of the vegetable kind, but particularly is fond of grapes and cherries, which, if it does not get when offered, it cries and whines like a young child, Lath.”—Allan MS. . Mr. Bewick has engraven this specimen in his roreign Land -birds, for which, however, he has misquoted Gracula calva , Lin. 601. Crested Grakle. (Gracula cristatella, Lin. & Gm.—Chinese Starling, or Black¬ bird, Edw. t. 19.— Bew. Foreign Land Birds, p. 126.) “ Lucoury, or Chinese Starling or Blackbird (Gracula Cristatella,) common in China, where they are kept in cages, and said to talk and whistle well, but not in that perfection as the Minor. Seldom brought alive to England, as requiring the greatest care in the pas¬ sage. Their food rice, insects, and worms. We often see them m Chinese paintings .”—Allan MS. . “ Gracula, or Grakle. I have had both the Gracula Religiosa, Minor or Mainatt, and the Cristatella live with me some time; they were both very entertaining birds ; the Religiose talked better than any Parrot; the Cristatella spoke several words, and had much ex¬ pression in its movements, often repeated the word Lncquoy , whether its natural cry or an acquired one cannot say; the person I bought it of, called it a Lucquoy”. — Tunst. MS. . . Mr. Bewick engraved a figure from this specimen, in ms roreign Land Birds, p. 12G. 302. Boat-tailed Grakle, 2 birds. (Gracula Barita, Lin. & Gm. — Lath. feyn. i. t. 18.) Inhabits Jamaica and the warmer parts of America. The singula¬ rity of its tail, which sinks into a deep guttur, when folded up, (from which Linnaeus is supposed to have derived his trivial name Santa, from fietotT a barge) is well shewn in one of the specimens in this case.— Ed. 303. Greater Bird of Paradise, 2 single specimens. (Paradisea apoda, Lin. & Gm. — Edw. t. 110. Alhin 3, t. 9.) Inhabits New Guinea principally, where it breeds. Linnaeus, with his characteristic acumen, has- recorded, by his trivial name Apoda , the vulgar error of this bird being produced without feet, which had at first been propagated from the specimens being usually brought * “ Multo accuratius humanas voces imitansquam Psittacus, sed impor- tunasape garrulitate. Will Orn. p. 145. ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDs). 137 Europe ill that state, for the purpose of sale as head-dresses— I he eet are, however very conspicuous in the perfect bird, though fltherf nf°> S h C f n A 0n ?' ^ ' S falsel y called the tail ’ are the hv rhp n !■ f ba -'u M d sldcs - To avoid injuring these, it is killed by the natives with blunt arrows, or taken with bird-lime.— Ed. 3(H. Pileated Woodpecker. (Picus pileatus, Lin. & Gm. — Cates . Car. i, t. 17.) Inhabits Carolina and Virginia. Some late observers of this ge- . Amenc ?’. ' vhe ( e "a abounds most, conjecture that they only attack trees which already are under decay with insects, and that thair mstmcf leads them to detect the situation of their favourite food; which circumstance, if found true, will make their depreda¬ tions be considered less injurious_ Ed. 1 305. Green Tody. (Todus viridis, Lin. & Gm.) Inhabits South America; is a stupid, solitary bird. 306. Green Jacamar. (Galbula viridis, Gm .—Alcedo Galbula, Lin.—Edw. t. 334 — PI. Enl. 238.) Inhabits Guinea and Brazil. The Jacamars were originally placed by Linnteus with the Kings- nsliers, m the genus Alcedo, to which they bear a close affinity, dif¬ fering from them chiefly in their food, which consists of insects, and in their mode of feeding, which is, for the most part, confined to spearing their prey by their sharp and pointed bills. Their toes are zygodactyle (two toes before and two behind), in which they differ from the Kingsfishers, and which occasioned Brisson and others to place them with the true scansorial birds, the Woodpeckers and Cie rn”ll T hey are ? 1 however, true Halcyomdte, as a three-toed spe- aes (Galbula ceyco.des) has been lately discovered in Brazil by Dr. Such, and described by him m Zool. Jour. vol. ii. p. 112, and which shews the insufficiency of this character, as a generic one, and re¬ stores diem in a^natural arrangement to the tridactyle division of the 307. New Guinea Kingsfisher. (Alcedo Novae Guinea, Gm.) Inhabits New Guinea. 308. Smyrna Kingsfisher. (Alcedo Smyrnensis, Lin.b Gm.—Albin iii. t. 27.) 309. Crested Kingsfisher. (Alcedo cristata, Lin. & Gm.—Edw . t. 336.) Inhabits Philippine Isles. The figure in Edwards has hitherto -4 T 138 ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN RIIIDS). been considered as doubtful, w hether applying to the common King*- fisher, as a variety; but I do not hesitate, from a comparison with our bird, to consider Edwards’ figure as the Crested Kingsfisher of authors.— Ed. 310- New Zealand Creeper, or Poe Bee-eater. (Merops Novae Seelandise, Gm. —M cincinnatus, LcM.—- Cook's Voy. pi. 62— Brown's Ill. t. 9.) “ New Zealand Creeper, where it is called Kogo , but better known by the name of Poe Bird, and is held in great esteem by the na¬ tives. Said to sing well; its note is sweet, and its flesh delicious ; and, as Captain Cook says, the greatest luxury the woods afforded them. It changes into a variety of beautiful colours, like the Hum¬ ming Bird, when held in the sun.P— Allan MS. I add the remainder of Captain Cook’s description.—“ ThePoy- bird is less than the Wattle-bird. The feathers of a fine mazarine blue,.except those of the neck, which are of a most beautiful silver grey, and two or three short white ones, which are on the pinion joint of the wing. Under its throat hang two little tufts of curled, snow-white feathers, called its pines^ which being the Otaheitan word for ear-rings, occasioned our giving that name to the bird, not more remarkable for the beauty of its plumage, than for the sweetness of its note.”— Cook's Voy. voL i. p. 98. Brown made his figure from our specimen. The bird is also well engraved in Cook’s First Voyage, as above— Ed. 311. Cape Promerops. (Upupa Promerops, Lin. & Gm. —PI. Enl. 63/.—Nectarinia, Genus, Temrn.) The suggestion of Latham, that the Hoopoes without crests should form a distinct genus, has been adopted by Temminck and Cuvier, who have formed therefrom their genus Epimachus (Lrs Promerops des Auteurs). The present species is, how ever, separated. 312. Wall Creeper. (Certhia muraria, Lin. & Gm. —Tichodroma phcenicoptera, Temin. — Edw. t. 361. fem.—PI. Enl 372, f. 1. 2.) Inhabits the Alps and Italy. Temminck, in separating this bird from the genus Certhia, describes its manners as follow’s :—“ What the Creeper does on trees, the Tichodrome does against the upright face of rocks, on which it darts strongly, without, however, creeping up and dowm. It feeds on insects and their larvae, and builds in crevices of rocks. It moults twice a year, and the males only have the throat black in the spring, which disappears in the autumn be¬ fore the rest of the feathers fall.” Our specimen, whilst in Mr. TunstaU’s possession, was the only one w r hieh Mr. Latham had seen (See Syn. of Birds, p. 732), and it was considered by Mr. Tunstall as one of his aves rariores. — Ed. ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). 139 513. Famous Creeper, 3 birds, viz. 1 mid 2. (Certhia famosa, Lin. &.Gm. —PI. Enl. 83. f. 1.—Nat Mis 1 t. 19.) * J^l S ^ eCleS 18 0110 tlle lar &est of the genus. Its general colour on thenec^Ldteick W,t Th ° f 'bronze i colour, most predominant the outward black It khabk^Ar “ re ^“T 5 and the Cape of Good Hope.-II b Afllca S eneral) y. 314. Black and Blue Creeper, 2 birds. (Certhia cyanea, Lin. & Gm.—Edw. t. 114.— PI. Enl. 83. f. 2.) Inhabits Brazil. 31.3. Blue Creeper. (Certhia caerulea, Lin. & Gm.—Edu> ; t. 21. f. 1.) Inhabits Cayenne. 316. Red-brested Creeper. (Certhia sperata, Lin & Grimpereau des Philippines, Lit//:—PI. Enl. 24C. f. 1. 2.) the I sa h I ne' t sn^jI l i PI>ine H'*®’ '',' h (? re there are found several varieties of as we as Hn • ‘rr ^i 1 ’ 3 d,tierent ones. The Linnaian Creepers, and occtlim Xref B,r< f ’ "“c Subject ,omuch variety of plumage, t" eir historv nV,°’ f °"‘ ‘. he ? ant ofa “ intimate knowledge of Authors 7 ’ COnfuS10n 111 the description and delineation of 317* Collared Creeper. (Certhia chalybea. Lath. & ^.-Grimpereau du Cap de Bonne Esperance, PI. Enl. 246. f. 3 .) Inhabits with the last, and also is said to be found at the Cape. 318. Snuff-coloured Creeper. (Certhia tabacina, Lath. Syn. Supp. 129 .-Tnrt. Lin. p. 300.) specimen met™with by him iUMr^BodV* 1 '* Spe p 6S ’ f'- 0 'V a sin S le our specimen ? Its nLi ^ 0 ^™" Ca " thls ha ^ bee 9 3!9 Black-capped Humming Bird, 3 specimens. (Troclnhis Polytmps Lin & G>n.-Ed w . t. 34.-Ge„t. Mag. t • l^l- — Albin. 3. t. 49.) of its tribe, thot^^he^e^rfberolTAlbin’ F ' S among ? t . t,le lar ?est of all the species of this kind of bilu 1 . n fig '! rC ’ 11 ls the least found upon our globe ' His fin- ^ ’ dnd 1 le ? ast that we know of «* «■«. <*- ** 140 ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). 320- Ash-bellied Humming Bird, 3 birds. (Trochilus cinereus, Gm.) 321. Grey-necked Humming Bird. (Trochilus margaritaceus, Gm. —PI. Enl. 680. f. 1.) Inhabits St. Domingo. 322. Green and Blue Humming Bird. (Trochilus Ourissia, Lin. & Gm .—PI. Enl. 227* £ 3. Edw . t. 35. f. 2.—L’Emeraude-amethiste, Buff.) Inhabits Surinam. 323. Red Throated Humming Bird. (Trochilus Colubris, Lin.h Gm. — Cat. Car. i. t. 6o.-~Ediu. t. 38.—Gent. Mag. 20. t. p. 175.—Le Rubis, Buff) Inhabits Carolina, and the north parts of America, and is almost the only species found as far north as Canada. I extract Lat am s description of the manners of this species, which may serve to desig¬ nate the genus. . . f a “ These birds subsist on the nectar or sweet juice ol flowers; they frequent those most which have a long tube, particular y t e impatiens Noli me tangere , the Monarda with crimson flowers (in. didyma, L.), and those of the Convolvulus tribe : they never settle on the flower during the action of extracting the juice, but flutter conti¬ nually like bees, moving their wings very quick, and making a hum¬ ming noise ; whence their name : in this respect resembling t e ac¬ tion of the Sphinx Moth, whilst similarly employed. They are not very shy, suffering people to come within a foot or two of the place where they are, but on approaching nearer fly off, like an arrow out of a bow : they often meet and fight for the right of a flower, and this all on the wing: in this state, often come into rooms, where the windows stand open, fight a little, and go out again, m which act they are often caught, as they make directly to the ceiling, in the manner of moths. When they come to a flower which is juiceless, or on the point of withering, they pluck it off, as it were in anger, by which means the ground is often quite covered with them. VA hen they fly against each other, they have, besides the humming, a soit of chirping noise, like a sparrow or chicken. They do not feed on insects nor fruit; nor can they be kept long in cages, though they have been preserved alive for several weeks together, by feeding them with water in which sugar has been dissolved; and by placing artificial flowers, attached to a pipe filled with sugared water m their cage, through which they feed themselves in their natural man¬ ner. They build their nests in the middle of a branch, generally at its divarication with another branch, and the nests are so small as to be scarcely seen, unless when viewed from above. These are conir posed in the inside of the down of mullein or of silk grass (Periploca L.), and on the outside, of moss and lichen. As their tongues are made foj: suction, being formed of two conjoined cylindric tubes, it ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BlRps), 141 ^ alone that they can gain nourishment: no wonder therefore, they can scarcely be^kept alive by human artifice. "—Lath feyn. i. p. 770. 324. Grey-belllied Humming Bird. (Trochilus Pegasus, Lin. & Gm.) Inhabits Cayenne. 325. Ruby-necked Humming Bird. (Trochilus nioschitus, Lin. & Gm .—Le Rubis topaze Luff _ PI. Enl. 227, f. 2.) M ' Inhabits Brazil. 326. All-green Humming Bird. (Trochilus viridissimus, Gm .—L’or vert, Buf.—Ediv. t. 360.) Inhabits Tobago. 3. Anseres. 327 Canada Goose. (Anas Canadensis, Lin.^ Cates. Car i. t. 02.—Echv. Birds t. 151.— Bcw. Birds, and Supp. with fig.) V Bihabits North America. Numbers breed in Hudson’s Bav and lay six or seven eggs each. Where they are situate they are the chief article of food, and many years three or four thousand are killed, salted, and barreled. They are common in a tame state both on the Continent and in England, where they are thought great ornaments to pieces of water and gentlemen’s farms, where they are familiar and breed freely. "—Allan MS. y am ^ m nv Pi/wing account, I might be justified in placing this among British birds, were it not that the species is so often found in a reclaimed state in England. 18 ^’ 1 sent Mr. Bewick a very perfect skin of the Canada P ™ ’ w n * 1 Wa i- shot at Tredmnick, upon the St. German’s river by Mr. \\ ilium Keast, on the 19th January, 1819. A pair first appeared on the 17th, in the lawn of the Earl of St. German’s. They were very wild, and kept more erect and upon the watch than the common Wild Goose. Having attempted with the gamekeeper to get a shot at them early on the first morning, they flew across the river, and alighted in the middle of a field; remained there wfthout moving for about four hours. Again returning to the lawn, the gamekeeper got a shot and killed one. The variation was Zt much from the one sent Mr. Bewick, being somewhat deeper in the brown, and rather more edged with grey, but in weight it exceeded it by above 2 lbs,, weighing more than 11 lbs.; both were verv lean I also saw a Canada Gpose, which was shot by a miner upon the Cker ’ iu the co »“ty of Cornwall. He Informed rn that he first saw it near a pond, but that it was very wild, and 142 ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). flew off, making a shrill cackle immediately upon seeing him. He observed that it returned towards evening, and watching among some bushes, he succeeded in killing it.”— Mr. Mewburn s {of St. German's ) MS. Note.—See Recent Acquisitions. 328. Grey-headed, or Ruddy Goose. (Anas Casarka, Lin. App.—Anas cana et Casarka, Gm. & Lath. —Canard Casarka, Tenim. —Grey-headed Duck, Brown Ill. Zool. p. 104, t. 41.—Collared Duck, Gent. Mag. 42, t. p. 161.?—Ferruginous Duck, Penn. Br. Zool.?) The discovery of this species in the Museum has occasioned some sensation. When I first noticed it in June last, I determined it to be Anas Casarka of Linnaeus, though with some doubts, as the de¬ scription is only meagre. I became more confirmed in that opinion on referring to Temminck afterwards, whose female of Canard Ca¬ sarka it seemed nearly to agree with. On its coming into the hands of Mr R. Wingate for re-setting, he conjectured, that it was the long-lost Ferruginous Duck of Pennant, and passing it to Mr. Bewick, he has engraven a figure of it as such. The evi¬ dence however, on this subject is involved, and I have already mentioned it in another place. On a further investigation I was led to alter my first opinion, by an examination of Brown’s figure and description of a bird, which he calls the Grey-headed Duck, (See Ill. of Zool. pi. 41.) with which our specimen agrees most nearly of all. I am, therefore, constrained to consider it Brown’s bird at least. This latter is described by Latham as the Grey¬ headed Goose, and he refers to Brown’s figure; at the same time acknowledging that he thinks it and the Ruddy Goose to be much allied. In this conjecture I think he is right; and I have, after much consideration, and with the sanction of able ornithological friends, brought the synonyms together. Temminck has also done nearly the same by quoting Brown’s figure of the Grey-headed Duck amongst the synonyms of his Canaro Casarka, which, however, he has attributed to a wrong work, viz. Forster's Ind. Zool. I know of no other specimen than this, nor can I find, on enquiry, that it is to be found in any collection in London. Brown made his drawing from a bird of Mr. Pennant’s; this may have come into Mr. Tunstall’s hands from their intimacy, though it must have been after the composition of the MS. w r e possess, where it is not noticed. I dare not, how¬ ever, without further evidence, pronounce it a British-killed speci¬ men, whatever conjectures may arise of its being the bird killed in Lincolnshire, belonging to Mr. Bolton, as described by Pennant in his account of the Ferruginous Duck. I shajl here add a descrip¬ tion of our specimen, taken from a careful admeasurement, which, with Mr. Bewick’s figure, will best serve, perhaps, to solve the knotty point. Length from tail to bill about 21 inches. Bill If inch from tip to frontal feathers, 1 inch deep and about f inch broad at the base ; suddenly sloping,' depressed in the middle, and without any tubercule at the base. The nostrils ovoid, included in a membrane. The edges of the bill strongly laminato-dentate of a membraneous ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). 143 texture. The crown of the head and neck is of a mouse grey; the front, cheeks, and throat, pure white. The whole of the breast* belly, upper part of the back, and scapular feathers, which are veiy long, is of a uniform light ferruginous, which is the prevailing colour of the bird. The feathers are broad at their end, semicircular, and tipped with a lighter colour, which form semicircular lines all over the body. The wing coverts are white, which forms a broad space on the wing; below this the secondary quills are green, forming a large speculum ; the greater quills brown, darker on the edges, which has occasioned them to be described black ; the same applies to the tail and back (which is nearly covered by the scapulars), both of which are dark brown, with greenish tinge. The legs are dark co¬ loured, inches long from the heel to the knee joint; the toes, which are largely webbed, of the same length, and the webs black. At the bend of the wing is a kind of blunt knob. Beneath, on the sides of the vent, are the rudiments of a bar of mottled feathers; and the feathers of the thighs and some of the vent feathers are lighter than the rest of the body. The Ruddy Goose is an inhabitant of the south of Europe, and also, Temminck asserts, of Africa. Brown’s Grey-headed Duck, is described by him as inhabiting the Cape of Good Hope, and so far there is a coincidence of the two species. Whether, however, Brown’s testimony of this habitat is to be depended on, is doubtful. I have only to add, that Brown has figured a second bird, which he calls the other sex of his first plate, and which Latham makes the female; Temminck, the male. It, however, wants the dark collar of Temminck’s male bird. I am indebted to Mr. Vigors’ and Mr. Stephens’ assistance and opinions in this investigation. It may be useful to notice, that the name “ Grey-headed Duck,” has been ap¬ plied by different authors to there different species, viz. to the Har¬ lequin Duck (Anas Histrionica) by Edwards ; to the Tufted Duck, or Morillon (Anas fuligula) by Pennant, in first octavo edition of Br. Zool; and to the bird here described (Anas enna) by Brown_ So ambiguous a term had therefore best be expunged. 329. Black Duck. (Anas perspieillata, Lin. & Gw.— Canard Marchand, Temm. Man .—Edw. Birds, t. 155.—PI. Enl. 995.) Though this is said by Latham to be wholly an American species, yet Temminck, whose accuracy in this respect is unquestionable, says it is found rarely in the Orknies, and the highest polar latitudes. I notice this particularly, since, if found correct, this species ought to be enumerated by British ornithologists among our rare occasional visitants, which has never yet been done. I have mentioned this before. Our specimen is in indifferent preservation, and the bill in the recent bird is red and orange, which colours surround its re¬ markable black spots.— Ed. 330. American Teal. (Anas Carolinensis, Gm.) Inhabits woods, in ponds, from Carolina to Hudson’s Bay. 144 ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). 331. Black Skimmer. (Rytichops nigra Lin. k Gin.—Cates. Car. t. 90.—PI. Enl. 35J. J —Latham 6. t. in tit.) “ Razor Bill, Cat water, Sea Crow, or Black Skimmer. Inha¬ bits America, from New York to Guiana, and is also said to be met with in the East Indies. Is commonly found skimming on the sur¬ face of the water, continually dipping in its bill, to take up small fish, on which it principally feeds. In stormy weather, seeks the shores, and lives on oysters, which the shape of the bill enables it to open.— Lutli. 34S -—Allan JVtS. 332. Crested Pinguin. (Aptenodytes chrysocome. Gin —PI. Enl. 984.— Cook's Last Voy. i. p. 88 .) This beautiful specimen of the Museum has only lately been iden- tified, during my recent examination, as by some mistake it was a- belled Alca impennis, and considered as such. It inhabits Falk¬ land Islands and New Holland, where it is called Jumping Jack , from its habit of leaping out of the water. An interesting account is given of it by Captain Cook.— See his Last Voyage. 4. Grallte. 333. American Jabiru, bill of. (Mycteria Americana, Lin. & Gm .—Indian Stork s Head, Grew. Mus. t. v. fig. 1.— Will, Orn. t. 47, rostrum.) The size of this bill may serve to convey an idea of the bulk of the bird, which yields only to that of the Ostrich. A figure of tha entire bird may be seen in Lath. Syn. v. t. 75. and in Nat. Mis. pi 469. 334. Crowned African Crane. (Ardea pavonina, Lin. & Gm .— Will, t. 48.— Pet. Caz. t. / 6 . f. 9 .—PI. Enl. 265.— Edw. t. 192.—Gent. Mag. 20. t. p. 264.) “ Is an inhabitant of Africa, particularly the Coast of Guinea, as far as Cape Verd. At the last place they are said to be wonderfully tame and will often come into a court yard to feed with the comrnon noultry Are often kept in menageries, and, with shelter at nights, often live a good while. Their chief food supposed to be worms, also vegetables of all kinds. Often sleep on one leg; runs very fast, and is said not only to fly well, but to sustain it for a long time to¬ gether. Their flesh is said to be very tough.” —Allan MS. 335. Demoiselle, or Numidian Crane. (Ardea Virgo, Lin. & Gm. —PI. Enl. 241 .—Albin iii. t. 83.— Edw. t. 134.) u pound in many parts of Africa and Asia. Live near marshes ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS).. 145 and rivers, as their food is fish, like most of the Heron genus. Fre- quently kept in menageries, being endowed with great gentleness of manners, besides its elegance of form. At various times puts itself into strange and uncouth attitudes, and especially those which imi¬ tate dancing. Keysler mentions one at Florence, which had been taught to dance to a certain tune, when played or sung to it. Some- times will breed in confinement. One is reported by Bufifon to have lived twenty-four years at Versailles, which had been raised there_ ff v ; 36 ' — Atlan Ms - ^ is to be regretted, that the indifferent b'T y,w" r * peclmen glves an im P« r fect idea of the elegance of this 336. Scarlet Ibis, 2 birds. (Tantalus ruber, Lin. & Gm.— Will. t. 54.—PI. Enl. 80. 81.— Red Curlew, Cates , Car. t. 84.) Inhabits America within the tropics. The young are at first black, then grey, then white, and at last, in their third year, all red • our specimen exhibits the approach to the last stage. “Red Curlew. Have two specimens, neither quite red : one is much more so than the other, probably young birds. Think I h ive heard they do not become entirely red till the third year. The same is said of the Ptuenicopterns , Flamingo, of which I have a spe- cnnen, with the wings only red, or rose colour.” — Tunst. MS. I he latter desirable subject is, I regret to say, not in the Muse¬ um.— JtLa. 337. Chesnut Jacana. (Parra Jacana, Lin. & Cm. — Spur-winged Water Hen, Edw t. 357.) “ Spur-winged Water Hen, or Chesnut Jacana. Inhabits Brazil, Guiana, Surinam, and Domingo, where they frequent marshy places, sides of ponds and streams, and w-ade up to their thighs in water. Generally seen in pairs, and separated, call each other continually tfil they join again. Are very shy, and at all times noisy; their cry account shr i! ’ * nd ma i b< r heard a great way off. Their flesh is accounted pretty good— Lath. Hi. v. 241 .”—Allan MS of the e ffet!-A remarkable f ° r tHe 1Cngth ° f thE l0 ‘ lg P0il,ted Claws 338. Variable Jacana. (Parra variablis, Lin, & Gm.-Pl Enl. 84 6.—Echo. t. 48.) Inhabits Brazil and about Carthagena. Mr. Stevens gives this ful— i^ Ung ° f the aSt> whlch ’ on com P ans on, seems to me doubt- 339. Striated Rail. ( Rallus striatus, Lin. & Gm. and Stephens in Shaw’s Zool. v. xii. —R. philippinensis, var. y . Lath.) Inhabits the Philippine islands. U ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS}* 140 5. Galling 340. The Peacock. (Pavo cristatus, Lin . & Gm .} This well-known bird was once exhibited in all its pride in thf Wycliffe Museum, where, with a hen and another inale, it attracted, from its size, the principal notice of visitants, in a glazed case of six feet square. In removing the Museum from thence to Darlington, a distance of twelve miles, this case, for fear of accident was, I am informed, earned by hand the whole way. It arrived equally safe hi Newcastle by the waggon ; but the birds having suffered by moths, it has been judged adviseable to remove them, and retain the case only, for other less bulky acquisitions. S41. Crested Curassow,. male. (Crax Alector, mas, Lath. —C. Alector, Lin. & Gm .—“Nat. Mis. pi. 117.) Inhabits South America, and are domesticated so as to vary in their plumage like our common poultry. The black kind, however, is understood to be the natural colour ot the wild male bird. The under parts, which are hid in our specimen, are white, and the tail (which is wanting in ours) black, tipped with white, as is shewn in the plate of Nat. Mis. quoted above. 34?. Crested Curassow, female. (Crax Alector, femina, Lath. —C. rubra, Lin. & Gm.—Albin iii. t. 40.) “ I took the pourtray of this bird at Mr. Berrisford’s, at Chelms¬ ford, in Essex : it was very tame and sociable, eating and drinking with any company. The cock I had of a man from the W est Indies. They are generally brought from Curassow, from whence they take their name. They are called by the Indians, TccucclioH Mountain Bird , or American Pheasant.”—Albin ii. p. 29. 343. Crested Curassow, fern. var. C. of Latham. (Crax Alector, fern. £ Lath. — Id. Syn. iv. t. 63.) “ Curassow bird.—Have a beautiful species, I believe, not as yet described by any naturalist. It is less than any I ever saw or heard described, about the size of a moderate chicken ; the back, tail, and breast beautifully barred with stripes, alternately yellow lsh- white and a very dark tortoishell-brown ; its crest and neck, white and black mottled ; the belly and thighs of a reddish dun; the legs seem to have been a darkish brown ; bilL black, till beyond the nos¬ trils, and much compressed, the points of both mandibles of the colour and shape of a chicken's. I had it from London; from whence it came there, I dont know. It seems most to resemble your variety C. of which you have given a plate, but appears smaller, and is all over the back barred like the tail of your bird.”— Tunst. MS. ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS)- 147 344. Domestic Cock. (Phasianus Gallus, var. domestieus, Lath. — Bew. Birds, fig.) “ Have nothing to say particularly of this common species, but of two singular eggs laid here, one in March, 1781, which was boiled hard, and was totally without the least appearance of yolk; it was of a common size, and the white was firm and consistent. Ano¬ ther had two shells distinct, one within the-other; did not see this myself, being from home. I think Morton, in his Northamptonshire, mentions such a one. The common poultry, if permitted, would live pretty long ; a hen was living at a place called Highberries, in Cumberland, in 1777, then thirty years old, full in feather, and very fat, but had not laid any eggs for six or seven years.”— Tunst. MS. 345. Bantam Cock. (Phasianus Gallus, var. 0 pusillus, Lath. — Albin. iii. t. 33, 34.) Inhabits Bantam, in the East Indies. This well known variety is feathered down to the toes, but on the outer side only_ Ed. 346. Silk Fowls. (Phasianus Gallus, var. o lanatus. Lath. —PI. Enl. 98.) “ Inhabits Japan, where a penalty is incurred for killing a cock. Scarce in China, where they are carried about in cages for sale to the Europeans. Their body is wholly covered with feathers, the webs of which are so disunited, that they appear like hairs._ There are some of a dingy brown, but all have dark coloured lees_ Lath, p. 708.” — Allan A1S. Latham further adds, “ In the collection of Charles Boddam, Esq. is one of these with two hind toes, and a blunt flat spur, above an inch in length.” Whether our specimen be the actual one there re¬ corded is not unlikely, as the circumstance corresponds with the left hand bird in the case ; though it is mentioned by Gsbeck as not un¬ usual in the Siamese fowls. “ I likewise saw some Siamese fowls which have a double back toe.”— Osb. Voy. ii. p. 255. 317. Painted Pheasant, 2 males and I female, and 2 young. (Phasianus pictus, Lin. & Gm, —PI. Enl, 2lj.—Edw. t. 68, 69.) Indigenous in China. Breed freely in England. The female assumes the cock plumage with age, as is probably the case generally with the Pheasant tribe, since it is proved in the common Pheasant, after having done breeding and deserted by the male; and lately, in the case of a pencilled Pheasant in this country, a more striking in¬ stance. The avidity of sportsmen seldom, however, here allow this proof to be often exercised; and when it happens, they are glad to get rid of the ambiguous animal, which in that state . assumes a ty¬ rannic enmity against her favoured younger rivals. An old hen I heasant, in this male attire, is in another part of the museum ; and a second lias also been lately presented.— Ed. 148 ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). 348. Pencilled Pheasant, male bird. (Phasianus Nycthemerus, Lin. Sc Gm. —PI. Enl. 123, male, Albin. iii. pi. 37 .—Edw. t. 66. fig. inf.) Inhabits China with the last, and is likewise bred in oar mena¬ geries and gentlemen’s aviaries. The female is brown. 349. Guinea Hen, or Pintado. (Numida Meleagris, Lin. Sc Gin .—PI. Enl. 108.) This bird is so domesticated every where, as to render its exact native place somewhat doubtful; though it was supposed to have come originally from Nubia, as known to the Romans in then ban¬ quets, under the name of Meleagris. Latham’s eloquent description of its noise is almost audible. “ This species is very clamorous the day through, having a creaking harsh kind of note, somewhat like a door turning on its rusty hinges, or an ungreased axle-tree; and when at roost, is often so easily disturbed, as to hinder the rest of the family, the whole night through, from its noise.”— Lath. Syn. iv. 687. Its note is also supposed to resemble the words Come back , by which name it is known in some of the southern counties. Ld. 350. Spotted Gkous, or Heath-Cock. (Tetrao Canadensis, Lin. & Gnu — Edw. t. 118.) “ Met with at Hudson’s Bay, where they are called Wood , or Spruce Partridges. The natives preserve them through the winter, by exposing them to the frost, and they keep good the whole incle¬ ment season. They are so stupid birds as to be easily knocked down with a stick. They make their nests on the ground— Lath. —Allan MS. 351. New England Partridge. (Tetrao Marilandus, Lin. & Gm. —Perdix Marilanda, Lath. Albin. i. t. 28.) “ Inhabits America from East Florida to Nova Scotia, to which it migrates in spring. Multiplies astonishingly, laying twenty-two to twenty-five eggs, and are esteemed good eating. Called by the New Englanders Bob White. Grows tame towards winter, and will enter the farm yards to pick up grain.— Lath. ’— Allan MS. 6. COLUMBJE ET PASSERES. 352. Laced Pigeon, 2 birds. (Columba domestica, var. x hispida, Gm. 8c Lath. —C. hispida, Lin.) Inhabits India. It is white, with red legs, and the feathers loose in their webs and curled. ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). 149 353. Powter Pigeon. (Columba domestica, var. p gutturosa, Gm. & Lath.— C. mittu- rosa, Lin. —Pigeon grosse gorge, Buff.) A well-known variety of the common Pigeon with the inflated crop, indigenous in Arabia Felix. Buffon gives thirteen sub-varieties ot this pigeon. Latham says that twenty guineas is not uncommon to be given for a pair of pewters ; and that eighty guineas have been given tor a single Tumbler. Linnaeus described these and the other varieties of the Pigeon as species; but left to the future anatomical investigation, the determination of the question. 354. Great Crowned Pigeon. (Columba coronata, Lin. & Gm. —PI. Enl. 118.— Edw. t. 338.) Inhabits Molucca Isles and New Guinea. The largest of the Pi- so .™ tob : dve been described by some with the Pheasants. A most beautiful and interesting species. 355. Triangular Spotted Pigeon. (Columba Guinea, Lin. & Gm.—Edw. t. 75.) Inhabits Southern Africa. 356. Nicobar Pigeon. (Columba Nicobarica, Lin. & Gm. —PI. Enl. 49] .—Edw t 339.— A/bin. iii. t. 47, 48. m. and fern.) Inhabits the island of Nicobar, or Nincombar, near Pegu, in India where they are wild, after the manner of our Wood Pigeon. Albin bi° l irt7 t ' VO a° f these blr . ds . al,ve > which were brought over from India Sloanf’ Th f'fr d thC ‘"’ L ? rd , Petre ’ s order ’ to Sir Hans oloane. They fed on rice m the husk, which was brought with them in that state for their use. They are a most beautifufspecies. 357. Ground Dove, 2 birds. (Columba passerina, Lin. & Gm.— PI. Enl. 243 .—Cates. Car vol. i. pi. 26, female.) :.. i..‘l£? h a £ i L tfa t warmer parts of America, and the contiguous islands, chiefly between the tropics. Common at Mexico and Ja- thev fl WHere they i n Cd 0n , tlle B round as Partridges, and spring as they do, rising and flying for a short flight, and then light again on the ground Often many together, and are very good meat. -Lath, v. u. p. bob. —Allan MS. “ The Ground Doves of the New World shew a peculiar cha¬ racter in having the sides of their tarsi margined by a row of minute feathers, which often conceal the knees. Their first quill leather is a so very broad, and almost as long as any of the others. If these the™ n rS ate,f S °° d “ T instane sup ) J0 * UrU Val ‘ L ^•““Chinese Sparrow, Albin x ii. t. 53,’ Inhabits Java. Is brought alive to England. See Edw. 375. Cowry Grosbeak. (Loxia punctularia, LinM Gm.— PI. Enl 139.-7^. t. 40 - Albm. ii. t. 53, fig. inf*.) X 15# ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). Inhabits Java. Does it take its English name from its resem¬ blance in markings to some shell of the genus Cyprcea ? 376. Black Grosbeak. Bill white, body black, and shoulders brown, tmdertad covert* brown. Qu. if a non-descript? It does notanswer to Loxia nigra . 377. Brown-headed Grosbeak of Lath. (Loxia feiTuginea, Gm. & Lath .) Our specimen, though it is rather injured, neck and head feathers, is of value, horn it Mr. Latham’s original description, which is He notices it as being “ in the Museum of See Syn. HI p. 145. and Ind. Om. t. p. 389, no. having lost some of the s serving as the type of copied by other authors. M. Tunstall, Esq.”— 378. Thick-billed Grosbeak, Lath . (Loxia crassirostris, Gm. & hath.) This like the last, is also described by Latham from our specimen, which, he says, was “ in Mr Tunstall’s collection.” Nat.ve place uncertain -”—See his Syn. in. p. 148. Both these specimens seem to be unique. 379. White-headed Grosbeak. (Loxia Maja, hin. & Gvi. — Edw • t. 30(4 and L) Inhabits Malacca and China. 380. Wax-bill Grosbeak, 3 specimens. (Loxia Astrild, hin. & Gm. — Edw. t. 1/9, 354.) Inhabits the old world, from Canaries to the Cape, and India; also America and Surinam— Linnaeus. 381. Black-bellied Grosbeak. (Loxia afra, Gm. —L. melanogastra, Lath.—Brown, Ill. t. 24.f. 2. Inhabits Africa—“ I do not recollect seeing this bird, except m Mr. Tunstall’s Collection. He informs me that it lived with him for , nme t ; me a nd moulted twice in a year. In winter it was brown. —Lath. Sup. p. 153. Brown, who figured it from the life, says, when he saw it, it was in the Collection of Mr. Tennant. I pre- sume that it passed from thence to Mr. Tunstall. Ed. “ The Black-bellied Grosbeak, described in Brown, lived with me some time, and moulted twice a year; was brown m tire winter. Have its remains in my Museum.”— Tunst. MS. 382. Brown-cheeked Grosbeak.— Brown. (Loxia canora, Gm. & hath. — Brown , Ill. t. 24. f. L) Mr. Latham says, “ it inhabits Mexico. Described from the living bird in the Collection of M. Tunstall, Esq. It has a soft and 155 ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). nne note, and is called by some Tomtelio:' — Lath. Syn. p. 155 .— Figured by Brown on the same plate with the foregoing, who says, “ 1 t 00 * drawing from the living bird in Mr. Tunstall’s Collec¬ tion.— III. p. 56. * Brown-cheeked Grosbeak. Inhabits Mexico, and has a soft and fine note, and is called by some Tomtelio. Mr. Tunstall had it alive for some time in health and spirits, and from it Brown made his drawing, page 56.” — Allan MS. Brown-cheeked Grosbeak lived with me some time, also sn Brown—was a pretty lively bird—I have now its remains in mv Museum.”— Tinist. MS. 383. Mouse Grosbeak. (Loxia murina, mihi.) I must notice in this place this bird, which I found in the same case with Loxia cantons, , and which I cannot find described in either the works of Latham or Gmelin. I have, therefore, named it as above, and will add the following description The bill is moderately thick, tight coloured at the base, and dark brown at the tip, exactly resem¬ bling, m shape and colour, the bill of Loxia canora , next which I have arranged it; with a deep excavation in the upper mandible, in which the nostrils are placed. The whole body, above and-beneath, is mouse grey colour, with a patch of scarlet feathers on the rump, and a few straggling feathers of the same colour on the under tail coverts. The wings and tail are rather darker than the body. Its extreme length is inches, of which the tail is 1£. It approaches in some points Loxia pragma. Lath. Ind. Orn.; but differs so much in size and the rest of the markings, that I cannot suppose them to be the same species— Ed. 384. Warbling Grosbeak, Lath. (Loxia cantans, Gm. & Lath .—Brown G.^ Brown, Ill. t.27. f. 2.) Inhabits Africa. Brown made his figure from our specimen. 385. Black Bunting, 2 specimens, 1 and 1, (Emberiza hyemalis, Lin. & Gm.—Snow Bird, Cates. Car i t. 36 ) “ Inhabits Carolina in winter only, chiefly in snowy weather called by some the Chuck Bird.”— Allan MS. 7 386. The Ortolan. (Emberiza hortulana, Gm. & Lath.) “ Found in many parts of Europe, though not in England. Com¬ mon m Prance, from whence they are imported here, and are thought one of the most delicate morsels yet known, and as it were, a lump ot tat, and the birds arrived in that state will often weigh three ounces each. They are easily fattened for the table, by includ¬ ing them m a dark room, setting before them plenty of oats and millet, with wnich they soon grow so fat, that they would die Irom that cause alone, did not their feeders kill them first. Some- 156 ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). times frequent oat fields, where they soon grow exceeding fat; but are not so delicious then as when fattened artificially. Lat i. Allan MS. , . One of the other birds in this case, is either the straw-coloured variety of the Ortolan, mentioned by authors, ( See Remarks on Green-headed Bunting) or a light coloured variety of the Common Bunting, with which it agrees most in size.— Ed. 387. Lesbian Bunting. (Emberiza Lesbia, Gm. & Lath .—Bruant Mitilene, Temm.) M. Temminck says, “ it inhabits the sub-alpine countries of the south of France* The Mitilene and Gavoue of the south of Europe (Emberiza Lesbia and provincial ^, of authors) are two distinct species of Little Buntings, the existence of which has been long problematical. It has been supposed that they are different states of the Emb. Schoeniclus , or Emb. Cia. They are, however, well- known under those names in the departments of France, situate at the foot of the Alps. One of these species bears in that country the name of Gavotte (Mountaineer), and is, in fact, found always on the highest mountains of those departments which border on the high Alps. We regret that we have so few references to give for this rare bird” (viz. the Gavoud). “ I have not been able to find it in any cabinet; but must refer to the Planches Enluminees, 656, f. 1. of Buffon’s Birds, which appears well done. The description of the Lesbian Bunting” (our bird), “ of which Buffon gives an exact figure, pi. 656. 2, will serve to recognize this equally rare species.”— Tern. Man. i. p. 318. 388. Whidah Bunting, 2 birds. (Emberiza Paradisaea, Lin. & Gm. —Red-breasted, Long-tailed Finch, Edw. t. F6.) This is pretty common at Angola, and other parts of Africa; and is called la Veuve , or Widow bird, from the colour, it is supposed by some ; but the more probable derivation of that name, is its resem¬ blance (in English) to the word whidah , a fort in Africa, near which they are common, and which has consequently been corrupted into widow , and hence transferred into other languages. This species moults twice a year, and the male wants the long tail feathers six months out of the twelve, during which time it can hardly be re¬ cognised for the same bird.— Ed. 389. Orange-shouldered Bunting. (Emberiza longicauda, Gm. & Lath. —Yellow-shouldered Ori¬ ole, Brown , Ill. t. 11.) “ Yellow-shouldered Oriole. Not known from whence it comes. Mr. Tun stall had his bird alive from Holland. Brown has drawn his figure from it. Latham says it is indigenous at the Cape of Good Hope, vol. ii. p. 184.— Brown s III. pi, xi.p. 22 .”—Allan MS. Brown himself says he drew his figure from a bird brought over from Holland by Mr. Tennant, who favoured him with leave to take a drawing of it; and, therefore, if Mr. Allan’s account be correct, it ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). ] S7 presumes some connexion with Mr. Tennant and Mr. Tunstall, into whose hands the bird seems at last to have come._ Ed. 390. Rice Bunting. (Emberiza oryzivora, Lin. & Gm.—Cates. Car. i. t. 14 .—Edw t. 291.) Inhabits South America. Destroys maze plantations. 391. Cinereous Bunting. (Emberiza cinerea, Gm. & Lath.— Arct. Zool. vol ii. n. 233. t. 17, lower figure.) Inhabits North America. 391*.Towhe Bunting, male and female. (Emberiza erythropthalma, Gm. & Lath.— Fringilia erythrop- thalm.% Lin.— Le Pinion noirauxyeux rouges. Buff.— Towhe Bird, Cates. Car. i. t. 34.) The descriptions of this bird by Latham in his Synopsis, and Pennant in Arct. Zool is a mass of confusion, and shews the con- lAsneerion T "' Htin S s ’ and ”<* from actual ispection. Latham has decidedly never seen the bird, and his ac- founded f t e° r f fo 1 re v f y faulty ; Pennant’s is better, but he has con¬ founded the tail with the wings, and has omitted the striking white mark on the wings, which Linmeus himself noticed. The original Wrd r ' P Th n fl, Ca - teSb | yiS tKe beSt ’ and his fi *? uro agrees with the bird. The following description, amended from the Arct. Zool., will, ’ f e I 0l "! d J COrrCC , t: ~ Head ’ coverts of the wings, whole up- T dC f/ hC b ° (y and breast black i mid (llc of the belly white- sides red-ferruginous; quill feathers dark brown, edged with white fhle r0SSe< ) V ' tha whltcb ? r > and ala '-ge white spot on the end of the three secondaries or tertials nearest the body; tail long, black • exte- or°black.° fthe ° Utm0St featherS Wh ‘ te; middle foathers dark brown Female of a rusty brown, with white markings on wing the same n male, except the three spots, which are rusty yellow; belly white and Sides ferruginous as in male; vent orange; leng h 8i inehes see!," W in nab"’°° dS ' „ ls , a f oHtary bird > and ^Ulom llth in pair. Cates. By some called the American Bullfinch 392. Painted Bunting. (Emberiza Ciris, Lin. & Gm.-Cates. Car. i. t. 44 .-Edw ii 130, 273.) Inhabits America. Breed in Holland, where they are kent like tary. Two pairs have made nests and laid eggs in Ae omnje tr^ 158 ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). in a menagery of a relation of his, in Holderness, in Yorkshire , but in this instance the young were not hatched. The above gentleman has kept many.”— Lath. Supp. p. 160. . «• Painted Bunting, or Non-pareille. Have heard was bred in Eng¬ land. My sister tried, in Holderness, with two pairs, in a mena- gery, in which were orange trees. They built a nest, but, I think, never laid, or at least, the eggs proved bad. I think they come to their colour before the third year. Have had several, and never re¬ member their moulting twice in a season.”— Tunst. MS. This is the bird which Linnaeus has selected as the daughter of XTIfi.e VifJp nnfp llfl. 52. 393 . Indigo Bunting, 2 birds. (Emberiza cyanea ,Gm. & Lath .—Le Ministre, Buff.— L’Eveque, ejusd .—Blue Linnet, Edw. t. 130, f. inf.— Cates. Car. t. 44.) Inhabits with the last, of which it is supposed by some to be the young of the second year, though Latham describes the female, which, however, may be only the young of the year of Emb. Ciris. 394. Red-rrested Tanager, 4 birds. (Tanagra Jacapa, Lin. & Grn.—Edw. t. 267-) Inhabits Cayenne. The lower mandible is singularly protruded almost beyond the eyes, as is the case in another species, the Bra¬ zilian Tanager. —Ed. 395 . Red Tanager. (Tanagra rubra, Lin . & Gni. — Edw. t. 343.) Inhabits Canada. 396. Sayacu Tanager. (Tanagra Episcopus, Lin. & Gm. —PI. Enl. 178.) “ Inhabits Cayenne, about the skirts of forests, and feeds on the lesser kinds of fruits. Sometimes found in large flocks, but observed to keep two and two together. Has little or no song, unless a sharp and disagreeable voice may be called such.”— Allan MS. 397. Red-headed Tanager. (Tanagra Gyrola, Lin. & Gm. —PI. Enl. 133, f* 2.) Inhabits Cayenne. 398. Golden Tanager, 2 males and 1 female, and 1 single male. o ' (Tanagra violacea, Lin. & Gm. — Edw. t. 263, f. 1.) « Common at Cayenne, Surinam, and Brazil, and found mostly on land that is newly cultivated, and frequently on small trees. Is very destructive to the rice plantations, which they sometimes visit in great flocks. Are often kept in cages, where they delight to live five or six together. Chirps like a Redstart, Lath . 239 Allan MS. ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). 159 399. Negro Tanager. (Tanagra Cayanensis, Lin. & Gm.-Pl. Enl. 114, f. 3.) Inhabits Brazil and Mexico. 400. Paradise Tanager. (Tanagra Tatao, Lin. & Gm .—Titmouse of Paradise Ediv t 349.) This most beautiful species is pretty common about Guiana. They may be kept in a cage, and will feed on bread and meal. 7 401. Rufous-chinned Finch. (Fringilla noctis, Lin. & Gm. —PI. Enl. 201, f. 1.) Latham says, “ size of a sparrow: length four inches and three quar- . fi Now a s P a "'£> of the Siskin (See Lath. Syn iii p y 2 h- {, i 16 Ta ' m la , NouveUe Yorkc of Buffon (See PI. ^ n | 292) hastate 81 " The?! f 7 ° ther than . the n T ? e y mou Ited again in spnng, and endeavoured to re¬ cover their native colours, but seldom perfectly. This I can sav from repeated trials,”—Timrl. MS. * 7 * ms i can say 160 ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN UIIiDs), 105. Canary Finch. (Fringilla Canaria, Lin. & Gm .— PI. Enl. 202.) “ The colour of these birds, in a state of nature, is chiefly grey; but breaks out into the greatest varieties imaginable fiom artificial management, like our common poultry. Inhabit the Canary Islands in a wild state ; will breed with the Gold Finch and Siskin, but produce generally proves sterile. The hen must ever be of the Canary species. Are said to live eighteen years.”— Alhm MS. 406. Blue-bellied Finch, 1 male and 2 fem. (Fringilla Benghalus, Lin. & Gm. —PI. Enl. 115, f. 2.—Edw. t. 131, fem.) “ Blue-bellied Finch and varieties. Male, Fringilla Benghalus, Lin . ; female, Fringilla Angolensis, Lin. (but not Gm. & Lath.) ^ The male has red spots beneath, or rather behind the eyes, but the female wants them.”— Allan MS. Blue-bellied Finch. Have had many that lived with me some time. A pretty lively bird, never had but one with the red marks, nor remember to have seen another.— Tunst. MS. 407. LonG'TAiled Finch, 2 birds. (Fringilla macroura, Gm. & Lath.) Inhabits Cayenne. _ 408. Amaduvade Finch. (Fringilla Amandava, Lin. & Gm. —PI. Enl. 115, f. 3 Ldtv. t. 355, f. 1.) Inhabits Bengal and Java. “ Amadavad Finch. They vary much in colour and number ot white spots ; always observed they increased with age ; had one that seemed quite powdered with white, which, when 1 first bought it, had scarce any spots at all.”— Tunst. MS. 409. Brazilian Finch. (Fringilla Granatina, Lin. & Gm. — Kdw. t. 191.) “ Grenadier Brazilian Finch. This beautiful bird inhabits Brazil, has an agreeable song, and is frequently kept in cages by all the Eu¬ ropeans. It is a lively bird.— Lath. —Allan MS. “ Mr. Tunstall has twice been successful in hatching young ones of this species in his aviary, each time bringing one to perfection. One of them lived a week, the other a fortnight; but they were forsaken by the mother at last, supposed to have happened from being too much disturbed. While the heri was sitting, if any one.looked on her, it threw her into a strange agitation, writhing herself into» a form almost horrid, and seeming to be falling into convulsions. 1 he cock frequently sung, and would do it almost at command, but in so low a note as scarce to be heard, except quite close to the cage, —Lath. Sujyp. i. p. 151. 161 ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). 410. Fire Finch. (Fringilla ignita, Gm. & Lath.—Brown Ill. t. 2.) “ This bird was brought from the river Gambia, on the coast of Africa, and which Mr. Tunstall had alive several years.”— Allan MS. Brown s figure was made from our bird, as he himself acknow¬ ledges. — III, p. 4. 411. Blue-throated Warbler, 2 birds. (Sylvia Suecica, Lath.— Motacilla Suecica, Lin. & Gm.—Edw. t. 28. fern.) This is called sometimes the Blue-breasted Robin, from its gene* ral resemblance. It inhabits from Sweden to Gibraltar, though not found in England.— Ed. 412. Blue Warbler, 2 birds, nest and eggs. (Silvia Sialis, Lath.— Motacilla Sialis, Lin. & Gw.—Blue- redbreast, Edw. t. 24.—Cates, i. t. 47.) “ Is migratory, coming into Carolina and Virginia in the spring. perches on the stalks of maize and mullein to pick off the flies.”_ Allan MS. 413. Green Warbler. (Sylvia virens, Lath. ?—Motacilla virens, Gm.?— Le Figuier h. cravate noire, Buff. ? —Black-throated green Flycatcher, Edw. t. 300. ?) 6 . Inhabits Pensylvania. I put marks of doubt to all the above sy¬ nonyms, with the descriptions and figures of which our specimen agrees most nearly, except in size, our bird being 7 inches long, and the others stated to be only the size of Lesser Petter Chaps (Syl¬ via hippo'ais)— Ed. 414. Cayenne Warbler. (Sylvia Cayana, Lfl^.—Motacilla Cayana, Lin. & Gm.— PL Enl. 66*9.—Blue Manakin, Edw. t. 263.) Inhabits Cayenne. 415. Blue-headed Warbler. (Sylvia cyanocephala. Lath. —Mot. cyanocephala, Gm.) Inhabits Cayenne. 416. Yellow Poll Warbler, 2 birds, nest and eggs. (Sylvia aestiva. Lath. —Mot. aestiva, Gm. —PI. Enl. 58. 2.) Inhabits Guiana ; and, in the summer, Canada. Our case con¬ tains the nest and eggs, as well as male and female birds,— Ed. Y 162 ALLAN MUSEUM (FOREIGN BIRDS). 4*17. Green Indian Warbler. (Sylvia Zeylonica, Lath .—Motacilla tiphia, Lin.. & Gm.—Mot Zeylonica Gm. — Edw. t. 79 .—Brown Ill. t. 15.) Inhabits East Indies. 418. Gold-headed Manakin, 3 birds. (Pipra erythrocephala, Lin. & Gm. — Edw. t. 21. These beautiful miniature birds inhabit Brazil. -PL Enl. 34, 419. Red and Black Manakin, 3 birds. {Pipra aureola, Lin. & Gin .—PL Enl. 34, f. 3. Edw. t. 261. 1 f. 2.) Thpsp are eommon in Guiana. 420. Papuan Manakin ? 2 birds. (Pipra Papuensis, Gm. & Lath. ?) Our bird agrees with Latham’s description nearly, wanting only the orange spot on the breast. There is perhaps some mistake m the alleged habitat, being New Guinea; since, if the above synonym be correct, I believe our specimens to come from America, being in a case with several other birds, all from Brazil. Our birds have a notch in the bill, contrary to Button's remark, which justifies the ranking them as Manakins, the whole genus of which is supposed to come from America.— Sec Lath. Syn. iv. p. 5o2.— Ld. 421. The Toupet Titmouse. (Parus bicolor, Lin. & Gm. — Cates. Car. i. t. 57.) “ Crested or Toupet Titmouse (Parus bicolor). Inhabits Caro¬ lina and Virginia, where it is found all the year, and keeps chiefly in the woods, living on insects. Flies swiftly, and during flight folds up the wing frequently, when it utters a weak note. Lath. n. vo. 544 .”—Allan MS. This bird is also met with in Denmark and Greenland. It must not be confounded with the true Crested Titmouse (Parus ciistatus), which is occasionally met with in the pine forests of Scotland.— Ld. Birds (parts of). Bill of Hornbill (Buceros Rhinoceros). See before, No. 268. Do. of Toucan (Ramph. erythrorhyn), No. 285. Do. of Jabiru (Mycteria Americana), No. 333. Foot of Gallinaceous Bird, with spur. Three Ostrich Eggs- One Egg “ laid by a Bantam Cock. — 4/lan MS. Three hanging Nests. ALLAN MUSEUM (AMPHIBIA). 168 AMPHIBIA.* I. Tortoises and Lizards. 1. 2 . 3. 4. 5. 6 . 7. S. 9. 10 . 11 . 12 . 13. 14 . 15. 16. 17. Testudo Caretta, Lin . entire. -geonietrica, Lin . shell -— terrestris, Turt. do. -(Emys cinerea, Merr.) do. --? do. -Mydas, Lin. do. -—-young. ---? skull of. ■ ? head of. Rana marina, Lin., in spirits. Draco volans, Lin. do. Lacerta Crocodilus, Lin., stuft. -idem, young, in spirits. -Alligator, Gm., stuft. -- idem, in case. --- idem. do. -Iguana, Lin. do. IS. 19 . 20 . 21 . 22 . 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 33. Lacerta Calotes, Lin. in spirits. -palustris, Lin. do. —t -Geitje ? do. -Ameiva, do. -agilis, do. -Tiligugu 2 do. -interpunctata, do. -Seine us, do. -idem ? in case. -— aurata? in spirits. —-Serpens, do. -bimaculata, do. --? do. -? do. -? do. --? do. --? do. II. Snakes. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49 . Crotalus horridus? (Rattle Snake), in spirits. -durissus, do. dried. -mutus, in spirits. -miliarius, do. (Rattle of Rattle Snake) Coluber-? j n spirits. • ordinatus, - coeruleus, - id., -candidus, -ni veus, W1 -Berus (Viper), do. - ? do do. do. do. do. do. - natrix, common sn.do. -? do. -? do. 50. Coluber- 51. - 52. - 53. - 54. - 55. - 56. - 57. - 58. - 59. - 60. - 61. 62. 63. i spirits, do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. do. naiula^frterte^imw^"* ^ given ° f »nd iU-knov investigating the species I hadToiiidV™" 1 of . t " ne and opportunity f from Merrem’s TS/riW/" “‘leffective assistant appointed in it. I trust that A ™P hlbtor *m), but am di take up the subject Several ^tln ? Ur m ° re ab * e coad j utors will short P 3 c oeveial additional specimens have lately been receive 161 ALLAN MUSEUM (FISHES). FISHES 1. Blennius viviparus, Viviparous Blenny. 2. EchineisRemora,SuckingFish. 3. Pleuronectes —? Small Flat Fish. 4. Esox osseus, Great Gar Fish. 5. Exocoetus volitans, Flying Fish. 6. Cyprinus Gobio, Gudgeon. 7. Diodon atinga, Sea Porcupine (small). 8. Sygnathus Typhle, Pipe Fish, in spirits. 9. ,_Acus, do. dried. 10. Lophius Vespertilio, decayed. Parts of Fishes. 11. Bones of Cat Fish* (Silurus Catus, Lin .) from Jamaica. ex Lev. Mus. See Cat. of do- p. 38. 12. 2 jaws of Sharks (SqualusCar- charias, Lift.) 13. 1 tooth of Shark, very large. 14. 1 fin of do. 15. 3 snouts of Saw Fish (Pristts antiquorum, Lin.) 16. 1 Do. do., small. * Remarkable for having two small pointed bones affixed to them, which move on swivels. Catesby, in describing the Cat Fish (Hist, of Car. ti. p. 23 .) says, “ there is another kind of this fish, which has two long sharp bones on each side of the jaws, which it can contract and extend in de- fence of itself. ” Which species he means, and whether the present ai tides belong to one or both, I am unable to determine. His remark, however, gives an idea of the use of these bones.— Ed. ALLAN MUSEUM (INSECTS). 165 INSECTS. The destructible nature of this tribe of Animals ac¬ counts for the Allan Collection containing so small a proportion of them. It is the more to be regretted, as Mr. Tun stall formerly possessed several rare and even unique insects, some of which were drawn by Brown, and some described by Fabricius. The recent acqui¬ sitions of Insects, presented to the Museum by l)r. M‘Cullock, Mr. William Hutton, and others, and those belonging to the Philosophical Society, already, however, afford a respectable list. These will be noticed in their proper places, the following being strictly those received from Mr. Allan. OrD. I. CoLEOPTERA. 1. ScarabaeusHercules.* (Figured by Roesel, Drury, Edwards, and Shaw in Nat. Mis.) 2. Scarabaeus Marian us. 3. 4. Fullo. & l'lclUlUIllilfli f O/* 8. , r LOO.J -five others. 13. LucanusCervus,StagBeetle, 2. 14. Chrysomela-, black. 15*-? 2 green. 17. Curculio Palmarum. 18. -imperialis. 19. Cerambyx Damicornis. 20. -succinctus. 21. -four others. 25. Necydalis-? 26. Cantharis-? 27. Cicindela campestris, 2. 28. Buprestris gigantea. 29. -ignita. 30. -? 31. Carabus-? 2. 32. -? 2 . Ord. II. Hemiptera. 3a Gryllus viridissimus. | 34. Nepa grandis. Ord. III. Lepidoptera. 1. Foreign. 35. Papilio Troilus. 36. -Philenor. 37. -iEneas(var.Lysander). 38. -Tumus. 39. --- Demoleus. 40. Papilio Doris. 41. -Charitonia. 42. -Apollo. 43. -Piera. 44. •-Midamus. * “ Insects sell at such an amazing price now (1778), that a deaJpr in 166 ALLAN MUSEUM (SHELLS). 45. Papilio Palaeno. 46. . —^ Marcellina. 47 . -Stelenes. 4 S. —-Men elans. 49.-Orithya. 50. Papilio Thecla. 51. --Bolina. 52. --- Nise, Cram. 53 . -six others. 2. British. 59. Papilio Polychloros, Great Tortoise Shell. Urtica, Nettle do. Io, Peacock. C- Album, Comma. Cardui, Painted Lady. Atalanta, Admirable. Paphia, Silver-streak Frittillary _Aglaja, Silver-spotted. do* - Euphrosyne, April do. do. _Semele, Great Argus. _Jurtina, Meadow Brown. _Algeria, Wood Argus. _Hyperanthus, Brown do. -Megaera, Orange do. - Pamphilus, SmalL do. _Galathea, Marbled do. Cardamines, Orange Rhamni, Brimstone. 76. Tip. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86 . 87. 88 . 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. Papilio Hyale. -- Brassicae, large Garden White. Rapae, small do. Napi, Green-veined White. -Alsus. • Argus. - Phlaeas. Sphinx Stellatarum. -Statices. -Filipendulac. Phalaena pavonia. -pronuba. -potatoria. -Quercus. -— Vinula- -Urepida. -Salicis. -Jacobaeae. ■ Caja. — grossulariata. — Sponsa. — Gamma. — ten other species. Ord. IV. Neuroptera. 109. Libellula grandis. HO.--depressa. 111 . __■ flaveola ? 112 . Libellula Virgo. 113. -Puella. 114. Ichneumon — 115. Sphex-? 116. Chrysis-? 120. Musca Ord. V. Hymenoptera. — ? I 117- Vespa-? 118. Apis-? I 119. Mutila-? Ord. VI. Diptera. | 121. Asilus- Ord. VII. Aptera. 122. Aranea- 123. Scorpio Afer, and 2 others. 126. Cancer-? 127. Scolopendra-? 128. Oniscus Ceti. ALLAN MUSEUM (SHELLS). 107 VERMES. I. Mollusca, Ascarides-, in spirits. Gordius-, do. Aphrcdita aculeata, do. Asterias nodosa ? soft Animals. Asterias granularis: ? or reticulata. Echinus-? II. Testacea, ok Shells. This department of the Museum is respectable, as it has been recently aided by a rich accession of donations amongst which are the entire private collection of Mr! Winch, several British shells presented by Mr. J. Thornhill, jun. the (Curator of this Museum), Mr G Gibsone, Mr. William Hutton, and Mr. W. Fryer, and a valuable selection of foreign ones, from the Cabi¬ net of Mr. Cockerill; together with a few of the Editor’s and two valuable ones by Mr. Murray. These pre! sents are inserted in the following list, along with the Shells in the Allan Museum, for the sake of uniformity, and are distinguished from them by the species beino* printed in italics. The initials of the Donors are added to their Shells, and the figures before the species refer to the numbers and figures of Wood’s Index Testa- ceologicus, as the most comprehensive set of plates. I lie British species are marked with an asterisk * and a list of British desiderata is added at the end. 1. MULTIVALVES. Wood's Index. 1- Chiton squamosus. C. 19. *- fascicularis. T. 30. *-marginatus.&W.T.F. 31. *- cinereus. G. C. 2 . Lepas Diadema. A *-Tintinnabulum. & W. 7. *- rngosa. X. 3. -angustata. 11. *- Bn la nus. W. 12 . *- balanoides . G. C. 13. * ■■■ clavata. Wood's Index. 14. * Lepas punctata. 15* *-costata. 30. *- Verruca. 31 * *- Stroemia. 37. *- anserifera. 38. *- anatifera. 1- *Pholas Dactylus. 3 - *- Candida. *>• *- crispata. - parva. - striata. 6 . 7. T. T. W. W. T. T. W. T. C. T. W. T. C. 168 ALLAN MUSEUM (SHELLS.) Wood's Index. 1. *Mya truncata. 2. *-- aremria. 4. * - declivis. 10. *—- Siliqna , Dillw 23. *—- dubia. 26. *- Pictorum. 30. *- margaritifcra. 40. *- inequivalvis. 1. *Solen Siliqua. 6. *-- Ensis. 8 . *- Legumen. 1 o. *_- coarctatus, Dillw. ? W. 27. *- vespertimis . G. C. 14. - radiatus . C. 28. -sanguinolentus. & W. 33. *- minutus. T. 19. *T ellin a amnica . W. 22. *- tenuis. T. 23. *- fabula. T. W. F. 26. -radiata. & W. 27. —-sanguinea. 29. - - laevigata. c. 36. *- —- Ferroensis. T.W.F. 47. * - punicea. w. 48. * -depressa. 66. * - balustina. W. F. 75. * - crassa. W. 76. * lactea. C. 79. -camaria. & w. -id. junior. 83 * & w. 84. *- - solidula.f T. W. F. 87. - divaricata. W. 90. *- -— cornea. & T. W. * . . - minuta. sp. nov. W. 1. *Cardium aculeatum. T. 2. *- -- echimtum. T. W. 3. *- -- ciliarc. W. 5 6. *- — cxiguum. T. 14. - - muricatum. C. 15.- - Isocardia. & W. C. 21. *- ■ — Icevigatum. T. oo 26. *- -edule. & T. W. 34. - - costatum. Ed. 36.- - solcniformc ? § W. 51.- Unedo. & C. 18. Mactra, Stultorum &T.F.W. f zonata, Dillw. Wood's Index. 21. *Mactra solida. & W. 23. *- subtruncata,. T* *- truncata, Dillw. W. 25. *— -Listen* i & W. F. 36. * .. — lutraria. W. F. 3. Don ax rugosa. W. 5. *-Trunculus. &T. W.|F. 8. *-denticulata. & W. 15. -scripta. & W. 2. Venus Paphia. & W. C. 3. *- fasciata. W. 6. -cingenda. & W. C. 12. *- verrucosa. T. 14. *- casina. W. 20. *-Scotica. & W. 21. * - Danmonia. W. 23. *-Gallina. & T. W. F. 29. *-granulata. & W. 30. *- ovata. T. 32. - Jlexuosa . C. 33. -Mactroides. & W. 38.- Erycina . W. 40. - mercenaria. C. 41. *- Icclandica. T. W. 44. *- Chione. T. C. 45. -maculata. & W* 47.- Meretrix. C. 57.- castrcnsis . C. 62.-Meroe. & W. 60. - ornata. C. 64. -deflorata. 65. -fimbriata. 67.- Puerpera . C. 75. -tigerina. & W. 78. -Pennsylvanica. 79. - Jamaicensis. W. 80. *- spuria. W. 83. *- exoleta. T. W. 84. - conccntrica . C. 87. *- undata. T. (;0.- pectinata . C. 91.- discoj's. C. 98.- edentula. C. 104.- Textile. C. 107- *-decussata.&T.W.F.C. 108. *- perforans . T. W. 109. *- pullastra. T- HO. *-Virginia. & W. 1. Spondylus Gaedaropus. &W. | M. piperata , D. 2. BIVALVES. C. G. T. T. W. W. W. C. T. W. W. F. T. & T. W. Ed. T. § Solen buUatus, Dill. 170 ALLAN MUSEUM (SHELLS). Wood's Index. Cyprcea ligns, jun. 25. -Lynx. & w. 26. --- felbia. w 27. - cinerca, jun. c. 28. <-Isabella. & w. 33. - zic-zac. w. 35. - Hiruiido. w. 38. c. w. 39. ■ ■ ■ - Errones. w. 42. - cribraria. c. 43. -Moneta. & w. 44. & w. 45. -caurica. & c. w. 48. -- erqsa. & c. w. 49. & w. 53. -helvola. & c. w. 54. - ocellata. c. w. 59. - sulcata. & w. 60. *-Pediculus. & T. W. 64. - staphylea. w. 1. Bulla Ovum. 11. -gibbosa. 12. - Naucnm. w. 14. * - aperta. w. 15. * - catena. T. 17. —- Hydatis. c. 18. - Ampulla. w. 19. -amygdalus. & w. 20. *- lignaria. c. 25. - nitidula. c. 29. - Ficus. c. 37. * - fontinalis. T. W. 38. * - rivalis. w. 39. *- hypnorum. T. 45. —- virginea. 46. — - fasciata. W. 50. - truncata. c. 52. - Zebra. & c. 53. —— - Achatina. c. 57. * -— cylindracea T. 59. *- rctusa. T. *—- diaphana.f T. - non-des. 11. * Voluta tornatilis. T. W. 15. --— Coffese. 16. - minuta. W. 19. - triplicata. & W. 21. * - bidentata. c. 29. - Porphyrea. c. 30. Wood's Index. 31. Voluta oliva. - id. var. 34. — ventncosa. & 38. - Ispidula. 40. — nivea. 43. — Carneola. 44. - - mi cans. & 53. - - Monilis. 57. - guttata. 58. - Porcellma. 59. * G. 60. * — catenata. G. 61. * - lsevis. & 62. — marginata. 68. — Prunum. 71. — reticulata. 73. — mercatoria. & C. — id. jun. 74. — rustica. & C. — torva, Dillw. — id. var. 93. - - Barbadensis. & C. 143. — episcopalis. 147. —^ Musica. & 151. — Vespcrtilio. 155. — Turbinellus. 156. 159. — Ceramica. 164. — Zebra . c. 172. — Scapha. 180. - Olla. — melo. 1. Buccinum Olearium. 3. * — Perdix. & 5. — sulcosum. 6. — Dolium. 14. — cornutum, jun. — id. var. 15. — rufum. 17. &c. — id. jun. 18. — Testiculus. & 20. — areola. & 22. — achathiam. 24 - 7 . 25. 32. — Erinaccus. 35. — glaucum. 38. 40. — Arcularia. C. f Cyprcea Europcea,jnn. D. ^p^^p^p^p ^2 pp^ ^ ^^p^pp^ $ ALLAN MUSEUM (SHELLS). 173 Wood's Index. 46. Buccinum gibbosnlum. W. 49 Harna f W 53 llcU vX tt • 62. *_ - Lanillim & T W 77 • U{IU1UU3» OC X • » » • 88 . 90 01 Ar„«7^,, n * AAr 92 * OR 1 1IlLdL111 11 • tv YY • \a n 105 107 * 117 * 118 * 11 1 CllLUlalUillt (X x • tt • 119. *- __Marnlr, Xr F T W 129. — ■ ITActLUid« O l r* 1 • YV » - 7wy7/*?y 7// 131 ,u 1 / 1 tut ulu i infi 9 V-/* 1 iq s. r< w -3 non-des. 4. *Strombus Pes Pelecani. & F. T. W. 5. -Chiragra. 7. - Lanibis. C. 10. - - lentiginosus. W. 12. - Gallus. & C. W. - id.jun. c. 16. - Anris Diance . W. 17. -pugilis. & C. W. 19. -Luhuanus. w. 20. - gibberulus. c. w. 21. -Oniscus. & C. W. 22. -Gigas. 8*W. -- id. jun. & C. 24. -Accipiter. 27. - Canarium. C. 32. - -Urceus. & c. 35. - dentatus. w. 4. Murex Tribulus. 6. —— Brandaris. w. 7. - Trunculus. w. 9. -Pom um. 12. -ramosus. & w. 14. - Lingua. c. 19. * - Erinaceus. T. 21. - liana, jun. c. 28. -Lampas. 29. -Olearium. w. 82. -Femorale. & w. Wood's Index. 35. Murex pilearc. 38. - Spengleri. 40. - Clavator . 41. -caudatus. 42. -Rubecula. 44. - reticularis. 48. - - - Nodus. 57. -morbosus. 59. -Melongena. & 86. -eland estin us. 89. *— - antiquus. F. T. 95. - -Tritonis. 99. -Tulipa. 107. *- -corneus. & F. 112. 118. — Infundibulum. 133. * - Turricula. 134. *- - r ufus. 143. - Vertagus. 146. -Aluco. 153. -ebeninus. & 154. — -fuscatus. & 156. — - fuviatUis.f 159. —— asper. 165. *- - reticulatus. -1 non-des. 1. Trociius Niloticus. 34. * - Magus. T. 37. - Modulus. 49. * -cinerarius. & T. 62. -perspective. 63. 66. -Solaris. & C. 78. -vestiarius. & 87. * --— crassus. 88. -Tuber. 90. * ■ ■■ - striatus. 91. * -exiguus.^: & W 94. *— -Ziziphinus. &T.F. 95. * - papillosus. 105. - ccelatus. 107. -- Mauritian us. 114. - clegans. 116. - Zic-zac. & 122. -dolobratus. 5. * Turbo littoreus. & T. 6. * - tenebrosus. 7. * - rudis. T. 8. - muricatus. C. 12. - crassior. W. t M. Badula, D. ^ T. minutus , D. A_A AAAli^ ^^p ^OP^P P?3HPP^ ^ ^ PP ppp 174 ALLAN MUSEUM (.SHELLS). Wood's Index. 17. * Turbo Pullus. & c. w. 18. — Perth olat us. 33. — rugosus. & c. 35. - Sarmaticus. 36. -- Olearius. 37- — cornutus. 42. — setosus. 46. — castaneus. w. 58. * ~ Uhce.\ T. 59. * — ventricosus. f F. 62. * — interruptus . T. 65. — Pica. 66. — nodulosus. W. 69. * — vinctus. T. 76. — argyrostomus. 83. — Delphinus. 87. *- — fontinalis. T. 90. *- — Clathrus. & T. W. 92. *- — clathratulus. W. 106. *- — strzatiis. T. 107. *— — costatus . T. 111. — Mumia. & W. 118. * — elegans. W. 129. 136.- — exoletus. 137. * -Terebra. & C. T. W. 144 *- laminatus. T. 147 . *-nigricans. & T. W. 148. *- labiatus. T. 149. *- pervcrsus, F. W- 151. *- tridens . T. 153. *- Muscorum. F. T. W* 157. *- Carychium* T. 162. * - Nauiileusi T. 163. *- cristatus. T. 164. *- depressus. T. *— Trcvylcana,], each. MS . W. - 1 non-des. 3. * Helix Lapicida. & W. 4. -- marg\nella.\ T. 7._Oculus Capri. & C. 9.-albella. 11„ *- radiata. F. T. W. 19 . *-Cantiana. & T. W. 20. *_ rufescens. F. T. W. 21. *«- cape rata. § F. W. 24. *._ complanata. F. T. W* Wood's Index . 29. * Helix sinuata. 40. *- Vortex . 48. *- cornea . 50. *_- spirorbis. 52. *.- contorta. 53 . *- alba. 54 . *- paludosa.f f Ct F. T. W. F. T. W. T. T. T. W. T. Ericetorum. & T. W. cingenda.\\ C. W. vtrgata,§§ F. T. W. T. W. T. W. T. T. G. - lucida ,^f - hispida. - umbilicata . trochiformis. - spinulosaA+f - Pomatia. C. G. Ed. - arbustorum.&F.T.W. . mammiUaris. W* - Janthina- & W. — vivipara. & T. W« — nemoralis. & FT. W. — hortensis.Jft — Z«&rira.§§§ F. T. W. 147, *_ obscura. T. W. 149 . *- octonfracta.\ ffi* T 150. -octona. 154. * _ blfasciata.\\\\ W. T* 157._Gaudaloupensis& W. 166. *-stagnalis. & T. W r . - palustris. & F. T. W* - fossaria. T. W. - putris. & T. W. suednea. § § § § T. W 168. 169. 171. 172. 170 . 180. 183. 187. T. W. T. W. T. W. W. - tentacul’ata. -- auricularia. - Iced gala. _ haliotoidea. - elliptica y Brown, ? Wern. Tr . ) _ margarita. Mont. T* 1. *Nerita Canrena. & W* 5. *-glaucina. & W. 6. _ Vitellus. C. 19. -— Mammilla. & W. 21. *_ pallidula. F* T. W. 26. *-- fluviatilis. & W. 27 . *-littoralis. & T. W. 4 T. ventrosus , Dillw. •j-f H. cry stall ina, D. «{ H. nitida , D. §§§ H.sub-cylindrica, D. §§§§ if. limosa , D. | if. marginata y D. ft if. strip ata, D. f j-f if. aculeata , D. ffff ii. peregrina , D. § ^ crenulata, D. §§ if. Pisana, D. if. grisea. D. ftft H. acuta, D. ALLAN MUSEUM (VEGETABILIa). 175 Wood's Index. .33. Nerita Pupa. 36. 37. 39. 46. 54. 55. 57. 68 . 69. 1. Haliotis Mid*. & W. & c. w. & w. » viridis. - virginea. - polita. - Paloronta. - versicolor. ■ Pica. - costata. - tessellata. - Stercus muscarum. C. c. w. c. c. & c. w. Wood's Index. 58. * Patella pellucida. & T. W. * -caeruleata.j: & W. - Rota. C. —-testudinalis. ■-compressa. -fusca. & C. W. * -- virginca.§ T. W. * - Fissura. T. W. apcrtura , Mont. G. 4. 1. 11 . 17 . 24. 38. 41. 42. 43. 50. 56. 57. - tubcrculata. Patella equegfcris. aculeata. & W. & w. & c. - saccharina. C. -Oculus Capri. -vulgata. & T. W. C. - ungarica. - militaris. - mitrula.f -leucoptera. - lacustris. - oblonga. 59. 61. - 63. - 64. - 69. - 81. * 86 . * 89. • 91. * 92. - 93. - 94. - 95. - 100 . _ 5. *Dentalium Dentalis. - Entalis. - politum. — Graeca. — atricapilla. nodosa. — perforata. — - Caffra. - nubecula. & T. W. W. w. c. w. T. & W. T. &W. T. *Serpitla triquetra. *—- spirorbis,. *—i - vermicularis. & W 2 non-des. 2. Teredo navalis. arra «g» n g the above list, I am indebted to the able assistance ^ Adams ° n an( | Mr - G-. Gibsone, for determining the Allan Shells, the latter of whom also carefully examined and named Mr. Cockerill’s in regard to the remainder, they rest on the accuracy of the donors, who Imnded me their lists, which I have consolidated in the above manner. 1 here are about o40 species in the whole, of which about 226 are Bri¬ tish, leaving about 200 for the following list of desiderata; a nearer ap- proximation to a complete set of these than of the exotic species, of which about 2000 species are described by the latest authors. If we may judge by the readiness already shewn by our liberal contributors at a short notice to increase our collection, we may hope to have it, before long, much more extensive. 1 ’ SHELLS (British Desiderata). Chiton albus, laevis, crinitus. (3.) PA sulca^ a (? 0 ) n0ideS ’ Sp ° ngi0Sa ’ membra "acea, Scalpellum, fascicularis, Mya convexa, praetenuis, distorta, bidentata, decussata, purpurea, femisri- SoLrv Nn 1 P” sm . atlca > substriata, Batava, ovata,sub-orbicularis. (13) Teluna ^ZTh V ^ na ^.P eIluci ^s, antiquatus, squamosus, Pinna. (6. M ' lC hmr,s ad (a“’ tenU1S ’ BoySii ’ trian &i*laris, minutissima, glauca, fragilis, f P. antiquata, D. t P. laevis, D. § P. parva, M, 176 ALLAN MUSEUM (VEGETABILI a). Donax complanata, plebeia, castanea, Irus. (4.) Venus spinifera, subcordata, minima, sulcata, Montagui, renexa, triangu¬ laris, aurea. (8.) Chama Cor. (1.) Arca pilosa, minuta, tenuis. (3.) Ostrea lineata. (1.) Anomia cylindrica. (1.) Mytilus praecisus, Avonensis, umbilicatus. (3.) Pinna ingens, pectinata, carnea (muricata, Mont.). (3.) Nautilus. The whole 20, except lacustris. (19.) Bulla patula, plumula, Akera, umbilicata, obtusa, haliotoidea. (6.) Voluta denticulata, triplicata, alba, pellucida, unidentata, interstincta, insculpta, plicata, ambigua. (9. ) Buccinum hepaticum, cinctum, minimum, Acicula. (4.) Stro^ibus costatus. (1.) Murex subantiquatus, Bamffius, gracilis, attenuatus, Nebula, costatus, proximus, septangularis, sinuosus, linearis, purpureus, muricatus, minutissimus, tubercularis, ad versus, subulatus. (16.) Trochus tumidus, umbilicatus, cinereus, terrestris. (4.) Turbo jugosus, petraeus, fulgidus, Cimex, calathiscus, mamillatus, semi- costatus, ruber, vitreus, punctura, arenarius, unifasciatus, nivosus, labiosus, sub-umbilicatus, Cingillus, semistriatus, auricularis, 4 fas- ciatus, elegantissimus, simillimus, parvus, striatulus, reticulatus, Bryereus, coniferus, denticulatus, marginatus, unicus, indistinctus, bidens, biplicatus, Juniperi, 6 dentatus, Vertigo, politus, subulatus, decussatus, serpuloides. (39.) Helix planata, tenuis, Lacuna, fontana, fusca, Lackhamensis, substnata, canalis, lutea, glutinosa. (10.) Nerita rufa. (1.) Patella Sinensis, intorta. (2.) Dentalium striatulum, imperforatum, Trachea, glabnim, Gadus. (5). Serpula semilunum, incurvata, minuta, carinata, granulata, heterostropha, corrugata, lucida, tubularia. (9.) VEGETABILIA. 1. 6 Calabash shells, ) Crescentia Cucurbitina, Lin. 2. 2 do. carved. j 3. 1 bottle shaped Fruit. 4. 2 Cocoa Nuts entire. 5. 1 do. shell, whole. > Cocos nucifera, Lin. 6. 2 do. do. cut. ) 7. 1 Receptacle and seeds of Indian ? ]^ e l um bi U m speciosum, Lin. sacred Joearij 3 8. 1 Acorn of Foreign Oak. Quercus .Bgylops, Lin, 9. 1 Tonca, or Tonquin Bean Pod. Dipterix odorata, Lin. 10. 3 Cashew Nuts. . . i Anacardium occidentale, Lin. 11. 3 do. Apples and Nuts, in spirits, j 12. 1 Nutmeg in seed vessel, from Molucca Islands. Myristica aromatica. 13. 1 Pod of Cassia fistularis, W. Indies. ALLAN MUSEUM (VEGETABILIA). 177 J4. 2 Beans, Nux Vomica, and Tamarindus Indica? 15. 1 larger do. 16. 1 Pod of do. (quere? the Nicker Nut, Guilandina Bonduc, from the West Indies.) 17. 1 Nut, “ used to cure bite of snakes.”— Allan MS. 18. 1 Nut with kernel exposed. ™ ^ Fasciculi of Palm leaves, with Indian characters. e-0. Bark of Lagetto Tree. (Daphne Lagetto, Willd .—“ Lagetta lintearia, Per *. Syn.” Sweet's. o, at r, f, er 5 ett0 ’ or Lace Bark Tree, Brown's Jam. p. 371. t SI. f. 5. (leaf.)— Lam. III. t. 289. “ Bark of L^etto Tree from Jamaica, shewing its fine and curious texture resembling lace king Charles II. had a pair of ruffles and frill bark > which was presented to him by a Jamaica merchant, and which he wore several times. The Paper Mulberry, or Cloth Tree,» ot the South Sea Islands is similar to this.”— Allan MS. ex Como to Lev. Mas. p. 26. u if pretty common in the woods of Vere and St. Eliza- tb jL the rt 18 of a , fine tex L ture > very tough, and divides into a number of laminw, which spread into thin webs not unlike lace. It is only used for ropes ,n Jamaica , but would undoubtedly make fine paper, had it been properly prepared for that purpose. It has been, upon occasions, made into different forms of apparel, by the wild and runaway negroes.”— A more perfect specimen lately presented to Mr. Winch, exhibits this ♦hVlgl. V eget ^ )I * m “ ™ ore intelligible manner. It is a portion of a thiekish branch, like hazle, covered with a brown, hard epidermis. The iTf P f a “ °f. * he specimen having been macerated, shews the plates or folds of the liber, or inner bark, beginning to separate_ Ed. 21. German Tinder (Amadou, GallM), a fungus. Isa soft vegetable To rlfT’ rese ™ bhn S tanned leather. (Bolterus igniarius, Lin.) o i rt SerTO h . pur P° se of Tin 3- Copper, ) Galena, crystallized with Quartz, Pearl Spar, & y 6- Iron Pyrites, ) Specular Galena (Slick- } 9 ensides,) } Blende crystallized, with j q _ Quartz & IronPyrites, / Calamine, 1 —— Compact Bitumen, 3 — Minerals belonging to the Allan Museum. 30 spec. 25 — 2 - 3- 2 - Organic Remains. 8 specimens from the Chalk formation. 36 do. from the Lias do. 1 do. from Magnesian Limestone formation. 7 do. Vegetable Impressions on Argillaceous Schistus, from the Coal formation. 25 do. do. on Clay Iron Stone, from do. 15 do. from the Carboniferous Limestone formation. ALLAN MUSEUM (ANTIQUITIES). 179 ANTIQUITIES. Some of the Antiquities, as well as other articles of the Allan Museum, appear to have been purchased from the Museum Humphredianum, the Museum Boub tenanum, and the Leverian Museum, as is shewn by Mr. Allan’s copies of their catalogues, which have only lately come into my hands, and in which are marks of the purchases affixed. These catalogues, in addition to the Tunstall MS., throw much light on the Allan Collection. That relating to the Leverian Museum, which was got up by Mr. Parkinson, is an entertaining and instructive composition, and Mr. Allan has made much use of it in his labels. The first of these Muse¬ ums was a miscellaneous collection of curiosities belong- ing to Mr. George Humphrey, of St. Martin’s Lane, London, which was sold by his assignees in April, 1779 • the second was a similar collection, made by 'Daniel Boulter, of Yarmouth, a dealer in natural and artificial curiosities, at certain prices marked in the catalogue.— I he Leverian Museum, as purchased and afterwards disposed of by Mr. Parkinson, is too well known to require further notice. 1. Roman. 1. Bronze Lamp. 2. 2 Earthen dp. Ex Mus. Boult. 3. Lamp, in form of a Shell. 4. Do. in form of a Monkey. 5. Do. in form of a double Bottle. 6. Do. of whitish Earth. —12. 6 small Vessels, bronze. L3. 1 do. brass. 14. Vessel carved in Basso relievo. 15. Ditto of red Earth, with Ears. 180 ALLAN MUSEUM (ANTIQUITIES). about a furlong south of the village. These circumstances have induced the opinion that at this place was a Roman town, the residence of a Flanien.”—Beauties of England and Wales , vol. xi. p. 325. 19. Urn of red Earth. 20_21. 2 Lacrymatories. ( See Mus. Boult. Cat. p. 40. no. 43.) These are small Bottles, for holding the tears of the relatives, which usually accompany the Urns. 22. Urn, with Festoons of Flowers. 23. Spear-head. 24. Bronze Lai-, representing Jupiter. 25. Instrument in form of a Dog. 26. Bronze Bell, with Osiris. 27. Spur, found at Greta Bridge. 28. Bronze Sheep’s Head Ornament. 29. Roman Mill. 30. Cross-bar of Roman Vexillum, or Standard. 2. Miscellaneous. 31. Egyptian Deity, Osiris— Ex Mus. Boult. Marked 11. Is. ) 32. Do. See Cat. p. 44. no. 5. ) 33. Ancient Bridle Bit. 34. Ancient Stirrup. 35. --Spurs, pair of, inlaid with gold. 36—37. — do. brass, 2 pairs 38. __do. iron 1 pair. 39. Ancient 1 do. single. 40. _do. do. embossed with Silver. 41. -1 do. with long Rowel. 42. -- Gun Lock. 43. 2 Spear Heads, or Celts, with grooves for handle. 44. 1 do. with loop. 45. Celt, Flint, British, “ found near Bungay Castle, Suffolk.” Ex Mus. Boult, vide Cat. p. 43. 46. 2 Do. Copper, “from Reepham, in Norfolk.” The use of the articles called Celts has been much disputed by anti¬ quaries. They are of brass and stone, in the form of chisels, of various shapes, generally with a loop for attaching a string, and have been found in considerable numbers in different parts of England and Ireland, some¬ times with scoria, and furnaces for casting them. Some are of opinion that they were the Roman soldier’s tools for sharpening and repairing his armour, whilst the more received opinion is, that their use was an¬ terior to the Roman possession of Britain by 4 or 500 years, when brass began to give way to the use of iron in this island; and that they were merely domestic tools, for wattling the houses or scooping the ozier- canoes of the ancient Britons; and if so, are possessed of the greatest antiquity of any artificial produce in this island. The composition of the metalic ones has, by analysis, been found to be copper and tin, in the proportion of about one-tenth of the latter. The subject has been dis¬ cussed learnedly both in the Archaeologia and Phil. Transactions, and no less so in the Transactions of the Antiquarian Society of Newcastle. See Hartford in Archae. vol. xir. p. 98— Pearson in Phil. Trans, for 1796, vol. xviii. of Shaw's Ab., and Hodgson in Archae. jEiian. vol. i. p. 98.—Ed. 47. Old Dagger. 48. Ancient Bayonet. 49. -Knife and Fork. 50. — —— Scales. Allan museum (antiquities). lgl "• A Vwir t Ab r JOt ’ S , Crozier. Staff, inscribed on the handle, « This Abbot nf Pl f0ll " d 1 ' U> thecoffin of Thomas Seabrook, chosen Abbot of Gloucester, m 1450. He died in 1457. It was riven I764?” Abbey ° f ° d Wmdsor > h y Dr ‘ Miller, Dean of Exeter, in is ^!! ne tbe ,i Ab j 0t . Seabl ' ooke > or Sebroke, I may remark, that it beautifullv omn * tb , ? es,gn of the present exquisitely proportioned and 1457 and 1518 ^ t0 ' Ver ° f Glo “cester Cathedral, built between at his death" whfch* 1 |i ,dan ’ ,| C comm itted the care and execution of it monks, afterwards^ Bishop"^? ZV*?’ ‘° Robeit inscription in rim nK • p ,°* , Davids, as appears by the following >n 1482, did not live to completeft.^ t0Wer ’ th ° USh T “ lly ’ wh ° died TuLi q i l , ,0 L d ' geStUm Sp “" laris opusque politum 1 vl W , haec ex onere, Sebroke Abbate jubente. f - . Thus translated by Bishop Gibson. rl nS tu' C : '& cb yOU see eact and neat, AbboT seWke dKn -".pleat. himself, at the south west pnrl W3 tf bun ® d * n a c hapel, built by where his monument still remain^ Ontt^es °h* G J ouce ? ter Cathedral, pontificalibus , with ano-pi« JOH*1- ! ! f s hls % ure In alabaster, m and at his feet a Lion For^ 11 ^ a < 5 0ll ^ le cush ion under his head, Sepulchral Monuments,' vol partlcu ! ars se f Gou ^ s at STdm^pecffied C o 0 nitette 0744)” * bi * Grozier must > the above modern inscription) nnrl ,,^ rass cJ asp, on which is engraven ments round it, at different dLtinn J^^xirE 6 ^ lir ? rcular carved orna- lows formed part of it, we have no ^? ether , the Crook which fol- «y H- ICS” 11 * Crozier-head, wttdfwas rented tot P ' h* 2 ’ 'l 3 short account of this bey. I cannot, however but sol / ^ bee ", brou S ht from Easby Ab- of Sebroke’s Crozier, with which^? lad beIon £ ed t0 th e staff from the florid Gothic architect* M ?? l P connect 80 exactly, also l>hes to Sebroke’s period from thn ,! ISed m ltS com P OSltion > which ap- the staff, and from^’bo* bet’ with th ose of therefore, had them fitted together wirhfV A a " S P ossession - I have, ev,deuce should transpire to°the contat * “ h ° Wever ’ in cast any It is beaSd’irVa'rved,'representingo "° od than the staff ’ tmg under an ornamented tothriaLhM- * a ‘ on , sured A hbot, sit- on the other side is . similar feure t’.r t'f m blS . left hand a book; his breast. The whole of the crook . h l ? n J ha,r > and his hand on portions remain. When ioined rorhf ^ of which small 4 feet 11 inches high. J “ t0 the staff th e whole crozier measures 182 ALLAN MUSEUM (ANTIQUITIES). gents a Lamb below a Cross, towards which it turns its head. The invo¬ lution of the staff forms a gaping animal (probably a serpent) whicl en ¬ deavours to swallow the Cross. This device is not uncommon, as Mr. Gough says, “ The Holy Lamb is usually placed within the circle ot the Crozier.”— Scj>. Mon. Int.p. 153. Where the head has joined the staff is a bungling attempt at a screw. , . This Crozier is of ruder workmanship than the last, and marks an earlier date. Mr. Clarkson gives a slight engraving of it, and mentions it and the last in the following terms :—“ Two croziers, in perteet pre¬ servation, are to he met with at Blackwell Grange, which are reported to have been brought from Easby Abbey. Of one of them, which is truly curious, of ivory, the crook three inches and three quarters m diameter, we have been enabled to give a representation. Of the other, the work¬ manship is so elaborate, that it would require the talents of a very emi¬ nent artist to make a drawing.” . . , iim We are happy to have it in our power to supply this desideratum through Mr. Nicholson’s able assistance, who has made the annexed cor¬ rect engravings of both Crooks, and also of the Staff of Sebroke’s Cro¬ zier, according to an .exact proportionate scale— Ed• 53. 2 bronze Crucifixes. 54. Shrine of St. Catherine. 55. A Head, carved in Stone. 56. Mutilated Ivory Figure, carved. 57. 2 monastic Figures, in marble. 58. Piece of carved Ivory. . .... 59. Painted Tiles from Glastonbury Abbey, m Somersetshire, (14th Sept. 1791). 60. Do. from Fountain’s Abbey, Yorkshire. These tiles have been taken away from the pavement ol the high altar, as may be seen by those that still remain.— Ed. , 61 An ancient Jug of German earthenware, of oblong form, 94 inches high, and 34 inches broad at bottom, tapering to 2\ inches at top, ornamented with raised, stamped figures, in basso relievo, of David and Joshua in full armour, and coats of arms ot the Ne- therland States, and bearing date, 1589. The whole design is apparently a compliment to some of the Chiefs ot the Liberation of Holland, which took place about the date recorded; and the manufacture bears marks of a rude state of the art, though the sculpture is highly ornamental and expressive. On the top is a silver lid with hinge, into which has been let a curious oval Medal of Charles XII. of Sweden, with the following legends, the latter in German; — (Obverse.) Carolus xn. Suecor. Gothur. Wandalorumq. Rex. (Fine Head of Charles, with his frontal hair erect, displaying his fine forehead, as represented in the portraits of him./ [Reverse.] 10 inches high, with a ,. So . n * med in Allan Sale Cat. p. 68. On reference to a Catholic friend, he is satisfied, after examination of this vessel, that “it is not a fix, the use of which is to contain the Host, and ought properly to be made of silver.” He at first suspected it to have belonged to some monastic body, and used in certain rites, incident to the order: but on a closer examination, he thinks this is not the case. In this state of uncer- tamty 1 have been induced to examine authorities, of which I present giiml de°sTgn?tion SU Which WiU b ® f ° Und ’ 1 think > t0 justify the ori- The definitions of the word Pix (or more properly Pyx), in those modern Dictionaries! which have chosen to notice it, are given in such general terms, as to shew that the authors were little acquainted with its use, which was chiefly that of the private administration of the Sacra- ment; and I have been obliged, therefore, to have recourse to the following o der and learned authors, who treat more particularly on such subjects. Lrom Du Cange’s Glossary we learn, that the Pyx was a vessel in vynicn the consecrated host was put to be used in the visitation of the sick. frAtv/th! ? T!!’ a " wcl1 ‘T * he Duteh > translation of the Psalms differs from the English authorised Version in the numerical order of the verses, Jint-Ed. COUntmg ° tit,eS ° f the Psalms > w ^ere they occur, as verse ■^r^nson^sEictb nt ^‘ ^ ox * n which the Romanists keep the Host.” rII P r Xi ni a S T U ™K tal - CaSG for contain i»g the consecrated species in the Catholic Church. Antiently it was made in the form of a dove, and sus? pended ovci the altar, -—llees Cyclop, vol. xxix. Pix > a box or casc 5 in which is kept the consecrated Host of the Ilomish Church, —with authorities.— Crabbe’s Technic. Diet. bee also Bailey s Dictionary , so valuable for its Etymology, where is a similar definition, lhe Ency. Brit, does not deign to notice the word. 184 ALLAN MUSEUM (ANTIQUITIES). It was suspended (when not used) over the high altar, by a chain or string. The Host contained in it was to be dipped in the blood of Christ (i. e. the consecrated wine), in order that the priest might justly say to the sick, “ The Body and Blood,” &c. Though occasionally of gold and silver, it was also made of ivory , as specially ordered in the synodical sta¬ tutes of Odo, Bishop of Paris, of York, of Worcester, and of Exeter.*— Glossarium , Ed. Paris , 1734, vol. v. p. 1002. In Bishop Gibson’s Codex we find that a box or closet (tabernacu- lum), with a lock, was ordered to be provided by every parish church, suitable to the size and wealth of the church, in which the Eucharist was to be kept, not in a bag or chest, for fear of its crumbling, but in a hand¬ some Pyx, decorated inside with the fairest linen ; and the elements were to be renewed every Sunday. The Tabernacle and Pyx are not to be taken for the same, for the Pyx is put within the Tabernacle.f— Gibson's Codex Jur. Eccles. Ang. p. 383. If the above goes to shew that the Pyx might be made of ivory, the following declares the Chalice and Paten, the Cup and Plate used by the Priest alone in the Sacrament, were to be only of metal (fusilis), and that of the purest kind ; at least in all but the earliest ages of Chris¬ tianity, when the injunction infers that sacramental vessels of wood and horn were used. “ Patens and Chalices of tin or pewter must be very ancient; for in the Council of London, A. D. 475, we find a strict injunction to admi¬ nister the sacrament only in gold and silver. The Saxon Canons of the reign of Edgar ordain, that every Chalice used for the Eucharist shall be of metal and not of wood ; and the Council of Calchuth, in the close of the 8th century, forbids the use of horn (cornu bovinum) for Chalices or Patens.”— Gough' sSep. Mon. Int . p. 69. The preceding authorities shew the ancient Pyx might be made of ivory; that it was required to be of handsome workmanship; that there was attached to it a chain or string, for the purpose of suspension ; and that it was adapted to the purpose of being carried abroad, all which circumstances agree with our vessel; and when we consider from the same authority, that it cannot be a Chalice, from its not being of metal, yet from its shape and ornaments, it is seemingly a sacramental vessel, it can only be concluded, I think, to be a Pyx, as originally named; though of its date and locality we are without any evidence. The annexed engraving shews the form of this curious and highly orna- * “ Pyxis, in qua reponuntur hostiae consecratae ad Viaticum pro infir- inis;—quae desuper majus altare pendere solebat. —Sacra oblatio intincta debet esse in sanguine Xti, ut veraciter possit Presbyter dicere lnfirmo, corpus et sanguis Dorn. nos. Jesu Christi proficiat tibi ad salutem animas et corporis.—Pyxis argentea—Pyxis aurea—Pyxides autem ex ebore seu eftwr- nccc esse jubentur propter casum, in Stat. Syn. Qdon. &c .—Du Cange y 7 D. 12S1. “ Precipimus in qualibet ecclesia parochiali fiat laber- naculum, cum clausura, decens et honestum, secundum cura? magnitudi-- dem et ecclesiae facilitates, inquoipsum Dominicum corpus, non in bursa vel loculo comminutionis periculum nullatenus collocetur, sed in fyxide pulcherrima, lino candidissimo interius adornata, ita quod sine omni dimi- nutionis periculo facile possit extrahi et imponi, &c. “ lhe Eucharist shall be shut up, not in a bag or chest, but in a neat 1 yx, and changed mciy Sunday. ”— Gibson's Codex, ut supra. ALLAN MUSEUM (ANTIQUITIES). 185 merited vessel. It consists of a cup and lid, the latter surmounted with statues of the Virgin and Child, 3 inches high, the whole height being 13 inches. On the cup are three figures in alto relievo, with hands joined, emblematic of the Trinity. There are two similar coats of arms, corres¬ ponding on the lid and cup, which may serve, when explained, to throw some light on the subject. Round the bottom are several uncouth de¬ vices of animals, towards which four serpents detached stretch their heads. To the stalk of the cup is attached a handsome string of coloured silk, to which is sealed, with wax, a parchment label, containing some in¬ scription nearly illegible.* The whole is inclosed in a wooden case, of a form adapted to the shape of the cup, and which has been lined with velvet, and gilt outside, opening in two equal parts with five clasps. The case was employed, I imagine, when the vessel was carried abroad, which used to be done, and is still done in Catholic countries, with much so¬ lemnity and publicity. The word Pix is derived from ?rv%tc, which means a small vessel of box-wood, from sri/ge*, buxus, the box-tree, whence the English word “box, ’ as originally made of that wood. Pyx is, therefore, literally a “ little box,” which was probably its original, as it is its present, form, in this country at least. 63. Antique Cabinet, with secret Drawers, and carved Stone Pillars and Pannels. 64. Glass Bottle, with Barnacles (Lepas costata) growing on it, marked in the moulding W.W. 1718. 65. Ancient iron Padlock, from Dereham Abbey,f Norfolk. 66. 2 do. Bronze Crabs, set as watch cases. 67. Ancient Belt, with Canteen and Pouches. 68. 2 old Leathern Bottles. 69. 2 Cuirasses, and Back Pieces of Ancient Armour. 70. Iron Safety Box. 71. A fine old enameled Dish, representing Christ feeding the Multi¬ tude with Loaves and Fishes. Italian with Figures of splendid Colours, inscribed .1^31, Di Silla& Canbdi parlamenti favola. fra. Xato. A Rovi- giese d’ Urbino fee. Embroidered Purse. 74. Brass Inkstand and Pen Case. 75. Do. Do. 76. Cast in Brass of Christ scourged. 77. Ancient Knife and Fork, with beautifully carved Ivory Handles re¬ presenting the Cardinal Virtues, and Harlequin and Columbine. 72 73. * By immersing the parchment in an infusion of galls, the following words have been recovered : — ® Johannes Schtevd...... Joannes E... Schffle. De Ex . ine huj„s poedi .... entur nostrum Testvmomum. J 1 t J h l S r as ma , rked Durham Abbey, in the Allan Sale Cat. p. 66- but as I find the article named as above in the Mus. Boult, p. 65. no. 110, and marked as purchased, I conclude Dereham Abbey to be the proper locality as it is the most probable one. 1 F ^ 186 ALLAN MUSEUM (ANTIQUITIES), This curious piece of Antiquity belonged to the Abbey of St. Agatha, usually called Easby Abbey, (from its contiguity to the small village ot that name,) on the river Swale, one mile below Richmond. The Abbey was founded in 1152, and endowed with lands by Roaldus, Constable of Rich¬ mond Castle, on a vow of sanctity, and is placed in a delightfully pleasant * I owe the appropriation of this article to Mr. Surtees, who, in his History of Durham, vol. iii. p. 371, states it, as such, to be then in the possession of Mr. Allan. It must have been unknown to Dr. Whitaker, 187 ALLAN MUSEUM (ANTIQUITIES). and sheltered situation, as is usual with many monastic buildings. The possessions of Roaldus being purchased from one of his descendants (Tho¬ mas de burton, temp. Edward III.) by Henry, Lord Scrope, the latter made considerable additions to it, or rather, rebuilt it; and he is, there¬ fore, considered as its second founder. Most of the magnificent remains that we see at this day, are the works of the Scropes, who continued its patrons until the dissolution of monasteries by Henry VIII.; though there are also some remains of the architecture of Roaldus’s period, par¬ ticularly a fine Anglo-Saxon Doorway, and the basement story of the banqueting Room, and of some of the adjoining buildings, where round arches are visible, within pointed ones. There were also many other great Benefactors, amongst whom the gratitude of the Monks have re¬ corded on the Font a memorial of some of them, in addition to those of their patrons. The Abbey adopted as its arms, those of its founder, Roaldus; and also of its second founder, Lord Scrope, over both of which was added a crozierin pale, argent, as a usual religious bearing. The Font is of an octagonal form, 14 inches in diameter, by 9 inches high, standing on a base, resembling the reversed calyx of a plant, the pe¬ destal or pillar of which (if there ever was one) is wanting, and is deco¬ rated with eight armorial bearings, which are stated by Mr. Clarkson, who describes it (Hist, of Rich. p. 361,) as “ the arms of Neville, Scrope of Masham, Fitz-hugh, Aske, Percy, one shield, with a rose and a trunk of a tree below it (probably a rebus upon the name of some abbot, as of Rosewood), a fleur de lis, and another with a rose only.” How it was preserved from the wreck of the Abbey, at its demolition, and when or how it came into Mr. Allan’s possession, we are unable to ascertain. Mr. Allan had the arms emblazoned with their proper colours, which some are of opinion would have been as well omitted, as they detract, as has been observed, from the chastity of the sculpture. The colours, however, enable us to collect his opinion of the families to which the arms appertain, and have aided me considerably in the investigation. If the colours be correct, (and his skill in Heraldry induces the presump¬ tion that they are so,) instead of Aske, as conjectured by Mr. Clarkson, the arms on that shield are, in my opinion, with deference to his superior skill in Heraldry, those of Roaldus, the founder of the Abbey, which is the more probable, as they are accompanied by those of Scrope, who was considered as its second founder. The arms of Aske are a shield, or, three bars azure , and those of Roaldus are stated by Mr. Clarkson (P*352.) to be gules , two bars gemelles (or double bars), a chief, or. This coat agrees more nearly with the markings and colourings on this shield of the Font than the former, though it must be admitted that the heraldic member, called the chief, is wanting.* The Eight Shields (with the colours adopted by Mr. Allan) are as follow: — or he would have recorded it, at least, if not figured it, along with the other curious bouts of this district, on which he has bestowed particular attention in his History of Richmondshire. In absence of this, and for k nr rt xt. ^ lc, ^ at * on > J present the annexed Wood-cut, correctlv engraved •.u ^r. Nicholson. Fig. l. represents the perspective view of the Font, with three of the shields, and the lenthened engraving, the other five shields on the opposite side. Mr. C. informs me, that when he w r rote his account of the Font, he was not aware of the colouring by Mr. Allan. 188 ALLAN MUSEUM (ANTIQUITIES). No. 1.— Gules , four bars (or two bars gemelles) or. —This is probably meant for the arms of Roaldus, the first founder of Easby Abbey. See the arms engraved in Clarkson, p. 352. The bars in the arms of Aske, to which family this shield, as is already noticed, has been attributed, are azure. Aske, however, was the founder of the adjoining priory of St. Martin’s, on the opposite side of the Swale, which, therefore, bore his arms, and this may have occasioned the mis-appropriation. No. 2.—Shield azure , a bend or, with a label of 3 points. The arms of Scrope, of Masham, a junior branch of the Lords of Bolton. Henry le Scrope, in 1335, purchased the possessions of Roaldus, and was the second founder of Easby Abbey, as noticed above, and the existing re¬ mains are of his and his descendants’ erection. No. 3_Shield, gules , a saltier, argent. The arms of the Nevilles* Earls of Westmoreland. Ralph Neville had the Castle of Richmond (but not the title), with the monasteries, &c. granted him by Henry IV., in 1390, for his services in supporting the King’s cause, whilst Duke of Lancaster, and he was, probably, thus, a benefactor to the Abbey of Easby.— See Clarkson. No. 4—Shield, azure , three cheveronels braced, or. The arms of Fitz-hugh, Lords of Ravenswath, in Richmondshire, of whose castle, three miles north of Richmond, we may almost say, U perierunt ruinae .” It may be observed, that though this shield of the Font is, undoubtedly, acknowledged as the arms of Fitz-hugh, the chief, which belongs to the arms, is wanting in it equally with that of Roaldus, first mentioned. The contiguity of Ravenswath to Easby, makes it very probable, that this family were benefactors to the Abbey. No. 5.—Shield, gules , a lion rampant, argent. According to this • colouring, these arms are those of Mowbray, formerly, Dukes of Norfolk, which family was extinct, in the male line, in 1475, but the title was re¬ vived by Richard IIL, in 1483, in the person of Sir John Howard, who was the celebrated “ Jack, or Jockey of Norfolk,” and who lost his life for his patron at Bosworth Field. I know not what authority Mr. Allan had for this appropriation, as the shield has been elsewhere* considered as belonging to the Percies, and with some shew of probability, as Lord Scrope, the then proprietor of Easby, married the sister of Henry, the 4th Earl of Northumberland, who is supposed to have been a contributor to Easby Church, in the south east window of the aisle of which were, until lately, in stained glass, the arms of Percy, quartered with those of Lucy, and he was, con¬ sequently, perhaps, a benefactor to Easby Abbey. f The Mowbrays are, however, also understood to have been benefactors to the Abbey ( see Clarks, p. 349), and they had property in Yorkshire, at Brotherton, near Ferry-Bridge, derived from their descent from Thomas de Brotherton, * See Clarks. Rich, in loco. f The Vandalism which directed the removal, rather than the reparation, of this painted glass, is to be deplored by the Historian and Antiquary.— The inhabitants of Staindrop arc rendering themselves liable to an almost equally heavy charge, but for the taste displayed, in their alteration of the beautiful windows of their church. It were to be wished that the noble Lord of the Manor w'ould, by his influence, stay the demolition, as well as effect the display of the beautiful monument lately discovered in the wall of the church, half of which only was know n before, and which is probably that of the founder .—See Hutchinson's Durham in loco. ALLAN MUSEUM (ANTIQUITIES). 189 the son of Edward I., for which, and other reasons, Mr. Allan may have adopted them in this instance. , N °' 6.—Shield, aaare, a flour de lis, urgent. These arms are born by the Earls of Digby, though with what reference to this subject, is unknown to me. I find, that an ancestor of the family was, by Henry i VU ;’ ™ade steward and receiver of the manor of Bedale, in the neigh- boui hood of Richmond and Masham, for his services in the Battle of Bosworth Field. See Collins Peer. vii. p. 632, 4th edition. The bear- in ^vr aS ' jUll ln ? observes, signifies service in France. 0,1 ° i ®^’ e ' d ’ a hend of the limb of a tree, raguled and trunck- ed, and surmounted by a figure resembling a rose, or a wheel, both, or. Jlr. Clarkson is, probably, correct in his conjecture, of this being a re¬ timer anagram 0,1 the name of some Ab bot; a whim not unusual in the the^t! plfteWy.’ ^ & rOSe a ’ ,d Stera - or - The reas0 " - It i ™ agi ," e that tbis font was ever used instead of the older one, ?min 1 taildlng i n Easb y Church, as has been conjectured. Its S.r it™ Se ! m f ad “P ted t0 the « s e of the Abbey and its dependents, ri„™l 1 S - U ? d the P ur P° ses of a parish. The older font, from its resemblance, in form, to those of the district, probably always occupied ItS C “ n0lls scul P ture of circular arches and sixon pillars, makes its date anterior to the reparations of the Scropes. I state nart 5°v Vi?™" 8 } su / v ?y ? { «“* and the contiguous churches, in this , a t of t Yorkshire, of which the fonts form a peculiar feature, and inter- esting to the antiquary. After all, it is not to be disguised that it is doubtful if our vessel ever was a baptismal Font, from its want of a pedestal, from its not being perfo¬ rated for the used water, and from its unsuitableness, if not incapability, nrnh w s J ze ’ f ° r purposes of immersion. It was more probably a vessel for the Holy Water belonging to the Abbey. 79. One Escutcheon, or Arms of stained glass, viz. Coat, party per pale dexter sable, a saltier or,- sinister vert, a stag at gaze n ar &S!** 9 tipped and hoofed or, a chief of the last.—Name unknown. 80. One Do. of do. Coat, or, a bendlet gules, between 3 eagles close sable; —Arms of W itham. 81. One Do. of metal—The Arms of Neville quarterly, 1st and 4th. on a saltire, a rose of the first j—2d and 3d Coat bearing a cres¬ cent on bar between C cross crosslets.—The whole surmounted by a label of three points. “ Came from Cockfield, near Raby, as I have been informed.” Note, by Sir C. Sharp, who adds, that he takes it for a coffin plate.” N. B. “ On a pillar in t le south transept of \ ork Minster, is a monument to the me- i .u E y. mes > daughter of Sir Edward Neville, dated which contains four such shields, with various additional quartermgs”— I. Fox , note. 82. One Do. Wood.—Shield, quarterly—1st and 4th gules, a Garb or, 3 fishes haur5an b ar S* —Indorsed, I he Arms of Killmghall.” 83. Ancient Painting on Wood, oval. 8k Old Painting, head of Christ, on Wood. Inscribed, “this pre¬ sent FIGURE IS THE SIMILITUDE OF OUR LORD JESUS OURE SA- B b ISO ALLAN MUSEUM (ANTIQUITIES). VIOR IMPRINTED IN AMYRULD BY THE PREDECESSORS OF T CREATE TURKE AND SENT TO THE POPE INNOCENT THE VIII. AT THE COST OF THE CREATE TURKE FOR A TOKEN FOR TI CAWSE TO REDEME HIS BROTHER THAT WAS TAKEN [Innocent VIII. was created Pope, 1484; ob. 1492. \-AUan MS. Thisantient painting is no.less carious for the style of its execution, than for having furnished a subject of notice and discussion in the .Gent. Mag. for 1793, vol. lxiii. p. 1177, and for 179o, vol. lxv. p. 310. In the lat- ter is as follows :— Your Correspondent, T. Woolston, vol. lxm. p. 117/, says, Mr. Barber shewed me a curious ancient piece of painting on oak pannel; r was a small, but very tine head of Christ, with the following inscription: THIS PRESENT FIGVRE IS THE SEYMYLYTVDE OF OVR LORD JESVS 0VR SAVOVR IMPRINTED IN AMYRLD BY THE PRYDECESSOVRS OF THE GREAT TVRKE AND SENT TO POPE INNOCENT THE VIII TO REDEME HIS BRO- THER BEING PRISONER. . . ... I have seen an half-length of Christ, on oak pannel, with an inscription nearly similar to that mentioned by your correspondent. Now Mr. Urban, these inscriptions each contain an assertion which is, 1 apprehend, inconsistent with the best historical information, that the resemblance of our blessed Saviour was sent to the Pope to redeem the brother of the Great Turk. TT t »r,„ “ Zizim contended with his elder brother Sultan Bajazet II. for tne sovereignty: the latter, however, proved victorious, and Ziznn tied to Rhodes; and by the Grand Master was, A. D. 1488, sent to Pope In¬ nocent VIII. who had long been desirous of keeping him as his prisoner, for political reasons. Zizim remained in custody, at Rome, until the invasion of Italy by Charles, VIII. King of France, 1489, when he was delivered up to that Monarch, and died soon after, not without suspicion of poison.”— 11. U. of Langton, near Spilsby. The Commentator adds, that Bajazet was far from wishing to redeem his brother, and therefore concludes that the picture could not have been sent Of sent at all) toi that purpose. It was probably sent as a present of acknowledgment to the Pope, as is shewn by the Latin quotation given, by R. U-, in which an actual present to the Pope by the Sultan on the occasion is re¬ corded, of the head of the spear which pierced Christ- Be it as it may, the picture bears sufficient evidence of antiquity, to give credit to its being one of the two pictures referred to by R. U. (if there were two though perhaps only a copy of the original sent to the Pope, which it is so called in the Grange Sale Catalogue, p. b J. ADDENDUM TO ANTIQ. NO. 02. In Due-dale's Monasticon, in the account of York and Lincoln Cathe¬ drals, arc inventories of the treasures delivered by the treasurers to the Commissioners of Henry VIII.; amongst which extensive lists me Pyxides, several of which are ol ivory, as well as silver and crystal. E- g. from Lincoln. . ... , . lf “ Imprimis, a round Pyx of crystal, ornate with silver and gilt. “ Item, do. of ivory, bound with copper, containing certain relicKs, anu •1 chain with which St Catherine bound the Devil.”—V ol. ill. This latter "valuable was also of Salisbury-^ Britton's Views of Sal. Catli. p. 84, note. ALLAN MUSEUM (CURIOSITIES). 191 CURIOSITIES. 5. 6 . 7. 8 . 9. 10 . Do. Do. Do. Do. 3 Do. Do. 1 Asiatick. ‘V ^ p^^ nese Swan Pans, or machines for keeping accounts. 3. Chinese Pagod, curiously carved in Ivory. Do. Ninesi or Idol; priced 1 guin. in Mus. Boult. Cat. p. 46. Steelyards. Writing, enamelled on Papyrus. Hat. Compass. Bows and 3 sets of Arrows. Dotchins or Scales. They are upon the same principle as our steelyards. Large goods are weighed in a similar manner by the Dotchin or Chi¬ nese Balance, a large wooden beam, generally of ebony, of about 6 feet in length, with the numerals marked upon it, by driving in small nails wjth polished heads. See White’s Voyage to Cochin China, in 1820, p. 332. 11. Persian Knife and Fork, 2 sets, “with 10 other instruments, in a blaek sheath inlaid with pearl, mounted in metal and gilt.” E.r Mus. Boult. Cat. p. 55, no. 116. £ ,, ® 0 ' Knife and Fork, in a tortoise shell sheath. 13. 3 Do. Hooka, or smoaking machine. 14. Malay Creese, the dagger of the Malays or natives of Malacca, with which they sometimes run a muck. lo. Hindoo Idol, bronze. 16. Papyrus M. S., 2 fasciculi, containing Lord’s Prayer in Hindoo characters. 17. 16 Ivory Balls, one within each other loose, most curiously cut out .c rr, ,°, M< V? 01 ^ P lece ’ beautifully perforated in the carving. 18. 1 urkish Bow String, for strangling. 19. Do. Bashaw’s Tail or Standard. This is a natural horse tail of fine white hair, with the bones included, which is attached to a silver handle, weighing about six ounces. 20. Quiver and Bunch of Arrows (Tartar?). 21. Spear, Bow and Arrows, from Sumatra. 22. Indian Basket. Shoes, Turkish and Chinese. See Dresses. 2. Modern Curiosities. 23. 1 Medals of Darlington Archery, 2 of them inscribed with motto, Ustende artem pariter arcumque sonantem.” ~ °. !u’ 1 Hl ? l>onor e ! it ( l ui que levibus sagittis valet.” Instituted by the gentlemen archers of Darlington, 15th March, 1758. A?** if ? Peeul [ arl 5 r an En S lish amusement, our ancestors having excelled in the art beyond all nations. The use of it in warfare continued until the battle of Flodden Field, after which it sunk into a pastime only. Several societies of archers have been formed at different times and places; and one was instituted, by the Bichmond men, in con¬ junction with those of the neighbourhood, in 1673, at Scorton, which 192 ALLAK MUSEUM (CURIOSITIES). has has 24. 25. 26. 27. 29. 30. 31. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. continued to the present day. The annual shooting of this society repeatedly taken place at Darlington. 7 Prints of Le Brun’s Passions, representing—1- Despair. 2. Joy. 3. Laughter. 4. Wonder. 5. Inquietude. And 3 others. Carving of Venus and Cupid, in frame. - Ship of War (64 guns), in a glass case.— Ex. Mus . Boult . t a . v. 54, no. 85. , . _ _ ,. Reel in a Phial.— Md. no. 54. 28. Book in Marble. Bronze cast of the Roman Statue, called the Knife-grin er. Set of Musical Bells. Glass Globe, silvered. 32. Sand Box, and ditto. Porcelain Book and Figure. 2 Porcelain Figures, heads loose—apparently Catholic figures ot t(ie Virgin. Butterfly Trap. Painted Dog, and do. Bottle and Flowers. Dutch Pipe, flexible tube. 38. Ivory Pedestal. George I. Arms in Tapestry. ^Naturalist’s Heads, framed and glazed, viz. Aldrovandus, Pennant, Banks, Buffon, and Solander. . . . Print of Mr. Pennant, engraved (1778) by Sherwin, from a painting by Gainsborough. See Mr. Allan’s Memoirs, Letters, supra, p. 5b. Model of the Knife which killed Gustavus III. Spun Glass. 3. Dresses, Shoes, &c. 2i Pairs of Chinese Slippers, made of Cane, with broad Toes, and lined with Linen. 1 Chinese Shoe, with very thick Sole. 1 Do. very small, female. . _ 24 Pairs of Turkish Men’s Shoes, richly ornamented, with loes w t cl 1 Pahof Turkish Sultana’s Shoes, blue velvet, embroidered with 1 Pair of Queen Anne’s Shoes, light blue flowered silk. 52. 2 Single Do. huff silk, embroidered. 1 French Wooden Shoe, painted blue. 1 curious old Leather Shoe, with high heel. 1 extraordinary sized Leather Shoe, with wooden Sole, said to be that of Mr. Heneage (of Cadesby)’s cook-maid. 1 Pair of American Maucassons, or Leather Buskins, ornamented with beads and painted straw* 1 Pair o°f ‘^Riding Gloves of a Lad P y of Quality, about the year 1722.” Leadie^Frockf ornamented with Tassels, from Cook’s River, North America— Ex Lev. Mus. — See Com-toL.M. P* 2 Aprons, worn by Otaheitan Dancing Girls. Bonnet of 1667. Large Straw Hat. Pair of Leather Gaiters of ancient usage. Carved Nutmeg-Grater, in form of a shoe.— Ex. Mus. Boult. C it. p. 52, no. 28, ALLAN MUSEUM (SEALS). 193 SEALS. These impressions of Seals in wax form, it is feared, only a small part, of Mr. Allan (the Antiquary)’s original Collection. I present them, however, as received, "after arranging them in classes. The investigation has been the means of bringing one original seal to light, that of Greatham Hospital, in the county of Durham, —See no. 26. It is probable that part of these, or at least of Mr. Allan’s Collection, was purchased from Mr. Boulter’s Museum, one of the articles of which was “ a large quantity of impressions in wax, from Monastic, Conven¬ tual, and ancient private Seals,” marked as purchased. —Sec Mtis. B. Cat. p. 60, no. 37. 4. 1. Royal Seals. 1. James II. Inscription, “ Jacobus II. D. G. Mag. Brit. Fran, et Hib. Bex Fulei Defensor. ’ Device, The King in his Robes, under his lnione, receiving a Petition from a European in court dress and a present of Pme Apples from an American Chief, both kneeling. Over their heads a flying Cupid, displaying the follow- 0 ~ ln & motto on a scroll, “ Nuncpiam libertas gratior extat.” Charles II. (or James II.) Inscription, “ Sigillum Domini Nostr. AT 1 ?; ,n D ^ V1Ce ’ the Ro >' al Arms with Supporters, Motto and Garter, and surmounted by the Crown. This was the Royal Seal used for Virginia. 3 ‘ HtJ" SC R Pti0 "’^" n ^? ei Gra ' JIa g- Britannia; Francite, et Hibernia Regina Fidei Defensor, etct.” Arms same as last.ex- cept motto, “ Semper eadem.” The great Seal of England. Anxe. Inscription and Arms same as last, except with the addition r 01 Jamaica, tor which place it was probably used, o. George IL Ascription, “ Georgius II. D. G. Mag. Bri. Fr. et Hib. Rex F. D. Brun et Lun Dux S. R. I. Ar. Thes! et Pr. Elector.” Aims, See. as those of James II., with the addition of the Han¬ over quartering. Reverse, Inscription, “ Sigillum Plagte australis Pi ovinci® nostra Carolina;. ’ ’ In exergue, “ Proprias res aspice nos- r r'J‘ aS ’ t?t ve, tlhe figure of America kneeling to the King. ' HI- AV . lth . Arms and Inscription same as last. Reverse, oigillum Provincial nostra Novae Scotia; sive Aeadi® in America.” In exergue, “ Terra marisque opes.” Above, an European and American bartering for beavers, one of which is at the feet of the latter, and another in his hand. A sloop in the distance. 2. Town and Corporate Seals. 7- Seal of the Burgesses of Barnardcastle, as figured in UutcUhmn't Durham, vol. in. pi. atp. 243, f. J. 194 ALLAN MUSEUM (SEALS). 8. Seal of the Court-Leet and Baron at Barnardcastle. Inscription, “ Sigillum cur. Castri Barnardi,” circumscribing the Arms ol Vane. . . 9. Seal of the Borough Town of Carmarthen, in Wales. Inscription, “ Sigillum Communitatis Ville de Kermerdunn.” Device, a Castle, the side-towers of which are surmounted by two Birds,— on each side an Ostrich-feather, with the Shaft transfixing a Scroll. Beneath a Dragon couchant. 10. Town Seal of Hartlepool, obverse of. Device, “ St. Hilda between two Monks.” Date, “ Circum 1200.” See Sir C. Sharp's History, pi. at p. 93, no. i. 11. Seal, inscribed “ Agricultural Society, Richmondshire,” surrounding a Garland of Corn. 12. Sunderland. Inscription, “ S A. C. Sunderland.” Device, a Quadrant on a Shield, and a Globe by way of Crest. 13. Do. Inscription, “ The Society of Keelmen on the River Wear, 1792.” Device, a Keel in full Sail below a Scroll, with “ Post tot naufragia portum.” . . 14. Do. Inscription, “ The Seal of the Sunderland Association. De¬ vice, a Ship in full Sail. 15. Seal. Inscription, “ North Riding Com. Eborum.” Device, Rose and Crown. 3. Seals Ecclesiastical. 16. Seal of Durham Convent, figured in Hutchinson , voi. ii. p. 91, f- 1. Inscription, “ Sigillum Cudberti Presulis.” 17. Present Seal of the Dean and Chapter, dated 1540 and 1660. 18. Seal of Durham Consistory Court. Inscription, “ Sigillum consis- torii Dunelmensis.” Device, on an open Book, “ Judicium Je- hovae.” Below are the Arms of the See. ^ 19. Do. with the above Inscription in English, and date, 1750. Ihe Arms surmounted by a Mitre, and the Book beneath. 20. Durham, Archdeacon’s Seal. Inscription, “ Sigillum Sami. Dick¬ ens S. T. P. Archidiaconi Dunelm.” Device, Arms of the See. 21. Canterbury. Inscription, “ The Seal of the Prerogative Court of the Archbishop of Canterbury.” Device, a Saint seated on a Throne between two Monks, with the Arms of the See beneath* 22. York. Inscription, “ The Common Seal of the Dean and Chap¬ ter of York.” . , . 23. Litchfield. Inscription, “ S. Decani et Capl i eccl le sc e Maria et s’ci Ced de Lychfeld ad cas.” The Minster, above which are the Virgin and Child, and below, a mitred Abbott. 24. Seal. Inscription, “ Sigillu Provincial Anglise Fratrii minoru regu- lari observantke.” Device, Virgin and Child m a Shrine; at her feet, the Arms of England and France, quartered. 25. Seal. Inscription, Sigillu Dni Johis Abbatis Abendoniae S. D- l • .»» In three highly ornamented Gothic niches are the figures* of Virgin and Child, with Crown and Sceptre in the centre, and of St. Peter on the left, and of St. Bartholomew on the right. Below, three Coats of Arms. , T 26. The old Seal of Greatham Hospital, in the county of Durham. In¬ scription, “ Sigillu Hosp’bte Marie de Grethm fou Anno Dm, 1401 (or 1501).” Device, on a triple arch the Virgin crowned, suckling Christ, supported by two Angels throwing Incense. 195 ALLAN MUSEUM (SEALS). Below, a Bishop (known as such by the Crozier-head turned outwards), probably the founder, Bishop Stichel, kneeling on a Pilgrim’s Cockle-shell (Ostrea Jacobaea, Lin.) “ This Seal was bought of a brazier in Durham, in 1793 and undoubtedly was the original Seal of the Hospital on the foundation, though the date does not agree, and plainly proves the Seal that has been used for a cen¬ tury past, and which is engraved in Hutchinson’s History of Durham,* to have been a borrowed one from the King’s Almoner, Stephen Payne. It is now in the possession of Col. Egerton, the Master of the Hospital.” — Mr. Allan's MS. note. On reference to the Rev. J. Brewster, late Vicar of Greatham, he has procured me the loan of this old, though newly-discovered, seal, which on enquiry, he found in the possession of Mr. Clarke, of Stock’ ton, (the late Earl of Bridgewater, formerly Col. Egerton’s, confidential agent) the existence of which, until my application, he was not aware of. I had the annexed engraving made of our impression, before I received the Seal, with which it has been corrected. The Seal is of brass with a crest or ridge on the back for the fingers, perforated for a string, and is conjectured by Mr. Rame, contrary to the above opinion of Mr. Allan * Vol. iii. p. 103. 196 ALLAN museum (seals). to have been only a copy of the original and more ancient Seal, bearing the date of the copy. I may observe that the form of the letters HOSP is more modern than the rest of the inscription, and were probably those of the date of the fabrication, whereas the other letters resemble those of earlier seal-legends. I have only to add the following remarks on the subject, with which I have been favoured by Mr. Brewster :— “ There appears to be great confusion with respect to the seals. At the first foundation (Bishop Stichel’s, A. D. 1272), the Hospital is dedi¬ cated to God, the blessed Mary, and St. Cuthbert. In the old Seal which you describe, St. Mary alone is mentioned. The date does not refer to any thing that is known. It was not the beginning of any Master’s Incumbency ; though a copy of an ancient Seal might be re-engraved at that period.”— Letter from the Rev. J. B. to Editor. Mr. B. adds, “ that the Seal engraved in Hutchinson’s Durham, (Stephen Payne’s Seal) still continues to be used for the Hospital Deeds.” Whether that lately discovered will be allowed to supersede it, is doubtful, as it might be found inconvenient, by deranging the uniformity of the legal documents— Ed. 27. Northumberland. Inscription, “ The Seal of John Sharp, D. D. Archdeacon of Northumberland, 1762.” Device, a Church; beneath, the Arms and Crest of Sharp. 28. Gateshead. King James’s Hospital.— See Hutchinson, vol. ii. p. 459, where this seal is described and figured. 29. Rivington School. Inscription, Sigillum Schola Charum dc Riving - ton. “ The Seal of Rivington School, in Lancashire, founded by James Pilkington, Bishop of Durham, in 1585, and who was born there. The letters are all inverted. The figure represents the Master of the School with a rod in one hand and book in the other, whereon there seems a few words but not legible, nor is the lable above the arms. There seems the letters I. D. to be set under each arm of the master,—probably the initials of the first master’s name.”— Allan MS. 30. Pocklington Bchool, Yorkshire— see Carlyle’s Free Schools,—a large Seal, very curiously engraven, with numerous figures, very beautiful. 4. Private Seals. 31. a Tiie Seal of John Holland, Earl of Huntingdon, Duke of Exeter, Admiral of England, Ireland, and Aquitain, 1135. See Gent. Mag. Aug. 1797, p. 657; also for July, 1797, p. 519.”— Allan MS. Device, a Ship of antient construction, in full sail. Curious. 32. Stephen Payne, Almoner of Henry V. at present used at Grcatham Hospital. See before, no. 26, figured in Hutchinson’s Durham, vol. iii. p. 103. 33. Lord Darlington, in yellow wax. Antient. 31. Seal. Inscription, “ Xri Sanderson Ar. Manerium de Egleston in Com. Dunelm.” surrounding his arms. 35. Seal. “ Sigill. Basilii Woodd LL. Doct. Vicarii generalis et ofiicia. Epi. Roffe.” Device, The Bishop in canonicals, seated above his arms. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. ALLAN MUSEUM (SAVAGE UTENSILS). 19? SeaL “S' Willi Dei gracia Mensueu.ti .Episcopi.” De- Vice, figure in Robes standing in a rich Shrine; beneath is a <^oat or Arms. Seal. “ S. Donni Valienteo Prioris Scti Angeli.” ea p ft ^ Andree Pistoris.” “ Silver Seal, found in a grave in u rpV. c “ urc h-yard, 1787, and now in my possession. G. A.” I he impression of a large Silver Ring, found in a grave at New- castle, and in the possession of Henry Maire, Esq. of Cartindale See Gent. Mag. 1791 or 2 "—Allan MS. Characters are Russian, ^eal. Inscription, “ S. Johis de Ploclinton Ebor.” This brass Seal t heVores t° SSeS1011 of Dr * Hutchinson, of Knaresbrough; found in Seal. Inscription, “ S. Niolii dialan.” l*591 InSC^ipti0n, " SigiIJum ert Johns <>n>” in green wax, dated Seal. Inscription, “ S. Johis dni de Wemyss,” around his arms. Seal. Inscription, “ Thomas Bold around his Arms and Helmet. .* Inscription, “ S. Aug. D’edre sis nota rit.” Device, Cru- cihx, with Christ and two Saints at the feet. This Seal is in the yean and Chapter’s Library, at Durham. ™ th „ Arabie Liscription —See Camden’s Brit. Gibson’s ed. a l-o , . ? keal found at Higham, Leicestershire.”— Allan MS. Arabic Seal, with Inscription. Translation, “ My Trust is in my Creator, his Servant, Mustapha.” 3 An Arabic Seal, with the word “ Francisco” in Roman characters. , I ?“ r, P tl0 , n ’ “ , Ad nos - Beat. Maria*. ” I. B. in the centre. An old Seal, found in the Palace Green, in Durham, 1776,” re¬ presenting the Virgin and Child. UTENSILS OF SAVAGE NATIONS, viz. from South Sea Islands and West and East Coasts of North America, and from St. Vincent’s, in the West Indies. Many of these articles are understood to have beeu collected during the voyages of Capt. Cook, from some of the inscriptions on them, as well as from the title of Mr. Allan’s MS. Catalogue of his Museum (vide Memoirs , p. 32). Indeed, some of them so exactly resemble the engrav¬ ings in Captain Cook’s voyages, as to induce the belief that they are the actual articles which formed the type of the drawings. Several of them formed part of the Leverian Museum, as is shewn by the marked printed Catalogue of that Museum, in our possession, from which many of Mr. Allan’s MS. inscriptions were selected. Some correspond with the articles in Keate’s Account of the Pelew Islands, which includes the in¬ teresting narrative of the wreck of the Antelope, Capt. Wilson, in 1783. 1. From New Zealand. “ The greater part of these weapons are made of wood, equal in hard¬ ness to the Brazilian, and superior in beauty to Mahogany, and when it c c 198 ALLAN MUSEUM (SAVAGE UTENSILS). is remembered that iron and steel were wholly unknown to these people, few specimens, for laborious and skilful workmanship, can vie wit em. The carving, though with no better instrument than a shell, a shark a tooth, or a flint, by dint of industry and ingenuity, is perfectly unitorm m pattern and highly ornamental .”—Allan MS. ex Companion to ev. Mus. part i. p. 6. 1. Bone Patapatoo, or War Bludgeon. 2. Wooden Do. , “ These short bludgeons, called Patapatoos, are worn by the New Zealanders, in like manner as daggers are worn by some Asiatics and Europeans, in their girdles.”—Comp, to L. M. p. 6. 3. Bone Neck Ornament. An ornament worn by a New Zealandman around his neck, upon which a high value is set by the owner .’'-—-Allan MS. 4. Wooden Whistle. “ A New Zealand Whistle, that yields a shrill sound, and is worn by the men about their necks .”—Allan MS. 5. Oar, or Paddle. . _ _ T , A This is similar to those used by the natives of North America, on the Lakes, who come down to Quebec, in their bark canoes.— Ed. G. War Hatchet. 7. Trumpet. P “ Spontoon, or Spear, carried by the'Chiefs of New Zealand, most curiously carved and ornamented, with eyes, formed of the beautiful pearl of the Iris-ear Shell .”*-—Allan MS. 9. 10. Spontoon and Club. 11. Do. 12. Fish-hook of Pearl.—Qu.? of New Zealand. 2. OwHYHEEj AND OTHER SANDWICH ISLANDS. 13. War Club. U. Wooden Dagger, called Pahooa. . “ Capt. Cook permitted one to be made of iron, at the request of a Chief, of this pattern, with which he was afterwards stabbed. Are used to stab in close fight .”—Allan MS. ex Comp, to L. M. p. 13. 15. Curious Bag. 16. Indian God, or Idol. c . , T , .... , Has been covered with the red feathersf of the Hook-billed Bed Creeper (Certhia vestiaria , Gm. & Lath.) Similar, but better specimens of this Idol, are in the British Museum. 18. Neck Ornament and Whistle. Thick Bow, wrapped with platted cordage. Piece of curious Matting. 3. Otaheite and Society Islands. 20. Nasal Flute. Made of a hollow bamboo, with 2 holes. 17. 19. + Which arValso^used by the natives for ornamenting their cloaks, whilst intermixed with the olive feathers of another species (Certhia obscura). ALLAN MUSEUM (SAVAGE UTENSILS). J 99 21. Paddle, or Oar. 22. Stone Adze. This is correctly represented in a Plate of a scene at the New Hebrides, in Cook s Voyages, vol. ii. pi. p. 46. Quere, if the stone be the same as the Punama Stone (so called after one of the New Zealand Islands, where the natives make hatchets, &c. of it) which is considered a variety of Jade. See Brit. Mus. Cat. p, 29 It seems basaltic. See also Rente's Pelew Islands, pi. 2, f. I 2 23. Epupa, or sleeping Stool. ot‘ ?°* ne Fishing Hook ’ pointed with Tortoise Shell. 2 Apjons of Dancing Girls, made of the undressed fibres of Plan- 26 n™ L , af f j ee Slm l'” in P 1 ' 5 > of Keate’s Pelew Islands. to. Ornaments for Legs of Dancing Girls. 27. 2 yards of white Cloth. 28. 2 do. buff do. Hece thick buff Cloth, like fleecy hosiery. 30. 2 yards of white do. Most of these cloths are the undressed laminae of the bark of certain trees, 31. War Club. 32. Calabash to carry water in. See Vegetab. 4. George's Island.* 33. 3 Combs. See Cook’s Voy. i. tab. no. 21, p. 220. *4. Instrument for dressing Cloth. 35. Piece of the Cloth. 26. 2 Household Gods, 3 inches long! 5. New Amsterdam, or Tongataboo, one of the Friendly Islands. 37. Matted Bag. (Cook’s Voy. i. t. no. 21, p. 220.) ,? f th ? *I bres of the Cocoa Nut, studded with beads made of Shells and Bones.”— Allan MS. 38. Remarkably fine plaited thread of Hair? in do. Comp^o^.ALp.^a' thG Same 18 markGd fr ° m 0taheite ‘ ** 39. Piece of stained Cloth, like floor Cloth. 40. - of thin reddish Cloth. 4L - of thick, stained red and ribbed. 6. Fiom New Caledonia, a large Island adjoining the New Hebrides. 42. War Club of yellow wood, with eight projecting knotty Processes. ^ Cook s Voy. v. n. t. no. 20, at p. 120, fig. 7, where it is ex¬ actly represented. ... T « . he „ qU u eSas a,,d 0taheit « an island so called. The lat¬ ter was at first called by the same name, but Capt. Cook afterwards adopted the natives name, on observing that the other had been anticipated by By- 200 ALLAN MUSEUM (SAVAGE UTENSILS). 7. America. 43. “ Stone Hammer, for pounding Cassada,” (Jatropha Manihot, ii».) the root of which is used as bread when cooked, though it is highly poisonous when eaten raw; or rather, for pounumg e bread fruit of the South Seas, to which the instrument more likely appertains. “ A mode of preparing the bread.fruit tor food, is to pound it upon a block of wood with a stone pestle , and while pounding, to sprinkle either water or the milk of the cocoa- nut upon it, which operation reduces it to paste.” See Hawkes- worth’s Voyages, vol. ii. p. 197, and Comp, to L. M. p. The substance used for pounding or grinding the cassada root, is described as a stone roller. See Comp, to L. M. p. 30. 44. Scalping Knives. „ , . , -o i 45 Fish Spear from Oonalaska, one of the Fox Islands, near Behring s Straits, and Fishing Line. It is darted by means of a very sin¬ gular and ingenious instrument made for the purpose. Swbomp. to L. M. p. 22. no. 20. , r , 46. Model of a Canoe of Bark, used in the interior of America, Vide ante, no. 5. It is made of the bark of birch sewed together. 47 . Leather Frock, from Cook’s River, on the N. W. coast of America. Vide ante, Curios, no. 60. 48. Pouch and Necklace, from Hudson’s Bay. 49. Conical Cap, from N. W. Coast of America. 50. 2 matted Baskets. . S An exactly similar spoon to no. Jp lb represented in Kcate's Account of the Pelcw Islands, pi. 4, f. 2.; qu. ? if from thence. 33. Collar of Shells (Bulla Ovum, Lin.), from Nootka Sound. 54. Manillo, worn on the wrists by Africans. 8. St. Vincent’s, West Indies. 55 . 1 Spear, 2 Bows of Letta Wood, and 2 Darts. _ “ Ex dono James 56. 1 Bow and 2 Darts. 57. 5 barbed Spears. 58. 3 Spears or Arrows. 59. 1 Knife. Gordon, New Court, Temple, London, Dec. 8 , 1810.” 9. From Labradore, the Country of the Esquimaux. 60. 1 Pair of Snow Shoes, large. 61. 1 Pair of Do. small. 62. 2 Bows, represented in Parry s V oyage. 63. Model of a Canoe, p° ; 64. Fish-hook of Wood, pointed with Bone. f, A a Sto^e S Knife, precisely similar to the article we have before enu- 6U. A ©tone ivi , 1 j figured in Kcate's Pelew Islands, at L 2 . ' The coincidence of these articles found in England &the g South Sea has already been mv references to the account of Celts, 1 na\e to auu Cornwall, ch- 13, pi- 22 , f. 1 , 2 , &c. ALLAN MUSEUM (APPENDIX). 201 gppenta?. Almost when the press had arrived at printing this part of the Catalogue, a discovery was made of the two MS. volumes of Mr. Allan’s, mentioned at page 32 of the pre¬ ceding Memoirs, which were found in the hands of a respect¬ able bookseller in the county of Durham, and were conse¬ quently purchased. I have reason to regret that they did not sooner fall into my hands, as they would have saved much labour in the decyphering of the labels, besides com¬ pleting them. The work in question, consists of an account of the animals in Mr. Allan’s Collection, with concise descrip¬ tions of the subjects, compiled from Pennant and Latham, with occasional remarks by the Author, all of which nearly correspond with the labels on the £ases; together with gene¬ ral prefaces to the several classes and orders, taken princi¬ pally from “ The History of Animated Nature ,” a work of more desert than it has received the meed of, by that most elegant and philosophical of compilers, Goldsmith, “ who left no species of writing, which he undertook, unadorned.”* Our Author was candid enough to acknowledge the sources from whence he had drawn his materials, though he left to the industrious and scientific reader to judge of the merit of his well-compressed paragraphs, and of the labour employed in their composition. It would have rendered this Catalogue more engaging, had I possessed these volumes in time to have inserted the Prefaces, as well-selected morsels of literature, at the head of their respective classes. As it is, I am constrained to omit them as out of place, and must content myself and my readers with giving only the introductory and concluding ones. Between these, I shall include a List of the Birds, in the order they stand in the MS., and according to the system * Nullum scribendi genus, quod tetigit, non ornavi t”—Epitaph on (goldsmith, by Dr, Johnson r _y 202 ALLAN MUSEUM (APPENDIX). Mr. Allan has thought proper to adopt, which, for his sake, I pretend not to interfere with, though other plans may be preferred; this, while it will serve as an Index to the preceding Catalogue, will also shew the extent of the original Museum, and the subjects that are now wanting in it. These latter, I rejoice to find, are fewer than I had antici¬ pated, as it had been asserted that several of the Birds, for¬ merly possessed by Mr. Allan, as part of the purchase from Mr. Tunstall, were surreptitiously disposed of, since Mr. A.’s decease; and it is but justice to the late proprietor to shew that this suspicion is groundless. The few that are wanting from the Catalogue, are not more than might be expected from ordinary decay, nor more than would have occupied the empty cases which came with the Museum. They will be known by the blanks after the name, while those birds we possess will have the Nos. of the preceding Catalogue. I shall prefix some extracts and corrections in the order they occur in our Catalogue, which were unavoidably omitted in copying the labels from the cases; and it is no small satisfac¬ tion to find amongst them a few notices of infinite importance to the value of our Museum, amongst which is the evidence of the Cock of the Wood, and of the Casarka Duck, being actually British killed specimens. On this subject I refer to the articles at p. 78 and 142. The third volume, containing an account of the remainder of the Museum, has not yet made its appearance, which is a subject of regret, as I have found considerable difficulty in the appropriation of its anomalous contents. ALLAN MUSEUM (APPENDIX). 203 ADDENDA ET CORRIGENDA. 49. Hen Harriek. . “ Th f se ^rds are extremely destructive to young poultry, and to he feathered game. Fly near the ground, S kimming P the surface in arch of prey. Breed on the ground , and never are observed to settle on trees. —Allan Cat. no. 9. ex Penn . 52. Sparrow Hawk. .j heen ****** h one whose authority is respectable g "r,r *•" * / *" ■*” *•»«•/ & 66. Great Shrike. “ Inhabits many parts of Europe and North America. Common in France, but not in England. Makes the nest with heath and moss. Lays six eggs, of a dull olive green, spotted with black at the end . Feeds on insects and small birds,—seizes the latter by the throat, and when strangled, fixes them on a sharp thorn, and Dulls tb ? m r C u eS Wlth bl11 ' In summe r it imitates the voices of other birds, by way of decoying them within reach, to destroy them When kept in a cage, is observed to be mute.”— Allan Cat. no 32 ex Latham. They are occasionally met with in the north, a pair being brought me within this year. See also Recent Acquisitions_ Ed. ° 72. Jack Daw. “ Very common in England. Scarce ever build in trees but incline to make use of rocks, old towers, and ruined edifices. ’ Lav five or six eggs, paler, smaller, and have fewer spots on them than ° f A the < ? r0WS i' e ¥‘ y brou S ht U P Wme, and very loqim- ewus. Accustomed to hide that part of their food which they cannot i WfT d 0f l / s , mal1 valu ables, occasioning suspicions of theft % servants. Are subject to much variety in their plumage ”_ 41 lan Cat. no. 46. ex Latham . * * The rogueries of the Jack-daw have been transferred to the M^nio the Legend of St. Catherine of Rouen, where the tourist is entertafned by b .. C°™ m i ssl0nai ™> as h e ascends to the chapel on the hill of St. Catherine^ hor h tr ?. glCIh, t t0 J7°* her bein & compelled, by torture, to acknowledge herself guilty of a theft committed by a bird, and her consequent execution I would not wish to deprive the Magpie of the honour of* a oualitv attH ‘ buted to him, which, from his family^ connexion, he fcperhaps* TnlLTto' but he story is more applicable to the Jack-daw, who prefers bundlin' o^d towers steeples, &c whereas the Magpie usually P builds in bushe, with a nest of too small an opening to admit of being “ the receiver of stolen goods. Be it as it may, we are indebted to the notable faculty of one species or the other, for one of the most entertaining modern dramatic pieces m three languages, The Maid and the Magp^ ir^vdeuTlnA La Gazza Ladra , on the latter of which the utmost skill of a Rossini has been exerted, to display the talents of a Foedor.^mEd. 204 ALLAN MUSEUM (APPENDIX). 76. The Nutcracker. Add, “ Plentiful in Germany and France. Its manners are said greatly to resemble the Jay, laying up a store of acorns and nuts. Keeps chiefly in the pine forests. Makes nests in holes of trees. Has a cry like to a Magpid"—Allan Cat. no. 50. ex Latham. 78. The Waxen Chatterer. Supply the blanks thus,—“ parts of Germany “ Plentiful in the northern parts of this Island ,”—add, u annually visiting Fdmburgh during winter, and feed on the berries of the Mountain Ash, disap¬ pearing in the spring. Have been killed in Northumberland and Yorkshire, as well as about London. Are said to make their nests in the holes of rocks. Fond of grapes, and esteemed good eating. A number of these birds appeared about Darlington, in 1787, and Jed on hazes, which were very plentiful that year. None have since ap¬ peared.”—Allan Cat. no. 52, ex Latham. 80. The Cuckoo. “ Come into England about the middle of April, and don t leave us until the latter end of September, and supposed to go into Africa. Makes no nest , but seizes that of some other bird , wherein it lays one or two eggs , but does not hatch them, being sit on by the other birds , who generally nurse the other Cuckoos . When fat, are said to be as good eating as the Land Rail .”—Allan Cat. no. 53. ex Latham. 87. Nuthatch. Add after nuts, “ of which it lays up a considerable store in the hollows of trees, where it breeds, and lays six or seven eggs, ot a dirty white with rufous spots. In autumn makes a chattering noise, being silent the greater part of the year .”—Allan Cat. no. <0. This latter remark may reconcile Plot’s account, as noticed above by Mr. Tunstall. 89. The Creeper. Add at the blank, “ Makes nest in holes of trees, and lays five or six eggs, ash-coloured, marked at the end with spots of a deeper colour, and the shelHs pretty hard. Builds early in the spring. — Allan's Cat. no. 73. ex Latham. 90. King-fisher. Add, “ but Europe has only a single species. It is reckoned the most beautiful of all the English birds, exhibiting in >ts form he beautiful plumage of the Peacock, the shadings of the Humming Bird, the bill of the Crane, and the short legs of the Swallow.- Was the Halcyon of the poets. Frequent rivers and live on fish, the singularity of its catching which is admirable. Fly rapidly. * Whether this was the case when Latham first wrote is unknown to us at present. The Wax-wing is a rare visitant in England, seen onh at long and uncertain intervals .—See Selby, p. 88. ALLAN MUSEUM (APPENDIX). 205 Lay eggs to the number of seven or more, in a hole in the bank of the river or stream that it frequents, for it makes no nest. The young are hatched in twenty days.”— Allan Cat. no. 47. ex Lath. & Golds. 100. Rose-coloured Ouzle. “ Met with in many parts of Europe and Asia. Scarce in Eng¬ land ; seldom one to be met with. It is held sacred by the Turks, as it is a great destroyer of Locusts. Mr. Tunstall supposed this to be the hen bird, the cock being of a much brighter black.— Allan Cat. no. 125. 101. Water Ouzle. Frequents brooks, particularly where there are steep banks, or through a rocky country. Is very retired; is never seen but single, or with its mate. Breeds in holes of the banks, and lays five white eggs, with a blush of red. Feeds on insects and small fish, and though not a web-footed fowl, will dart under the water and walk on the bottom a considerable time. As it sits, often flirts up its tail.”— Allan Cat. no. 125. 102. The Cross Bill, or Sheldapple. “ Inhabits Germany, Russia, &c. where it breeds, and migrates here, sometimes in vast flocks,* fixing on spots that are well planted with pines, for the sake of the seeds, which are its natural food. It is said to do great damage in orchards, by tearing the apples in pieces for the sake of the seeds, the only part they delight in.”— Allan Cat. no. 146. ex Lath. Mr. Latham adds, he could not make this latter experiment succeed in a cage. 109. The Tree Sparrow. “ Found in tolerable plenty in Lancashire, Lincolnshire, and Yorkshire, but not further north. Observed always to build on trees, and not like the House Sparrow.”— Allan Cat. no. 181. 115. The Lesser Redpole. After “ a brook” add, “ three feet from the ground, the outside composed of dry stalks, and other plants intermixed with wool and lined with hair and feathers. Lays four eggs, of a pale blueish green. Known” &c.— Allan Cat. no. 178. 116. The Siskin. “ Visits us at uncertain times, but chiefly in winter, and never known to breed here. In Sussex is called the Barley Bird, as being- seen in seed time. About London, known by the name of Abada- vine. It is reckoned by some among the song birds, though far in¬ ferior to many. Often kept and paired with the Canary, with which it breeds freely, even twice in a season. Is very tame and docile.” — Allan Cat. no. 179. ex Lath. * Particularly in 1821.— See Selby's Ill. p. 252. d d 206 ALLAN MUSEUM (APPENDIX). 118. cc The White Bunting. (Emberiza alba vel miliaria.)” “ Common in England. Makes nests on some tufts of decayed herbage or dead plants, and lay five or six eggs- During harvest unite in fiocks, when they are shot in numbers and caught in nets, and are often sold for larks, being so nearly similar in plumage. In the same case with the Ortolan.”—Allan Cat. no. 156. ex Lath. Mr. Allan has adopted the above name from Ray and Gesner, though a very unsuitable one, as is shewn by the comparison of its colour with the Larks. It is somewhat lighter beneath than the other Buntings, and that is all. 119. “ Yellow Hammer, or Goldspink.”- Allan Cat. no. 161. I beg to retract, in part, my remark respecting the alleged error of Mr. Tunstall, in regard to the Goldspink, which though applied in this neighbourhood to the Goldfinch, is shewn by Mr. Allan’s name, to be equally used for the Yellow-hammer, as well in England as in Sweden, where it is called by the same name by the inhabitants of the province of Smoland— (Sec Faun. Succ. no. 230.)— Ed. 120. Reed Bunting. " Inhabits marshy places among reeds. Its nest is curious, be¬ ing fastened to four reeds, and suspended by them like a hammock, about three feet above the water, made of rushes bent, and hairs. Is much admired for its song, and like the Nightingale, sings in the night. By some called the Nettle-monger.” — Allan Cat. no. 158, ex Penn. 128. White Wagtail. “ Frequent watery places, and feed on insects and worms. Make nests on ground of dried grass, lined with hair. Often seen running and frequently leaping up after the flies. Shifts quarters southward as winter approaches, and are scarce ever seen in the north of Eng¬ land in hard weather .”— Allan Cat. no. 201— See before Mr. Tun- stall’s Remarks (which may be depended on) respecting this latter observation. 129. Grey Wagtail. “ Inhabits with the last. Are perpetually flirting their tails, and scream when they fly.”— Allan Cat. no. 203. 136. The Robin-red-breast. “ Are reckoned a dainty in France, and many are there shot for the table. Mr. Latham says, Mr. Tunstall had a white one.”— Allan Cat. no. 206. The latter variety is not in our possession now. 137. Red-start. “ Appears here only in spring and summer. Makes nest in hol¬ low trees and holes of walls, with moss, lined with hair and feathers ; lays four or five eggs, like the Hedge Sparrow’s. Is so shy that it ALLAN MUSEUM (APPENDIX). 207 will forsake its nest if the eggs are only touched. It has a very soft note, but are with difficulty kept in cages. Their food is insects, flies, and Ant-eggs. Wags its tail sideways, like a dog, and not up and down like the Wagtail.”— Allan Cat. no. 205. 142. Gold-crowned Wren. . least of the British birds. In some places called the Nettle Creeper, and Marygold Flower, or Orange Bird, from its crown. Frequents woods, and principally oak trees. Are said to sing melodiously, veey like, but weaker than, the common Wren. Have commonly from six to ten young ones. Stays here all the winter, and endures cold to admiration. Numbers in Studley Grounds.”— Allan Cat. no. 212. This diminutive bird is found indigenous in nearly all parts of the world, where and when there are insects for food, but it is most numerous in England. In summer it migrates to the Shetland isles, to reach which its flight must be at least sixty miles, a surprising dis¬ tance for so small a bird —See Arct. Zool. Int _ Ed. 143. Common Wren. Common in England, and defies our severest winters, and will even sing during a fall of snow. Their nest is of a curious construc¬ tion, being of an oval shape, very deep, and has only one small en¬ trance. It is chiefly composed of moss, well lined with feathers. Lays Irom ten to eighteen eggs, almost white, and as often brings up as many young ones ;* builds twice a year, in some comer of an out-house, stack of wood, or hole of a wall.”— Allan Cat. no. 211. ex Penn. 9 144. Stone Chat. “ Common in summer on our heaths ; in winter, in the marshes. Is a restless noisy bird, and perches frequently on some bush, chat¬ tering incessantly. Makes nest early, at foot of some low bush, or under a stone. So crafty as not to betray the place, always alight¬ ing at a distance from it, and creeping on the ground to it bv the greatest stealth ."—Allan Cat. no. 217, ex Lath. 145. Whin Chat. “ Not uncommon in England, and seen with the Stone Chat, ou the heaths, where it breeds. Makes nest at foot of some low bush, or under a stone. Feed chiefly on insects, and are said to be as good eating as the Ortolans, when fat and in good condition.”— Allan Cat. no. 218, ex Lath. 146. Hedge Sr arrow. ‘ Frequents low hedges, especially those of gardens. Makes nest in some small bush, of moss and wool, and lines it with hair, and * ‘ ^bi c hi may be ranked among those daily miracles that vve take no notice or; that it should feed such a number without passing over one, and that m utter darkness. —Penn, in loco ex Ray . 208 ALLAN MUSEUM (APPENDIX). lays four or five eggs, of a fine pale blue. Is a winter songster, be¬ ginning with the first frosts, and continuing till a little time into spring. Its often repeating the word, tit, tit, tit, has occasioned its being called a Titling.”—Allan Cat. no. 214, ex Penn. & Lath. 147. Greater Titmouse. “ Common in gardens, except in breeding time, when they are mostly in woods, and build in hollow trees; laying from eight to twelve white eggs, spotted with rust. Said to build twice and even three times in a year, if the first nests have been taken. Feed on insects, and in the spring do much mischief in gardens, by picking off the young buds. About London , are called Joe Bents.” — Allan Cat. no. 220, ex Lath. 159. Ring-dove, or Cushat. Mr. Allan’s remark of the migration of this bird is, with other particulars, copied from Latham. The fact, however, is contradicted by Mr. Selby (Ill p. 288), who states them to be indigenous here, which is corroborative of Mr. Tun stall’s remark already given. I may observe this, amongst many instances, as a proof of Mr. T.’s correct observations in Natural History, at a time when the subject was much less known. I do not know how Mr. Latham slid into the error, as he has himself given an instance to the contrary, of a Cushat sent to him in winter. Mr. Selby also asserts, that “ their flesh is excellent in the early part of winter, resembling and little in¬ ferior to that of Grousbut their diet renders it strong and unpalatable as the weather advances, which must have been the time when Mr. Tun stall had tasted them. See his Remarks above. The object of the Naturalist, no less than that of the Moral Philosopher, being the elucidation of truth, and the dispersion of vulgar errors, these trifling discrepances are, therefore, the more worthy of being recon¬ ciled.— Ed. 162. Pheasant. “ In various parts of England in great plenty, and breed in abun¬ dance. The male may be heard to crow in the woods, not unlike a cock, and will frequently come into the farm-yards and produce cross-breeds with the hens.”— Allan Cat. no. 83, ex Lath. 163. Hybridal Pheasant. “ A mixed breed between the Pheasant and Cock; a circum¬ stance which frequently happens, where farm-yards are adjoining to woods where Pheasants abound.” See the remainder of the des¬ cription in Lath. ii. p. 716, as applying to our specimen, which, from its “ dingy reddish brown colour,” is probably that mentioned as being formerly in the Leverian Museum. 164. Cock of the Wood. “ The last bird found in Scotland, was shot in , in Chisholm’s great forest, in Strathglass. ” ex aath . Pennant. The rest of the de¬ scription from Lath. p. 731. ALLAN MUSEUM (APPENDIX). 209 I am desirous of separating from the above, the remainder of Mr. of onr S rnlw? S whlch is most im P ortant to the value our Collection— Tins case is a fine specimen and attitude, and, as f 'Z e " een Jn ’ T Mr - Zl‘ mlaU five e uineas - Was “HOT IN Scot- ' » Cat ' "?• 90 - te .0UT remarks upon this subject, at H 8 * i?i We rt ?, 0lce that l , he con J e( ' ture there given is hereby veri- hed. If this evidence can be depended on, ours is the only native even the'BHtkhM 1 kn ° W of ', n . English Collections, not excepting f7f"V.. M ,TT.i * 18 " ot t0 ° fanciful t0 suspect that he saw — h ° nl ' kl ed b ‘ rd ’ mentloned above, which Pennant sayt 165, Black Cock. In th»° m T n I 8 "? 6 ? orthern P^ts of Great Britain, sparingly in the south. The females assemble at the crowing of the male 7 ort. y n S ™ 0r t e ' S H fi { e 0 , H ’ lsh white e SS s ’ speckled. The males will often meet and fight like game cocks, and, during the combat, are so no. 91 C ,"ef U £fftt. aS l ° ^ k,locked dovvn wi * » stick ."—Allan Cat. 166. Red Game. “ Pa ‘ r H' spring, and lay from six to ten eggs. The young brood foUow the hen the whole summer. In winter join in flocks of forty or fifty, and become remarkably shy and wild. Always keep on the tops of hills, scarce ever found on the sides, and never descend¬ ing into the vaU.es.’Wto Cat. no. 91, ex Lath. TheaboTat seition of Dr. Latham s is liable to the correction of Mr. TunstaU’s *- “■ -—-A 168. Common Partridge. ,„ r ‘‘ Pair F ^ in the s P rir, g> and Sequent com fields and rich pas- A^nf * r d a ^u en C °/ n and ,nsects > but their esteemed food is w. ” fffLT ' vlthout these < tbeir y° un S «’iH not be readily brought up. — - Allan Cat. no. 96. ex Latham. Other insects besidps Ante must be looked for, as the food of young Partridges, in countries scarce> but where> fr ° m the cuitiva. ind fhk l’ t a W f y u ,n " eases the breed, Partridges are plentiful; and this is confirmed by Montagu (in Supp.), who states Grass a m ° St faV ° Urite f °° d ° f this and other congenerous Mr. Allan, after quoting Goldsmith’s tirade against our Game Laws, gives these additional lines . ~--— If Heaven indulge A nght to kill, each free-born Briton, sure, I lay claim his portion of the carnage. All U er nature’s commoners, by nature's law Ulead equal privilege : — Possessions give us not superior claim lo that, which equally pertains to all. 169. Ked-legged Partridge. “ Found m various parts of Europe, and sometimes in England 210 ALLAN MUSEUM (APPENDIX). but do not breed here. Fond of mountainous situations well covered with wood. Their flesh is much esteemed. Are found in nocks, whereas in the common Partndge only those belonging the sam covey are ever known to herd together. They also perch on trees, which is never the case with our Partridges. Are often used as we do Cocks, for the rational amusement of butchering each otner. — A Unit no. 97. 181. “ Little White Cat. no. 260.) Heron, or Egret.”— (Allan (Ardea aequinoctialis vel Garzetta , 3 Lath. 93. Pen . App. V 536.) Mr. Allan’s description of our subject (which we have before given) is a combined extract from authors of the account of the two species which he brings together, and, with the postscripts (the words above, in Italics ), shews the uncertainty he was in respecting it, equally with ourselves. Dr. Latham’s remark (Syn. 3. p. 94), that he had received from the West Indies, a specimen of ardea aequinoctialis , with the bill black, though the lore was of a brownish or faded red colour, corroborates, on comparison with our specimen, the opinion already expressed by us of its being that species.— Let, 203. Spotted Gallinule. a This species not very frequent in Great Britain, and are said to be migratory. Inhabits the sides of small streams, concealing itself among the bushes, and there makes its nest of rushes matted to¬ gether in the form of a boat, and like it moored, by fastening one end to a reed to prevent its being carried away by the water. Lays seven or eight eggs, and the young, which are wholly black, run as soon as hatched .”—Allan Cat. no. 285. ex Latham. 204. Common Water Hen, or Moor Hen. «Common in England, frequenting everywhere the borders of rivers and ponds where weeds grow. Makes its nest upon some low stump or shrub by the water side, and lays seven eggs, of a yellowish white, marked with reddish brown spots, and breeds twice in the season. In flying, hangs down its legs, and in running often flirts up its tail. Feeds on plants and small fish. The flesh is pretty good eating .”—Allan Cat. no. 286. 205. The Coot. « Common throughout England. Frequent lakes and small rivers, and both swims and dives well. Makes a large nest of weeds, well matted together, lining it with grass, floating on the water so as to rise and fall with it; lays as far as fourteen or fifteen eggs. The young are very deformed, and take to the water soon after being hatched. In winter, repair to the sea. Feed on small fish and water insects. They are not esteemed food. Thdndians dress their skins and use them for pouches. —Allan Cat. no. 288. ex Lath. &c. ALLAN MUSEUM (APPENDIX). 211 211. The Great Auk. sstsa ssste»t: “* s& says S,s;lrfr;?r» " = tal jt ht to sit up and move a minuet.”— Allan Cat. no 294 WS JCe " Di. Latham notices our specimen in these Words “In AT I™ Ha! "rro^triti •*s ,h ’~ ^ bl..k .»d while. This 7*-?'”““ p'enty, in Iceland, than elsewhere_ tret! Zool. il . ?&* “ greater 212. Razor Bill. f appearance, sitting close together and in ™Jf Y u grotes( l ue Lay one large egg™ the bTroek, which they sTL |T a " 0ther - to the surface, that it rests secure from rolling off but if distH'h’d by human hands, can never be renin ppH tk • ’ Ut “ disturbed the inhabitants of the coasts which th \ T^ eir e ££ s ai 'e food to Sra.'ss tr* of ~ k * b » 217. Great Northern Diver. These birds inhabit several parts of the nm-fl, t? the northern parts of this island* Live S i continually diving for fish, which it does with teat Stv and fl'* 3 June" Tlie ^ ^ M '£ •June. 1 lie female is less, and in her the rine- nn fh« l • distinct. The natives of Greenland and Hudson’s^Bay us^h"- 8 skins for cloathmg, which are very warm, never imbi bZT he,r moisture, and are very lasting .”—Allan Cat. no. 302 ex Lath Th* £s 7tTw£ rra srs* jsis 218. The Red Throated Diver. Supply the blanks as follows“ Live in pairs with ,, M^keTh • Lay ,mg as, ‘- cvl . onrcd e eg‘, marked with black spots* Make heir nests in grass contiguous to the water. Run awkward^ a b r d ‘ i?T W j‘ 1 ’ an ; d fl,es h « h and admirably, making, at times a hideous howl, and at others a vast croaking. Arc believed in t n Feed '^ there / ore ? alled *'» Orknies, the Rain Goose Teeds on fish, crabs, and sea insects .”—Allan Cat. no. 303. 219. The Speckled Diver. J^ e “ frequently,” insert “ come near the boats. After ‘fishing, “ they After “e-on‘d marked rath a few Hack *j,otl’’-AUm C a® no. 300? J 212 ALLAN MUSEUM (APPENDIX). 230. Shearwater Petrel, or Manks Puffin. “Found in the north of England, but particularly in the Calf of Man,* where they resort in February; take a short possession ot the rabbit burrows, and then disappear until April, when they re¬ turn. In the day time they keep out at sea fishing, and towards evening return to their young, whom they feed by discharging the contents of their stomachs into their mouths. By reason ot the backward situation of their legs, they sit quite erect. Lay one white eee blunt at each end. They are salted and barreled, and when boiled, eaten with potatoes ."—Allan Cat. no. 318. ex Pennant. 231. The Stormy Petrel. “ Common all over the Atlantic Ocean, Mowing vessels in great flocks, and especially in stormy weather. It braves the utmost fury of the storm, sometimes skimming with incredible velocity along the hollows of the waves, and sometimes on the summits,f and they are excellent divers. Are silent in the day, but very clamorous at n i ff ht The sailors call them Mother Cary's Chickens , or Witches, and hold them in execration, as the sure prognostics a storm: have the faculty of spouting oil from their bill. The inhabitants of the Ferroe Islands make this bird serve the purpose of a candle, by drawing a wick through the mouth and rump, which, being lighted, the flame is fed by the fat and oil of the body. — Allan Cat. ex Pennant Latham . 240. The Siberian or Redbreasted Goose. “ Breeds in the northern parts of Russia, and retires south in autumn. Are highly esteemed for the table, being quite free from any flshy taste. This specimen was shot near London, m the severe frost of 1766, and another was taken alive near Wyclifte, which soon became tame and familiar, and was kept among Ducks, in a pond but, though it freely associated with them, never produced anv young.”— Allan Cat. no. 326. ex Latham ,. Mr Allan, in the above account of this species from Latham, re- quotes the latter’s error of the year 1766 being the year the \\y- cliffe specimen was killed, instead of 1/76. U w to be regretted, that from his local situation and intimacy with Mr. Timstall, be did not obtain in the latter’s life time, some further original information respecting this highly interesting specimen— Ed. The Pratincole. (Desid. p. 118.) The remark there subjoined ought to be expunged, and I cannot account for the error, otherwise than by the hurry composRion. It is, in fact, Latham who has arranged this genus with the W atei * The Calf of Man is a small rocky island, about two furlongs from depended on, the same name being used in French Ed. ALLAN MUSEUM (APPENDIX). 213 birds, and not Temminck, who placed it before the Bustards in the order Alectorides (Div. Lcs Riveraijis ), but who admits its affinity with the Water Birds in a natural arrangement, though he denies it has any with the swallows, where it was placed by Linnaeus.— This bird, above all others, proves the impossibility of drawing a strict line between Land and Water Birds.— Ed. The Grey Phalarope, (Desid. p. 118.) Mr. Tunstall has, in this instance, overlooked an account of the Grey Phalarope taken, when he was young, in his own county, which is recorded by Mr. Edwards, and figured in the Phil Tr. vol. i. for the year 1757; and which account was afterwards re-published by him, with a figure, in his “ Gleanings,” where he says, “ This bird was procured for me by my obliging friend, Mr. Thomas Bolton, florist, of Worley-Clough, in Yorkshire, near which it was shot in January, 1757.”— Edw. Birds, v. p. 208, t. 308. The Black-throated Diver, (Desid. p. 120.) At page 120 of Desiderata, we have already inserted Mr. Allan’s description of this species, which requires the following correction and addition :—“ Their skins are esteemed a good covering for the head and breast, in the rigorous climates in which they are found, their great thickness and toughness rendering them very fit for the pur¬ pose. This is said to he the cock bird of the former .” (viz. the Red- throated Diver.)— Allan Cat. no. 304. See on this subject our no. 218.— Ed. The Arctic Tern, (Desid. p. 120.) Sterna arctica is now determined by Mr. Selby to be extremely common in the Fam Islands, and indeed the most numerous of the Terns which breed there, a colony of which occupies a considerable portion of the islet, called Brown’s Main. The species differs from the common, or greater Tern (which does not breed in the Fam Islands), in having a somewhat shorter bill, and generally wholly red; shorter tarsi; and the breast and under parts of nearly as deep a grey as the back. The outer tail feathers are also longer, and pro¬ ject further beyond the closed wings.— Selby on Birds of Fam Islands, in Zool. Jour. vol. ii. p. 4G1. My remark, announcing this as a British species, was printed before I saw Mr. Selby’s paper— Ed. Leach’s Petrel, (Desid. p. 123.) I am informed by the Rev. T. Gisborne, F. L. S., that a Petrel, which on comparison with Mr. Bewick’s new figure, is proved to be the above species, was taken alive, about two years ago, near Chapel- en-le Frith, in Derbyshire, and sent to him, at Yoxall Lodge, by one of his sons, who resides near the spot, and had it alive in his hands.— Ed. 328. “ Grey-headed Duck,” —( Allan Cat.) “ (Anas Glaucion) Pen . ii. 498. — Lath . iii. 537. — Edw. 154.” E e 214 ALLAN MUSEUM (APPENDIX). Mr. Allan’s original remarks on this curious bird are as follows “ None of the birdt have caused more uncertainty about the iden¬ tity of the species than this. This specimen was shot at Mr. Port- man's seat, at Bryanston , near Blandford , in Dorsetshire, in the severe frost of 1770. Qu. if not the Morillon ?— -See Brown's Illustrations, 102.”— Allan Cat. no. 344. I am enabled, by the foregoing remark, to be the first to announce the Casarka Duck, (the Ruddy Goose and Grey-headed Goose of Latham, which is our bird,) to have been killed in England, and it is no small satisfaction to have to do so, after the uncertainty that has prevailed about it. Mr. Allan’s evidence clears up several points of doubt, shewing, first, that our bird is not the specimen, called by Pennant the Ferruginous Duck, which was killed in Lincolnshire , as has been conjectured ( See Bew. new ed. vol. ii. p. 314); nor, secondly, either of the Cape specimens of Mr. Pennant’s, which were figured by Brown, in pi. 41, 42, of his “ Illustrations,” the date of whose engraving is January 11, 1775, exactly a year before our specimen was killed. Indeed, the latter conjecture of ours, given above, was rather a forced one, and no way corroborated by Mr. TunstalPs MS. Lastly, Mr. Allan’s reference to the Grey-headed Duck, in Brown’s Illustrations, p. 102, shews that our bird is that species; and this, joined to Temminck’s reference to the same figure, in his account of Canard Kasarka, and to Latham’s, in his “ Grey-headed Goose,” connects the two supposed species into one, as we have already attempted to prove. The term, “ Grey-headed Duck,” adopted by Mr. Allan from Brown, from the obvious resemblance of the plate to the bird, occa¬ sioned him all the uncertainty he speaks of, in endeavouring to re¬ concile the synonymes, a consequence we have already anticipated; and he has accordingly quoted Pennant’s and Edwards’s birds of that name, as noticed in our article, in addition to Brown’s, which last quotation fortunately serves to determine the bird meant. To avoid ambiguity on this subject for the future, I would recommend to English writers the adoption, for our bird of/Temminck’s name of “ Casarka Duck,” in preference to all others, derived from the original synonyme of Linnaeus, who first described the bird, though it be not generally known, in the Appendix ta his Systcma Nat. at the end of vol. iii. It is a curious coincidence to find that this rare visitant was killed in the same year (1776), and in the same frost as our Red-breasted Goose, a season thus rendered fertile and productive by its very rigour. Our specimen, as a British one, is consequently unique — Ed. 405* Canary Bird. Add, “ This specimen is a tufted variety.— Alhin i* p. 65.” —Allan Cat. no. 184. ERRATA. Erratum in our article, no. 328, p. 143.—for “ Harlequin Duck (Anas histrionica),” read “ King Duck (Anas spectabilis).” Erratum in article, no. 330, p. 143, for “ American Teal, &c. read “ American Wood Duck, or Summer Duck of Carolina.” (Anas sponsa, Lvi.^-Cates. Car. i. t. 97.— Edw. t. 101 ). ALLAN MUSEUM (APPENDIX). 2l» t ‘J- T l* i f b ^ autif m, species inhabits Mexico and some of the West Iiuba IsJands. They make their nests in decayed hollow trees; when the young are hatched, the Duck takes then, on her back to 5® n at |! r ’r‘ n i d a > , the a PP r “ ach of danger they fix with their bills on the back of the old ones, which fly away with them.”— Catet. Are t k Pt f ame 'j , our 'ncnageries, and will breed there. The flesh .s much esteemed by the Americans. It has a plume of feathers which falls back from the head, like a friar’s cowl. This is the their 165 -’ thc ned | ° f whi< i h the natives of Louisiana use to ornament then pipes or calumets of peace. '-Allan Cat. no. 341, ex “1 Edwards conceives, they derive their name from their inhabiting w^rdlT lhe f wimeT m6 T ° h* [ hey breed> and letire south? year— Ed! 1 Latham says, they remain in Louisiana all the Erratum, at p. 160, no. 407. For “ Long-tailed Finch ” read Dominican Bunting, or Lesser Whidah Bird. (Lmberiza serena, Lin. & Gm. _PI e nl 8 f 2 ) ADDENDUM TO « BRITISH LAND BIRDS.” At p. 50, after no. 48, insert Common Buzzard, or Puttock. (Falco Buteo, Lin. & Gm.) “ The commonest of the Hawk tribe in England. Breeds in large woods, and builds m an old Crow’s nest. Lays two or three eggs, which the cock will hatch and bring up the young- of if thp> hen be killed. They are dressed for the table in France? a?d thought good food in winter, being fat in the season ."—Allan Cat. no. 7? ^ This article was omitted at its proper place by some oversight— Out of 421 articles, the above errata are the whole which seem meanrofX?!:" ° r , which been detected by means of the Allan MS. They are almost the only articles that did t, fr ® m unav0| dable circumstances at the time, undergo a minute errors was'obtained.—£V/?' e< ^ l * t6,y ° bvi ° US ’ wbe " the clue to the fromMr^lbn^MS 8 conclude the extracts of descriptions HLto^^hich^uid^nol” 1 interestin g eompendiums of Natural liratinf’ I U „ other circumstances, merit a separate pub¬ lication. I shall now pass to the contents of the MS. as proposed 216 ALLAN MUSEUM (APPENDIX). MR. ALLAN’S MS. A Descriptive Account of the several Birds, Animals, Rep¬ tiles, Insects, Fish, Shells, Fosils, and other natural and artificial Curiosities in the Museum of George Allan, Esq. of Grange, near Darlington, arranged in systematic Order. Part I. containing the Land Birds ; Part II. the Water Birds. TO TILE READER. Among all the studies which employ the mind of man, none is more pleasing, none more extensive than Natural History. Here we contemplate the works of that omnipotent Creator, who spake the universe into being, and whose un¬ bounded wisdom supports every part of it, in a beauty and harmony, astonishing to the weak capacities of limited be¬ ings. The variety of objects we survey is truly amazing, the surface of our globe being covered with the beautiful pro¬ ductions of our Creator, and its very bowels filled with Ins bounties. The scene is immense; and the science abso¬ lutely inexhaustible by the utmost stretch of human perspi¬ cacity. The person, who can behold the Book of Mature, who can contemplate without astonishment the infinite va¬ riety of objects there presented, and think himself capable of comparing them together, must presume himself to be en¬ dowed with a force of genius far superior to the common race of mankind. 1 , „ The greatest difficulty, therefore, attending the study ot Nature, is the infinite variety of its objects, and in order to surmount this difficulty, they are divided into kingdoms or classes, genera, and species, which has greatly lessened the confusion flowing from their multiplicity, and removed many of the impediments which before obstructed our researches in this science; but as this divison is purely arbitrary, we are therefore at liberty to chuse that which appears the most commodious, or the most commonly received, and to prefer that which comes nearest to nature. . As this Museum consists chiefly of Birds, the following pages are intended shortly to describe that “beautiful and lo¬ quacious race, which embellish our forests, amuse our walks, and exclude solitude from our most shady retirements.-- ]From these man has nothing to fear; their pleasures, their ALLAN MUSEUM (APPENDIX). 217 desires, and even their animosities, only serve to enliven the general picture of nature, and give harmony to meditation. “ No part of Nature appears destitute of inhabitants. The woods, the waters, the depths of the earth, have their respec¬ tive tenants ; while the yielding air, and those tracks of seem¬ ing space where man never can ascend, are also passed through by multitudes of the most beautiful beings of the Creation. “ Every order and rank of animals seem fitted for its situa¬ tion in life, but none more apparently than birds. They share, in common with the stronger race of quadrupeds, the vegetable spoils of the earth; are supplied with swiftness to compensate for their want of force, and have a faculty of ascending into the air to avoid that power, which they can¬ not oppose. “ Though birds are fitted for sporting in the air, yet, as they find their food upon the surface of the earth, there seems a variety equal to the different aliments with which it tends to supply them.”—( Goldsm . bit. to Birds .) The most obvious distinction, therefore, of birds is, into those that live by Land , and those that live by Water , or, in other words, into Land Birds, and Water Fowl. How¬ ever, a distinction so comprehensive goes but a short way in illustrating the different tribes of so numerous a class. The number of birds already known amounts to above 800,* and every person who turns his mind to these pursuits, is every day adding to the Catalogue. In my distribution of Birds, I will, therefore, follow Lin¬ naeus in the first sketch of his system, and then leave him, to follow the most natural distinction. That great Naturalist divides all birds into six classes, viz. 1. Of the Rapacious kind, ) . . . 2 . _p IED _ r Accipitres et Picae. t — Sparrow | Gallinae et Passeres. 5.-Crane -, | ^ „ q _Duck _ f (jrrallae et Anseres. * This number has reference to the time of Linnaeus, who has described 933 species in his Systema Nat., viz. : 698 Land, and 235 Water Birds.— The remark is forcibly illustrated in the subsequent accumulation of dis¬ coveries, there b6ing 3000 Birds described by Latham, in his Ind. Orn. and Sup., viz. 2363 Land, and 637 Water Birds. Since when (1801) there has been a further increase, as may be seen in the occasional descriptions of Ornithologists, though no general systematic work enables us to enume¬ rate them. This desideratum is likely to be supplied in time, by the united labours of Sir Wm. Jardine and Mr. Selby, in their projected ** Illustra¬ tions of Ornithology,” in which it is intended to figure and describe, in the 218 ALLAN MUSEUM (INDEX). I. LAND BIRDS * I. Rapacious. 35. Aracari Toucan, 284. Eagles. 36. Toco T. 282. 1 ( Osprey. Vide ante , no. 44. 37. Yellow-breasted T. 283. 1. \ Sea Eagle, — . 43. Horned Ind. Raven (Bill), 286. 2. Cinereous Eagle, or Erne, 43. Crows. Vultures. 38. Raven, 68. 3. King Vulture, 264. 39. Carrion Crow, 69. 5. Secretary, 265. 40. Rook, 70. Falcons and Hawks. 41. Hooded Crow, 71. 4. Gyrfalcon, 54. 42. Red-legged Crow, 75. 6. Kite, 45. 44. Cinereous Crow, 289. 7. Common Buzzard, p. , 215. 45. Magpie, 73. 8 . Moor Do. 47, 48. 46. Jackdaw, 72. 9. Hen Harrier, 49. 47. Purple Jackdaw, ) 10. Ring-tail Hawk, 50. ( Gracula quiscula), 3 11. Kestrel, 56. 48. Jay, 74. 12. Hobby, 55. 49. Blue Jay, 290. 13. Sparrow Hawk, 52, 53. 50. Nutcracker, 76. 14. Merlin, 57. 51. Roller, 77. 15. Rough-legged Falcon, 46. 52. Boh. Chatterer, 78. 16. Little American Hawk, ( 53. Cuckoo, 80. (F. sparverius ,) 3 * 54. Pompadour Chatterer, 364. 17. Goshawk, 51. 55. Wryneck, 81. Owls. 56. Greater Bird of Paradise, 303. 18. Great-homed Owl, 58. 57. King Do. (Par. regia.) 19. Do. from America, 266. Woodpeckers. 20. Common-horned Owl, 60. 58. GreatSpottedWoodpecker, 84. 21. Short-eared Owl, 61. 59. Middle Do. 85. 22. Little-horned Owl, 65. 60. Black Woodpecker, 82. 23. Canada Owl, 269. 61. Green Woodpecker, 83. 24. Barn, or White Owl, 62. 62. Gold-winged Woodpecker, — 25. Brown, or Ivy Owl, 63. 63. Canadian Spotted W. —. 26. Tawney Owl, 63. 64. Jamaica Woodpecker, —. 27. Little Owl, 64. 65. Red-headed Woodpecker, 1 28. Snowy Owl, 59. King-fishers. 29. Red-eared O. of Amer. > 66, 67. King-fisher, 90. (S. Asio,) 3 £ O i • 68. Cupreous Jacamar, 306. 30. Fern Owl, or Goatsucker, 158. 69. Belted King-fisher, —. 31. American Do. -. 70. Nuthatch, 87. 71. Hoopoe, 88. II. Pies. 72. Upupa Promerops, 311. 32. Great Shrike, 66. 73. Creeper (common). 89. 33. Tyrant Do. (Lanins \ 74. Black and Blue Creeper, 314. Tyrannus.) f 75. Famous Creeper, 313. first place, all the new species which at present lie hid in the collections in this country, for which purpose the British Museum, that of the University of Edinburgh, of the Linmean Society, and of the East India Company, have been liberally thrown open to them.— Ed. * The Nos. before the species, mark the order in the Allan MS.; and those after, refer to the preceding Catalogue. The blanks shew the species wanting. ALLAN MUSEUM (INDEX). 219 7jj. Wall Creeper, 312. 7 . New-Zealand Creeper, 310. III. Gallinaceous. 7L Dunghill Cock and Hen, 344. 7£ Bantam Do. ’ 345 . 8 C Turkey, , 81 Peacock, 340 . 82 Guinea-hen, 349 . 83 Common Pheasant, 1 G 2 . 84 Golden Do. 347 . 85 Pencilled Pheasant, 348. 8 G Silk Fowls, 340 . 87 Crested Curassow, 341. 88 Red Peruvian Hen, 342* 89 Cinereous Wattle Bird, 288. Grous. 90 Cock of the Wood, 164. 91 Black-cock, 195 . 92. Spotted Grous, 350. -3. Shoulder-knot Grous ,\ (Tetrao togatus.) f * 94. Red Game, 100 . 95. Ptarmigan, 167. 96. Common Partridge, 168. 97. Red-legged Do. 169. 98. New England Do. 351. 99. Common Quail, 170. 100 . Great Bustard, 171 . 101 . Little Bustard, 172. 102. Thick-kneed Do. 173 . Pigeons. 103. Stock-dove, 160. 104. Ring-dove, 159 , 105. Turtle-Dove, 161 . 106. Pigeon of Passage, 1 (Col. migratoria.) J * 107. Nicobar Pigeon, 356 . Inn 3 aCed P 'g con > 352. 100 . Great-crowned Pigeon, 354 , 110 . Cape Pigeon, 359 . 111. Ground Turtle, 357 . 112. Triang.-spotted Pigeon, 355.* 113. Pompadour Pigeon, ) (Col. pompadora.) $ * 114. Pouting P. or Cropper, 353. IV. Passerine. 115. Common Starling, 116. Silk Do. 117. Missel, or Shrite, 118. Throstle, 119. Red-wing, 91. 360. 92. 93. 96. | 120. Fieldfare, 121. Carolina Do. 122. Black-bird, 123. Ring-ouzel, 124. Water-ouzel, 125. Rose-coloured Ouzel, 126. Fox-coloured 'Thrush, ( Turdus rufus. J 127. Mock-bird, 128. Great Blackbird, 129. Yellow-tail Do. Orioles. 95. 361. 97. 99. 101 . 100 . I- 362. 287. 291. 131. Golden Oriole, 132. Yellow-shouldered O. 133. Red-breasted Oriole, 134. Yellow-headed Oriole. 135. Olive Oriole, 136. Black Oriole, 137. Baltimore Oriole, 138. Bastard Do. 139. Fire Bird, 140. Yellow and Black O. 141. Lesser Bonana, 142. Yellow-winged Oriole, ( O. Cayanensis.) 143. Hanging Nests, p 144. Dominican Cardinals, Grosbeaks. 145. Hawfinch, 146. Cross-bill, 147. Pine-grosbeak, 148. Bull-finch, 149. Green-finch, 150. Blue-grosbeak, 151. Black-billed Grosbeak, 152. Brown-cheeked G. 153. Java Sparrow, 154. Sparrow of Paradise, 155. Wax-bill, Buntings. 156. White Bunting, 157. Ortolan, 158. Reed Sparrow, 159. Snow Bird, 160. Painted Finch, 161. Yellow-hammer, 162. Rice-bird, 163. Dominican Bunting, or Whidah (E. serenaj, 164. Red-breasted Whidah, Finches. 165 Gold-finch, 293. 79. 389. 299. 297. 298. 299. 295. 296. 410. 292. 296. }- 162. 372. 106. 102 . 104- 105. 107. 369. 381. 382. 273. 371. 380. 118. 386. 120 . 385. 392. 119. 390. 407. 388. 117. ALLAN MUSEUM (INDEX). } - 110 . 112 . 409. 368. 402. 403. 408. 113. 114. 123. 113. 115. 116. 108. 109. 404. 406. 405. 123. 220 166. Green Gold-finch, (F. Melba,,) 167. Chaffinch, 168. Bramble Finch, 169. Grenadier Finch, 170. Gold-back Finch, 171. Red-faced Finch, 172. Red-headed Finch, 173. Amadavad, 174. Common Linnet, 175. Twite, 176. Cold Finch, 177. Great Redpole, 178. Lesser Do. 179. Siskin, 180. House Sparrow, 181. Tree Do. 182. American Gold-finch, 183. Blue-bellied Finch, 184. Canary-bird, Flycatchers. 115. Spotted Flycatcher, 186. Pied Do. - 187. CatBird (M. CarolinensU ), - . 188. Bee-Eater, (Mcrops 7 _. apiaster), ) 189. Crested Flycatcher, 7 _ (Mus. crinitajy % Larks. Sky-lark, 124. Wood-Lark, 125. Tit-Lark, 127. Lesser Field Lark, 126. Red-Lark, —- Lesser-crested Lark, 125. Great Lark, 359. Grasshopper Lark, -. Sedge-Lark, 133. Sea-Lark, 109. Shore-Lark, (Al alpestris ). Wagtails. White Wagtail, 128. Yellow Wagtail, 130. Grey Wagtail, 129. Warblers. Nightingale, 131. Red-Start, 137. Red-Breast, 136. Blue-breasted Robin, 411. Blue Redbreast, 412. Black-Cap, 132. Pettychaps, 139. 190. 191. 192. 193. 194. 195. 196. 197. 198. 199. 200 . 201 . 202 . 203. 204. 205. 206. 207. 208. 209. 210 . ! - 211. Wren, *43* | 212. Gold-crowned Wren, 142. 213. Yellow Willow Wren, 140. 214. Hedge Sparrow, 146. 215. White-Throat, 134. 216. Dartford Warbler, 135* 217. Stone-Chat, 144. 218. Whin-Chat, 145. 219. Wheat-Ear, - Titmouse. 220. Greater Titmouse, 221. Blue Do. 222. Cole Do. 233. Marsh Do. 224. Long-tailed Do. 225. Bearded Do. 226. Titmouse of Paradise, 227. Toupet Titmouse, Swallows. QQ ( Common Swallow, | w hite var. ! 229. Martin, 230. Sand-Martin, j 231. Swift, j 232. White-bellied Do. 7 ( Hir. Melba J, 3 233. American Swallow, ) (Hir. Pelasgia), j Humming Birds. 234. Black-cap Hum. Bird, 235. Grey-necked Do. 236. Green Do. or Tody, Tanagers. 237. Sayaca Tanager, 238. Golden Do. 239. Negro Do. 210. Brazilian Do. 241. Red-breasted Do. Graklcs. 242. Minor Grakle, 243. Boat-tailed Do. 244. Lucoury Do. Parrots. 245. Senegal Parrot, 246. Yellow-wingedParakeet, 274. 247. Little red-hcaded Do. 280. 248. Blue and yellow Maccaw, 272. 249. Red and blue Do. 271. 250. Lesser white Cockatoo, 276. 251. Blue-headed and bel-) 073 lied Parrot, J 252. Black-cap Lory, 277. 147. 148. 150. 149. 151. 152. 400. 421. 153. 154. 155. 156. 157. 319. 321. 305. 396. 398. 399. 395. 394. 300. 302. 3Q1. 279. ALLAN MUSEUM (INDEX). 221 II. WATER FOWL. V. Grallje. Cranes. 253. Numidian Crane, 254. Crown Bird, 255. Stork, 256. Flamingo, Herons. 257. Avosetta, 258. Night Raven, 259. Common Heron, 260. Little White Heron, 261. Bittern, 262. Spoonbill, 174, Cur teres. 263. Common Curlew, 264. Red Curlew, or Ibis, Snipes. 265. Woodcock, 266. Common Snipe, 267. Jack-Snipe, 268. Green-shanks, 269. Goodwit, common, 270. Red Do. Sandpipers. 271. Lapwing Pewit, 272. Grey Plover, 273. Spotted Do. ( Tringa \ macularia). j 274. Green Plover, 275. Common Do. or San- \ derling, V 276. Knott, 277. Purr, Stint, or Ox-bird, 278. Golden Plover, 279. Ringed Plover, 280. Dotterel, 281. Oyster-Catcher, 282. Ruffs and Reeves, Rails. 283. Water-Rail, 284. Land-Rail, Gallinules. 285. Spotted Gallinule, 286. Moor Water Hen, 287. Spur-winged Do. 337, Coot. 288. Common, or BlackCoot, Grebes. 289. Great-crested Grebe, 290. Little Grebe, 291. Tippet Grebe, 292. Dusky Grebe, 293. Eared Grebe, 208. 335. Auks. 294. Great Auk, 21L 334. 295. Little Auk, 214. 176. 296. Razor-bill Auk, 212. -. 297. Cutwater Auk, 331. 298. Puffin, 213. 210. Guillemots. 178. 299. Black Guillemot, 216. 177. 300. Foolish Do. 215. 181. 301. Lesser Do. - 179. Divers. 175. 302. Great Northern Diver, 217. 303. Red-throated Do. 218. 182. 304. Black-throated Do. _ . 336. 305. Lesser Dun Diver, 234. 306. Speckled Diver, 219. 192. Mergansers. 193. 307. Goosander, 232. 194. 308. Smew, White Nun, or ^ 236. -. Lough-Diver, j 191. 309. Red-headed Smew, 237. 190. Gulls. 310. Common Gull, 223. 195. 311. Skua Gull, 229. 196. 312. Herring Gull, 227. 313. Black-headed Gull, 225. 314. Kittiwake, or Tarrock, 224. 188. Terns. 189. 315. Great Tern, 220. 316. Lesser Do. 221. 184. 317. Black Do. 222. 183. Petrells. 197. 318. Manks Puffin, 230. 199. 319. Storm Finch, 231. 198. 200. VI. Anseres. 184. Swam. 320. Tame Swan, 238. 201. 321. Wild Swan, 202. : Geese. 322. Wild, or Lag Goose, 239. 203. 323. Brent Goose, 242. 204. 324. Bernacle, 241. 338. 325. Canada Goose, 327. 326. Siberian Goose, 240. 205. Ducks. 206. 327. Mallard, or Wild Duck, 245. 328. Eider Duck, 243. 209. 329. Velvet Duck, 257. 207. 330. Scoter, 244. -. 331. Tufted Duck, F f 222 ALLAN MUSEUM (INDEX). 332. Scaup Duck, 248. 333. Golden-eyed Duck, 256, 255. 334. Sheldrake, 247. 335. Pin-tail Duck, 253. 336. Pochard, 252. 337. Widgeon, 251. 338. Teal, 259. 339. Garganey, 258. 340. Gadwall, 250. 341. Summer Duck (Anas } sponsa,) 3 342. Shoveller, 249. 343. Long-tail Duck, 254. 344. Grey-headed Duck, 328. Cormorants. 345. Cormorant, 260, 261. 346. Shag, 262. 347. Solan Goose, 263. [We are in possession, from the Allan purchase, of moie Birds than are to be found in the preceding list, some of which have been omitted to be enumerated there, from the then difficulty of ascertaining the species, whilst others “ a( * probably been acquired subsequently. They are as follows - British. Red-backed Shrike, 67. Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, 86. Fieldfare, var. 95. White Blackbird, 98. White-winged Crossbill, 103. Chaffinch, HI- Green-headed Bunting, 121. Tawney Do. 122. Greater Pettychaps, 138. Wood Wren, 141. Hybrid Pheasant, 163. Little Bittern, 180. Red-shank, 186. Bewick’s Sandpiper, 187. Red-legged Gull, 226. Wagel, 228. Dun Diver, 233. Young Birds? 235. Foreign. Sooty Owl, - 268. Rusty Shrike, 270. Crimson-fronted Parrakeet, 275. Mealy-green Parrot, 278. Sapphire-crowned Parrakeet, 281. Red-beaked Toucan, Bill, 285. Black and yellow Oriole, 291. Pileated Woodpecker, 304. New Guinea King’s-Fisher, 307. Smyrna Do. 308. Crested Do. 309. Blue Creeper, 315. Red-breasted Creeper, 316. Collared Creeper, 317. Snuff-coloured Creeper, 318. Ash-bellied Humming Bird, 320. Green and blue HummingBird, 322. Red-throated Do. Grey-bellied Do. Ruby-necked Do. All-green Do. Black Duck, Crested Pinguin, American Jabiru, Bill, Striated Rail, Crested Curassow, var. Solitary Thrush, Red Chatterer, Cape Grosbeak, Cardinal Do. Mallacca Do. Cowry Do- Black Do. Brown-headed Do, Thick-billed Do. White-headed Do. Mouse Do. Warbling Do. Lesbian Bunting, Cinereous Do. Towhe Do. Indigo Do. Red-headed Tanager, Rufous-chained Finch, Green Warbler, Cayenne Do. Blue-headed Do. Yellow-poll Do. Green Indian Do. Gold-headed Manakin, Red and black Do. Papuan Do* oso. 324. 325. 326. 329. 332. 333. 339. 343- 363. 365. 367. 370. 374. 375. 376. 377. 378. 379. 383. 384. 387. 391. *391. 393. 397* 401* 413. 414. 415. 416. 417. 418. 419. 420. ] ALLAN MUSEUM (INDEX). 223 CONCLUSION. Having, in the preceding pages given a short description 0 the several Birds in this Museum, which the reader will soon see from whence extracted, I shall now conclude in the words of Dr. Goldsmith. “ I own I cannot take leave of this beautiful part of the Creation without reluctance. These splendid inhabitants of the air possess all those qualities that can sooth the heart and cheer the fancy. The brightest colours, the roundest torms, the most active manners, and the sweetest music. In sent mg t le imagination in pursuit of these, in following them ? le cJlllTU ping grove, the screaming precipice, or the glassy deep, the mind naturally lost the sense of its own situa- ion, anc, attentive to their little sports, almost forget the task o describing them. Innocently to amuse the imagi- nation jn tins dream of life is wisdom; and nothing is useless that, by furnishing mental employment, keeps us for a while in oblivion of those stronger appetites that lead to evil.— u every lank and state of mankind may find something to lmitafp in flinch _ & , imitate in those delightful songsters, and we may not only emnlnv thn hmn K.if _ i- i J J G. ALLAN. ANIMALS. 34-8. The Fox, 349. Hare, 350 Otter, 351. Badger. 352. Common Weasel, 353. Pine Martin, 354. Stoat, or Ermine, 355. Alpine Hare, —. 350. Zorilla, 10. 360, Little Ant-Eater, 14. 361. Opossum, 15* 362. Ring-tailed Maucauco, 42. 363. Little Do. 10 . 356. Common Souirrel, 23. 357. Jerboa, 12 . 358. Urchin, or Hedgehog, 21 . 11 . 5. 17 . 2 . 3. 224 ALLAN MUSEUM (lNDEx). 364. Canada Porcupine, 19. 365. Sanglin Monkey, 1. 366. Java Hare, 22. 367* White Mole, IB. 368. Sea Bat— Fishes , p. 164, no. 10. 369. Madagascar Bat, 4. 370. Long-eared Do. — 371. Armadillo, 6. 372. Martin, 13 * 373. Lusus of a Lamb, 25 374 . Sea Tortoise,—Amph. no. 1. 375. African Land Do.? — 376. Guana Do. 17. 377. Hercules Beetle, Ins. no. 1- 378. Diodon, or Sea Porcupine, —«► 379. Nautilus Shell. RECENT ACQUISITIONS (a.) 225 decent Acquisitions* 1 he following articles consist of presents received, and pur¬ chases made since the arrival of the Allan Museum, and of the Curiosa of the Literary and Philosophical Society, which are added to the Museum. They are arranged alphabetically from the initials of the donors. From the Antiquarian Society of Newcastle . L Their bronze Medal, an engraving of which is above. It is a copy of their Seal, which was engraven by Mr. Wyon, of the Royal Mint, from a design by Mr- Howard, R. A., and which was presented to the Society by their President, Sir John Edward Swinburne, Bart. On the field is represented the figure of a female, seated on the fragment of an Ionic Column, opposite to an Altar, found near Newcastle, and inscribed LAMIIS TRIBUS. The Wood Cut here annexed, is engraved by Mr. Bewick, from the original. 226 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (A.) From John Adamson, Esq. of Newcastle, F.L.S. and F. A. S. of London, Newcastle, and Perth. 2. Indian Monoculus Crab. (Monoculus Polyphemus, Lin. — Shaw Nat. Mis. t. 91. Golds. Anim. Nat. pi. p. 367. — -false “ The Violet Crab. ) The name Monoculus was bestowed on this genus, from the eyes being generally seated so near each other, as from a cursory view to appear single. In this species, however, they are really very remote, and what is most remarkable, there are not only two but four eyes, viz. the two larger ones in the centre of the plates, and two smaller, which are scarcely larger than a pin’s head, placed close together near the front, resembling the stemmata of some insects. The structure of the larger eyes, which differs from that of all known animals, is curiously described in the Philosophical Transactions, by Mr. Andre, surgeon. They consist of numerous, solid, transparent cones (about 1000), of an amber colour, the centre of each of which is diaphanous, and through which the light passes. Even this curiously complex structure is made up of several layers of internal septa of cones, one of which the animal probably casts every year, along with its shell. _ See Phil. Tr. for 1782, vol. lxxii. or Abridg. vol. xv. p. 322. This is the largest animal which has hitherto been described by the name of Insect, “ growing sometimes to four feet long.” (Turton). Linn^us says, “ Inseetorum omnium facile maximus.” The greater part of the genus are minute microscopic animals. 3. Two Claws of Lobster (Cancer Gammarus, Lin.) very large. 4. Horrid Crab (Cancer horridus, Lin.) 5. Cray Fish (Cancer Astacus, Lin.) 6. Snout of Saw Fish (Pristis antiquorum, Lin.) 7. Goosander (Mergus Serrator, Lin.) 8. Hortus Siccus, containing specimens of 512 species of British Plants, well preserved, and arranged in fasciculi. See Bot. > List. 9. 606 geological Specimens.' See Mineral List. 10. Specimens of 113 Species of Shells, British and Exotic. 11. Forty-two Specimens of Norwegian Minerals (conjointly with Mr. Hutton.) 12. Four Pieces of Coral. 13. Upper Shell of Land Tortoise. 14. Seven Specimens of Echini, four Species. From Mr. G. C. Atkinson, of Carrs Hill. 15. Tippit Grebe (Podiceps cristatus, Lath, pullus annuus). Killed on the Tyne in 1825. From Mr. Wm. Atkinson, High Friar Street, Newcastle. 16. Female of Red Grous (Tetrao Scoticus, Lath.) This is that cream-coloured variety of Moor Game, much spotted in the breast, which is mentioned as being occasionally found on the moors of Blanchland, in the county of Durham; “ where, from the 227 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (a. B. C.) anxiety of sportsmen to procure specimens, these birds have not been allowed to increase as they would probably have done.” See Selby 111. i- p. 309. * 17. Skua Gull (Larus catarractes, Lin.). From Mr. Alder, of Newcastle. l7-*Fourteen Species of British Shells, arranged in Allan Mus. List, and included amongst those in Mr."Thornhill’s Initial. From Do. and Mr. Burnet, jun. of Do. 18. Four Specimens of Fluor. From the Rev. Thomas Baker, of Whitburn. 19. Three Specimens of Impressions of a Fish in Tufa, from Monte Bolca, in Italy; two of them are the opposite parts of the same impression. From Mr. Benj. H. Baker, Quayside, Newcastle. 20. Golden-crested Wren (Sylvia Regulus, Lath.) From A. J. Cresswell Baker, Esq. of Cresswell. 21. Eider Duck (Anas mollissima, Lin.) 22. Long-tailed Duck (Anas glacialis, Lin.) From Wm. Barr as, Esq. of Marsden Cottage. 23. Snow Bunting (Emberiza nivalis, Lin). In its white, or summer plumage, killed at Marsden, near South Shields, and of rare occurrence in this country in such dress, as it usually migrates to the Arctic Circle at that season to breed. From Mr. Bennett, of Gibside. 24. Merlin, (Falco iEsalon Lin.) From Mr. Bewick, Gateshead. 25. Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris, Lin.) From Mr. T. O. Blackett, of Newcastle. 26. Specimen of Native Sulphate of Iron. From Mr. W. H. Brockett. 27« Two Bottles of Snakes, from Jamaica. From Miss Chapman, Newcastle. 28 , Stone Falcon, male of Merlin (Falco iEsalon, mas. Temm.)- 228 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (c.) From Charles John Clavering, Esq. Axwell Park. 20. Cape Goose, white var. of Swan Goose. (Anas cygnoides ft. Lath.) This bird, which is all pure white, except its bill and feet, which are black, is a domesticated variety of the Swan Goose, from the Cape of Good Hope, whence it was received by the donor. 30. Wryneck (Yunx torquilla, Lin.) Killed in the neighbourhood of the Donor. From Charles Cockerill , Esq. of South Shields. Eight birds from New South Wales, viz. 31. Pennantian Parrot. (Psittacus Pennantii, Lath. Ind. Orn.— ejusd. Syn. Supp. i. p. 61. and ii. p 83.— Phillip's Bot. Bay, pi. p. 154.— White's Journal, pi. at 174,175, m. and fern. Ps. gloriosus, Shaw Nat. Mis. pi. 53.—Ps. splendidus, ejusd. Lev. Mus. pi. p. 27. This species was first described by Dr. Latham, in the first sup¬ plement of his Synopsis of Birds, published in 1787, from a speci¬ men communicated by Mr. Pennant, whose name he therefore gave to it* It was first figured, in 1789, by Governor Phillip and Sur¬ geon White, in their accounts of the establishment of the New Co¬ lony at Port Jackson ; and afterwards, in 1790 and 1791, by Dr. Shaw, in the Naturalist’s Miscellany, and Account of the Leverian Museum, under the name of the Splendid Parrot, who must not have been aware of the figures which preceded his, though he was of Dr. Latham’s description, which he acknowledges. It is one of the most splendid productions of New Holland, and is equalled only by the following. 32. Non-pareil Parrot. (Psittacus eximius, Lath. Sup.— Shaw Nat. Mis. pi. 93.) This was first described by Dr. Shaw, in the Naturalist’s Mis¬ cellany, with a figure, and from thence by Dr. Latham, in his second Supplement, published in 1801. The latter says it is the size of the Pennantian Parrot. Our specimen is only twelve inches, which is three inches less. It is a common species in New Holland. 33- Blue-bellied Parrot. (Psittacus haematodus, var. y, Novae Hollandiae, Gmel. & Lath. —Brown Ill. t. 7-— Phill. Bot. Bay, t. p. 152.— White’s Jour¬ nal, t. 4, p. 140.) We possess, from the Allan Museum, three other specimens of this beautiful species. See Foreign Birds, no. 273. 34. Sacred Kings-Fisher. (Alcedo sacra, Gm. & Lath. —Lath. Syn. pi. 27*) This species, besides New Holland, also inhabits, in several varie¬ ties (if not species), the Islands in the South Sea ; where, together with two other species, the venerated and respected Kings-Fishers of Latham, it is held in a kind of superstitious veneration by the na¬ tives. It is not stated whether the same takes place in New Holland. RECENT ACQUISITIONS (c.) 229 35. Bronze-winged Pigeon. (Columba chalcoptera, Lath. — Phill. Bot. Bay, t. p. 162.— White s Jour. p. 146, tab. 8.—Lev. Mus. t. 55.) Frequent in the neighbourhood of Sydney Cove and Botany Bay, in sandy tracts. Their voice resembles the lowing of a cow, by which their place is easily known. They are called by the natives Ground Pigeon, from their inability to take long flights. 36. Soft-tailed Flycatcher, male. (Muscicapa melachura, Lath. Supp.—Lin. Tr. iv.p. 240. t. 21.) This singular species, which now forms the type of a genus, was first described in the Linnaean Transactions as above, by Major-Ge¬ neral Davies, F.R.S. and L.S., 6th Feb- 1798. It is called in the country Merion Binnion, or the Cassowary Bird, from the resemblance of its tail-feathers to the feathers of that bird, the webs on each side of the shaft consisting of slender hairy black filaments, distinct from each other. It is found about Sydney and Botany Bay, in marshy places abounding with long grass, in which it hides itself dexterously. When disturbed, its flight is short, like that of a Grasshopper. When it alights, it runs with such agility, that many who have been confident of having covered it with their hats, have, to their surprise, seen it again take wing at no great dis¬ tance. The male has a blue breast, which the supposed female is without— Linn. Tr. ubi supra. 37. Superb Warbler. (Sylvia cyanea, Lath. — Phill. Bot. Bay, t. p. 157.— White's Jour, t. p. 256.— Lath. Syn. t. 53.) The feathers on the head of this bird resemble plush velvet, but more brilliant. 38. Speckled Manakin. (Pipra punctata. Lath. Supp.—-Nat. Mis. t. 111.) The whole of the genus Pipra, or Manakin, was supposed to be confined to America. The numerous discoveries of New Holland birds shew that its range is much more extensive. This species must be common there, as it is generally found in parcels of skins received from New South Wales. It was first described and figured by Dr. Shaw, in Nat. Mis., in 1792. 39. 142 Species of Shells, Vide supra, amongst Shells of Allan Mus. 40. Specimens of 100 New South Wales Plants, many of them non-des., Vide infra. From Isaac Cookson , Esq. of Newcastle. 41. Sea Eagle, young of Cinereous Eagle? (Falco ossifragus, Lin.) This bird was received by Mr. Cookson, from Scotland, by a sloop laden with kelp, eight years since, and though it died only a year ago, it has not obtained the white tail of the species, probably owing to confinement. “ There had been two in the nest, which a G g 230 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (c.) shepherd found, for which the old ones provided plenty of all kinds of game; to ensure a continuation of which, the shepherd chained the remaining bird, after abstracting this, that it might not escape. The old ones, however on this, discontinued providing. It was taken at Loch Ersboll, in the county of Sutherland.”— Mr. Cookson’s ■note. From Mr. R. Currie , Newcastle . 42. Little Grebe (Podiccps minor, Lin.) 4.3. 35 Species of Shells. From D. Cram , Esq. of Ellison Place, Newcastle . 44. Elk’s Horn, brought from Canada. From Matthew Culley , Esq. Coupland Castle. 45. Golden Eagle (Falco chrysaetos, I An.) 40. White-tailed, or Cinereous Eagle. (Falco albicilla, Lin. & Gm.) On the subject of the above specimens, I am favoured witli the following letter from the donor, which I insert entire, as containing some interesting remarks on the habits of birds so little known. The fish propensities there noticed, are confined, I presume, to the White-tailed Eagle. “ Coupland Castle , near Woolcr , Nov. 28, 1826. Ck Sir, —Mr. Adamson has requested me to send you the parti¬ culars relating to the two Eagles which I sent to the Newcastle Philosophical Society. They were both shot on Benmore, Suther- landshire, by my shepherds. They are extremely destructive to our lambs, and in winter will attack old sheep, which they drive until breathless, and generally take a live, or Abyssinian, meal, from the poor animals. They are all fond of fish, and are extremely expert fishers. They watch the fish on the shoals in the] spawning season, and are often seen to fly off with live salmon. Although apparently heavy and slow on the wing, they are capable of extreme rapidity when excited, and can take grouse and other game on the wing. They always prefer deer’s flesh, and it is generally with this they are lured within reach of the concealment from which they are shot. The Ravens and Hawks first commence, and, by their jangling and fluttering, soon attract the Eagle’s notice. He alights at a dis¬ tance, and carefully eyes the country ; as he nears the bate, the other birds, as if conscious of his rank, generally lay aside their quarrels, and wait at a distance until he is satisfied. They were both killed in winter, 1823. “ M. C.” From J. E. Coulson , Esq. of Rlenhinsop Castle . 47. Cinereous Shrike (Lanins Excubitor, Lin.) 48. Death’s Head Sphinx, or IIawk-motii. (Sphinx AtropOvS, Lin. — Don. Br. Ins. ix. t. $89, 290.— Rocsel y iii. t.— Cramer , Uitland. Kap. t. 78, f. A.) RECENT ACQUISITIONS (c.) 231 Both these specimens were taken lately in the neighbourhood of the donor, and are esteemed rare in this country. The Moth has of late years made its appearance in many parts of England, at intervals, both in its larva and perfect form. Its mag¬ nificent caterpillar was taken here and brought to me alive within this year; and, some years ago, (June 12, 1813) the living Moth also, in Westoe; which, in the unpleasant operation of depriving it of life, uttered sounds not unlike that of a young infant, a circum¬ stance noticed by Linnaeus, “ stridet allidendo palpos ad linguam”— S. N. p. 800. In similar operations with the other large Sphinges, I have not experienced the same effect. Though not plentiful any where, this is one of the most universally diffused insects, as it is found in all quarters of the globe. The figure in Cramer was made from a Surinam specimen ; and he states it to be known in Batavia and Cape of Good Hope, and I have a specimen in my possession which came from New Holland, exactly resembling the European ones. Another living specimen of this insect was brought to me lately, taken at sea, in the Swin (at the mouth of the Thames), Sept. 25, 1826, having alighted on the ship Commerce, of Shields, when five miles from land. I notice this more particularly as I feel, from it and other similar instances, that the migration of insects, or their power of flight, has not been sufficiently attended to by natural¬ ists, and merits further observation; and consequently we are some¬ times surprised with accounts of the occasional, or even periodical, appearance of rare insects in their winged state, which can scarcely be accounted for but by supposing them to have come on the wing from some distant country, as we do not discover the larvae in the same place. The Painted Lady Butterfly (Pap. Cardui), which appears in England only at uncertain intervals, and then in great numbers, is an instance of this. Indeed it is scarcely possible to come to any other conclusion, as we cannot suppose the larvae to lie dead in this country for intervals of years. In July, 1814, whilst at sea, off Harwich (nearly in the same place as above), I took the rare Dragon Fly (Libellula 4 maculata), which is at present in my possession ; and Mr. Selby just writes me, that he has this autumn had brought him, at Twizell House, two living specimens of the Migratory Locust (L. migratoria), which he conceives to have been separated from the main body of a migrating swarm. Surely the well-known powers of flight of this last species, may induce us to conjecture similar powers in other insects, when corroborated by those insulated facts, on the principle that what one individual is found to perform, may be accomplished by the species.— Ed. From Mrs T. Craivhall , of Newcastle. Sec. of New Mas. Com. 40. The Imber Diver, young of Northern Diver. (Colymbus glacialis, junior.—C. linmer, Lin. & Gin .—Lesser Imber, Bcw. Br. Birds, with fig.) This is considered as the first year’s plumage of the Great Northern Diver; the second year it assumes that form and size when it is called the Imber Diver by authors, and it is only the third year that its neck takes the dark plumage of the adult bird. 232 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (D. E.) 50. The Black-throated Diver, young? (Colymbus arcticus, junior.) Mr. R. Wingate joins with me in considering this present as the bird above indicated, the back beginning to assume the spotted ap¬ pearance of the species, though the neck remains white. 51. Wild Cat (Felis Catus, Lin*) Taken in the woods near Dunkeld. This is the only wild quad¬ ruped peculiar to Scotland, since the extinction of the Roe and the Wolf, the latter of which continued there to a much later period than in England. It is much larger than the domestic kind, contrary to analogy. M. Temminck, in a late dissertation, doubts the received opinion of this being the original stock of the domestic Cat, from the cir¬ cumstance of size, as all domestic animals become larger than the wild stock, the reverse of which is the case in this instance. The tails, too, differ considerably, that of the wild Cat being thick and short, equally large throughout, and not reaching, when reflected, farther than the scapula; whilst in the domestic Cat it is longer and slenderer, and diminishes in thickness towards its extremity. He considers the domestic Cat as being sprung from Felis manicnlata, a new and hitherto undescribed species, inhabiting Nubia and Egypt, which accords both in size and shape of the tail; and assuming that country as the early centre of civilization, he holds it to be strong confirmatory evidence.— Tcm. Monographic de Mamm.— See Zool. J. vol. ii. p. 531. “ In Iceland,” Mr. Pennant says, “ domestic Cats are to be found; but numbers are grown wild, and multiply among the rocks, so as to become dangerous.”—Arct. Zool. Int. p. 69. This is a rare instance of animals reverting to a wild state, and would almost make one doubt M. Temminck’s assumption, if he was not borne out by spe¬ cific distinctions.— Ed. From Mr. W. Davison , Gunsmith , Newcastle. 52. The Curlew (Numenius arquata, Lath.). 53. Jay (Corvus glandarius, Lin.). 54. Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix, j Lin.), fine specimen. From Dixon Dixon , Esq. of Neiucastle. 55. Eider Duck (Anas mollissima, Lin.) Shot at the Farn Islands. From H. Edmondston , Esq. of Newcastle. 56. Wild Ducks, 2 male and 1 female (Anas Boschas, Lin.). We are the more indebted for this present, as the Allan birds were decayed beyond restoration. They are fine specimens. 57. Black-toed Gull, young of Arctic Gull. (Larus parasiticus, junior, Tem. —L. crepidatus, Gm.). Killed at Cullercoats. Pennant, in his Arctic Zoology, says he 233 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (f.) cannot trace this bird farther north than Great Britain and Denmark though the adult bird, the Arctic Gull, of which, this is now ac¬ knowledged to be the young, is found as far north as the Polar Sea. The fact is, as M. Temminck has shewn, that the old bird rarely migrates from its haunts in the Arctic Circle, but it is the young only that wander, which occasions us to meet with them in this coun- try-the Dftenest. He had several couples of both kinds sent him • the young killed on their nests. From W. Fryer , Esq . Saint Anthony s. 58. Caterpillar of Puss Moth (Phahena Vinula.) 59. 33 Species of British Shells. See Allan Mus. Shells. From George T. Fox , the Editor . 60. Patagonian Penguin. (Aptenodytes patichonica, Gm. —Gent. Mag. v. xxxix. t. p. 489. —Phil. Tr. vol. lviii. t. 5.) The skin of this Antipodean inhabitant was unexpectedly found on Jarrow Slake, in the county of Durham, Feb. 1, 1815. It was supposed to have been thrown overboard by a South Sea Whaler, then in the river Tyne. An excellent paper on the genus Penguin' where is an interesting account of this species, is found in Phil! Trans, as above, written by Mr. Pennant. The proper name, he says, is Pinguin , on account of their fatness. 81. Dusky Grebe, young of Sclavonian Grebe. (P. obscurus, Lath. —Podiceps cornutus, junior. Tern. —Black and white Dobchick, Edw. t. 96, f. 1.) This bird is not uncommon in England. Montagu is clear that it breeds. in Lincolnshire, and the rarity of capture of the Sclavonian Grebe in this country, makes Temminck’s assumption of their being the same species doubtful. 62. Lesser Guillemot, young of Foolish Guill. (Uria Troile, junior, Lath.— Colymbus minor, Gm.) 63. Sedge Warbler. (Sylvia Phragmites, Tem. —S. salicaria, Lath.) 64. Porcupine Diodon. (Diodon Hystrix, Gm. —D.rotundus, Block, t. 126.—Nat. Mis. v. t. 151. —Shaw's Zool. v. t. lJi.— Will. Ich. t. I. 4—6.) This curious fish is stated as being capable, at pleasure, of erect¬ ing its spines, which usually lie flat, and of inflating its body, when irritated. Its flesh is esteemed poisonous. Inhabits American seas, from whence I received it. It was formerly in the Allan Mu¬ seum (as per Cat. no. 378), where it is stated “ to grow occasionally to a considerable size, having been seen of the length of two feet_ In the middle of the belly is a bag, or bladder, filled with air, by the inflation of which the animal swells itself.”— Allan MS. 65. Ray’s Toothed Gilt-iiead. (Spams niger, Turt. —S. Raii, 1Don. Brit. Fish, ii- pi. 3?.— 234 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (F.) Will. Ich. tab. V. 12.—Brarna marina caucla forcipata, Rail, Syn. Pis.— Pen . Brit Zool. with fig.—The Lesser Sea Bream, ib. 2d ed.) Nothing shews more the necessity of caution in rejecting, as spu¬ rious, the descriptions of original writers, than the late discovery o this fish. The species was first communicated to Mr. Kay by his friend, Mr. Johnson, the Rector of Brignal (whom we have before had occasion to notice), who informed him it was found on the sands, at Middleburg, at the mouth of the Tees, 18th Sept, 1081, (See Raii Syn. Pise.). From that time there is no instance on re¬ cord of its being again taken on the British coast, until the beginning of the present century ; when, in 1799, a specimen is stated to have been received by Mr. Montagu, left by the tide, on the coast of • Devonshire. In 1820, three specimens came into my hands, all thrown up by the tide, on Whitburn and Shields sands. One of these was sent to me by my respected friend and a zealous naturalist, the Rev. T. Baker, Rector of Whitburn ; which I forwarded to Mr. Bewick, jun. to draw and engrave for his projected work on British fishes.* The second, which was alive, I boiled and eat, and I ima¬ gine that this was the first time the species had been so used. My cu¬ riosity and temerity w-ere rewarded by the discovery of its being the most delicious food, and worthy of a true Amphytnon. It seemed to unite the taste and firmness of the Turbot, with the delicacy and flakiness of the Salmon and Mackarel; and the same opinion is re¬ ported to me by friends who have ventured on a similar experiment. Other single specimens have been since taken on this coast in a similar way, but none caught by the line. The species seems also to have been met with, of late years, on the continent, as it is described by Bloch, in his magnificent Work on Ichthyology, under the name of « La Castagnole, Sparus Raii,” vol. viii. t. 273. I could not, how¬ ever, discover a specimen in the Paris Museum, in the year 1821. The cause of this strange fact of the occasional appearance of fish at distant intervals, may be conjectured to arise from their ordinary residence being out of the reach of our fishermen, and that it is only when they are disturbed, or driven from their permanent haunts by storms or other causes, they are thus brought within our observation. In the Phil. Trans, for the year 1792, vol. lxxxii. (or new. ed. vol. xvii. p. 243) is a curious account of the failure of haddocks on the Eastern coast for three years 1789—1792, by the Rev. Cooper Abbs, of Sunderland, to which I refer for the particulars. In addi¬ tion to the remarks there recorded, I have to relate a fact noticed, in continuation, by the same Rev. Gentleman, but not published, transmitted to me by his son, Bryan Abbs, Esq., of Cleadon, which perhaps goes to account, in a great degree, for the occasional appear¬ ance of rare fish: —“ A few years ago, two men came here (to Sun¬ derland) from Brixholm, in Dorsetshire, with a boat and fishing tackle, ventured much farther into the sea than our open boats do, caught great quantities of flat and other fish, such as we never before saw on this coast; among them some of the John Dory.” I have * It was subsequently stuffed by Mr. R. Wingate, and I have now the satisfaction to deposit it in the Newcastle Museum. GO. RECENT ACQUISITIONS (f.) 235 also had a John Dory brought me, taken on this coast, which induces the belief that it is only want of proper fishing tackle, and the pro¬ ceeding to fish in sufficiently deep water, that prevents our oftener meeting with these and other rare inhabitants of the sea The man would deserve well of his country, who could invent the' means of catching in plenty Ray’s Toothed Gilt-head, which would scarcely require a Qmn to establish its character as a delicious luxury of the Pennant’s amended description in last edition of British Zoology being pretty accurate, I shal repeat it, with some alterations. Y ■ 1 . “ j deep , fish > forn ’cd like a Roach, twenty-two inches long, eight broad, and grows slender towards the tail. The eves Wire like those of quadrupeds ; in the lower jaw two rows of teeth, sharp as needles, with some stronger canine teeth in front; in the upper a single row only; the aperture of the gills large ; the body with large scales, resembling silver mail, darker on the back, in the middle of which is one fin, extending almost to the tail; the first rays high w re ^r fi andjagSPt V beh ' ndthe ''ent another corresponding, W less; both fins covered with the silver scales.”—Rays’ dors 34,. Vent ’ 5 '° ; anal 2 ' 2 -' 29 ’ caud. 24.; branch. 7. ’ Willoughby’s figure, which must have been taken from his friend Ray s original specimen, is, on the whole, very accurate, though rather short, and the fins have been jagged or torn. Sklll and Tooth of Narwhal,* or Unicorn Whale. (Monodon Monoceros, Lin.) This subject is curious, from the connexion of the cranium with the tooth. The latter is 5 feet 8 inches from its exsertion at the jaw, where it protrudes through the upper lip of the animal. .Longer teeth are seen. There are no marks of the rudiment of another tooth on the opposite side of the jaw, the bone being quite solid, which is a proof of its being an adult, or full-grown animal, as in the young there are said to be always two teeth. Occasionally these are found m the old whale, as a specimen of a skull with two teeth was formerly in the Leverian Museum, the figure of which is to be found in Shaw's Zool. Lectures. The lower jaw is wanting these animals are found in northern seas, along with the different species of Balance. I received this article direct from a nautical Iriend. A stuffed specimen of this species was exhibited in this neighbourhood a few years ago, about 15 feet in length. They are said to grow to 40 feet. y The tooth of this animal is what was commonly exhibited, and was Which means Flesh-eater, so called by the Icelanders, because it is be lieved to feed on carcasses (Bochart de Iieem, p. 955). “ Aar, signifies a carcass, or dead body, according to Valentine in his Mus. Museorum— Ihe Narwhal is said to pursue and attack other Whales, and pluno-imr its as is well known, under Ptolemv II. imiladelphus; and they were, therefore, justified in giving" the general designation of Monoceros, or Unicorn, as its received cha¬ racter; and its single horn, being that usually known, hence became the standard of nature. The Latin Vulgate and St. Jerome render neon in tour passages Rhinoceros, and in the rest Unicornis, which shews the opinion beginning then to prevail of the identity of these names. Reem is stated to be the Arabic name of the Rhinoceros at ns ay ( See Jackson’s Morocco), and this would seem to be con- clusive on the subject; but that Bochart equally affirms Rim to be the Arabic name of a species of Capra, or Goat-animal. Parkhurst,* in ollowing Bochart, has adduced the strongest prima facie obiec- tion to the word Reem being considered an Unicorn, in the following- commentary That it cannot mean an Unicorn, is evident, from the passage in Deut., where the two tribes of Ephraim and Manas- seh are compared to the horns|| of a Reem, ‘ with which (two horns) their father Joseph should push the people to the ends of the earth.’ In the Septuagint this is translated Movoicsp^, which would be absurd, except for the reason already given, to speak of the horns of an one-horned animal; and the translators of our Bible have, there¬ fore, in order to reconcile the sense, altered the text to 44 the horns * Pennant adds swiftness, which is not a scriptural propertv, though weU smted to the Rhinoceros, and attributed to the Unicorn by Ctesiasand his followers, f Bell. Gall. lib. vi. 28. \ Heb. Lex. p. 748. f| Or rather, two horns, the word being in the Dual. Number Roch. II ll 238 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (f). of Unicorns,” per Enallagen numeri , and agreeably to the text of the Samaritan Pentateuch.—KhfeDeut. xxxiii. 17. King James’s Bible. The Vulgate has, more consistently, given in this passage coinua JRhinocerotis, as have the Latin translations of the Syriac and Arabic versions ( See Walton's Polyglot, i. p. 860, 861). The two-horned Rhinoceros (which was known to the Ro¬ mans), * has been brought forward to reconcile this discrepancy, and the conjecture is at least plausible, as the longer and shorter horn of this animal well represents the difference between the ‘ ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manassehand when we consider that it might be known to Moses, the author of the passage, during his residence in Egypt, the objection appears fully answered. Both species of Rhinoceros inhabit India extra Gangern , and So. Africa in the present day, and it is certain that their range was more extended formerly. Sec an account of a 2-horned Rhinoceros taken in Sumatra, in Ph. Tr. Ab. vol. xvii. and of another, by Sparmann, at the Cape. It must be acknowledged that great uncertainty exists as to the actual animal of the Scriptures, which can only be judged of by the qualities there attributed to it. The subject has been most labori¬ ously discussed by learned writers, particularly by Bootius, a learned Dutch physician, of the reign of Charles I.f ; and by Bochart, a French Protestant divine, soon after, in his “ Hierozoicon, or Account of Animals of the Sacred Writings,the most erudite work, perhaps, of modern times; but, in both instances, with more labour than suc¬ cess. Both agree in denying the lieem to be either an Unicorn or a Rhinoceros, which they considered distinct animals, though they differ in the actual animal. Bochart, who adopts the Oryx, has given an engraving of it from an old picture, found in Italy, repre¬ senting five Deer-like animals, each with one straight horn growing from the side , and not the centre , of the head. From which, and from the account of two animals of the deer-kind, seen by Vartomanus, at Mecca, with one horn each, it seems not unlikely that the Oryx is, occasionally, found with only one horn, and hence the fabulous * Vide Mart, de Spec. 22, where, in the lines on the Rhinoceros exhibited by Domitian in the shews, it is said that “ he throws up a Bear with his double horn (gemino cornu) as easily as a Bull throws foot-balls.” Until the two-horned Rhinoceros became re-discovered in modern times, the cor¬ rectness of the text of the Roman Poet was much doubted ; some w ishing to alter it to Urus (a Bull with two horns) instead of Ursus, an animal with no horns; others, to make Martial say, the Rhinoceros threw up a double Bear (that is, two Bears) instead of one, with his double horn ! The tw'o- horned Rhinoceros is also found on a coin of Doinitian’s, which is con¬ firmatory of Martial’s words, the exhibition at Rome being found wor¬ thy of such distinction. See a copy of the coin in a preceding plate, taken from Phil. Tr. for 1749. Abr. vol. ix. t. 12, which well marks the form of the animal, without rugae on its skin ; also figured by Pennant, in Hist, of Quad. ed. 1781 ; though omitted in the 3d ed., 1793. f Animadvertiones sacrao ad textum Hebraicum V. T.—Auctore Ar- noldo Bootio, M. D. 1 vol. 4to. 1644.— Vide lib. iii. cap. 1. | Hierozoicon sive bipertitum Opus de Animalibus Sacrae Scripturce.— Auct. Sam. Bocharto. Lond. 1663. 2. vols. folio.— Vide lib. iii. cap. 26—28. p. 930—97o. There is a 2d ed. by F. C. Rosenmuller. Leip. 1793—96, 3 vols. 4 to. 239 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (f). animal. He has also given a wood-cut of the Narwhal’s tooth> with the skull (like our subject), which w r as known to him as the popular Unicorn’s horn. (See Hieroz. i. p. 958.) The arguments of these authors, too extensive for insertion here, though replete with learning and ingenuity, are drawn only from books, and exhibit a great want of practical acquaintance with Zoology; as, for instance, when Bochart states the horn of the Rhinoceros to be short and depressed (depressissimum est), as a necessary consequence of its situation and weight, it is evident that he had not seen the animal, or, had he seen even a horn of the Rhinoceros, such as that in our Museum (47 inches long in the bend, weighing 18Jibs., and measuring at the base 19 inches in circumference), he would scarcely have made the latter assertion. This error of the Rhinoceros’s horn not being exalted (whilst it is remarkably so), agreeably to the Hebrew root of the verb, pursues and confounds his whole reasoning. His objection also of the Rhinoceros not being an inhabitant of Arabia and Syria, and therefore unknown to the Jews, applies equally to the Urus and the Oryx, and though rare, it might be known to Job, who was an Arabian, from his contiguity to Ethiopia,* * * § where it inhabited; and to Moses during his residence at the court of Pharoah, where, we are told, he became ‘ learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians’ (Acts vii. 22). Balaam, who resided in Mesopotamia,! might be acquainted with the Rhinoceros of India. The subject, in regard to David, is attended with more difficulty, and we can only suppose the animal known to him by tradition.{ Not so in regard to Isaiah, who is understood to have been well acquainted with Egypt, to¬ wards which many of the prophesies are directed. On the whole, the absence of the Rhinoceros from Judea, appears a stronger argu¬ ment in its favour than against it in the present case, as a perfectly well-known animal would not have occasioned the ambiguity. The origin of the account of the Unicom, is considered to be de¬ rived from Ctesias,|| a Greek physician, who was taken prisoner by Artaxerxes, whilst accompanying the younger Cyrus, in the battle of Cunaxa. During his residence at the court of Persia, he wrote an account of Indian affairs, in which he recorded the Wild Ass§ of India, as large, or larger than a horse, with a horn in the middle of the forehead a cubit long ; body, pure white, &c. This w r as doubt¬ less the Leucoryx Antelope. Aristotle is the next who speaks * This argument applies, I conceive, whether Job was the author of the book or not, or whether the words of the text in question were the author’s, or those of the Deity, by whom they are given as uttered, as they would hardly have been addressed to Job, had he not understood the subject of them. f Viz. at Pethor, a city or district of Padan-Aram, or Mesopotamia, on the Euphrates. See Numb. xxii. 5. f The 92d Psalm is not David’s, but w as composed, amongst others, during the Babylonish Captivity, A. C. 539, and therefore nearer the country of the Rhinoceros. See Tovvnshend’s Bible, Index III. It is the true Uni - earn chapter. Vide in loco. || “ Primus fabuke architectus.”— Bochart. § That this is not the Onager of authors (ex agios') which is the rommon Ass in itrwild state, is clear, from its size and horn. 240 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (f). of the Indian Ass, copying from Ctesias, and the first who uses the term Monoceros. He describes it as a whole-hoofed animal, and in this he is followed by all other authors both ancient and modern—from Pliny to Pennant. I feel convinced that they have all mistaken the text of Ctesias on that subject, the reasons for which I must reserve for another place. After him the term is employed by the LXX, as the synonym of the Reem . Next, Agar- tharchides, who lived in Egypt under Ptolemy Sextus, in his His¬ tory of the Red Sea, is the first describer of the Rhinoceros un¬ der that name, and his account is so exact, as evidently to have been made from the life.* From these joint sources, the animal is described by Pliny, iElian, and others, under the separate names of Equus, Asinus, et Bos Indici, Monoceros, and Rhinoceros; the former of whom, added the head of a stag, the body of a horse, the feet of an elephant, and the tail of a hog, and hence the animal, so depicted, was transferred to the heraldic charges, though the heralds wisely restored its cloven hoofs. I may add, that the first figure of the true Rhinoceros was made by the famous painter, Albert Durer, from a specimen brought into Portugal, in 1515, from Cambodia, in the East Indies (Gcsn. i. p. 842), and exhibited, in combat with the Elephant, at the shews or games given at Lisbon by Emmanuel the Great, as one of the fruits of the successful enterprises of dis¬ covery in his reign, a trophy more honourable than the barren pomp of Domitian, in his exhibitions. The account is to be found in the Chronicle of King Emmanuel, by Damianus de Goes, 5th part, ch. xviii. p. 276, Anno. 1517. Vide Plin . Hist. Delph. ed. fol. emend, ad. lib. viii. p. 480. Many years after Durer’s picture, one Hendric Hondius published in Holland an exact copy of it, counterfeiting the date and name (Parsons i n Ph. Tr. for 1743). This figure is also copied by Gesner (though not without acknowledgment), and is well known in his and other later authors’ works. On the whole, the Rhinoceros, either one or two horned, or both, seems the most suitable animal to adopt as the Reem of the scrip¬ tures, and the opinion is much strengthened by the discovery of a new or third species of the genus, with two horns, the skull of which, was brought from Africa, in 1821, by Mr. Campbell, of the Mis¬ sionary Society, and an account of which is to be found in Ph. Tr. for 1822, by Sir E. Home, vol. exii. p. 38. The great length of its * The works of Ctesias and Agartharchides are lost, except as far as they are to be found in the Excerpta of Photius, who has preserved to the learned world the substance of several extinct Greek works, in his “ Bibliotheca.” Photius is well known in history as Patriarch of Constantinople, in the 9th century, in which office he was established after much contention, as is re¬ lated in Gibbon. He was the most learned man of his age, which hence w as called by some the Photian age. His great work, which was edited in 1601, by Hoeschelius, and a Latin translation added by And. Scottus, has the following title :—“ Photii Myriobiblon sive. Bibliotheca Librorum quos legit et censuit Photius Patriarcha Constantinopolitanus. Geneva?, 1612,” and “ Ed. alt. Rathomagi, 1653.” In the Prolegomena are some enter¬ taining jeux d'esprit, or punning epigrams, on the names of Photius and his Editors, shewing darkness (Scotos, a illustrating light (Pho¬ tius a •' pas ) See. Access has been afforded me to this and other scarce books, at that storehouse ofantient literature, the College Library of Dur¬ ham.—AW. RECENT ACQUISITIONS (f.) 24 1 anterior horn (from 36 to 42 inches), and its direction on the nose (nearly straight forward), justifies the name of Rem or exalted, as ap¬ plied to the Rhinoceros. This species is phytivorous, and not gre¬ garious, but going in pairs. Its skin is not welted, but smooth and without hair, and of a dark brown colour, a curious coincidence with the Color buxeus of Pliny and other authors, ex Agarth., which is not suitable to the other two species, and which staggered Strabo, who had seen the one-horned Rhinoceros.* The smallness of the brain of all the’ species of Rhinoceros, being in the proportion of only 1 to of that of the Elephant, infers a want of intelligence, indi¬ cating utter untameableness, which is further corroborated by the intelligent account of the keeper at Exeter ’Change of the Rhi¬ noceros Unicornis, lately in this country, of which three years’ con¬ finement made no alteration in its habits. Nothing could controul its rage in its fits of frenzy, and in its fury it drove its horn against its object of attack, for which purpose it fell on its knees, to enable the horn to bear on it. (This pushing property is an an¬ swer to Parkhurst’s objection, taken from Bruce, to its suitable¬ ness to the text in Deut., and corroborates the text; and how far the description is suited to the passage in Job, will readily be per¬ ceived ; in fact, there is no account on record, of a Rhinoceros ever having been tamed.) During one of these fits the keeper nearly lost his life, the horn passing between his legs and transfixing a board. Quick in its motions, it eats voraciously ( See the passage. Numb, xxiv.), and without selection. From this account we learn also, that this beast, though long represented as clothed in almost impenetrable armour, has its skin only covered with small scales, of the thickness of paper, with the appearance of tortoise shell, and at the edges of these, the skin itself is exceedingly sensible either to the bite of a fly or the lash of a whip. See Ph. Tr. ubi supra. Finally, the Unicorn of profane authors has, I conceive, not been without a prototype, which was the Oryx Antelope in its one-horned state, a circumstance, seemingly, not uncommon, as there are so many references to it. Pliny (lib. xi. c. 46.) after Aristotle, ex¬ pressly calls it Oryx unicome. The whole of the accounts of it are, however, apparently derived from Ctesias’s Indian Ass; and Mr! Pennant has not gone far enough back, in attributing to either Aris¬ totle, Pliny, or iElian any thing like original description ( See Hist. Quad. i. p. 140).—Pliny’s description of the Monoceros may, however, be excepted, which may justly be called original, as it is pure invention. We may conclude this digression (tedious, I fear) with the deduction that the Unicorn is not a fictitious animal, but actually to be found in nature, though we must not look for it in the Polar Sea, to which, however, we owe the present discussion —Ed. f * He says, “ Ejus quern nos vidimus color, non buxo, sed elephanti si- milis erat.”—Ex Gesn. i. p. 844. f The above was written and in the press, when I was referred by a friend to Dr. Harris’s Natural History of the Bible, lately published. I am glad to find no discrepancy in the arguments between us on the Unicorn, and, indeed, a remarkable agreement, which may be considered an infe¬ rence of their truth. I may notice, that he makes Balaam a priest of Mi- dian, and states Job to make frequent allusion to the subject, and seems 242 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (F, g). 67. Jaws of Porpoise (Delphinus Phocaena, Lin.). 68. Skull of Polar, or White Bear (Ursus maritimus, Lin.). Notwithstanding Linnaeus’s northern residence, he had never seen the Polar Bear, when he published the 12th ed. of S. N. in 1766, and therefore only conjectured, from its longer head and narrower neck, that it might be a species distinct from the black Bear of the forests. Vide Sys. Nat. p. 70. 69. Jaws of a cetaceous Animal? 70. Ear of Whale and section of ditto. 71. Six specimens of Plants from Melville Island.— Vide infra. 72. Three Pairs of Jaws of Shark (Squalus Carcharias.). 73. One tail of Do. 74. Bottle of young Alligators. 75. Hanging Nest of Bird. 76. Papilio Thoas. 77. Antediluvian Bones, from the Cave of Kirkdale, in Yorkshire, viz.1 of Rhinoceros; 1 of Elk ; 1 of Hyaena, with the Teeth ; 4 fragments of Hyaena; 1 of Horse; 1 of Rat; 1 of-? and 1 Stalactite. Through the intervention of R. Wilson, Esq. of Scarbrough, I received these from Thomas Harrison, Esq. of Kirby Moorside, whose son-in-law is the proprietor of the cave, and who in a letter states, that “ such has been the avidity of Geologists for the smallest triie emanating from this cavern, that it has been swept with an incalculable expense and Herculean labour, so that even a soli- taiy Stalactite, Chert, or the Oolite itself, in lieu of ancient remains, have been carried off and treasured up with no ordinary care;” and, consequently, specimens of these bones of 4000 years old, with which the cave, on its discovery, was strewed a foot thick, are now only to be met with in private hands. This cave was opened by some workmen in a quarry, in 1821. It is about 20 feet below the incumbent field, and its greatest length is about 200 feet. For particulars of this interesting modern discovery, sec Buck- lard’s Reliqua? Diluvianae, and id. in Phil. Tr. for 1822, vol. cxii.p. p. 171—236, pi. 15—26. From Mr. George Gibsone, Newcastle. 78. Thirteen Species of Shells, see Allan Mus. Shells. 79. Sixteen Do.—Vide infra. From Rev. Robert Green, of Neivcasile. 80. Common Wild Goose (Anas Anser, Lin.). From Mr. John Green, Jun. of Newcastle, Architect of the New Building of the Lit. and Phil. Society. Fourteen Birds from Van Dieman’s Land, brought by ship Mal¬ vina, Capt. Cooper, in 1825. not to be aware of the ancient authorities respecting the Oryx, nor of the reason* why authors hare adopted it. 243 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (g). 81. Red-shouldered Parakeet. (Psittacus discolor, Lath. Ind. Supp.— Ejusd. Syn. 2d Supp. p. 90.— Phil/. Bot. Bay, t. p. 269. — White’s Jour. t. p. 263.) One of the most elegant of the tribe of the long-tailed division, remarkable for its extremely cuneiform tail; first noticed by Gover¬ nor Phillip, at the establishment of the colony of Port Jackson, in 1788, and figured in his work, as well as in Mr. White’s. 82. Cuckow, with barred tail (Cuculus-?). 83. Slender-billed Creeper. (Certhia tenuirostris, Lath. Ind. Supp.— Ejusd . Syn. Supp. ii. p. 165, tab. 129.) 84. Black-iieaded Creeper. (Certhia atricapilla, Lath . Ind. Supp. ii.) 85- Yellow-winged Creeper. (Certhia pyrrhoptera, Lath. Ind. Supp. ?) 86. Creeper, green olive, with hoary head and yellow chin. 87. Black-lined Grosbeak. (Loxia bella. Lath. Ind. Supp.— Ejusd. Syn. 2d Supp. p. 198.) This is described by Latham in his last Supplement, which exactly agrees with our specimen. The Nitid Grosbeak, which he has also described and figured, seems the same species, only differing in the want of black on the cheeks. 88. Red-bellied Flycatcher, 2 Specimens. (Muscicapa erythrogastra, Lath. Ind.— Ejusd. Syn. iii. t. 50.— M. multicolor, Gm. —Nat. Mis. t. 147.) 89. Carmine-bellied Flycatcher. (Muscicapa Lathami, Vigors in Zool. Jour. vol. i. p. 410. t. 13.) This bird has been recently distinguished and described by Mr. Vigors, in the Zool. Journal, as above. He says of it, “ This species is closely allied to M. erythrogastra , Lath, but may be at once distinguished from it by the total absence of white from the wing (with which the other is barred), and from the purplish red of the abdomen, which is bright scarlet in the other species. I have named the species in honour of the venerable author of the General Synopsis of Birds , the father of Ornithology in this country.” Our specimen was labelled “ Mountain Robin.”— Ed. 90. Fan-tailed Flycatcher. (Muscicapa flabellifera, Gm. & Lath. Ind.— Lath. Syn. iii. t. 49.) Found also in New Zealand. 91. Superb Warbler. (Sylvia cyanea, Lath. Ind.— Ejusd. Syn. t. 53.) See before, Recent Acq., no. 37. 92. Speckled Man akin (Pipra punctata, Lath.). See before, Recent Acq., no. 38. 93 Striped-headed Man akin. (Pipra striata, Gm. Sc Lath. Ind.— Ejusd. Syn. iv. t. 54.) T 244 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (G, h)* From Mr. W. Gibbon , Wind-Mill Hills. 94. Short-eared Owl (Strix brachyotos). From Mr. Goodhall , of London , awe? iJfr. Gerard Smith , o/‘ Peckam , joe/* «/. Adamson , 2^. 95. 316 Specimens of Fossil Shells, principally from the London clay and the upper formations of England and France. From Rev. R. Harrison , of Bent House , South Shields. 96. Old Hen Pheasant, in Cock Plumage. Killed in Yorkshire, in 1825. The bird figured in White's Hist, of Selborne, which he took for a hybrid production, is evidently the same as this. It appears to be the general plumage of the female of the Pheasant, when permitted to live beyond the breeding age— See Remark on Painted Pheasant, Foreign Birds, No. 347. From Rev. J. Headlam , Rector of Wycliffe. 97. Portrait of Marm. Tunstall, Esq., a Poker Drawing, from which the engraving placed before his Memoirs, was made by Mr. Lambert. Mr. Headlam informs me that the old people, at Wycliffe, who recollect Mr. Tunstall, say it is the best likeness that had been taken of him. It was purchased at the sale of the furniture, by Mr. H., and presented by him to the Museum, as a memorial of its founder. N. B. Old John Goundry, Mr. Tunstall’s joiner and bird-stuffer, who still resides at Wycliffe, thinks the portrait rather too full-faced, and scarcely possessing that sweetness of character which shone so conspicuously in his revered master. In other respects a good likeness, however. By the description he gives of his death, there is reason to conclude the cause of it to have been hydrothorax. From Mr. Harher , of South America, late of Newcastle. 98. Eighty-eight Specimens of Geology. See List. From Mr. James Horsley , of Newcastle. 99. Horrid Crab (Cancer horridus, Lin.). From Holy Island. From Mr. John Hodgson , of St. Petersburgh. Ten birds from Russia. 100. Wood Grous, male and female (Tetrao Urogallus, Lin.) “ A Capercalie cock and hen from Russia. The latter is an old bird, and larger than the general run ; the cock is a full grown bird, but larger are to be met with.”— Mr. Hodgson's MS. 24 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (g). 101. The Rakkelhaen Grous. (Tetrao medius ( Meyer ), -Tetras Rakkelhan, ejusd. —T. hybridus, Lin. Fn. Saec. no. 20 1 (Rakkelhaen).—Mus. Carls. fas. 1, t. 15.—T. Tetrix, var. y Gmel. —id. var. Lath. Ind.— Urogallus minor punctatus, Briss. —Spurious Grous, Arct. Zool. and Lath. Syn. and Sup.) “ A large Black Cock, from Russia, of a species considered very rare there, and called by sportsmen a ‘ Kneaz,* or ‘ Prince .* It is dilferent from the common Black Cock; I never saw but this one, or heard of it before.”— Mr. Hodgson's note. “ There is a large species of black game in Norway, called Tieure , as large as a Bustard, the head and leg of which I received from my good friend, Mr. Boquet. It was all over grisly black, with a beau¬ tiful shining green gloss on the edges of the feathers on the neck and breast, and having all the other characteristics of the Black Cock. It weighed ten pounds. They are taken by the boors, in the inland and mountainous parts of Muscovia, and brought down to Archangel, and sent as a choice present to our English merchants.”— Albin's Birds (1738), vol. i. p. 2*2. This bird, though scarce, seems to have been long known, as is 6hewn by the above synonyms and quotation from Albin ; but it has always been considered by systematic authors as a hybrid produc¬ tion between the female Wood Grous and the male Black Cock, until M. Temminck, and the other continental Ornithologists, have determined it to be distinct, as well by habits as by characters. It is remarkable that the female has not yet been detected, being probably confounded with the female of the true Black Cock. The Museum is greatly indebted to the donor for so rare and valuable a production, and I have judged it worthy of being engraved by Mr. Bewick, jun. from a drawing made by his father, as there is no other figure of it than one, in the Museum Carlsonianum, a Swedish work, not gene¬ rally known This is the bird, I presume, which is asserted by Mr. Tun stall, from the information of some old Scotch gentleman, to have been formerly existing in Scotland.— See before, Allan Mus. no. 164. We have adopted the local Swedish name, as used by Temminck, as that of the “ Hybrid, or Spurious Grous,” is now be¬ come incorrect— Ed. 102. Hazle Grous, male and female. (Tetrao Bonasia, Lin. & Gm.) “ A brace of Rapchicks , or Tree Grouse , from Russia. This bird forms a very great article of food at St. Petersburgh in the win¬ ter season. Large quantities are brought, in a frozen state, from the governments of Archangel, Vologda, Viatka, &c. It is indeed conjectured, that there are a million of them brought to St. Peters¬ burgh alone, in a single winter; 100,000 brace are frequently bought at one fair for that capital. The price varies from ^ to 2 roubles per brace; the frozen ones run from ^ to 1 rouble per brace. Their flesh is white and delicate, but rather dry. “ What is most surprising is, that probably three-fourths of this im¬ mense quantity are killed with a single shot from small rifles, called in the Russian language “ Vintoffka ” which have a bore about the i i 24 G RECENT ACQUISITIONS (h). size of a small pea. The peasants cat lead into stripes, of the size they want, and bite a shot off when they load. The birds are so stupid that if there are 100 on a tree* (and in winter they go in large flocks), the peasants knock one down after another, always taking the lowest, till they get nearly the whole ! Some few are caught in nets, but they are few, and only in particular places.”— Mr. Hodgson's note. This is the true Hierpe, or Hiarpe, of the Swedes and Laplanders, It is mentioned above, in Mr. Tunstall’s letter, p. 23, and a figure, under that name, is given in Consett’s Tour in Lapland, though the bird figured was probably the female of the Willow Grous, as it has feathered feet. 103. Huffs, 4 Specimens, in full male plumage (TringaPugnax, Lin.), 104. Swiss Sandpiper, summer plumage of Grey S. (Vanellus melanogaster, Tern .—Tringa helvetica, Lin^&c Gm. Swiss Sandpiper, Penn. Arct. Zool.—and Lath. Syn.) The Grey Sandpiper, in its usual winter dress, is rather a rare species in this country; but in its summer dress it is scarcely known, as it then inhabits other countries, which has occasioned it to be described at that time and place as a distinct species. The dark belly is, however, also the dress of the Golden Plover, at the same period. Pennant says, “ it inhabits North America, but breeds also- in the Arctic flats of Siberia, and at the time of migration it appears in all parts of the South of Russia, and is found in France and Swit- land-”— Arct . Zool. From Mr. Albany Hancock , of Neivcastle. 105. Fourteen Species of Shells. See Allan Shells, included in: Letter T. 106. A very fine Specimen of Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris* Lin.). From Mr. T. Hancock. 107* Thirty Species of Shells.— Vide infra. From George Hodgson , Esq. of Newcastle. 108. Land Rail (Gallinula Crex, Lath.). “ It is called Rallus, or Grallus, from its stalking; the Italians call it II Re delle Qualie , as much as to say, the great Quail, or King of Quails; and it is said to be the leader of the Quails, or their guide, when they go from one place to another. The French give it the same name as the Italians do, as ‘ Roy des Cailles and ‘ Mere des Caliles'."—Albin i. p. 30. From Mr. William Hutton , of Newcastle. 109. 1344 geological Specimens, and 73 mineralogical Do. an enu¬ meration of which will be found at the end of this department. * The white, or common Birch (Betula alba, Lin.) Vide Am#n, Acad, in Betula nana. 110. Two Cases of Insects, including several fine Specimens of the larger Lepidopterae of South America. 111. Thirteen Species of Shells, enumerated amongst the Allan Mus. Shells as presented by the Curator. From Mr. Lambert, Engraver , Newcastle. 112. Bernacle Goose (Aas Bernicla, Lin.) A brilliant specimen, lately killed at From a Lady. 313, Pied Flycatcher (Muscicapa atricapilla, Lin). From Mr. Lister, Mosley-street, Newcastle. 114. Ten Species of Shells.— Vide infra. From Literary and Phil. Society, of Newcastle. 115. One Case of Insects, from Dr. Clanny, of Sunderland, 116. One Do. Do. from Major Anderson, Newcastle, re¬ ceived from Demerara, viz. Scaraileus Aloeus,/e?w., festivus, amazonus, fervidus, corda- lis, melanocephalus. Lucanus interruptus. Cassida lateralis, cuprea, marginata, perforata, Judaica, bigut- tata. Chrysomela ignita, or Surinamensis. Cicindela cayennensis. Lampyris depressa, reticulata, faseiata, praeustata. Curculio Palmarum, cinctus (Drury). Brentus anchorago, bifrons. Cerambyx cinnomomeus. Coccinella immaculata. Buprestis gigantea. Hydrophilus piceus. Gryllus cristatus, specularis, Miles (Drury), Tartaricus (Americanus, Dr.), sanguinipes (Fab. Supp.), myrtifolia. Mantis filiformis. Blatta iEgyptiaca, seu Surinamensis. Cicada rubra, lanata. Cimex papillosus. Apis Morio, Surinamensis. Sphex atrox, caerulea. Papilio Anchises; Helenor, Cram ; Menalaus; Antiocha ; Melpomene; Mneme; Sara, (Rhea, Cram.); Thales; Hersilia, Cram; Feronia; Plexippus, Fab. (Erippus, Cram.); albida, Ency. Meth.; Mercatus, (Talus, Cram.); Sichaeus Libellula Junia (Drury) ; flaveola. Aranea avicularia. Jules, with ]8 Segments.—Do. 40 or 45 Seg. . The Wombat. See Bew . Quad. 4th ed. 1800, with fig,— Collins’ New South Wales, with figure and description by Mr. Bass, p. 466— 469.— Home in Phil. Tr. vol. xcviii. part ii. p. 304, with a fig. of stomach inverted .—Geoff An. du Mus. vol. ii .—Cuvier Le 9 - d’anat.—Ency. Britt. 4th ed. article Manmmalia, no. 103, pi. 309, fig. 46.— Rees' Cyclop, article Wombat. This is the original specimen of the curious Quadruped sent in 1798, by James Hunter, Esq. Governor of New South Wales, to the Literary and Philosophical Society, of Newcastle, as the production of an island near the colony; together with a drawing and a descrip¬ tive letter. It was figured by Mr. Bewick, in the 4th ed. of his Quadrupeds, published in 1800, from the drawing only, as he had not then seen the animal, which by some uncommon mistake, did not come before him at the time. On assorting the Curiosa of the Philosophical Society for deposit in the Museum, this interesting specimen was re-discovered, after it had laid in a dried state nearly thirty years, and we have had the annexed engraving made of it by Mr. Bewick, jun. after re-setting it, by Mr. Wingate, in an attitude, which he conceives, from two callosities on its haunches, to be more adapted to its habits, than that given in the former figure. The Wombat inhabits Furneaux’s Islands,* in Bass’s Straits, on one of which, Cape Barren, it was noticed in Oct., 1798, by Mr. Bass, in the voyage in which, in company with Lieut. Flinders, he discovered the passage between New Holland and Van Dieman’s Land, which bears his name, and w’hich determined the latter to be an island. The animal had been discovered in considerable numbers some time before, in the preceding year, 1797, on this or some contiguous island, by the crew of a ship (the Sydney Cove) coming from Bata¬ via, which had been wrecked there, in February of that year, from whence Governor Hunter received it, by a vessel, (the Francis,) which he had sent to the relief of the sufferers, as is noticed in his letter given by Mr. Bewick. The circumstances of the wreck and * Captain Furneaux, in the Adventure, when accidentally separated from the Resolution, Capt. Cook’s ship, in 1773, coasted Van Diemen’s Land, and after looking into the Strait and discovering the above islands, gave his opinion that there was no division between that and the main land of New Holland. This mistake is similar to Capt. Ross’s, in doubting the passage of Lancaster’s Sound. RECENT ACQUISITIONS (l). 249 relief afforded, are recorded in Collins* Account (See pages 412— 416, and 438); but no notice is taken by him of the animal as at that time received, which must have been either unknown to the author, as he afterwards describes it in Mr. Bass’s Journal as an entirely new discovery, or he reserved the discovery to embellish his own work, of which there is some slight evidence in the resemblance of his figure in attitude to the drawing transmitted by Governor Hunter, as engraved in Mr. Bewick’s work, the date of whose letter is anterior to Bass’s voyage. Besides the description given of the animal in Governor Hunter’s letter, as published in Mr. Bewick’s work, a very full account of it, by Mr. Bass, is also to be found in Collins’ New South Wales, which was published in 1804, with a figure. Its external form has been also described by Geoffroy, in Annales du Museum de France, and its internal structure by Cuvier, in Legons d’Anatomie, and in the Phil. Tr. for 1808. Several curious particulars of its habits and ana¬ tomical structure, are given in the latter by Sir E. Home, from his own observations on a specimen which lived with him, in this country, two years; as well as from those of Mr. Bell, surgeon, of New South Wales, which were made on the spot. From these accounts we collect, that it is a graminivorous animal, burrowing in the ground, having an abdominal pouch in the female, for the reception of the young, like most of the New Holland mammalia, and a curious and singular structure in the muscles of the hind legs, suited to burrow¬ ing. From a particular view of certain parts of its internal confor¬ mation, in which it agrees with the American Opossum, but differs from every other genus of animals, it seems to form the intermediate link between the Opossum and Kangaroo. As Mr. Wingate has thought proper to publish, from our speci¬ men, whilst entrusted to his charge, an account of it, we shall not repeat it here, but refer to the Newcastle Magazine, no. , for the same; and in addition to the figure here given, I think it only neces¬ sary to observe, that it has two long incisor-teeth in each jaw, which are mis-stated in Bass’s Journal to be Jive (a typographical error, but which is copied into the Ency. Britt.); then a space of an inch between them and five grinders on each side (or a canine tooth and four grinders, as stated by Mr. Bass, which is most agreeable to ana¬ logy), being twenty-four teeth in all. It has five strong claws on each paw, and four behind, somewhat weaker, with an additional knob. It varies in length from 31 to 26 or 27 inches, which latter is that of our specimen, and the female is said to be the largest. It has almost no tail. Mr. Wingate reports our specimen to have had no marks of an abdominal pouch, and it must therefore have been a male, though in Governor Hunter’s letter, he says, he sent one with a pouch. The Koala is another species of Wombat, which has been since discovered, and was first brought to our settlers iu 1803, from the forests about sixty miles to the south-west of Port Jackson. From an account sent to Sir E. Home by Lieut.-Col. Patterson, Governor of the colony, and a specimen afterwards received, we learn that it resembles the Wombat in anatomical structure, and in size nearly; that it is covered with soft fur, lead-coloured on the back, and white on the belly; that it resides during the day in high trees, in that 250 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (l). respect differing from its congener, though, like it, burrowing in the ground at night; that it creeps rather than runs; and that its pos¬ ture, for the most part, is sitting. Its flesh is eaten by the New Hollanders, who hunt it with great avidity and skill on the trees, where it nestles, which is principally the blue gum tree. It is remarkable that animals which do not seem scarce, should so rarely, if at ail, be found in our Museums, as this is the only speci¬ men that I know of, and that they should remain, as yet, without a scientific name or place in our system, is no less surprising— Ed. 118. The Duck-billed Platypus. (Platypus anatinus, Shaw's Nat. Mis. vol. x. t. 385, 386.— Turt. Lin . i. p. 30.—Ornithohynchus paradoxus, Home in Ph. Tr. for 1800, vol. xc., or Shaw's Abr. vol. xviii. p. 746*) —An amphibious animal, Bew. Quad. 4th ed. (1800). This anomalous quadruped, and so unconformable to system, was also received from Governor Hunter* at the same time (1798), and along with the Wombat. They came over in a cask of spirits,! out of which they were taken and dried. From an accompanying drawing Mr. Bewick copied his figure, given in the 4th ed. of his Quadrupeds (1800), though Dr. Shaw was the first who gave a re¬ presentation and description in Nat. Mis. published July, 1799, from a specimen also furnished by Governor Hunter to Sir Joseph Banks. We must refer to Phil. Tr. for an account of the anatomy of the head and beak of the Platypus, by Sir E. Home, in which he shews the difference between what appears to be its bill, and that of birds, the latter consisting, for the most part, of a bony rim, answering the purpose of teeth, with occasional intermediate membranes, whilst the bony part of the bill of the Platypus is central, and sur¬ rounded with muscle or membrane. Also, it is possessed of two grinding teeth in each side, in both jaws, like a true mammalia, from which, however, it differs in its entire want of matnmce, to the purpose of which, in lactation, its rostrum seems utterly unadapted. How its young are nourished we are not informed, nor whether the generation be oviparous, Several parts of its interior structure are noticed, however, in Cuvier’s Anatomie comparee. The beak is found, on dissection, not to be the animal’s mouth, but a part projecting beyond it; and instead of incisor teeth, the nasal and palate bones are continued forward, lengthening the ante¬ rior nostrils, together with a similar structure in the lower jaw.— * The connexion of Governor Hunter with the Philosophical Society, arose as follows:—“ Governor Hunter married Miss Kent, whose brother, Lieut. W. Kent, R. N. took him out to Port Jackson, and was the first naval commander on the station at New South Wales. Mrs. Hunter and Lieut. Kent were niece and nephew to the late Mr. Bartholomew Kent, of Newcastle, through whom Governor Hunter and Lieut. Kent were pro¬ posed and elected among the first honorary members of the Society, as may be seen in the Report of 1795.”— Rev. Wm. Turner. f A ludicrous, though somewhat alarming, accident is stated to have occurred on this occasion. The woman who was carrying the cask to the Society on her head, burst in the bottom, whilst in that position, when she became almost suffocated, if not drowned, by the discharge of the contents. RECENT ACQUISITIONS (L.) 251 Surrounding these bones is a smooth black skin, extending some¬ what beyond them, and forming a moveable lip. This lip, when dried, is rigid; but when moistened, is pliant, and has, probably, a muscular structure. The nostrils, placed near the end of the beak, render it probable, that the animal can smell beneath the water, and that it is for the purpose of thus procuring its food, that its anomalous appendage is provided. 119. Egyptian Mummy. Present 'd to the Literary and Philosophical Society, October, 1821, by Thomas Coates, Esq. of Haydon Bridge, in Northumber¬ land, who purchased it at Gournou, the burial place of ancient Thebes, the capital of Upper Egypt, of an old Arab, by whom it was dug from its sepulchre. The body is inclosed in a case of plaster, which is beautifully painted with hieroglyphics, and emble¬ matical devices of animals, and adapted to the human form, with a face significant of a high state of civilization. This was further en¬ closed in a wooden coffin of Egyptian Sycamore, about two inches in thickness, of nearly the same form as the inner case, with ano¬ ther female face carved on the lid. Dr. Young’s opinion, which was taken on the subject is, that the deceased was probably a person of rank. It is impossible to do justice, in description, to the beauty and elegance of this valuable piece of antiquity, and for the use of those who are unable to view the prototype, we therefore present the an¬ nexed engraving, which was liberally furnished for the purpose, by Messrs. Mitchell, who had the plate engraven for the Newcastle Ma¬ gazine, in the first number of which is a full and interesting description, by the reverend and worthy Secretary of the Philosophical Society, of the Mummy and of the circumstances connected with its transit to this country. The freshness of the colouring is that of yesterday, though executed 3000 years ago, and but for an acquaintance with its history, it would be difficult to dispossess one’s self of the belief of its being re-painted and re-vamished only of late. The.care of the Society in enclosing it in an air-tight glass case, will, it is hoped, long preserve it in its present perfection, which our humid atmos¬ phere would be too apt to destroy. It is, perhaps, one of the most perfect mummies, if not the very most so, ever dug up. Two others, also very perfect, were in the Arab’s possession at the time when Mr. Coates purchased this. They were intended for the Kings of France and Bavaria. How interesting to the philosoper and divine is this piece of antiquity, which involves considerations of a date equal to that of the Bible, and not without the possibility of its con¬ taining the mortal remains of some personage there noted ! 120. Collection of Minerals, 296 geological Specimens, enumerated in the following list. Certain Savage Weapons and Implements from South Sea Islands, brought over by Captain Wilson, of the Dove, who took out the first Missionaries. 1799. Amongst them are 121. A Barbed Spear, like that in Capt. Cook’s Voyage, vol. i. t. no. 21, p. 220. 252 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (L, m). 122. A Gorget, made of light wood, the out and upper side of which has been studded with scarlet peas, fixed with gum. See Cook’s Voyages, vol. i. pi. no. 17, where is represented a similar one from St. Christina, one of the Marquesas islands. j From Miss Locke , of Cox Lodge Cottage . 123. Little Grebe (Colymbus minor). From Dr. M i Cullock, of Pictou College , New Brunswick. 124. Eight double Cases of Insects, the production of New Bruns¬ wick, collected and preserved by his Pupils. I regret that the want of time has prevented me assorting and presenting a named list of this valuable present, which, however, will, I hope, be done shortly, when a general arrangement of the Insects in the Museum is completed, which is already begun. From Mr. William Marshall , of Westoe. 125. Rough-legged Falcon (Falco lagopus, Gm.). Killed by the donor, near Marsden Rocks. From Dr. Murray , of Knaresbrougli , per Mr. W. Hutton. 126. Eight Specimens of Strontian and Barytes.— See Dr. M.’s paper, in Jameson’s Journal. From Mr. Henry Mewbum , of St. German's , Cornwall. Five British killed birds, viz.:— 127. Tiie Spur-winged, or Gambian Goose. (Anas Gambensis, Lin* & Gm. —l’Oie arm^e. Buff.— Gambo Goose, Will. Orn. p. 275 t. 71- —Lath. Syn. vi. t. 102.— Lev. Mus. pi. at p. 231— Bew. Birds, new ed. ii. pi.at p. 296.) This acquisition has been already noticed in the list of Desiderata where I have included the species in the list of British Birds, as an occasional visitant, from the undoubted evidence of the capture which this valuable specimen affords me. The species inhabits Gambia, in Africa, and has not before been recognized in England, though its passage here is less improbable than that of some other more com¬ mon occasional visitants. Dr. Latham’s figure and description, as well as Dr. Shaw’s, were made from one in the Leverian Museum, which was then the only specimen known in our Museums. The unfortunate dispersion of that valuable collection, renders the ac¬ quisition of another specimen the more interesting. The particulars of the capture I shall now relate in the words of the donor, the ac¬ count of which he has favoured me with, at my request. “ When first seen, it was in a field adjoining the cliffs, at Port- Wrinkle, a small fishing place, about four miles from St. German’s, near which it remained for two or three days. Being several times disturbed by attempts to shoot it, it came more inland, to a low si¬ tuated farm, called Pool, and there associated with the common 253 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (m). Geese; but was wild, and immediately took wing upon being ap¬ proached. Here it kept to and fro for a day or two, but being much disturbed, left, and came down upon the shore of the St. German’s river, or estuary, when the following day (the 20th June, 1821) it was shot by John Brickford, in a wheat field, at Sconnor, about a mile from St. German’s. When killed, it was in the most perfect state, having only one shot in the head. Some gentlemen, who saw it the following day, requested him to let me have it, which he pro¬ mised ; but though he knew I was a bird stuffer, he had a wife, who from some strange infatuation, thought she could stuff it; but being soon convinced of her inability, she cut off the wings for dusters, and threw the skin away ; and it was not till three weeks afterwards that I heard of the circumstance, when I sent a servant, who brought it covered with mud, the head torn off, but luckily preserved, as also one wing, when I had it washed, and put together as well as I was able.” The skin, in this state, was obligingly forwarded to Newcas¬ tle by Mr. Mevvburn, for Mr. Bewick’s use, from whence it passed into Mr. R. Wingate’s hands, who has most ably re-set it, and thus preserved one of the most uncommon ornithological rarities ever known in England. 128. The Brambling, or Mountain Finch. (Fringilla montifringilla, Lin . & Gm.) “ This Brambling was shot on the 19th January, 1819, by the gardeners of the Earl of St. German’s, in the plantations at Port Eliot. I selected it from among thirty or more killed at the same shot, as being the finest in plumage, for they varied much. The gardeners informed me that they were then scarce to what they had been during the severe frost, when they amounted to many thou¬ sands in a flock, and quite covered the beech trees, upon the mast of which they fed, and which was that year more than usually abundant. The whole that came under my inspection were nearly as fat as Snipes in good order, insomuch that I was obliged to use absor¬ bents in taking off the skin, in order to prevent the plumage being damaged.”— Mr . Mczvburn's note. 129. The Hawfinch (Loxia coccothraustes, Lin.).' <% This Hawfinch was caught by a labourer early in March, 1820, in the plantations at Port Eliot. It was weak, and not able to fly more than twenty yards at a time, along the surface of the ground ; but had received no wound, and was in good case. I have seen two more, one of which was shot in the grounds of the Earl of Mount Edgecombe, and was similar in plumage to this ; the other was shot in a tan-yard, at Liskeard, but was not near so brilliant, the ash and rufous colours very dull, the head more black, the belly a dirty reddish white, and the whole of the upper part and back much similar to our House Sparrow.”— Mr. Mewburn's note. 130. Cirl Bunting. (Emberiza Cirlus, Lin. — Mont. Orn. Diet, with col. fig.— Bew. Birds, new ed. pi. at p. 174.) “ This Specimen was shot in April, 1820, by Mr. John Drewe, of Devonport, at Ford, near Stoke Damerel, Devon. He informs K k 254 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (M.) me that he has seen several, and found the nests of one or twopaiis; that they do not perch much upon the hedges, like the Yellow Bunting, but prefer the top boughs of large trees, particularly the elm, and are found near woods and low situations ; that their note is unvaried, ,but a quick chirping repetition, something similar to the first part of that of the Yellow Bunting. Mr. Drewe lias now a very fine pair in his possession. The Cirl Bunting is of tae size, figure, and colour of the Yellow Hammer, but not with so much yellow on the breast and belly, and having the throat speckled with a dead ver¬ milion colour; it is a shy bird.”— Mr. Mewburn s note. 131. Little Auk (Alca Alle, Lin.). “ This was caught by a boy, in a small brook, at Treskelly, in the parish of St. German’s, 5th October, 1823. It was weak and very lean when taken, and died the following day. The brook where it was caught is a mile and a half from the St. German s river, into which it empties itself, and three miles and ahalffromthe sea shore. — Mr. Mewburri*s note. I think well to copy the remainder of Mr. Mewburn’s interesting remarks on other species, which I cannot conveniently distribute in their places, not only in justice to the value of them, but as an acknowledgment of that gentleman’s liberality and courtesy on the occasion. It is by the accurate memoranda of such correct observers of nature, that a body of materials is collected for the purposes of a general history of animals, which is admirably exemplified in White’s Natural History of Selborne. “ I also sent to Mr. Bew'ick, a male specimen of the Little Bus¬ tard, shot at Triffie, in the parish of St. German’s, and about a mile from the sea, in July, 1816. I could never hear but of one more being seen in this part, and that many years ago. It was also a male, and was bought in Plymouth market, and dressed at one of the inns there as a Pheasant for the traveller’s table. Before I conclude I beg to say, that Mr. Drewe, whom I have before mentioned, and who is attached to his Majesty’s dock-yard, has got a very respectable collection, and excellently set up, particularly in the Diver and Tringa tribes, in the latter of which I think this part of the country abounds. He has also a fine pair of Phalaropes, which were taken in Hamoaze, about December, 1821. \\ hen driven to the shore, they were so weak, that one (the male) was immediately caught, and the other (a female) knocked down by a boy with a stick. Within the last eighteen months, a pair of Egrets, two or three Orioles, the Bittern, a Great Northern Diver, and a fine male Scoter have been taken in this county; the latter upon the same farm from whence I got the Little Bustard; but from the same ill fate as attended the Spur-winged Goose, I did not get it. 44 St. German's , 7th March y 1826. “ H. M. “ About seven years ago I saw T seven House Martins flying about at Heskyn Hill, about a mile from this place, on the 9th November, and this year I saw a House Martin flying about (as usual) on 8th December, in the borough of St. German’s. The autumn has been most unusually wet and mild, the grass now growing similar to April and often May in the north of England. Again on the other hand, the Swallow left this part nearly three weeks before their usual time. It appears that the all-wise hand of Providence has made them nforehand sensible of the long series of wet, which would be de¬ structive of their food, for on the 16th August, I observed them congregated in great numbers upon the roof of Port Eliot House, the seat of the Earl of St. German’s. They remained so a few days, after which there were only stragglers. The weather changed on the 26th of August, and from that time we have (only with one ex¬ ception of three days) not had above 36 hours dry at one time, up to the present date. I also saw five or six Fieldfares, on the 10th April, about six years ago, which I thought late for them, as they generally leave before the Redwing, of which I had seen none for above three weeks preceding— St. German's, \2th Dec. 1821. II. M.” From Charles Millner , Esq. of Lambton. 132. A Milk-white Blackbird, young, taken alive in his garden. August 10, 1826. From John Murray , Esq. Newcastle . 133. Two Species of Shells. See Allan Mus. Cat. of Shells. 134. Seven Ditto. See following List. From Mr E. C. Milburn , of North Shields . 135. Five Bottles filled with Gulph Weed (Fucus natans, Lin. F. bacciferus, Turn. Syn. of Br. Fuci, p. 48— Osbeck Vov. 2 p. 109.). * 9 The extreme abundance of this Sea Weed, which is found float¬ ing in the Atlantic Ocean, is known to most Trans-atlantic Voy¬ agers, and has occasioned the parts where it is met with to be denominated the Grass-Sea. It was first observed by Columbus in his passage to America, wheu he described it as resembling a meadow in the sea, covered with a plant like half-dried hay, with leaves of Rue, bearing berries like those of dried Juniper. It was called Sargazo by the Spaniards. “ It is owing to the air bladders* that it is able to preserve its wandering existence ; and it is to this latter circumstance, that numerous tribes of fishes are indebt¬ ed for their sustenance; another proof of the wisdom of the De¬ ity in providing for the wants of his meanest creatures.” (Turn. Syn. p. 54.). Osbeck says that if it is prepared with vinegar, it is reckoned as good as samphire, as a pickle. He supposes that it comes from America, and states that is found between 17 and 24 deg. N. lat. and 37 and 39 W. Ion. from London. Linnaeus says that its habitat is the open sea, and its roots unattached, and that, in his opinion, it is the most common vegetable in the world. “Vege¬ table, ni fallor, inter omnia in orbe, numerosissimum.”—Sp. pi. 1628 . 136. Lizard in Bottle. 137. Fish in Ditto. * Which arc sufficiently obvious in our specimens. 256 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (N, 0 5 p). 138. Lizard and Mantis in Bottle. 139. Two Bottles with Gryllae. 140. Two Ditto with Serpents. 141. One Ditto w r ith Centipede. From His Grace the Duke of Northumberland. 142. Two Specimens of Painted Pheasants. (Phasianus pictus, Lin.) From Rev. E. Otter , Bothal. 143. Red Phalarope, (Phalaropus hyperboreus, Lath.). 144. Black-iif.aded Gull. (Larus ridibundus Lin.) winter plumage. From Messrs G. Sf C. Otter , Bothal. 145. Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus, Ternm.). From Mr H. L. Pattinson , of Alston. 146. One large Specimen of Fluor. From Mr Geo. Palmer , of South Shields , Commander of the Cove , Whaler , of Newcastle. Nine Birds from Baffin’s Bay. 147. The Willow Grous, female, (Tetrao Saliceti, Temm .—Tetras des Saules, ejusd. T. albus, Gmel. # Lath .—White Partridge, Edw. t. 101.—White Grous, Arct. Zool .—Rehusak Grous, Penn, fy Lath .— Sno- ripa, Consctt's Tour in Lapl. pi. at p. 72, fig. sup. false “ Hierpe,” the female or young of lowerfig. vere “ Snoripa”.) This bird, which was killed on the Danish island of Disko, I take to be the true Snoripa or Lapland Grous , in its summer plumage, and it must be distinguished from the Ptarmigan, which it resembles in the all-white dress at certain seasons, and the permanently white quill- feathers with black shafts, common to both species, but differing from it in its larger size (of the male at least) and scarlet eye-brows in the cock, whereas the same are black in the Ptarmigan. It is found as far North as the Polar Regions, and seldom far South, and never in the Swiss Alps, where the Ptarmigan is plen¬ tiful. It lives in the woods* of the high vallies, and on the sides of the Lapland Alps, whilst the Ptarmigan keeps to the tops of hills-f- and snowy regions. It is common to the North of Europe, and of America, in which latter continent, it is found in Hudson’s Bay, in great plenty, as well as in Baffin’s Bay, from whence this specimen was brought, though not in such plenty. Linnseus in Fauna Succica * Hence called Skorv Bipa, or Wood Grous.— Arct. Zool. f Fiadl ripa or Mountain Grous. — ibid, ct in Amccn. Acad. 2.57 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (p). has described only one species of White Grous, but seems to have mixed up the characters of the two. This species has only lately been well defined by M. Temminck, though an interesting account of it, under the name of the White Grous, was written by Pen¬ nant in “Arctic Zoology,” in which however part of the descrip¬ tion belongs to the Ptarmigan, under the name of Fieeld Hype. In a treatise on the Dwarf Birch ( Rctula nana ), in Amcenitatcs Academicoc, is an account of the two kinds of White Grous, which justifies, I think, the above appropriation. It is as follows : “ There is besides a certain species of birds (Tetrao Lagopus, Fn. Suec.) called in Swedish Ripa , of which there are two varie¬ ties, one less, which lives in the Lapland Alps, the other larger, which commonly inhabits the woods of Lapland. The latter is brought to us in winter, and exposed for sale under the name of Snoripa ; the former called Ficell ripa, is more rarely met with us. Both these birds, the Alpine and the Sylvan, agree altogether in form; and the colour of each varies according to the time of the year. The former feeds in spring on the flowering catkins of Betula nana , and the rest of the year eats the seeds, and uses no other food scarcely; like the Bonasia of Fn. Suec. (in Swedish Hicrpe , also a species of Tetrao) which almost entirely confines it¬ self to the common birch for food. The flesh of all these is most delicate to the palate.”— Amcen. Acad . vol. i. p. 20, (ed. 1785.) in Betula nana. The above quotation shews that the two kinds were well known in Sweden as early as the date of the dissertation, viz. 1743, though they were not distinguished as species. We are indebted to the late Sir H. G. Liddell, Bart, for introducing to us the true Snoripa (See Consett’s Tour) and to M. Temminck for a correct account of it. This species is represented as having a loud and peculiar voice, something like a coarse laugh* (hence called by one author, Tetrao cachinnans ) which must be heard, I suppose, in summer only, as it is elsewhere called in its winter dress “ Tetras muet.” The Ptar¬ migan on the contrary is represented as totally silent. Mr. Con- sett’s story of the Ghost must refer to its former state. His ac¬ count of the species is as follows. “ The Snoripa is rather larger than the Hierpe; for the first two years this bird turns white in the winter, and grey in the summer, like the hares in this country. Afterwards it remains always white. It makes an extraordinary noise, and particularly at nights. By some accident a few years ago, this bird happened to make its appearance within an hundred miles of Stockholm, which very much alarmed the common people in the neighbourhood. In short, from the particular noise it made at nights, a report prevailed amongst the vulgar that the wood was haunted by a Ghost. So much were they terrified by this invisible spirit, that nothing could tempt the post-boys, after it was dark, to pass the dreadful wood. This spirit, however, was at last happily removed by the sagacity of some gentlemen who sent their game- * This peculiarity is mentioned by Linnaeus in his combined account of Tet. Lagopus—“ Terrefacta cachinnos edit ut bajulus.” When frighten¬ ed, they utter sounds like the coarse laughter of a porter.—Fn. Suec. 20S. 258 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (p). keepers by moon-light into the wood, and discovered the harmless Snoripa.* These birds are reckoned great rarities at Stockholm, whither they are sent in the winter, and sold at very high prices. P. 72 73. The Willow Grous, like the Ptarmigan, is white in winter, and even a considerable part ol the summer, if not the whole, in high Northern latitudes, where our navigators meet with it in that dress during the short summer which they pass there. This is corrobo¬ rative of the correctness of Mr. Consett’s statement of its being white at all times after the second year’s growth, though not noticed as such by Temminck. Indeed Sir H. G. Liddell’s party having found it in that dress at Tornao, in Midsummer, and it being well known to the Davis’ Straights whale ships, which are there at no other season, leave no doibt of the fact, which seems to justify the emphatic appellation of White Grous, given it by Pennant, in pre¬ ference to the subsequent name of Temminck’s. It is the male, however, which is particularly observed in this dress, and which is readily distinguished by its red caruncles. It stands, as Captain Palmer reports from repeated observation, high on its legs, and is not unlike our breed of wlite poultry. In October it comes down and feeds on the tops of the dwarf willow, from whence it derives its latest name. In the winter it burrows in the snow (hence Sno¬ ripa) and feeds on the berries of the dwarf birch, at that time cover¬ ed up. Having before mentioned in Mr. Tunstall’s memoirs, p. 23, Con- sett’s Tour in Lapland, as connected with Mr. T.’s letters, in which the Snoripaf is noticed, [ shall take this opportunity of adjusting the birds engraved in tha: work by Mr. Bewick, agreeable to mo¬ dern synonymy. The plates are the only specimens, that I know of, of that artist’s labours on copper. PI. at p. 71. The Kader or Chader, m. & f. is Tetrao Uro- gallus, Lin. or W7)od Grous-—Fide Fn. Suec. no. 200. 72. The Orre, m. & f. is T. Tetrix, Lin. or Black Grous, ibid n °l_. The Snoripa ( white bird) is T. Saliceti, Temm. or Willow Grous. _The Hierpe (upper fig.) is the female or young of the last. The true Hierpe is T. Bonasia, Lin. Fn. Suec. no. 204, or Hazel Grous, which this cannot be, as the figure is feathered to the toes, and does not resemble the raried markings of the latter species. It is very like our present specimen, however, which species I take it t0 Mr. Tun stall was therefore mistaken in supposing the Snoripa to be the Ptarmigan, misled by its resemblance, and perhaps by Lin¬ naeus’s synonym in Fn, Stec. 148. The Harlequin Duck, male. (Anas histrionica, Lin. Gm. — Edw. birds, t. 99, male.) I rejoice that the hope expressed at p. 124, in regard to this rare and beautiful species of Aias, has been so speedily realized; and I * Temm. Pig. et Gall, f Misprinted Inorypa. 259 liECENT ACQUISITIONS (p). have to return Captain Palmer my thanks for his attention to my request on his leaving this country. This specimen was shot by one of his crew, also in the island of Disko, in Baffin’s Bay, in a rivulet about a mile from the sea, agree¬ ably to the ordinary haunts of the species, as recorded by Montagu, in Orn. Diet. When first killed it exhibited the most brilliant pur¬ ple reflections on the neck, which have now in some degree faded. These Ducks are not plentiful even in that country. The figure in Edwards is found, on comparing it with our specimen, to be most exact, and in the best style of that excellent draftsman, who, take his works all in all, has scarcely ever been excelled. 149. Black Guillemot (Uria Grylle, Lath.). Killed at Woman’s Islands, lat. 730. 150. Two Foolish Guillemots (Uria Troile, Lath.). Killed at Hare Islands. 151. Eider Duck (Anas mollissima, Lin.). Killed at Woman’s Islands. 152. Two Puffins (Alca arctica, Lin.). Killed at sea, in lat. 730. 153. Tawney Bunting (Emberiza glacialis, Gm.). Killed at sea in the entrance of Davis’ Straits. The above specimens of Polar Birds are a pledge, I hope, of the spirit that is beginning to prevail in regard to furnishing subjects of Natural History from the hyperborean regions, by the intrepid ad¬ venturers, who annually explore those obscure recesses of nume¬ rous tribes of animals, and disturb, for the time, the rule of their empire. Now that they know that a safe and careful deposit is fur¬ nished for the fruit of their exertions, they will more readily take the trouble of acquiring subjects, and we may hope, through their means, to possess a very tolerable Fauna lonalis , of which this port, through its whale fishery, is so well adapted to be the receptacle. The same observation applies to the town of Hull, having a still more extensive connexion in the northern fishery, and being equally furnished with a Museum. Capt. Palmer has not confined his attention to Natural History, but has extended his observations to antiquities and the customs of the thinly scattered population. In the former department he has this year brought home an inscription in Runic characters, with a Danish translation, copied from an engraving of a stone found with¬ in two or three years, in a tower, on the top of one of the Frow or Woman’s Islands, 700 feet high, in lat. 730, which bears date A. D. 1133, an account of which will, I hope, be found in the next Vo¬ lume of Transactions of the Newcastle Antiquarian Society. This discovery goes to shew that navigation existed in that quarter much earlier, and in higher latitudes than has been supposed. The stone probably was intended to mark the extent of some maritime expedi¬ tion of Icelanders, who, at that date, were the only civilized part of Europe. They must have coasted Eastern Greenland, and dou¬ bled Cape Farewell, and have stretched up along the shores of West Greenland, until their progress was stayed by the ice, which usually 260 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (P, R). forms a cross barrier in Baffin’s Bay, at about the latitude of Wo¬ man’s Islands. . Capt. Palmer also travelled 30 miles over the ice, at the invitation of some Esquimaux, to examine some images, which howeverturned out to be only rocks, bearing some rude marks of a Colossal human figure, though perhaps objects of superstition to the natives. From Mr, Philips , of Newcastle. 154: Ring-tailed Maucauco (Lemur Catta, Lin.). 155. Bohemian Chatterer (Ampelis Garrulus, Lin.). 156. Chameleon (Lacerta Chamaeleon, Lin.). 157. Two other Laeertae, and One Snake. From Mr. Echvard Pletts , of Newcastle. 158. Horns of Rein Deer (Cervus Tarandus, Lin.). From Mr. W. Reay , Jun. Walker. 159. Two Specimens of Red-tiiroated Diver. (Colymbus septentrionalis, Lin.) Shot near the Falls of Fyers, Scotland. From Mr. Chas. Redgment , Seaton Delaval. 160. White Hare, killed on the Seaton Delaval Estate. From Mr. Wm. Robertson , of Newcastle. 161. Snow Bunting. (Emberiza nivalis, Lin .—Bew. B. n. ed. vol. i. pi. at p. 178.). It alighted in an exhausted state on the rigging of a Greenland Whaler, in Baffin’s Bay, and was caught and brought to England by Mr. Geo. Haswell, late of Newcastle, now of Halifax, Nova Scotia. . Mr. Bewick has made his figure from this specimen, for his new edition. See also Recent Acquis. No. 23. 162. Black Guillemot (Uria Grylle, Lath.). Shot on the nest on the shores of Baffin’s Bay, and brought to England by Mr. George Haswell. 163. Main Parrot. (Psittacus aestivus, var. Grn. fy Lath. — Brown Jam. 4/~.) “ This Parrot travelled over great part of the known world with the wife of an officer in the British army, and was left a few years ago with Mr. Robertson’s sister, but only lived with her five days, for after it lost its mistress, it refused to eat, and never spoke, though when with her it was remarkably loquacious. Does not this shew that Parrots can feel a strong affection for their benefactors ?” _ Mr. Robertson's note. It is supposed to be indigenous only on the main land of Arne- RECENT ACQUISITIONS (s). 261 rica, (whence its name) though it is found in Jamaica, as is shewn by the above synonym, where it probably is only imported. From Mr, T, Scott, Newcastle Fire Office, 164. A variety of the Common Sparrow. From the Rev. Archdeacon Scott, of New South Wales. 165. Sixty-four Species of Insects from New South Wales. 165. *One hundred and twenty-five Specimens of Minerals from New South Wales, and Van Diemen’s Land. An account of the Rev. Mr. Scott’s New Holland minerals, as above, was published in a paper, by Mr. Winch, in “ Annals of Philosophy,” for May, 1823, art. iii. vol. 5, New Series, p. 341, on which Mr. W. makes the following interesting observations :— “By many theorists it has been conjectured that these lands (viz. New Holland, &c.) are of more recent formation than those of the other parts of the globe, but with how little justice such an opi¬ nion has been adopted, an examination of this list of minerals will evince; the conclusions to be drawn from which are, that, with the exception of the diluvium, no formation more recent than our mag¬ nesian limestone has been found in Van Diemen’s land, or our coal formation in New South Wales; that the mountain limestone, old red sand stone, grey wacke, porphyry, clay slate, chlorite slate, gneiss, and granite, follow each other, in the same order of succession as is the case in other parts of the world; that no pumice or recent lava have been detected; and that the most remarkable phenome¬ non is, the existence of impressions of leaves of phrenogamous plants in the shales.”—Coal, resembling that of the North of England, which is among these specimens, is found both at Van Diemen’s Land, and New South Wales. The Reverend Thomas Hobbes Scott, to whom we are indebt¬ ed for the above presents, and whose valuable correspondence we possess in so interesting a part of the world, is Archdeacon of New South Wales, in which colony he resides. He is also Rector of Whitfield, in Northumberland, given him by his brother-in-law, Mr. Ord, and at present held for him by the Rev. A. Hedley, late Sec. Lit. & Phil. Soc. of Newcastle. He first visited the colony as Secretary to Commissioner Bigge, at which time he collected the geological specimens he presented to the Society. • From Prid. John Selby , Esq., F. L. S., Twizell House. 166. Selby’s (or arctic) Tern. (Sterna arctica, Temm.—Selby on Birds of Farn Islands in Zool. J. vol. ii. p. 461.) The presentation of a specimen of this now well-established Bri¬ tish bird by the investigator himself, enables me to pay a tribute of respect to his discovery by naming, for the first time, the species (in English) after him, which, considering that he is the first who has detected it in England, and that, too, in comparative plenty, and in¬ digenous, together with his contiguity to the habitat, will be thought not inappropriate, and at least more suitable than the mere transla- 262 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (S, t). tion of Temminck’s synonym, which does not apply to the bird as a British species. If we are bound, therefore, by Temminck’s first notice of the species, to retain Sterna arctica as the scientific name, I hope this announcement of Selby’s Tern will be considered equally binding in English nomenclature, as it is, in this respect, as much a discovery as the other, and that it will not be superseded on the score of priority, by the slight notice of the other English name, which Mr. S. has modestly employed for the moment. In¬ deedit were well if personal appellations as specific terms, were re¬ served, to be applied only to the discoverers of species, and that they were not used as complimentary tributes towards friends, who, how¬ ever deserving, have nothing to do with the subjects to which their names are appended.—For account of the species, see before p. p. 120 and 213. From Mr. Wm. Shipley , of Dilston. 167. Four Crossbills (Loxia curvirostra, Lin.). From Sir John Edw. Swinburne, Bart, of Capheaton , Presi¬ dent of Lit. and Phil. Society of Newcastle. 168. A Model of an Esquimaux Canoe, Fishermen, and Implements, made in the country, and brought from Baffin’s Bay by an officer of Capt. Ross’ ship ; presented June 27,1826. From W. C. Trevelyan , Esq., M. G. S., of Wallington. 169. Seventy-seven Geological Specimens, from the Strata in the neighbourhood of Bamburgh, with a Plan. They are illustrative of a Paper on the Geology of a part of the Coast, written by the Donor, and printed in the Memoirs of the Wernerian Natural History Society, vol. iv. p. 253; at the end of which may be found a list of these Specimens; and in which he begs to correct an error at No. 56, which should be “ Quartz and Calc. Spar in veins in the Trap,” and No. 64, “ Quartz imbedded in the Trap.” Mr. Trevelyan’s survey includes an extent of about three miles of the Bamburgh coast, from Budle Granary to Iselstone, together with Holy Island, and part of the Feme* Islands. The numbers of the specimens correspond to the spots whence they were taken, as marked on the plan. The most usual rocks are Lime and sand Stone, overlaid by the trap, which here is a striking formation, and gives a peculiar character to this part of the coast of Northumberland, north of the Newcastle coal-field. The bold foundations of Bamburgh Castle are a bed of columnar trap, of 75 feet thickness, seated on a free stone of at least similar depth. The next appearance of the trap, to the north, is at Holy Island, where it appears as part of a dyke, and the remainder of the isle consists of alternations of limestone, grit, coal, and shale. The seam of coal is about 18 inches thick, and was worked, for a short time, towards the NW. of the island. * Fern , Feme , and Farn, are all modes of spelling used by different authors. RECENT ACQUISITIONS (t). 263 The Feme Islands, or Staples, which, at high water, are between 20 and 30 in number, are many of them connected at low water, so as to form only about 13. They consist, principally of a hard, coarse trap, inclining to columnar, which in some rises to the height of nearly 100 feet* above low water-mark. The steep sides generally face the south or south-west, and on the other side they slope gra¬ dually to a level with the sea, similar to the trap on the opposite coast. In a vault of a tower, on the north end of the principal island, is a we I in the trap; and towards the north point is, in storms, a remarkable jet d'cau , called the Churn. I may here add, from Mr. oelby s account, a list of the birds which are known to breed in these islands : T 1. Common Swallow; 2. Rock Lark; 3. Jack- 4 * P ur P le Sandpiper; 5. Oyster Catcher; 6. Ring Plover; 7. Eider Duck ; 8. Foolish Guillemot; 9. Razor Bill; 10. Puffin ; 11. Cormorant; 12 Crested do. ; 13. Selby’s Tern ; 14. Roseate lern; 15 Sandwich Tern; 16. Lesser Black-backed Gull; 17 Herring Gull; 18. Kittiwake. The Great Seal also (Phoca bar- bata, Lin.) inhabits there, but not the Common Seal at all, though plentiful upon the coast. G 170. One Specimen of Mill Stone Grit, containing Garnetts. Lately found by the Donor at Shaftoe Crags. 171. Fifteen Specimens of Minerals from the Ferroe Islands. Mr. T. observes that the Ferroe Islands appear to be of the same formation as that of Antrim, and of the Western Islands; they are literally mountains surrounded with water, and are composed of numerous alternations of almost all the varieties of trap, which are so regular, that the hills appear as if they \frere divided by a number of terraces; and most of the beds are divided by a thin stratum of red or green day iron stone, a formation peculiar, he thinks, to these islands, where occur veins of coal similar, but superior, to the Scotch, basaltic veins, accompanied by thick veins of zeolite_ columnar greenstone, in a bed of great thickness,—and native cod- per in most of the rocks. Mr. T. is of opinion that Ferroe is the antient fhule. The foregoing is abstracted from an account of a q the .donor to Profess 01 * Buckland, dated Copenhagen, Dec. 3, 1821, read to the Geol. Soc —See Annals of Phil, new Series, voi. v. p. 70. I Sl!rl eVei \ ^P ec ^ mens of Fossil Echini, from Ramsgate. 1/0 One do. of Transition Slate, with impressions of Shells and Lncnmtes, from Exmoor, Devon. l/l*One Fossil, from near Provins, France. 172. Shells, viz. Lepas tracheaeformis, L. Balanus, & L. Stroemia. / . Bittern (Ardea stellaris, Lin.) lately killed in this county. From Mr. J. Thompson , Crowhall Mill , near Ridley Hall. 174. Golden Crested Wren (Motacilla Regulus, Lin.). Mr. Selby only estimates it at 35 or 10 feet. 2(34 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (T, w). From Mr . */. Thornhill , Curator of the Museum. 175. Eighty Species of Shells, Fide Allan Mus. Shells. 176. Roseate Tern (Sterna Dougalli, Mow*.). From Rev. TV. Turner , 0/ Newcastle. 177* Locust imbedded in Sulphur; brought from Palermo, in a cargo of that substance, landed at Newcastle. From Mr. J. A. Turner , Manchester. 178. A large Mantis, or Walking Stick Insect, allied to M. gigas, from New South Wales. From Wm. Wallis, Esq. of Westoe. 179 . Tawny Bunting (Emberiza glacialis, Gm.). From Mr. C. N. Wawn, of Newcastle. 180. Skull of a Walrus (Trichechus Rosmarus, Lin.), brought from the arctic regions by Capt. Scoresby. From Thomas Walker , Esq. of Shotley Hall. 181. WHiMBREL(Numenius Phaeopus, Lath.). 182. Sparrow Hawk, female (Falco Nisus, Lin.). 182* Stoat Weasel (Mustela erminea, Lin.). From N. J. Winch, Esq., F. L. and G. S'., of Newcastle. 183. Small Tortoise. , ^ __ T From Honduras. Lived two years with the Donor. Was am¬ phibious, fed on flies, and slept throughout the winter. 184. Fifty-five Rock Specimens from Holy Island, illustrative of its Geology, on which a Paper by the Donor was published in the “ Annals of Philosophy,’’ for Dec. 1822, vol. 4, p. 426, New Ser. The above paper, in which considerable pains are exhibited in dis¬ playing the Geology, Botany, and Testacea, of which correct lists are given, is too long for introduction here, even in the most com¬ pressed form, and we must, therefore, refer to it for an elucidation of this donation—The fossils, commonly called St. Cuthbert s Beads, which are Encrinites, are here abundant in a detached state, from their being imbedded in the Shale, which easily decomposes from the action of the sea, among the rejectamenta of which they are found. These Encrini are also found in the accompanying lime - stone, which has sometimes hence been called Encrmal limestone, where, from the hardness of the rock, they remain permanent. 1 he Erythrcea lit tor alls, figured in “Eng. Botany,” t. 2305, was sent to Mr. Sowerby by Mr. Winch, fwho, we believe, was its original dis¬ coverer,) from this island, where it is most abundant on the links to the north of the island. 185. Hortus siccus Britannicus, consisting of about 428 Species of Plants indigenous in the North of England, which were RECENT ACQUISITIONS. 265 originally collected by the donor, in conjunction with Mr. Waugh and Mr. Thornhill, for the illustration of the Work of the donor, “ The Botanist’s Guide through Northumberland and Durham,” and presented by him in 1804 to the Literary and Philosophical Society. They are to be found enumerated in the Compendium, along with the other British Plants pre¬ sented by Mr. Adamson. The record of this donation should more properly have been inserted under the head of the Lit. and Phil. Society. 186. Twenty-seven Specimens of Lapland Plants.— Vide infra. 187. Forty-two Ditto of Swiss Ditto.— Ditto. 188. Thirty-two Ditto of Italian Ditto.— Ditto.. 189. Specimen of Lagetto Bark (Lagetta lintearia). From Jamaica, mentioned before, p. 177. 190. One Specimen of Coral. • 191. Collection of Shells, containing 140 species of British, and 141 Ditto of Exotic Shells —See Allan Mus. List. From Mr. Wright , of Newcastle. 192. Rhinoceros Horn. This animal substance, the identity of which can hardly be doubt¬ ed, on comparison with the other gigantic specimen of the same we possess from the Allan Museum, was found amongst a parcel of bones, imported by Messrs. Doubleday & Easterby, for the purpose of the soap manufacture, and was judiciously selected by Mr. Wright, their agent. It must have been thrown out of some mu¬ seum. Its length, taking the bend is 23£ inches, the chord of the arch 23 J inches ; circumference at base 20£ inches, and the weight 41b. 9oz. PURCHASED SINCE THE RECEIPT OF THE ALLAN MUSEUM. I. Of Mr. J. Wingate, of Newcastle. 193. Peregrine Falcon (Faleo peregrinus. Gnu). 194. Red-headed Smew (Mergus albellus, fern. Lm .), 195. Black-cock (Tetrao Tetrix,mas. Lin.). 196. Coal Titmouse (Parus ater, Lin.). 197. Common Wren (Sylvia Troglodytes, Lath.). 198. Green-finch (Loxia Chlons, Lm.) 199. Long-tailed Titmouse (Parus candatus, Lm.). 200. Common Creeper (Certhia familiaris, Lm.). 201 Wood Wren (Sylvia Sylvicola, Mont.). 202. Purre (Tringa alpina, Lin.). 203. Golden-crested Wren (SyJ rORRE unug« aim T 203 Golden-crested Wren (Sylvia Regulus, Lath.). o (\A -Rt Artr-rmN Grebe (Podiceps minor, Hebndicus.). Godwit, in winter plumage (Limosa ruia, 1 cm .). 266 RECENT ACQUISITIONS. 207. Two Middle-spotted Woodpeckers (Picus medius, Lin,). 208. Pileated Woodpecker (Picus pileatus, Lin.). 209. Sandwich Tern (Sterna Cantiaca, Gm.). 210. Great Northern Diver (Colymbus glacialis, Lin.). 211. Lesser Petty Chaps (Sylvia hippolais, Lath.). II. Of Mr. B. Leadbeater , Brewer- Street, London. 212. Bee-eater (Merops Apiaster, Lin.). III. By the Editor. 213. Grey Hen, fem. of Black Cock (Tetrao Tetrix, Lin.). 214. Black-billed Auk (Alca Pica, Lin.). 215. White-faced Duck, of Brit. Mis. (Anas Marila, Lin. jun.). 216. African Heron (Ardea Caspica, Gm. —A. purpurea, Tem.]\m.). 217. Common Heron (Ardea cinerea, Lin.). 218. Duck-billed Platypus (Platypus anatinus, Shaw)* This is a larger and finer specimen than that belonging to the Ph. Society, and was purchased in London last year. It measures in length from the end of the tail to the point of the beak 224 inches and exclusive of the beak, 20 inches. ADDITIONAL PRESENTS. From John Adamson , Esq. of Newcastle. 219. Old Wife Fish (Labrus Tinea, Lin.). From Mr. Geo. Atkinson , of Carr s Hill. 220. Vegetable Impression in Iron Stone, From the Rev. Thomas Baker , of Whitburn. 221. Gar Fish, or Sea Pike (Esox Belone, Lin.). From Chas. Wm. Bigge, Esq. of Linden. 222. Male Kestril (Falco Tinnuneulus, Lin.). From Mr. Bryharn , of Cowpen, Blyth. 223. Seventeen Specimens illustrative of a Whin Dyke, lately dis¬ covered in Cowpen Colliery. From M. Cut ley, Esq. Copeland Castle. 224. Hen Pheasant in Cock Plumage. 225. Kingfisher (Alcedo Ispida, Lin.). RECENT ACQUISITIONS. 267 From Miss Clark , of Dover Place , New Kent Road , London , % A/r. */. Gibson. 226. Nineteen Species of Foreign Shells, and One Humming Bird. From Mr, William Davidson , Collingwood-street. 227. Brambling, m. and fem. (Fringilla montifringilla, From Mr Jos, Dickenson , Alston, 228. Red Grous, male and female (Tetrao Scoticus, Lath,), From Miss Drury , o/’ Tynemouth, 229. Thirty-five Species of Corallines, collected by the Donor on the sea-coast between Prior’s Haven and St. Mary’s Island;— viz.:—5 species of Cellaria, 2 of Eschara, 5 of Flustra, 2 of Spongia, 1 of Alcyonium, and 20 of Sertularia. 230. Three Specimens of Vesicaria marina , or Sea Wash Ball, the Oviaries or Matrices of some of the larger Univalve Shells. It is frequently thrown up on our shores, and is used by the sai¬ lors as soap to wash their hands.—See Ellis , Cor. p. 84, pi. 32. fig. B. b. This is a beautiful, and interesting donation, and highly credit¬ able to the taste and skill of the donor. From Mr, Falla , Gateshead, 231. A Specimen of Pumpkin. (Cucurbita Pepo, Lin.). Grown in Suffolk, weight 102| lbs.; girth 6 feet 2 inches. This is recorded in honour of the donor, and as a more permanent me¬ morial of its size than its decaying nature will otherwise afford. From Rev. Robert Green , Newcastle. 232. Blue Titmouse (Parus cceruleus, Lin.). 233. Common Wren (Sylvia Troglodytes, Lath.). From Dr. Griffith , of Philadelphia. 234. Thirty Species of American Shells. Vide infra. From Mr. G. Gibsone , Newcastle. 235. One Specimen of Ginger Coral. 236. Two Ditto of Spider Crab, male and female. 237. Three Ditto of Star Fish. From Messrs. Goodall and Smith , London. 239. Fifty Specimens of Fossils from the Green Sand Formation of Blackdown Hills, Devon. “ The common White Whetstones, used for sharpening scythes and other coarse instruments, are all dug out of the Blackdown Hills. 268 RECENT ACQUISITIONS. The pits are somewhat like rabbit burrows but larger, and extend under the hills from 50 to 100 yards. The stone is found in irre¬ gular lumps, and many of them contain shells, which render them useless for cutting into whetstones, but are preserved by the work¬ men to sell as curiosities. The pits from whence these fossils were procured, are in the neighbourhood of the market town of Cullump- ton, and about two miles distant from the village of Kentishere.”— Extract of a Letter from II. H. Goodall, Esq. to Mr. Adamson. From Mr. John Hancock , of Newcastle. 240. Female of Common Blackbird. From Mr. A. Hancock , of Newcastle. 241. Partridge, m. and f. ; fine specimens. 242. Brent Goose (Anas Bernicla, Lin.). 243. Female Kestril (Falco Tinnunculus, Lin.). From Mr. William Hutton , of Newcastle. 244. Swan Mussel (Mytilus cygneus, Lin.). From Mrs. Losh , of Jesmond. 245. Young of Black Guillemot (Uria Grylle, Lath,). From J. Murray , Esq. of Newcastle. 246. Bind Weed Hawk Moth (Sphinx Convolvuli, Lin.). Taken alive at Newcastle. From Northumberland Glass Company. 247. Eighty-seven Glass Jars, for preserving Amphibia. From Rev. Mr. Otter , of Sheepwash. 248. Redshank (Scolopax calidris, Lin.). From Rev. Wm. Raives , Easington. 249. Cushat or Ringdove (Columba Palumbus, Lin.). From Mr. Joseph Watson , Newcastle , and Mr. John Thornhill , the Curator. 250. Two Specimens of the Tufted Duck (Anas fuligula, Lin.). IlECENT ACQUISITIONS (COMPENDIUM). SYSTEMATIC ARRANGEMENT OF THE FOREGOING ARTICLES RECENTLY RECEIVED. L MAMMALIA. Lemur Catta, No. 161. Rhinoceros unicornis (cornu nasale), 192. Trichechus Rosmarus ( caput), 180. Platypus anatinus, 118,218. Felis Catus, 51. Mustela erminea, 182.* Ursus maritimus ( caput), 68. Wombat, 117. Lepus timidus, var. candidus, 160. Cervus Tarandus {cornua), 158. -Alces {cornu), 44. Monodon M onoceros {caput ct dens), 66 . Bal .{ *" v ■■ .... . • RECENT ACQUISITIONS (COMPENDIUM). Sterna arctica, 166. -Dougalli, 176. Ardea stellaris, 173. -caspica, 216. -cinerea, 217. Numenius Arquata, 52. -Phoeopus, 181. Gallinula Crex, 108. Limosa rufa, 206. Tringa pugnax, 103. - alpina, 202. Phalaropus hyperboreus, 143. Vanellus melanogaster, 104. Scolopax calidris, 248. Phasianus Colchicus, fem. 96,223. - pictus, 142. Tetrao Urogallus, 100. -medius, 101. -Tetrix, 195, 213. ■ Scoticus, 16, 227. ■ Bonasia, 102. ■ Saliceti, 147. - Perdix, 239. Parus caudatus, 199. -cceruleus, 231. Avis nidus pendulens, 75. III. AMPHIBIA. Testudo-» 13, 183. Lacerta Alligator (Pulli), 74. Chamaeleon, 156. Lizards, 136, 138, 157. Snakes, 27, 140, 157. IV. PISCES. Sparus niger, 66. Labrus Tinea, 219. Diodon Hystrix, 65. Pristis antiquorum (rostrum), 6,72. Squalus Carcharias (maxillae), 72. ___ (cauda), 73. Esox Belone, 241. Fish, 137. V. INSECTS. Archdeacon Scott’s present, 165. Dr. Clanny’s Collection, 115. Major Anderson’s Collection, 116. Dr. McCulloch’s do. 124. Mr. Win. Hutton’s do. 110. Sphinx Atropos, 48. Convolvuli, 244. Papilio Thoas, 76. Phalaena Vinula (larva), 58. Mantis, 138, 178. Gryllus, 139. Centipedes, 141. Cancer Gammarus (chelae), 3. -horridus, 4, 99. -Araneus, 235. -Astacus, 5. Monoculus Polyphemus, 2. VI. VERMES. Mollusca. Asteriae, 236. Echini, 14. Testacea. [The following List includes the additional presents of Shells receiv¬ ed since those included in the Al¬ lan Museum List, and refers to Nos. 10, 79, 114, 172, of “ Recent Ac¬ quisitions.” Nos. 43, 107, and 134, have not, for want of time, been determined. A., G., L., and r RECENT ACQUISITIONS (COMPENDIUM). 271 T. refer respectively to the presents of Messrs. Adamson, Gibsone, Lis¬ ter, and Trevelyan. The Nos. be¬ fore the name are those of Wood's Index. The asterisks * after the numbers mark the British species; the daggers f after the names, the species not recorded before in the Allan Museum List, which may, therefore, be added thereto, to the amount of 68 species.] Multivalves. 31 * Chiton cinereus, G. 1 Lepas tracheseformis, f T. 11*-Balanus, T. 31-Stroemia, T. 38*-anatifera, A. 1* Pholas Dactylus, A. 3*-Candida, A. 5*-crispata, A. —* —-— papyracea, A. Bivalves. 1* Mya truncata, G. 4*-declivis, A. 21*-prismatica, f A. 40* —— inequivalvis, A. —*-pubescens, f A. 1* Solen Siliqua, A. 6 *-Ensis, A. 7*-pellucidus f A. 14-radiatus, G. 28-sanguinolentus, A. 26 Tellina radiata, A. 31* —-donacina, f A. 48* -depressa, G. 75*-crassa, A. 79 -camaria, A. 1 * Cardium aculeatum, A. 27* 36 Mactra Boysii, f -lutraria, A. 37* -hians, f j 11114 A. 1 Venus Dione, f G. 12 -verrucosa, A. 14* -casina, A. 16* -subcordata, f A. 19* -Montagui, f A. 22 * -reflexa, f A. 91 -discors A. 106* -Senegalensis, f \ Mya oblonga, Gtn. A. 107* Venus decussata, A. 108*-perforans, A. 110*-virginea, A. 14* Area fusca, A. 31* Ostrea varia, A. 44*-lineata, f A. —* Anomiasquamula,-f*,} Lin. (A.Ephippium, > G. A. junior, Dillw .) 4*-Cepa, 11 * Mytilus prsecisus, f 32*-cygneus, 48*-incurvatus, 4* Pinna pectinata, f Univalves. 1 Conus marmoreus, G. -monile, Dillxv. L. -Leopardus, D. f L. 21 -spurius, ^ A. 81 -Zeylanicus (obesus, Z).)f L. 155 -geographicus, f L. 1 Cypraea Exanthema, A. 27 -cinerea, f A. 45 -Caurica, A. 48 - erosa, A. 49 -spurca, A. 59 - sulcata, A. 60* -Pediculus, A. 11 Bulla gibbosa, A. 19 -Amygdalus, A. 24 -Physis, f G. 52 -Zebra, G. 15 Voluta Coffea, A. 19 -triplicata, A. 31 A. 40 -nivea, A. 44 -micans, G. 57 -guttata, A. 73 -mercatoria, A. 74 -rustica. A. 93 -Barbadensis, A. 134 -ocellata, f A. 166 -undulata, f L. -nigricans, f G. 53 Buccinum patulum, A. 62* -Lapillus, var. A. 75 -Orbita, f G. 92* -lineatum, G. A. 122 * -minimum, f A. 10 Strombus lentiginosus, L. 12 Gallus, A. 272 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (COMPENDIUM). 17 Strom bus pugilis, A. | 21 -Oniscus, A. | 22 -Gigas,jun. A. 32 -Urceus, jun. A. I 6 Murex Brandaris, A. ! 71 -Colus, f L. 89* -antiquus, A. * -id. jun. A. 95 -Tritonis, A. 98 -Tulipa, A. 107* -corneus, jun. A. 133* -Turricula, A. 116 Trochus Zic-zac, A. 120 -Telescopium, f L. 122 -dolabratus. A. 8 Turbo muricatus, A. 15* -Cimex, f A. 17* Puilus, A. 65 -Pica, A. 99* -parvus, f A. 100* -striatulus, f A. 102* -Bryereus, f A. 111 -Mumia, A. 81 Helix citrina, + A. 101 -ovalis (ovata, /).), + L. 171* -putris, A. 187 -haliotoidea, A. 19 Nerita Mammilla, A 33 -Pupa, A. 36 -viridis, A. 37 -virginea, A. 14 Haliotis Cracherodii, + L. 4* Patella Sinensis, + A. 59* -ceeruleata (lee vis, D .) G. 91 -Graeca, A. 8* Serpula spirorbis, f G. * Sabella chrysodon, f A. Dr. Griffith’s Shells (See No. 233) having come named after Say, who follows the Lamarckian Sys¬ tem, are here added separately.— They are new species, and not known to the Linnean system. Unio cariosus, f (Mya, Lin.) ■ — radiata, f -ochraceus, f -nasutus, f -purpureus, f Cyclas similis, f (Tellina, L.) AnadontaCataracta,f (Mytilus, L.) -undulata, f Physa heterostropha, f (Bulla, L.) -elongata, f Helix alternata, f (Helix, L .) -con cava, f -lineata, f -tridentata, f -fraterna, f -hirsuta, f -ligera, f -minuta, f -albolabris, f -thyroidus, f Paludina decisa, f (Helix, L .) -subcarinata, f -lapid&ria, f Planorbis trivolvis,f (Helix, L.) -campanulatiis,f -armigerus, f -parvus, f Lymnaeus columellus, f (Helix, L .) -macrostomus, f Melania virginica, (Helix, L.) ZOOPHYTA. See Nos. 12, 190, 201. VII. PLANTS. 1. British Plants. The following List includes the joint Herbaria of Mr. Adamson and of Mr. Winch, which latter is form¬ ed of the Hoj'ius siccus presented by him and his coadjutors to the Lite¬ rary and Philosophical Society in 1804, with some additional speci¬ mens added in the years 1825 and 182G. Vide supra , Nos. Sand 185. The separate presents are distin¬ guished by the letters A. and W., and when found together they mark duplicates. There are about 960 specimens, viz. 512 of Mr. A., and 428 of Mr. W., which include about 790 species. Monandrja. Salicornia herbacea, A. W. Hippuris vulgaris, A. W. Zostera marina, A. Chara hispida, W. -- flexilis, W. Callitriche verna, W. Diandria. Ligustrum vulgare, A. W. 274 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (COMPENDIUM). Scabiosa arvensis, -columbaria, Sherardia arvensis, Asperula odorata, -cynanchica, Galium cruciatum, -Witheringii, -palustre, -saxatile, -verum, -uliginosum, ——-boreale, -Mollugo, -Aparine, Plantago major, . media, ■ lanceolata, -maritima, -Coronopus, Sanguisorba officinalis, Cornus sanguinea, Parietaria officinalis, Alchemilla vulgaris, ■ —-alpina, -arvensis, Ilex Aquifolium, Potamogeton natans, _ densum, --crispum, --compressum, -pusillum, --pectinatum, Ruppia maritima, Sagina procumbens, Radiola millegrana, Pentandria. Myosotis arvensis, --- alpestris, _palustris, _caespitosa, Lithospermum officinale, . --arvense, Anchusa officinalis, _sempervirens, Cynoglossum officinale, Symphytum officinale, Lycopsis arvensis, Echium vulgare, Primula vulgaris, -elatior, -veris, -farinosa, Menyanthes trifoliata, Lysimachia vulgaris, _____thyrsiflora, , nemorum, ___Nummularia, Anagallis arvensis, -- tenella, Convolvulus arvensis, A. A. W. A. W. A. W. W. W. A. A. A. W. W. A. A. A. A. W. A. A. A. W. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. W. W. A. W. W. W. W. W. A. W. A. W. W. W. W. W. W. A. W. A. A. W. A. W. A. A. A. A. A. W. W. A. A. W. A. W. A. A. W. Convolvulus sepium, W. Campanula rotundifolia, A. -latifolia, W. -— Trachelium, W. -glomerata, A. W. -hybrida, W. Jasione montana, A. Lobelia Dortmanna, A. W. Viola hirta, W. -odorata, W. -lutea, W. -canina, A. -tricolor, A. Verbascum Thapsus, A. -Lychnitis, W. --pulverulentum, A. -nigrum, W. -virgatum, W. Atropa Belladonna, A. Solanum Dulcamara, A. -nigrum, A. W. Erythraea Centaureum, A. W. -littoralis, W. Lonicera Xylosteum, W. Euonymus europeeus, A. Ribes rubrum, W. -petraaum, A. W. -nigrum, W. -Grossularia, W. Glaux maritima, A. Thesium linophyllum, W. Vinca minor, W. Chenopodeum Bonus Henricus, A. -rubrum, A. W. -murale, W. -urbicum, A. _ olidum, A. A. Beta maritima, W. Salsola Kali, A. Ulmus suberosa, A. -montana, A. Gentiana Pneumonanthe, A. -verna, A. - Amarella, A. W. -campestris, A. Eryngium campestre, A. Sanicula europaea, A. W. Daucus Carota, A. Caucalis daucoides. A. W. Torilis Anthriscus, A. W. -infesta, W. ' -nodosa, W. Anthriscus vulgaris, A. W. Scandix pecten-veneris, A. Chaerophyllum sylvestre, W • Myrrhis odorata, A. W. —--temulenta, A. W. Bunium flexuosum, W. Sium latifolium, W. RECENT ACQUISITIONS (COMPENDIUM). 275 Sium angustifolium, W. -nodiflorum, A. -inundatum, A. W Sison Amomum, W. -segetum, W. iEthusa Cynapium, A. W. Conium maculatum, A. JE nan the fistulosa, A. A. W. - crocata, A. W. -Phellandrium, A. W. Crithmum maritimum, W. Smyrnium Olusatrum, W. Apium graveolens, A. W. Angelica sylvestris, A. Meum Foeniculum, A. W. Caru in Carui, W. Pimpinella saxifraga, A. W. - magna, W. Cnidium Silaus, A. Bupleurum rotundifolium, W. Hydrocotile vulgaris, A. W. Selinum palustre, A. Pastinaca sativa, A. W. Heracleum Sphondylium, A. W. Viburnum Lantana, W. -Opulus, W. Sambucus Ebulus, A. W. A. Staphylea pinnata, W. Corrigilia littoralis, W. Parnassia palustris, A. W. Statice Armeria, A. -Limonium, A. W. Linum usitatissimura, A. -perenne, W. -catharticum, A. W. Drosera rotundifolia, A. W. -anglica, A. Myosurus minimus, W. Hexandria. Galanthus nivalis, W. Narcissus Pseudo-narcissus, , w. Allium arenarium, A. -ursinum, A. Fritillaria Meleagris, W. Ornithogalum luteum, w. Scilla nutans, A. Narthecium ossifragum, A. W. Convallaria majalis, W. -multiflora, W. Juncus maritimus, A. ■ ■■ —■ conglomeratus, A. -glaucus, A. A. W. -triglumis, A. W. -— squarrosus, W. -acutiflorus. A. W. -uliginosus, A. -* compressus, A. Juncus bufonius, A. -filiformis, A. W. Luciola pilosa, W. -sylvatica, A. -campestris, A. W. -spicata, A. Berberis vulgaris, A. W. Frankenia lasvis, W. Peplis Portula, A. Oxyria reniformis, W. Rumex sanguineus, W. -crispus, A. -obtusifolius, A. -palustris, A. -Acetosa, A. -Acetosella, A. Tofieldia palustris, A. Triglochim palustre, A. -maritimum, A. Alisma Plantago, A. -Ranunculoides, A. W. Heptandria. Trientalis eu ropaea, W. OcTANDRIA. Epilobium angustifolium, W. -hirsutum, A. -parviflorum, A. W. -palustre, W. -alsinifolium, A. W. -alpinum, A. W. Vaccinium Myrtillus, A. W. -Vitis Idaea, A. W. -Oxycoccus, W. Menziesia polifolia, W. Calluna vulgaris, A. Erica Tetralix, A. -cinerea, A. -vagans, W. Daphne JVlezereum, W. -Laurcola, A. Acer Pseudo-platanus, W. -campestre, W. Polygonum amphibiuni, A. W. -Persicaria, A. -lapathifolium, W. -Hydropiper, A. -Bistorta, W. -viviparum, A. -aviculare, W. -convolvulus, W. Paris quadrifolia, \V. Adoxa moschatellina, W. Enneandria. Butomus umbellatus, W. Decandria. Andromeda polifolia, A. W. Arbutus Unedo, A. -Uva Ursi, W. Pyrola media A. -minor, A. 27 6 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (COMPENDIUM). Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, A. W. -alternifolium, W. Saxifraga stellaris, A. W. -Hirculis, A. -aizoides, A. W. — .. granulata, W. -tridactylites, A. W. -hypnoides, A. W. Scleranthus annuus, W. Saponaria officinalis, A. W. Dianthus Armeria, A. W. —-prolifer, A. ■ -— deltoides, A. -cesius, A. Silene inflata, A. --maritima, W. -noctiflora, A. W. -Acaulis, A. Stellaria nemorum, A. W. -holostea, A. -graminea, A. -uliginosa, W. Arenaria peploides, A. W. -trinervis, W. -serpyllifolia, A. W. -verna, W. -rubra, A. -marina, A. W. Cherleria sedoides, W. Sedum Telephium, W. -— villosum, W. -album, A. Oxalis Acetosella, A. W. Agrostemma Githago, A. W. .Lychnis Flos Cuculi, W. -Viscaria, W. -dioica, W. Cerastium vulgatum, A. W. .-viscosum, W. .-semidecandrum, W. -tetrandrum, A. W. . —-arvense, A. -alpinum W. --aquaticum, W. Spergula arvensis, W. .-nodosa, A. W. Dodecandria. Asarum europceum, "VV. Lythrum Salicaria, A. W. Agrimonia Eupatori, A. W. Reseda luteola, A. W. - lutea, A. W. Icosandria. Prunus Padus, A. Mespilus Oxyacantha, A. Pyrus Malus, W. -Aria, A. SpiraBa Salicifolia, A. W. -Ulmaria, A. W. Rosa spinosissima, A. -arvensis, -villosa, -tomentosa, A. -rubiginosa, -caesia, -canina, -dumetorum, A. -sarmentacea, - Forsteri, - Doniana, -Sabini, -gracilis, Rubus idaeus, -caesius, j -fruticosus, -saxatilis, Potentilla anserina, -argentea, A. -opaca, -reptans, -Fragariastrum, Tormentilla officinalis, A. Geum rivale, -urbanum, Dryas octopetala, A. Comarum palustre, A. PoLYANDRIA. Chelidonium majus, Glauceum luteum, -phoenicum, Papaver hybridum, -Argemone, -dubium, -Rheas, -somniferum -— cambricum Nymphaea alba, Tilia europaea, Cistus Helianthemum, A. -tomentosus, Aquilegia vulgaris, Stratiotes aloides, Anemone nemorosa, Clematis Vitalba, Thalictrum alpinum, -minus, -majus, -flavum, A. Adonis autumnalis, Ranunculus Flammula, A. -Lingua, -Ficaria, -auricomis, A. -bulbosus, -repens, -acris, -arvensis, -hederaceus, -aquatilis, A. ItECENT ACQUISITIONS (COMPENDIUM). 277 Trollius europaeus, A. W. Helleborus viridis, W. -foetidus, \V. DlDYNAMIA. Ajuga reptans, -Chamaepitys, Teucrium Scorodonia, --Chamaedrys, Nepeta cataria, Verbena officinalis, Mentha hirsuta, -arvensis, - Pulegium, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium album, - amplexicaule, Galeopsis Ladanum, -Tetrahit, --versicolor, Galeobdolon luteum, Betonica officinalis, Stachys sylvatica, -palustris, Leonurus Cardiaca, Clinopodium vulgare, Origanum vulgare, Thymus Serpyllum, -Calamintha, -- Nepeta, Scutellaria galericulata, Prunella vulgaris, Bartsia Odontites, Euphrasia officinalis, Melampyrum pratense, ■-sylvaticum, Pedicularis palustris, -sylvatica, Antirrhinum repens, -Linaria, Scrophularia nodosa, Linnaea borealis, Orobanche major, ——-minor, Tetradynamia. Draba verna, -incana, -aizoides, Camelina sativa, Lepidium latifolium, -ruderale, -hirtum, Teesdalia nudicaulis, Thlaspi arvense, -Bursa-pastoris, Cochlearia officinalis, -danica, Senebiera Ruellii, -didyma, Isatis tinctoria, Cakile maritima, Cardamine hirsuta, A. -pratensis, A. -amara, A. Nasturtium officinale, A. -sylvestre, W. - terrestre, W. -amphibium, A. Sisymbrium Sophia, A. W, -officinale, W. Barbarea vulgaris, W. Erysimum cheiranthoides, W. -orientale, W. Cheiranthus fruticulosus, A. W. Arabis thaliana, A. W. -turrita, W. -hirsuta, A. Turritis glabra, W. Brassiea Napus, w. -- oleracea, w. Sinapsis nigra, w. -tenuifolia, A. Monadelphia. Ercdium cicutarium, A. W. -maritimum, W. Geranium phaeum, W. -nodosum, W. -sylvaticum, A. W. -pratense, A. -robertiaiium, W. -lucidum, A. -molle, A. -pyrenaicum, W. -rotundifolium, W. -dissectum, W. -columbinum, W. -sanguineum, A. Althaea officinalis, A. W. Malva sylvestris, A. -rotundifolia, A. -moschata, A. Diadelphia. Fumaria solida, W. - officinalis, w. --capreolata. A. W. -claviculata, W. Polygala vulgaris, A. Spartium Scoparium, A. W. Genista tinctoria, A. -anglica, A. Ulex europaeus, A. -nanus, A. Ononis arvensis, W. Anthyllus vulneraria, A. W. Pisum maritimum, W, Orobus tuberosus, A. Lathyrus Aphaca, A. -Nissolia, W. --hirsutus, W. -—— pratensis, A. -palustris, W, \V. w. A. W. A. W. W. W. A. W. W. W. A. A. W. w. A. W. A. W. A. W. A. A. W. W. A. A. \V. A. A, W. W. W. A. W. A. A. W. A. \V. A. W. W. A. W. W. W. , A. A. W. A. W. W. A. A. A. W. w. w. w. w. A. W. W. \V. A. n n 278 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (COMPENDIUM). Vicia sylvatica, -Cracca, -sativa, -lathyroides, -sepium, Ervum hirsutum, Ornithopus perpusillus, Hippocrepis comosa, Astragalus hypoglottis, Trifolium officinale, --repens, -pratense, -medium, --stellatum, --arvense, -scabrum, --striatum, -— fragiferum, -- procumbens, -filiforme, Lotus corniculatus, -major, Medicago lupulina, - falcata, -maculata, PoLYADELPHIA. Hypericum quadrangulum, _!-— perforatum, -montan um, -hirsutum, -pulchrum, Syngenesia. Trapopogon pratensis, Picris echioides, -hieracioides, Sonchus arvensis, -oleraceus, Lactuca virosa, -— Scariola, Prenanthes mu rails, Apargia hispida, .-hirta, _autumnalis, Hieraciutn Pilosella, _._murorum, _sylvaticum, _paludosum, ___sabaudum, __prenanthoides, _._umbellatum, Hypochams glabra, „--—.-radicata, Lapsana communis, Cichorium Intybus, Arctium Lappa, Serratula tinctoria, Carduus nutans, --- acanthoides, -tenuiflorus, -marianus, A. A. A. A. A. W. W. W. A. A. A. W. A. A. A. A. W. A. W. A. W. A. A. W. A. A. A. W. W. A. A. A. W. A. W. A. A. A. A. A. W. A. A. W. A. A. \V. A. A. W. W. W. W. A. A. A. A. W. A. A. W. W. A. Cnicus palustris, -- arvensis, eriophorus, acaulis, Bidens tripartita, Eupatorium cannabinumi Tanacetum vulgare, Artemisia maritima, -gallica, -Absinthium, vulgaris. Gnaphalium margaritaceum, -dioicum, -uliginosum, -minimum, — germanicum, Erigeron acris, Tussilago Farfara, Petasites, Senecio vulgaris, viscosus, - tenuifolius, — Jacobaea, syl vatic us, w. A. W. W. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. A. W. A. A. W. W. A. A. W. A. A. W. W. W. A. W. W. A. W. A. A. Aster Tripolium, Solidago Virgaurea, Inula dysenterica, Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum, W. segetum, W. W. W. A. W. W. Pyrethrum Parthenium, maritimum, Matricaria Chamomilla, Anthemis nobilis, -Cotula, Achillaea Ptarmica, -millefolium, Centaurea nigra, -Scabiosa, -Calcitrapa. Gynandbia. Orchis bifolia, -pyrimadalis, --— viridis, -fusca, -maculata, -conopsea, Aceras anthropophera, Ophrys muscifera, Listera ovata, Epipactis latifolia, -- palustris, -grandiflora, Nidus avis, Cypripedium Calceolus, Monoecia. Euphorbia Peplus, -exigua, helioscopia, A. A. A. W. W. A. A. \V. A. W. A. W. W. A. A. — Esula, W. &c. A. W. &c A. W. &c. RECENT ACQUISITIONS (COMPENDIUM). 279 Euphorbia Cyparissias, W. &c. Typha latifolia, A. Sparganium ramosum, A. ■—-simplex, W. Carex dioica, A. -ovalis, A. -remota, A. -arenaria, A. -intermedia, A. -divisa, A. -vulpina, A. -paniculata, A. -pendula, A. -flava, A. -extensa, A. -panicea, A. - recurva, A. -vesicaria, A. -ampullacea, A. -hirta, A. -filiformis, W. -— axillaris, W. - atrata, W. -ustulata, VV. Littorella lacustris, W. Alnus glutinosa, A. Buxus sempervirens, A. Urtica urens, A. Ceratophyllum demersum, A. Myriophvllum spicatum, A. Sagittaria sagittifolia, A. Arum maculatum, W. Poterium Sanguisorba, A. Fagus sylvatica, A. Pinussylvestris, A. Dioecia. Salix herbacea, A. -reticulata, A. -Andersoniana, \V. — lanceolata, W. &c. -Forsteriana, W. -tenuifolia, W. -arenaria, W. -glauca. w. -Helix, w. -rosmarinifolia, w. Empetrum nigrum, A. Myrica Gale, A. Mercurialis perennis, A. Tax us baccata, A. PoLYGAMIA. Atriplex portujacoides, A. Atriplex patula, A. Cryptogamia. Equisetum sylvaticum, A. -arvense, A. -palustre, A --limosum, A. -hyemale, A. Ophioglossum vulgatum, A. Botrychium Lunaria, A. Osmunda regalis, A. Lycopodium inundatum, A. -Selago, A. -alpinum, A. Polypodium vulgare, A. -Phegopteris, A. -Dryopteris, A. Aspidium Oreopteris, A. -Filix mas, A. -spinulosum, A. -dilatatum, A. Asplenium Trichomanes, A. -marinum, A. -septentrionale, A. -Ruta-muraria, A. Scolopendrium vulgare, A. -Ceterach, A. Blechnum boreale, A. Pteris aquilina, A. -crispa, A. W. Cyathea fragilis, A. Hymenophyllum Tunbridgense,W. Pilularia globulifera, A. Isoetis lacustris, W. Neckera crispa, W. Hypnum abietinum, W. Bartramia fontana, W. The above List, which is named and arranged after Sir James Edward Smith’s “ English Flora,” includes 755 phoenogamous plants, out of about 1450, which are found in the British isles; and 35 cryptogamous, out of a nearly similar number.— The desiderata are too numerous for insertion, but the practical Botanist will easily detect them from the plants here given, and be thus ena¬ bled to supply the vacancies. Our own shores will furnish a ready and abundant supply of Fuci and other Sea-weeds. 280 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (COMPENDIUM). II. Foreign Plants. The following contributions may be considered the beginning or nu¬ cleus of an exotic herbarium, an object hitherto much neglected in public museums, though equally worthy of a place there, with other naturalia. The specimens have been carefully investigated by Mr. Winch. 1. Mr. Cockerill’s, from New South Wales .—See no. 40. Pimelia linifolia, Banksia serrata, Grevillea sericea, --linearis, -buxifolia, Hakea acicularis, Conospermum taxifolium, -longifolium, Epacris pulchella, -obtusifolia, -grandi flora, Lysinema pungens, Staphylea longrfolia, -tubiflora, — ■ triflora, Sprengelia incarnata, Goodenia ovata, Goodenia ramosissima, — --laevigata, Erythraea australis, Eriocalia major, Asclepias frutieosa, Sowerbaea juncea, Hianella ccerulea, Pattersonia australis, Boronia parviflora, ————— serrulata, Tetratheca thymifolia, — juncea, --ericifolia, Corraea speciosa, Gompholobium grandiflorum, Sphaerolobium vimineum, Pultenaea juncea, Dillwynea glaberrima, ---floribunda, Mirbelia reticulata, Crowea saligna, Myrtus trinervia, Bauera rubioides, Hibbertia volubilis, Xyris operculata, Phylothaeca australis, Glycine rubicunda, -cocci nea, -bimaculata, Bossiaea lanceolata, — Scolopendrium, Platylobium formosum, Swainstona galegifolia, Gnaphalium apiculatum? Gnaphalium longifolium, Acacia stricta, -armata, -verticillata, Lycopodium laterale, Adiantum assimile. The above are all that Mr. Winch has been able to name of the 100 species presented, of which he be¬ lieves many to be non-descripts, as the Curator of Lambert’s and the Linnaean Society’s Herbaria was not able to name similar ones, which he took to London for the express purpose, and Mr. Brown had pre¬ viously declined the task of settling them. 2. Sixplants from Melville Island, presented by the Editor.— See No. 71. Eriphorum capitatum, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Papaver nudicaule, Ranunculus glacialis, Oxytropis arctica, Brown , Hypnum splendens. 3. Tvventy-seven plants from Lap- land and Norway, by Mr. Winch. —See no. 186. Phleum alpinum, Agrostis alpina, Avena airoides, Mertins , Aira alpina, -atro-purpurea, Poa, Sp. nov. affinis P. nemorali, Deinboll. Arundo lapponica, Viola biflora, J uncus biglumis, -castaneus, Luzuta arcuata, Andromeda hypnoides, Saxifraga aizoides, Dianthus superbus, -arenarius, Alsine stricta, Dryas octopetala, Gnaphalium alpinum, Erigeron alpinum, Carex capitata, RECENT ACQUISITIONS (COMPENDIUM). Carex atrata, -norvegica, -saxatilis, — - - limosa, jTivida, -rotundata, -u stui ata, ■ ■ — filiformis, 4. Forty-two Plants from Swit¬ zerland and the Alps, by Mr. Winch —See No. 187. Crocus vernus, Briza minor, Sherardia arvensis, Pulmonaria officinalis, Lithospermum purpuro-caeruleum, Aretia vitellina, Primula farinosa, Cyclamen europaeum, Hyoscyamus niger, Viola Zoysii, Lonicera Xylosteum, Gentiana acaulis, -verna, -nivalis, -utriculosa, Ornithogalum bohemicum, Juncus Jaquini, Schleranthus annuus, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Dianthus prolifer, Sempervivum montanum, Euphorbia verrucosa, -Cyparissias, Mespilus Amelanchior, Potentilla verna, - argentea. Anemone apiifolia, Ranunculus pyrenaicus, Galeobdolon luteum, Scutellaria alpina, Draba aizoides, Fumaria bulbosa, Polygala buxifolia, Arnica Bellidiastrum, Carex muricata, -acuta, Salix purpurea, -repens, Salix reticulata, • retusa, -alba, Pteris crispa, 5. Thirty-two Plants from Italy, by Mr. Winch —See No. 188. Veronica Teucrium, Cymbalaria, Sebastiani. Gladiolus segetelis, Cerinthe aspera, Anchusa hybrida, Tenori. Lycopsis bullata, ejusd. Allium triquetrum, -album, Sebastiani. Scilla bifolia, Hyacinthus comosus, Erica arborea, Daphne Cneorum, Mcehringia muscosa, Reseda alba, Sebastiani. Rosa sempervirens, Cistus monspeliensis, -salvifolius, Anemone stellata, Lam. & De Cand. -apennina, Ranunculus lanuginosus, Cheiranthus Cheiri, Polygala monspeliaca, Coronilla Emerus, Trifolium incarnatum, Trigonella Faenum-Graecum, Orchis papilionacea, Arum Arisarum, Quercus Ilex, — Suber, Ceterach officinarum, Asplenium Adiantum-nigrum, Adiantum Capillus-Veneris. Sundries. Lagetta lintearia, !89. Cucurbita Pepo, 231. Fucus bacciferus, 135. Mr. Veitch’s 200 specimens of Foreign Plants, which have not yet been named. VIII. MINERALS. 1. Catalogue of the Geological Specimens in the Collection of the Philosophical Society, arranged in the order of Super-position, in four Cabinets in the Committee Room. See Nos. 9, 98, 109, 120.—The greater part of this Collection consists of the extensive donations of Mr. Hutton and Mr. Adamson; and the whole includes 2067 Specimens, which are enumerated on the next page, besides the subsequent presents which follow. 282 RECENT ACQUISITIONS (COMPENDIUM). TABLE or the STRATA of ENGLAND, ACCORDING TO CONYBEARE and PHILLIPS. Number of Specimens, presented by Mr. Harker. Mr. Adamson. Mr. Hutton. Old Collect, of] Lit. & Phil. So. Total. _ 7 1 i 8 11 10 15 ■ 36 — — - — 13 24 102 ■ 139 — — 1 1 14 45 62 12 ' 133 S 28 15 • 46 — — — — — — _ — 2 _ _ 2 7 5 2 14 8 87 47 — 142 — _ 19 — 19 — 9 5S 11 78 11 _ 6 — 17 19 15 157 23 214 — — 20 — 20 _ _ 72 7 79 — 43 257 24 324 — _ 42 — 42 — 305 153 30 488 — 5 18 — 23 — 2 11 2 15 — 7 204 44 255 — 14 28 — 42 — — — 78 78 — — _ 21 21 _ _ _ 19 19 — — ~ 25 25 — — 35 - 35 — — 19 — 19 — - — — 132 - — - — 18 — — — — 55 — — — 125 — ~~ — 3 88 606! _ 1344 296; 26*7 Alluvial and Diluvial Beds .. Upper Marine. Fresh Water Beds . London Clay . . Plastic Clay. Chalk. Chalk Marie and Green Sand .. Weald Clay . Iron Sand . Purbeck and Portland Limesone. Kimmeridge Clay . Coral Rag and Calcareous Grit . Oxford or Clunch Clay. Cornbrash, Forest Marble, and great Oolite. Inferior Oolite, and Sandy Beds. Lias . New Red Sandstone . Magnesian Limestone . Coal . Millstone Grit and Limestone Shale. Carboniferous or Mountain Limestone. Old Red Sandstone . Transition Limestone . Slates, Granite, and other Primary Rocks . Basalts . . Mr. Walton’s series of specimens to illustrate a Section of the Strata of Alston Moor and Dufton Fell . A series from Montagu Main Colliery to illus¬ trate a Section . Ditto ditto Byker St. Anthony’s. A series from the Nottingham & Derby Coal-field From Mr. Hutton, a series of Specimens from the Millstone, Grit, and Carboniferous Lime¬ stone near Bristol.. From Ditto, a series of Carboniferous Lime-\ ‘ stone, from near Shewing Shields.j , From Mr. W. Robertson, a series of Specimens from the Yorkshire Coast, illustrative of Young and Bird’s Geological Survey , Ditto, Specimens of Primary Rocks, from Baf¬ fin’s Island. J Mr. Winch, a series of Specimens from Holy! Island —See No. 184.J Archdeacon Scott, Specimens from New Hoi-1 land —See No. 165*.j Mr. Thornhill, from the Coal Shale . RECENT ACQUISITIONS (COMPENDIUM). 283 Messrs. Goodall and Smith’s Fossil Shells, from the London Clay, and Oolitic Series of Strata —See No. 95, - - - SI 6 Ditto, Fossil Shells from the Greensand of Blackdown Hills, Devon¬ shire —See No. 239, ------ 50 Mr. Bryham, a series of Specimens to illustrate a Whin Dyke in Cowpen Colliery —See No. 223, - 17 Mr. Trevelyan, a Series of Bamburgh Strata, with a Plan —See No. 169,.77 Ditto, Ferroe Island Minerals —See No. 171, - 15 Minerals presented by Mr. Hutton, See No. 109. 1 Specimen Fat Quartz, 1 - Cup Ditto, 1 Common Garnet, 2 Yellow Colophonite, 1 Foliated Pyrope, S Epidote, 1 Augite, 2 Coccolite, 2 Hornblende, 3 Actynolite, 1 Asbestus, 1 Mountain Cork, 1 Iolite, 3 Crystallized Felspar, 1 Green coloured Do. 3 Scapolite, 1 Violet Do. 1 Chabasie, 1 Spodumene, 4 Schorl, 1 Botryolite, 1 Calcareous deposit, 1 Fibrous Arragonite, 2 Branched Ditto, 1 Bitter Spar, 1 Fluor, 1 Octohedral Ditto, 3 Carbonate of Barytes, 1 Sulphate Ditto, 2 Iron Pyrites, 1 Haematitic Iron, 2 Iron Sand, 1 Titaniferous Iron, 1 Arseniate of Ditto, 1 Manganese Veins in Killas, l Crystallized Manganese, 1 Sulphuret of Molybdena, 1 Ditto Tin, 1 Tungstate of Iron, l Phosphate of Uranium, 1 Native Copper (dendritic), 3 Rex Oxide of Copper, 1 Arseniate of Ditto, 1 Carbonate of Lead, 1 Sulphato-carbonate of Ditto, 1 Sulphato-tri-Carbonate»of Do. 1 Sulphate of Lead, 1 Sulphuret of Zinc, 1 Welch Coal, 1 Retenasphalt. 71 Minerals, presented by Messrs. Adamson and Hutton—purchased by them in Norway, last Summer —See No. 11. 6 Specimens Sahlite, 3 -Datholite, 4 -Zirconite in Sienite, 6-Epidote, 2 -Labrador Felspar, 3 -Sphene, 5 -Colophonite, 2-Garnet, 5-Augite, 4 Moroxite, 1-Actynolite, 1-— Felspar. 42 Besides the above, are the following.— 4 Specimens of Fluor.— Mr. Geo. Burnett , Jun. and Mr. Alder, No. 18. 3-of Tufa, with Impressions of Fish. —Rea. T. Baker , No. 19. 1-of native Sulphate of Iron.— Mr. Blackett , No. 26. 8-of Strontian and Barytes.— Mr. Murray , No. 126. 1 _of Fluor.— Mr. Pattinson, No. 146. 7 -of Fossil Echini.— MrTrevelyan , No. 169*. 1 -of Millstone Grit.— Ditto , No. 170*. I _from Provins.— Ditto , No. 171*. 1 -of Sulphur, with Locust imbedded.— Rev. JV. Turner , No. 177. I _of Iron Stone. — Mr. Atkinson , No. 220. 284 brown’s illustrations. BROWN’S “ ILLUSTRATIONS.” Of this Work, as connected with Mr. Tunstall and his Museum, I have stated my reasons in the Preface for giving an account. Its title is as follows :—“ New Illustrations of Zoology , containing fifty coloured plates of new, curious, and non-descript Birds, with a few Quadrupeds, Rep¬ tiles, and Insects, together with a short and scientific Description of the same. By Peter Brown. — London, printed for B. White, at Horace’s Head, Fleet-street, 1776.” 4to. It is accompanied with a French translation, and it professes to consist of animals never before described and drawn, from the collections of Mr. Tunstall, Messrs. Lee of Ham¬ mersmith, Yeats of Margaret-street, and Moon, of Hyde Park ; also of the British Museum, and of the Royal Society; and of Mr. Pennant and Dr. John Reinhold Forster. The descriptions of the insects were given by Mr. Yeats, who possessed a curious collection. Several plates were engraven from Governor Loten’s Drawings of animals of Java and Cey¬ lon, which, however, as not being done from nature, were the least valu¬ able part of the work. Mr. Pennant states, in the preface to his History of Quadrupeds, that these formed the basis of Brown’s Work, which will be seen in the following enumeration and synopsis. There is little doubt, however, that the Tunstall Museum (which was then in London), and the patronage of its founder, were the more direct origin of the work, which is inferred from the preface, and also from the account of the Silky Starling, where the author, at p. 48, says, “ This bird is in the possession of my great Patron , Marmaduke Tunstall, Esq.” In another place, however, (p. 42,) he speaks of his •worthy Patron, John Gideon Loten, Esq. I have now much pleasure in presenting a copy of this work for the use of the members of the Literary and Philosophical Society. List of the Plates in Brown’s Illustrations, with a Linnaan Index, and the Collections from which the Drawings were made:— PI. Brown. 1. The Tawny Vulture, 2. Black-backed Eagle, Fire Bird, 3. Brown Hawk, 4. Great Ceylonese Ear-7 ed Owl, j 5. Red-vented Cockatoo, 6. Blue-breasted Parrot, *7. Blue-bellied Parrot, 8. Black-winged Parro-7 quet, J *9. New Zealand Creeper, Butterfly, 10. The Surinam Daw, *11. Yellow-shouldered 7 Oriole, J Gmelin. Falco ambustus, -niger, Fringilla ignita, Falco badius, Strix Zeylonensis, ( Psittacus Philli-7 pinarum, J -puniceus, -haematodus, y. -melanopterus, f Merops Novce 7 \ Seelandiae, J Pap. Enceladus, var. Corvus Surinamensis, Emberiza longicauda, Ex Museo. Royal Society. T. White, Esq. M. Tunstall, E: Gov. Loten. Gov. Loten. sq- Lady Read. Robt. Child, Esq. Sir Jos. Banks, postea M. Tunstall, Esq. Brit. Mus. { M. Tunstall, Esq. M. Tunstall, Esq. M. Tunstall, Esq. Mr. Tennant, { postea M. Tunstall, Esq. BROWN S ILLUSTRATIONS, 285 PI Brown . 11. Butterfly, 12. Yellow-crested \ Woodpecker, J 13. 1. Lark-heeledCuckow, -— 2. Spotted Curucui, XIV. 1. Red-crownedBarbet -2. Olive-coloured 1 Warbler, XV. 1. Yellow-cheeked \ Barbet, J -2. Ceylon Black Cap, - Moth, XVI. Black Ostrich, XVII. Javan Partridge, XVIII. Purple Pigeon, XIX. Pompadour Pigeon, XX. Yellow-faced Pigeon, *XXI. Silk Starling, XXII. Yellow-crowned \ Thrush, j -Butterfly, XXIII. Crested Cardinal, *XXIV. 1. Brown-cheek-\ ed Grosbeak, f * -2. Black-bellied Do. *XXV. 1. Golden-backed \ Finch, j -2. Red-faced Finch, XXVI. Grey Grosbeak, -Cicada, (Insect.) XXVII. 1. FasciatedGrosbk. * -2. Brown Grosbeak, XXVIII.1. Red-headFinch, * -2. Brown Warbler, XXIX. 1. Red-rumped \ Wax-billed Finch, J -2. White-tailed Ditto. *XXX. Green-headed 1 Bunting, / XXXI. 1. Yellow-vented\ Flycatcher, J -2. Red-vented Warbler, XXXII, 1. Yellow-breast-1 ed Flycatcher, J -2. Green Warbler, XXXIII. 1. Pink-coloured -2. Green Wagtail, — Ceylon Silk Worm Moth, XXXIV. Brazilian Bittern, XXXV. The Umbre, Gmelin. Pap. Phorcas, Picus flavescens, C Cuculus Benga-1 < lensis(Polophi-V i lus,gen. Leach) J Trogon maculatus, Bucco rubricapillus, Motacilla olivacea, Bucco Zeylanicus, Motacilla Zeylonica, f Phalaena Proser- V t pina, Fab. J Struthio Camelus, Tetrao Javanicus, Columba purpurea, -pompadora, ! ■> Q, ! { Ex Mus. Mr. Tennant, postea M. Tunstall, Esq, Sturnus sericeus, Turdus ochrocephalus Pap. Dardanus, Brown Loxia cucullata, Loxia canora, Loxia Afra, Loxia aurea, Fringilla Afra, Fringilla Jamaica, Tettigonia-? Loxia fasciata, Loxia cantans, Fring. erythrocephala Not described by Gm. Loxia Astrild, /3, Loxia leucera, f Emberiza clilo- J t rocephala, J { Muscicapa hae- J morrhousa, /3, j Mus. id. a, Mus. melanictera, Motacilla Singalensis, M. caryophyllacea, M. viridis, Bombyx Paphia ? Ardea Brasiliensis, Scopus Umbretta, Mr. Pennant. Mr. Edwards. Gov. Loten. Gov. Loten. Gov. Loten. Gov. Loten. Gov. Loten. M. Tunstall, Esq. Mr. Pennant. Gov. Loten. Gov. Loten. Gov. Loten. Gov. Loten. M. Tunstall, Esq. Gov. Loten. M. Tunstall, Esq. M. Tunstall, Esq. M. Tunstall, Esq. f Mr. Tennant, < postea tM. Tunstall, Esq. M. Tunstall, Esq. M. Tunstall, Esq. Dr. Ramsay. M. Tunstall, Esq. M. Tunstall, Esq. M. Tunstall, Esq. M. Tunstall, Esq. M. Tunstall, Esq. Mr. Moon. Mr. Moon, f Mr. Moon, < postea , tM. Tunstall, Esq. Gov. Loten. Gov. Loten. Gov. Loten. Gov. Loten. Gov. Loten. Gov. Loten. Gov. Loten. Mr. Pennant, f Royal. Soc. byJ. R, f Forster, O O 286 brown’s illustrations PI. Brown. XXXVI.The Boat-Bill, -Beetle XXXVII. The Rail, - Butterfly, XXXVIII. The Rail, -Moth, XXXIX. Surinam Tern, XL. White-winged An- 1 tarctic Goose, j XLI. * Grey-headed Duck, XLII. Ditto XLI 11. The Fossane, XLIV. *Maucauco, XLV. Variable Mole, XLVI. Long-toothed \ Marmot, / XLVII. Black Squirrel, \ with white nose, J XLVIII. 1.2.* Cinereous 1 Tortoise, J -2. Mediterranean ditto, XLIX. 1. Cerambyx \ punctatus, J 2. Cimex pictus, S. -sinipes, 4. Scarabasus oblongus, 5. -serratipes, 6. Curculio pulcher, 7. Cimex Aulicus, 8. Curculio lividus, L. 1 Cerambyx regalis, 2. Cimex Virgo, 8. Gryllus Imperator, 4. Cerambyx unicolor, 5. Cimex Afer, Gmelin. Cancroma Cochlearia, Sc. femoratus, Brown Rallus Zeylanicus, Pap. Galene, Brown , Rallus Capensis, f Phal. Noct. Cly- \ \ mene, Brown , J Sterna Surinamensis ? Anas leucoptera, -cana, -id. Viverra Fossa, Lemur murinus, Talpa Asiatica, Mus Capensis, Sciurus niger, Emys cinerea, Merr. Testudo Caretta, Ex Mus. Mr. Pennant. Mr. Yeats. Gov. Loten. M. Tun stall, Esq. Gov. Loten. Mr. Pennant. Royal Society. Mr. Pennant. Mr. Pennant. Mr. Brooks. M. Tunstall, Esq. Mr. Lee. Mr Lee. Mr. Jackson. / Mr. Rd. Green, of \ Lichfield. Mr. Pennant. Mr. Yeats. M. Tunstall, Esq. M. Tunstall, Esq. M. Tunstall, Esq. Mr. Yeats. M. Tunstall, Esq. SYNOPSIS OF THE ABOVE. Ex Mus. Tunstall, -■ Royal Society, -. Lady Read, - R. Child, -Sir Jos. Banks, -Br. Mus. ■ Mr. Tennant, { -Mr. Pennant, - Dr. Ramsay, ■ Mr. Moon -Mr. Yeats, -Mr. Brooks, -Mr. Lee, -Mr. Jackson, -Mr. R. Green, - Anonymous, Ex Pictis Gov. Loten, -Mr. T. White, 1 Beast, pi. 44. 12 Birds, pi. 2, 9, 1 10 Insects, pi. 9, 11, 3 Birds, pi. 1, 35, 1 do. pi. 5. 1 do. pi. 6. 1 do. pi. 7. 1 do. pi. 8. 2 do. pi. 11, 24 7 do. and 1 Amph. j , 1 do. pi. 13. 1 do. pi. 26. 3 do. pi. 29, f. 10 Insects, pi. 36, 4< 1 Beast, pi. 43. 2 do. pi. 45, 4 1 do. pi. 47. 1 Amphib. pi. 48. 1 Insect, pi. 38. 20 Birds and 1 Insect. 1 Bird, pi. 2. , [42, 48. [20, 31, S3, 87, 38. The Museum contains at present, of the above, the original specimens from which the engravings were made, as marked with an asterisk, of 12 Birds, 1 Beast, and 1 Amphibia. BEWICK’S BIRDS. The Wycliffe Museum having been the origin and occasion of Mr Bewick s popular work on British Birds, it will not be deemed irrelevant to give some account of it as connected with the subjects in our Museum. Mr. Bewick, through Mr. Allan’s introduction, had been favoured with Mr. TunstalPs correspondence for a few years before his death, as is shewn by the preceding letters in Mr. T.’s memoirs, and had executed an engraving of the Chillingham Wild Bull * for him; and Mr. Tunstall had offered, through Mr. Allan, to assist him in any projected work on Birds by allowing him to draw the specimens preserved in his Museum. Notwithstanding these civilities, Mr. Bewick never had the satisfaction of seeing Mr. Tunstall; but, at his death, he availed himself of a repeti¬ tion of the invitation by Mr. T.’s nephew and successor, Edw. Sheldon Constable, Esq. to spend some time at Wycliffe to draw the Birds, before the sale of the Museum, which was intended shortly—“ During a resi¬ dence there of nearly two months in 1791, he took drawings from the specimens of most of the British Species (and some foreign ones), and many of these were afterwards traced and engraved on the blocks of wood ; but in the progress of the work so many other more recent spe¬ cimens, both dead and living, were furnished by the Patrons of the work that the necessity of using several of these drawings was superseded by this more near approach to perfect nature.” See Advertisement to 2nd Vol. of 1st Ed. of Br. Birds, 1804. The first Vol. of the Work, containing the Land Birds, came out in 1797, after nearly six years’ labour of the graver, and soon after this, the connexion, in partnership between Messrs. Beilby and Bewick, which had subsisted several years, was dissolved ; after a lapse of nearly a simi¬ lar period, the second Vol. of Water Birds, was published by himself in 1804; the whole term proving, if any proof were wanting, that the work was not hastily and crudely executed. The text of the 1st Vol. was com„ piled by Mr. Beilby; that of the 2nd by Mr. Bewick? himself. The various Editions and re-prints which have since appeared of it are as follow. In each there has been some accession of subjects ; the 1st Edition containing 228 figures of British Birds, viz. 115 Land and 113 Water.—The last (1826) comprehending 300; viz. 157 Land and 143 Water; besides 14 figures of Foreign Land Birds. The Land Birds (Vol. 1) was first printed in 1797, 2 Editions * This, which is inches by 7, is the largest wood-cut ever made by Mr. B., and is considered his master-piece. See Charnley’s Cat. for Dec. 1820, Part ii^p. 8. Also, Tunst. Memoirs, supra , p. 23, 24. 288 bewick’s birds. The Water Birds (Vol. 2) was first printed in 1804, a number equal to both Editions of Vol. 1. „ Both Volumes were re-printed in 1805, 1809, 1816, 1821, and 1826, which last is called the 6th. Edition. Two Supplements to the Birds were printed in 1822. Two Editions of the figures alone in 4to in 1817, 1822, and 182o. One Edition of the figures of British Land Birds, and some Foreign do. in 8vo. in 1800. I may here add the Editions of the “ Quadrupeds — The 1st. of which was printed in 1790; the 2nd. in 1791; the 3d. m 1792; the 4th. in 1800;* the 5th. in 1807; the 6th. in 1811; the 7th. in 1820; and the 8th. in 1824. Also, the figures alone m 4to. in 1824. The Womback and the Platypus were first introduced into the 4th. Ed. in 1800. , _ Tr .. ,, N. B. Mr. Sol. Hodgson printed all before 1804. Mr. V alker all 6ince that time. List of Figures in Mr. Bewick’s “ Birds,” which were engraved from specimens in the Wy cliffe Museum. —There may possibly be a few moie, but which, from want of memoranda, cannot be ascertained. Great North Diver, ♦Cinereous Eagle,f Sea Ditto, ♦Osprey, ♦Hobby, * Kite, ♦Rcd-backed Shrike, ♦Red-legged Crow, ♦Roller, v Crossbill, ♦Hawfinch, ♦Nightingale, ♦Hartford Warbler, Sedge Ditto, ♦Wren, ♦ Bustard, ♦Thick-kneed Ditto, ♦ Spoonbill, ♦ Stork, ♦Night Heron, ♦Little Bittern, Godvvit, Greenshank, ♦Ruff, ♦ Avoset, Olivaceous Gallinule, Lesser speckled Do. ♦La petite Mouette grise, ♦Smew, ♦Siberian Goose, ♦Shieldrake, ♦Garganey, ♦ Scoter, ♦Manks Puffin, ♦Stormy Petrel, ♦ Crested Cormorant. The following have been engraven since the receipt of the Museum in Newcastle:— ♦Jerfalcon, ♦Pine Grosbeak, male. ♦Black Woodpecker, ♦Lesser spotted Ditto, ♦Carrion Crow, ♦Little White Heron, ♦Gadwall, male. ♦Casarka Duck, called “ Ferrugi¬ nous Duck.” Also_♦ The Cirl Bunting, from Mr Mewburn's specimen. Also, in Foreign Land Birds. ♦Minor Grakle, ♦Silky Starling. •♦Secretary Vulture, Fork-tailed Indian Shrike, ♦Crested Grakle, The Museum possesses at present the whole of the above original specimens, which are marked with an asterisk. ♦ The large cut of the Wild Bull was published in 1789; that of the Lion (7£ in. by 6), in 1819. + I hesitate to insert in this List the Golden and Ringtail Eagles, which Mr. Bewick thinks were done fromWycliffe Specimens, as I can find no evi¬ dence in the Tunstall or Allan MSS. of their ever having been there. CONSETT’S TOUR. Having had occasion to refer particularly to Mr. Consett’s“Tour through Lapland”for the Arctic Birds described in it, to compare with those in our Museum, I was induced to collate the whole of the Natural History men¬ tioned in it (which is mostly given in the Swedish language) with the Linnean Synonyms, taken from Linnaeus's Fauna Suecica , and Artedi's Synonymia Piscium , and I here present the result for the use of those who possess the work. I have not the same excuse, perhaps, for this intro¬ duction as in the two preceding instances, but the local interest which the tour excited at the time, and the parties connected with it, will plead my apology.—For title, &c. see page 23. To those not acquainted with the work, I may mention that it includes, in 41 Letters, an account of a tour made in the summer of 1786, by the author, Matthew Consett, Esq. in company with the late Sir. H. G. Liddell, Bart, and another gentleman, still living in this neighbourhood, through Sweden and Lapland, and part of Denmark, commencing at Ravensworth Castle, and proceeding through Gottenburgh, Stockholm, and Upsal, to Tornao, the capital of Swedish Lapland, situated on a river of the same name at the head of the Gulph of Bothnia, and returning by nearly the same route after a journey of 3784 miles by land. The most remarkable result of the tour was the exportation from Lapland of 5 or 6 living Rein-deer, which they brought back with them ; as well as two female Laplanders, who, with the deer, travelled over land GOO miles on foot, with three others, as road-companions, to embark with the tourists at Gottenburg. There were also procured a Lapland sledge, some spe¬ cimens of dress and of domestic utensils, and some stuffed birds. The Rein-deer lived some time in this country, principally at Esling- ton Park, where they were kept on the wild grounds, called Thornton Crag, just above Whittingham, and where, for a time, they throve well and bred, “ contrary to the opinion of Bulfon and other naturalists,” as is stated in the work; though the result rather justified the remark of the French naturalists, as they all died before long*. They perished, it is understood, by repletion, either in getting amongst clover, or by feed¬ ing on turnips and clover hay, in the winter, in too great profusion. Pro¬ bably the want of a Lapland herdsman, by whom they are attended with so great care in their native clime, was conducive to their early extinction. One is said to have strayed into Scotland, where it was shot. Another of them was trained to run in the sledge, and one of the Lapland girls, ac¬ companied by some of Sir H. G. L.’s family, drove in it. Their two human companions only avoided the fate of the deer, arising from the over bountiful fare which they met with at Ravensworth Castle, by being wisely hurried off (by the advice of the faculty) to their native soil before the catastrophe; more happy in this respect than the unfortu¬ nate King and Queen of the Sandwich Islands, who died in this * “ Lorsqu’on leur fait changer de climat, ilsmeurent en peu de terns.” And M. Ilegnard, as quoted by Buffbn, says—“ Some brought to Dantzic died, not being able to accommodate themselves to that climate, as too warm for them.” Of others brought into Holstein and Prussia, and turned into the vvoods, it is said, “ tous perirent sans avoir produit, ni dans l’etat de do- mesticite, ni dans celui de liberte.”— Buff. Hist. Nat. t. xii, p. 97, 4 to. ed. 290 CONSETT S TOUR. country,—an event, brought on, it is thought, by a similar and too sudden change of habits.*—These girls returned to their native wilds in the following spring, by the same conveyance in which they arrived, the ship Gottenburg Merchant, Capt. G. Fothergill. Loaded with presents, they excited on their return almost as much curiosity in Stockholm as they had done here, and were in consequence introduced to part of the Royal Family, as, with other particulars, we are informed in the Tour. The work, it is not generally known, was moulded into its present form, not by the professed author and tourist himself, but was compiled, at his request, by the Rev. J. Brewster, from a collection of notes taken by Mr. Consett, on his journey. The notes were short, but were ex¬ panded into letters, “ the fashionable vehicle of the day.” The personal narrative is, I am assured by the Editor himself, and which is con¬ firmed by the surviving tourist, wholly authentic, though the historical matter was collected from books.—Mr. Pennant, as we learn by an un¬ published letter of his to Mr. Allan, dated March 17, 1792, had furnished Mr. Consett with some letters of Linnaeus, to be used in the work, but which, unfortunately, never reached the compiler of the Tour, or “ he would have been glad of having had any thing so valuable to have insert¬ ed.” There were also a few memoranda written by Sir H- G. L.’s Swedish servant (Charles Brandt), from whose residence in the latter’s family the tour in some measure originated. The plates have an additional value, as being some of the few engrav¬ ings in copper by Mr. Bewick. The views of the “ Midnight Sun at Tomao,” and “ Entrance into Upsal,” were engraved by him from two pictures painted at Stockholm by a Mr. Martin, a Swedish painter, and the tourists sat for their likenesses, which are given in the Tornao view. These pictures are still preserved at Ravensworth Castle, where are also four water-colour drawings, by the same artist, two of them views of Got¬ tenburg, and two of Stockholm, which are not in the work. The like¬ nesses of the three travellers are thought well preserved in Mr. Bewick’s plate. Sir Henry is represented on the steps of the mill, with his watch in his hand, indicating the hour; Mr. Bowes behind him, and Mr. Con¬ sett in front. The Swedish servant is also introduced, and a Pointer dog, which they carried with them.—One of the Rein-deer furnished also the figures of that animal, both for this work and Mr. B.’s “ History of Quad¬ rupeds,” with the exception of the horns, which, being at that time covered with hair, a pair of very perfect ones, now in Mr. Bewick’s possession, was substituted. The birds were engraved by Mr. B. from drawings made from the subjects by a clever young man, a painter, who was a self-taught artist, and nephew to the housekeeper at Ravensworth, which, however, accounts for their not possessing the characteristic life of our artist’s other birds. For an account of them, see before, at p. 258. The two Lapland girls, given in the plate at p. 148, were portraits, drawn by Mr. Bewick, at Ravensworth, “ as like as he could.” The sledge (the only wood -cut in the work) he also drew at Ravensworth, and it is introduced into his “ Quadrupeds,” on a scale reduced from the ori¬ ginal cut in the Tour. I regret to learn that not a vestige of the sledge remains, any more than of the specimens of Natural History. * “ The quantity of flesh and strong drink” (says a late periodical) a taken by an English labourer (when he can get it) would destroy a Lap- land farmer, who takes no other sustenance for days together than a little biscuit, half made of bark of trees, w r ashed down with sour fermented milk .”—Morning Herald , No. 14,516. T consett’s tour. 291 LIST OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS IN CONSETT’S TOUR. Consett's Tour. English . Faun. Suecica , Art. Syn. * 1*AGE. 61 Salmon . — Pike . Salmon . Pike.. NO. 345 Salmo Salar, p. 22, 1 355 Esox Lucius, 26, 1 364 Cyprinus Carassius, 5, 5 41 Cervus Tarandus 5 Canis fam., var. a 355 Esox Lucius, 26, 1 332 Perea fluviatilis, 66, 1 372 Cyprinus rutilus, 10, 18 373 - alburnus, 10,19 O in c\r\ 62 Rada . 67 Rein Deer . 69 Dog . Rein Deer . Dojr 70 Gadda (or Gjadde) . — Abborre . — Mort . Pike . Pearch . — Loyan (or Loja) . — Gris (Glirr.?) . Bleak . .... ? — Ruda or Carassir . Rud . — Stremling (or Stromming) — Negenogonf . — Lax . Herring . Lamprey . Salmon 357 Clupea Harengus, 14,1 290 Petromyzon fluviatilis, 89, 1 345 Salmo Salar, 22, 1 363 Cyprinus Tinea, 5, 7 349 Salmo alpinus, 25, 10 321 Cottus 4 cornis? 77, 2 315 Gadus Lota, 38, 13 200 Tetrao Urogallus 201 - Tetrix 204 - Bonasia —-Saliceti, Temm . 170 Scolopax rusticola 190 Charadrius pluvialis D — Skoma- Karen. — Rudor (or Raud) . — Simper (or Hornsimpa) ... — Lake. Tench . Red-Char . Gudgeon ? . B11 rhr»t 71 Kader or Chader . 72 Ora (or Orre). — Hierpe (or Hiarpe) . — Snoripa (Fn. S. 203). 73 Moorkulla . — Akeshon (Akerhona) . — Purrhons. Wood Grous ... Black Ditto ... Hazel Ditto ... Willow Ditto... Woodcock . Golden Plover ? — Rapphons. — Gelenotte (French) . — Kneeper (or Knipa). — Yierper (or Wipa). 76 Siebenschwantz . — ./Edder-Duck. 77 Jo-Fugl (or Swar-IIasse) — Aik (Tord, Sw.) . — Scary or Loom . 78 Swallows. — Akerbar . — Hiortron (Suecis) — Lingon^; . — Silver-fir. — Mazar-tree . Partridge. Hazel Grous ... Golden Eye ... Lapwing. Boh. Chatterer Eider Duck ... Arctic Gull . Razor-Bill. Guillemot . Swallows. f Dwf. Crim- 1 \son Bramble J Cloud-berry ... f RedWhortlel 1 Berry./ ! Silver-fir. Muzar.trpp 205 Tetrao Perdix 204 -Bonasia 121 Anas Clangula 176 Tringa Vanellus 94 Coracias Garrula 117 Anas mollissima 156 Larus parasiticus 139 Alca Torda ? 149 Colymbus Troile 270 Hirundo rustica Rubus Arcticus - Chamaemorus Vaccinum Vitis Idea ? Pinus Abies —- Picea 118 Black Ant . Black Ant. Formica rufa * The figures before the names, refer to the Nos. of Fauna Suecica, Ed. 2da. ; and those after, to the Pages and Nos. of Artedi's Synonymia Piscium Ichthyologies, Part iv.—Ed. Lugd. 1738; in both of which works the Swedish names are to be found. t This is included by Mr. C. amongst the Herring tribe by mistake of the Press, j This is the fruit usually imported fropi the shores of the Baltic to Newcastle, under the^ name of Cranberries. They are* however, only occasionally mixed with the true Cranberry plant (V. Oxycoccus), which is distinguished by its more pointed leaf, as well as smaller sized fruit. The fruit, as imported, when stewed with sufficiency of sugar before baking, makes most delicious tarts. 292 con sett’s tour. Of the natural history of Lapland, the author remarks, that the Sal¬ mon and Pike are taken at Tornao in great quantities, and are salted and exported to all parts of Sweden (p. 61), that they are also smoked and dried for home consumption, as is also the Pike of which is made a pudding, a most delicate dish, resembling custard (p. 9),—that of all their fish the Rud is the finest in flavour, and most like the Carp (p. 62)—that the fish of their lakes are excellent, “ but they do not know how to dress them —that when the season approaches for curing their fish for their winter provisions, they are obliged to take a long and tedious journey over deserts and mountains to procure salt at their sea-port towns, which journeys are generally performed in large parties* (p. 70);—that they are very dextrous fishers, and no wonder, as almost their whole subsistence depends on their art;—that the hoofs of the Rein-deer are moveable, which he expands ingoing (p. 67);—that the lower branches ofhis horns which fall very near the forehead, are said to be used by the animal in breaking the ice (p. 67)that the traveller is tied in the sledge, like a child in a cradle, which he manages with great dexterity, by means of a stick, with a flat end, to remove stones and other obstructions, and that in this situation he travels with great rapidityf ;(p.68)—that the Dog used in Lapland is of a peculiar wild breed, small sized, with cur-tail and pointed ears, very sagacious, and trained to hunt the Chader and Orre (the Capercail and Black Cock), which he watches on the perch, and fascinates as it were, by his barking, until the sportsman comesup (p. 69) _that of the feathered game the Hierpe (or Hazel Grous) is the finest of all for food (p. 72);—that the boors take the Scary or Loom by lighting a fire under the rock where they build; when the smoke and heat making them giddy, they drop down in numbersthat the fruits of the Akerbar and Hiortron are used as conserves at the first tables in Sweden—and that the Lingon is- generally used as a condiment for roast beef (p. 78). That the Ant, described at page 118, which is found in Sweden, is eaten, and has a flavour of delicate acid, resembling that of a lemon, and they first pinch off their heads and wings. * These habits make the preceding account of the Lapland girls’ journey to Gottenburg less surprising.— Ed. + Mr. Bowes itnforms me that when the Rein-deer is heated on his jour¬ ney, he is liable to become furious, and would, by kicking, destroy his mas¬ ter, who instantly turns the sledge over upon himself, and,thus entrench¬ ed, leaves the animal to expend its fury until he be cooled. NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. Note to Page 4.—Bryan Tunstall. It is with a feeling of no little dread that I venture to offer a correction of a passage of so gigantic a genius and master-spirit as Sir Walter Scott’s, and I wish I may not draw down upon myself the application of the Fable of the Fly and the Lion. Truth, however, is the object of all discussion, and in its cause, and protected by its tegis, I dare to shoot a friendly arrow. Having occasion in the preceding pages to notice the hero Bryan Tun- stall, I quoted some lines on him and the explanatory note, which are in¬ troduced in Marmion. The author of the Poem invites his readers to examine the Tale of Flodden-Field in the edition of his friend Weber, and having since followed his advice, 1 was there surprised to find that it was not Bryan Tunstall that was designated “undefiled” but his father , on whom Henry VII. bestowed the cognomen, or distinctive title, for his attachment to the House of Lancaster. I do not deny that his son may have deserved and enjoyed the title also, but it must in his case have been patrimonial rather than personal, as his fame was mainly derived, it would seem, from his glorious end. As I wish to be open to correction I shall insert the stanzas that re¬ late to the subject. They are taken from a Poem more valuable for historical accuracy (being written as is supposed soon after the action) than poetical merit. There are several editions of it, but I have con¬ sulted only Lambe’s (1774), and Weber’s [1808], which I find nearly agreeing in the stanzas in question With him* was matched as equal mate 1185 Bryan Tunstal, a trusty squire ; Whose stomach stout nought could abate, Nor ought could swage his bold desire. The glory of his grandsire old,f 1189 The famous acts eke of his sire,{ His blood untainted made him bold And stirr’d his stomach hot as fire. • Sir Edmund Howard. + Sir Thomas Tunstall. J Thomas Tunstall, Esq. second son of the above. P p 294 NOTES AND i LEX STRATI ONS. For when debate did first begin, And rancour raised most rueful work, And ruffling ruled this realm within ’Twixt Lancaster and th’ house of York; ♦ * * * « • But this man’s father,* void of fear While in this realm such ruffling was; To Henry the Sixth did still adhere And for no pains would from him pas 9 . ****** And when the King w*as captive caught, And the Earl of Warwick overthrown, To save his life best means he sought. And was in bark to Britain blown. And with th’ Earl of Richmond remained And Lords of the Lancastrian kin, hen th Earl at length the garland gained, And did fair England’s empire win; Hef rendered Tunstalf to his right And knowing his pure blood unblamed He eke did cause this trusty knight Undijiled Tunstal to be named. ***** Now came this man§ among the rest To match his father in manhood, For battle ready bent and pressed With him a band of lusty blood. Flodden Field, Fit V, line 1185. Weber's Ed. p. G3. See also Fit vm, where his glorious death is celebrated. He died overpowered by numbers of the enemy, and was cut down by the legs before he would surrender. Down falls this valiant active knight, 2041 His body great on ground doth lie, But up to heaven w ith angels bright, His golden ghost did flickering flie. Weber's Ed. p. 117 . In Lambe's Edition the Poem ends with this hero’s praise_ But Bryan Tunstal, that brave knight, A never dying honour gains, And will as long as day and night, Or as this little book remains. Lambe , stanza 576 . * Thomas TunstaH, Esq. f Henry VII. f 1 be Father. § Bryan the son. 1103 1201 1209 1213 1217 1225 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS, 295 Note to Page 7—Bishop Tunstall’s Works. The Works of Bishop Tunstall, though noticed by Chalmers, and \\ att, are not generally known, some of them being exceedingly scarce. Of the seven enumerated, five are in the Episcopal Library at Durham. The titles are as follows :— I. De Arte Supputanti, Libri quatuor Cutheberti Tonstalli, hactenus in Germania nusquam ita impressi -■ ■■ ■ Joan. Sturmius.—Arithme- ticam Cuthebertus Tonstallus prae caeteris dilucide et pure tradidit: atque ita tradidit, ut ars ipsa dum hie author extat, contenta scriptore, docto- rem non maximopere aliquem requirat. Non nego, posse ex aliis quoque disci: sed hie docet erudite, perspicue latine, id quod non faciunt caeteri: nec abest longe a perfectione, qui ejus praecepta intelligit. Argentorati, ex oft. Knobloch. per Georg. Machaerop. Anno M,DLI. (First printed in 1522.— Chalmers.) Written in 2nd page. —“This Book has such a reputation, that it is or¬ dered by Statute to be read in the Schools. “ Bishop Tunstall was fellow of King’s Hall, in Cambridge, now the North part of Trinity College. He was born in Richmondshire, ordained Deacon 7th April, 1509, and Priest 19th April 1511, hinc utriusq. juris. Hr. & Ebor: Dioc. Reg: Warham Archien. Cant. Tho. Baker Coll. Jo. Socius ejeetus.”* After the above remark of Mr. Baker, and the encomium of the Editor (singularly enough given in the Title Page), it is unnecessary to add any thing in praise of this excellent 'Treatise on Arithmetic, which is that no¬ ticed in the preceding Memoirs, at p. 7. It contains the rationale of Num¬ bers, to which study, the Author says in his Preface, he was led by being cheated in his affairs (a laudable resolution), was composed after he was a Bishop, and dedicated to Sir Thos. More; and it is referred to in the learn- ed article on Arithmetic, in the Metrop. Ency., to explain the principles of Subtraction.—The Author adds to his 4 Books, a Summary of the Ireatise of Budaeus on the Roman Assis, compared with modern Monies, and in the College Library of Durham, is the apparently actual copy of Budaeus, (printed at Paris in 1508), from which the Bishop made his ex¬ tract, presented by him with his autograph in two places, thus:—“ Sum lunstalli,” which at least shews the true orthography of his name, so often written Tonstal. — In the copy already referred to “ De Supputandi” is the following Distich of Leland, on the joint authors, written in the 4th page. “ Ille rudis assis docuitcognoscere partes Tunumeros primus verba Latina loqui.” rf Lelandvs , Encom. p. 45. I he copy in Bishop Cosin’s Library, appears by the autographs to have been presented to it by Bishop Trevor, and had before been a gift of Mr. Baker s to Dr. James Tunstall. * 1 he Rev. Thomas Baker was a noted antiquarv and Divine of the county of Durham. He was the son of G. Baker, Esq. of Crook, near Lanchester, was educated at Durham Free School, under Mr Battersby • M as made Rector of Long Newton by Lord Crewe, which he resigned from motives of conscience in 1690; and was a fellow of St. John’s College Camb. from M-hich he was ejected in 1717, from political contumacy. He retained a lively resentment of this and his other deprivations, and wrote himself in all his books, as well as in those which he gave to the Colle- "■>• «• 106, Male Crossbill,—167. 113, Whimbrel,—181. 114, Purple Sandpiper,— Vide infra. 117, Sanderling,_ Ibid. 118, Red Phalarope,—143. 120, Sandwich Tern,—209. 120, Arctic (or Selby’s) Tern,—16G. 121, Roseate Tern,—176. 124, Grey Lag Goose,—80. 124, Harlequin Duck,—148. 125, Tufted Duck,—250. At Page 227, No. 26, add— “ From the Coal-mines of Seremerston, Norhamshire, North Durham." rpi r , _ Note *0 Page 129. rile Immortal Tree is, Enjthrina corallodendron , Lin. Note to Page 230. Sir, Coupland Castle , December 10/5. The Eagles were both captured in the mode used bvthp Pno-i; c i, -• Is follows em Tfa aS Sheep farmer K 10 tHe Wilds of Sutherland! which Is firJ b r el ' “r* ^TSvc&sS&rs =tt- f «*■= £z,TSl r&iis-fiF »o s ton crow), and a variety of gleadsand hawks, ravenously attack tire bait and are sometimes killed to the amount of a dozen aLne shot their bickering and jangling, however, is the surest mode of attracting the eagle s attention—he may be seen, a small speck in the heavens, gradually enlarging on the eye as he descends earthwards in graceful circles until his huge bulk is fully acknowledged, and his extended heavy flapping wings place him with jealous caution on a distant knollall appearing safe, he nears the fatal spot by a short flight; this is the signal fo" he noisy rabble, conscious of their monarch’s presence, quietly to take the little eminences around, and await his pleasure. It is now the hunter's anxiety is at the height, “ will the next flight place him within reach? or will he again seek the mountain and kill his own breakfast ? There he 300 y^j NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. is—a hasty glance or two—a mouthful—another look—his back is turned —bang!—and the game is over.” If only winged, his resistance is des¬ perate? and seldom confined to the defensive—The head and claws are sent to the Sutherland Society, and entitle the slayer toTos. besides the antient legal reward, which is seldom claimed. The feathers are little worth, but the fat considered a sovereign remedy in all cases ot sprains, bruises, &c. Such is the mode in general use, but it is laborious and generates cold and rheumatism, and only suits young men. lhe ushing is confined to the Osprey. If I can obtain the Ringtail, I shall have great pleasure in completing the set—they were originally intended lor my own amusement; but I feel I have discharged a duty to the public, without depriving mvself of the pleasure of occasionally seeing them. I am, Sir, your’s truly, r 4 rrrnnmr ^ITT T TT V Note to Page 237* The only account I can find of Dr. Arnold Boot (Lafine Bootius) is, that he was a learned Dutch Physician, and brother of Gerard Boot, Physician to the King of England; was a native of Gorecunnen in Hol¬ land, and died in Paris in 1653. Besides his work here referred to, “ Animadversiones ad Textum Hebraicum,” which he wrote in defence of the Hebrew text of the Bible against the objections of Morin and Cap- pel, he wrote “ Medical Observations .”—See Moreri, Diet. ed. 1740— Watkins's Biog. Diet, ex Nouv. Diet. Hist. Note on Page 240 .—The Unicorn. To prove my assertion that authors had mistaken the text of Ctesias, in making the Wild Ass a solid-hoofed animal, I had prepared translations or extracts from all the ancient authors within my reach, vyho have treated on the subject, which, however, being too long for insertion here, 1 shall confine myself to the passage in Ctesias alone, on which the mistake is founded, with Aristotle’s account drawn from that souice. “ He (Ctesias) writes, thatthere are Wild Asses in India, like horses, and sometimes larger; the body is white, the head purple (i.e. reddish); they have alsocyaneous (or dark blue) eyes; and a horn m the middle of the forehead about a cubit long, the lower part of which, next the fore¬ head is white, the top scarlet, but the middle is black.—(Then follows an account of the horn’s alexipharmic properties.)—^ indeed while all other Asses , whether tame or wild , and all the other animals which have a solid hoof neither have false heels , nor yet galls in their livers , these have both,* &c. ’— Ex excerptis Photii, p. 153. ., . , In this passage the author does not say that the horned Wild Ass of India is solid-hoofed; but that all other asses, and all the other animals with solid hoofs (as asses are) want the false heels, &c. Aristotle speaks of the Wild Ass thus :— * O; [XIV ovv Ci^oi 0V01 X.0U Yipipoi xcu xypioiy y-e&i r ocXXoe, (not* ttxvtu carTpx'/uteif ovx. £%ov«-(V tvh «r< r»v wrxTef w *"’ 5 -"'•***" NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 301 “ Some animals are homed, others hornless. Of those which bear horns, the greater part are cloven-hoofed, as the ox, the stag, and the goat. There are, however, none which are solid-hoofed and two-homed at the same time, as far as we know. But solid-hoofed and one-horned there is, though rarely ; as, for instance, the Indian Ass, which is both an Unicorn and solid-hoofed. But the Oryx, which is also an Unicorn, is, at the same time cloven-hoofed. Of the solid-hoofed animals, the Indian Ass alone has false heels, though many of the cloven-hoofed tribe have them also, &c.”— Hist . Anim. lib. 2. Aristotle’s account, though in different language, yet from the order of the subject, shews that it was taken from Ctesias, and yet he makes the latter say what he did not mean ; as will be found by a careful conside¬ ration of the sense which the words r c&XXcc bear. The whole difficulty of this subject appears to turn on this simple, though important mis-state¬ ment ; since can we once be satisfied that the Indian Ass was not solid- hoofed, and therefore cloven-hoofed, we have at once in the account of the Unicom a one-honied Antelope, the only animal from its persistent horns W!th which it can be classed ; and which, in the case of the Leucoryx Antelope, agrees so nearly in all particulars with Ctesias’s Indian Ass.— iNow Ctesias speaks ex autopsia, whereas there is good reason to believe that Aristotle only compiled his account from others. I may add, that Xenophon, speaking of the Wild Ass, adds a character which gives great additional force to this meaning, a suggestion confirmed to me by a distinguished Greek scholar, and Editor of Xenophon*. He says, “ The fleshy of thoce which are captured is very similar to venison, but more tender,” a circumstance suitable to the Pecora order of animals, rather than the Belluae or Horse tribe. It is surprising that the Commen¬ tators on the Anabasis have never supposed Xenophon’s Wild Ass to be ought but the Onager, or common Ass in its wild state, or the Zebra. I think it the same animal as Ctesias’s.—They both saw it in the same country, and at the same time, and give it the same name, though Xeno¬ phon does not notice the horn, which, however, was not necessary, as he was not describing its form. From Ctesias and Aristotle, or rather from the latter, Pliny, iElian, and others, have copied their Monoceros, and have thus sent travellers in India and authors in search of a solid-hoofed Unicorn, which, it is not surprising they never found, though they have more than once found a cloven-footed one, without perceiving it to be the object of their search. Such are the evil consequences of great author¬ ities committing errors. The following authors, who treat on the different animals to which the Unicom, sacred or profane, has been severally attributed, have been con¬ sulted, and of whom I subjoin a list in the order of time. Circum400 A. C.—Ctesias, in Excerptis Photii, p. 153, de Asino Indico, (original). Xenophon, in A nab. lib. 1. c. 5.2, de eod. (original). 350 Aristotle, de Hist. Animal, lib. 2, c. 1, de eod. (copied or compiled from Ctesias and others). 170 Agatiiarchides, in Photio, p. 1361—de Rhinoce- rote (original). * Itev. G. Townsend, M. A. 2 q 302 NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS^ A.D. 70. —Pliny, Hist. Mundi,lib. 8, c. 20, de Rhin. (from Agathar). _._ibid. c. 21, de Bove Indico. _ibid. c. 21, de Monocerote, ( same as JE- Han's Cartazon). _lib. 11, c. 37, 46, de Asino lnd. (from Aristotle ). 120.-— AZlian, de Nat. Anim. lib. 3, c. 52, de Asino lnd. (copied from Ctesias , as he avows). _lib. 17, c. 44, de Rhinocerote, (from Agathar ). ■ _iib. 21, c. 20, de Cartazono (same source as Pliny's Monoceros , probably Indian ). 250.— Solinus, Polyhist. c. 33, de Rhinocerote (from Pliny). __ 54, de Monocerote (from Pliny). 250 _Dion Cassius, lib. 51, de Rhinocerote (from Do). There are other antient authors who have mentioned the Rhinoceros, whose works may be consulted, viz. Artemidorus (100 B. C-), Diodorus (44 B. C.), Strabo (A. D. 44, who had seen it); all before the time of Pliny; and Oppian ( A. D. 150), Pausanias (A.D. 150), Phdostratus (A. D. 200), and others after him. Of the modems have been consulted— A.D. 1500_ Gesner, Hist. Anim. vol. i. de Monocerote, et de Rhinoce¬ rote, cum fig. passim. i600— Aldrovandus, Quad, solip. de Asinis cornutis, et de Mo- nocer. p. 382, 384, with fig. in frontis. of solid-hoofed Unicorn. 1644— Bootius, Animad. Heb. lib. 3, c. 1, de Reem. 1663— Bochart, Hieroz. lib. 3, c. 26, 27, de eod. et de Unicorn. To these may be added the account Varthema (Lat. Vartomanus), the Italian traveller, gives of the Unicorns he saw at Mecca, about 1517 (which, from the description, were evidently Antelopes), as quoted by Bochart and others ; but more particularly in the English translation of Sparmann’s Voyage, 8vo. ed. vol. ii. p. 162. And the account of Paulus Venetus (or Mark Paul, a Venetian traveller in the 13th century), of Unicorns he saw in Java, which, however, is thought to relate to the Rhinoceros —See Gesn. Of the host of biblical critics, who have touched on the subject of the Unicom, I do not think necessary to give an account, as they have rather confused than cleared the subject. I may refer, however, as latest, to Paxton's' Annotations on the Bible, Edinb. 1819; and Harris s Natu¬ ral History of the Bible, 1824. The former is a compendium of Bochart, with nothing new; the latter is satisfactory.—Of all naturalists, Mr. Pen¬ nant’s remarks on the subject (though not free from the errors of copy- ism) are most valuable, and deserving of attention. His description of the Leucoryx Antelope has been adopted as best agreeing with Ctesias’s Wild Ass. Note to Page 248 .—The Wombat. It appears, after all, that it is doubtful if such an animal as the Kaola Wombat exists, and that the animal so named by Cuvier and Desma- rest is the Phascolarctos of De Blainville, and the Wombat of Hinders; and that the Phascolomc of Perron and Geoffroy is another species of the NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS. same genus, the Wombat of Bass ; some confusion having been introduced in Sir E. Home’s Paper which treats of them together in Ph. Tr. for 1803— See Mr. Bicheno’s Address to Zool. Club, Nov. 1826, p. 16.— This perplexity shews, however, the meagerness of our information on this curious genus of Quadrupeds, and renders the illustration we have attempted to give of it, however slight, the more deserving of notice. Insert in the blank in p. 249, 1. 31,—No. 59, for Nov. 1826, vol. v. p. 550. 1 Note to Page 251— Egyftain Mummy. The interpretation of the Hieroglyphics on the front of the Mummy was obtained by Jos. Lamb, Esq. of Newcastle, when in Paris, in 1823, from M. Champollion, of that city. I regret that it did not sooner come to my knowledge, or it should have been inserted in the proper place.— “ The inscription,” says the learned interpreter, “ contains the usual for¬ mula—a prayer addressed to several divinities for the soul of the deceased,” which in this instance are three, viz.:—-1. The Sun, in the Egyptian language Phre. 2. The Egyptian God, Mars. And, 3. Osiris. The name of the embalmed individual, who is a Lady, is also disclosed, viz. : Tashorpe, though that of her family and title is obscure. It is to be re¬ gretted that there is nothing to shew the date. The entire legend answers nearly to the following phrases : — “ May she be approved by Phre, the Lord of the celestial Gods ; and by T-M (Egyptian Mars), Lord of the Worlds. May Osiris, the su¬ preme Ruler of Amend (Hades) grant repose to the Osirian Lady, Tas¬ horpe -daughter of-(mother) deceased.” An entire copy of the Letter of M. Champollion to Mr. Lamb, as translated by Mr. J, Bruce, is to be found, together with a plate, in New¬ castle Magazine, No. 26, vol. iii. p. 92. Note to Page 270— Testacea. Mr. Murray’s Shells (Rec. Acq. No. 134,) are Pinna rotundata, Cypnea Tigris, Voluta pinguis, V. persicula, Buccinum Testiculus, and, two others, which Mr. Gibsone considers non-descript. Amongst Mr. Hancock’s (Rec. Acq. No. 107) are a few British, viz. : —Mactra stultorum, Venus ovata, V. gallina, V. exoleta, V. verrucosa, Mytilus modiolus, M. barbatus (M. modiolus, jun. of Dillw .), and M. in- curvatus.—The rest Mr. G. cannot name, nor Mr. Currie’s Shells, (Rec. Acq. No. 43.) Note to Page 272— Dr. Griffith’s Shells. I find that some of the American Shells, presented by Dr. G., are not new to the Linnean system, as I have stated. The error is owing, excu¬ sably enough, to an interchange of nomenclature, not only in the generic, but also in the specific terms, which latter should be on all occasions strictly preserved. Unio alatus of Dr. G. -verrucosus, Physis elongata, - heterostropha, Helix minuta, Planorbis parva, Mya complanata, Dillw. -nodulosa, id. Bulla hypnorum, id. - crassula, id. H. paludosa, Mont . crystallina, id. H. alba, id. RECENT ACQUISITIONS, (additional.) The following Presents have been received since the printing of those ]ast enumerated at page 268. From Mr. John Veitch , High Friar Street , Newcastle. 251. 200 Specimens of Exotic Plants. From Rev. Robert Green , Newcastle. 252. Blackbird and Hooded Crow. From Miss Emma Trevelyan , Wallington. 253. A pair of Esquimaux Boots and Shoe, brought over by Capt. Lyon. From Mr. Joseph Watson , Rensham. 254. Tufted Duck, fern. (Anas Fuligula, Lira.). /row ilfr awe? J/r. IF. Hatton , Newcastle. 255. The Shells of four species of Land and Fresh Water Tortoises, viz. Cistuda clausa, Emys punctata, Emys biguttata, and Emvs scabra(2 specimens). 256. Fourteen species of Shells from North America, viz.Umo verrucosus; U. alatus ; U.praelongus (Mya, Lira.). Alasmadonta arcuata; A undulata (Mya, Lira ). Melania proxima; M. virginica; M. caniculata; M. multili- neata (Helix. Lira.). . TT M . . T Helix auriculata; H. gularis; H. plicata; H. 7-valvis; Lym- naeus Catoscopium (Helix, Lira.). From P. J. Selby , Esq., Twizell-House. 257. Two specimens of the Vampyre Bat (Vespertilio Vampyrus, Lira.) one of which is from the West? Indies; the other from Otaheite. 258 The Rufous Crow (Corvus rufus, Lath.) I rom E. Indies. 258* Selby’s Tern (Sterna arctica, Temm.) 4specimens noticed be¬ fore at p. 261. 259 Purple Sandpiper (Tringa mantima, Gm.) 305 RECENT ACQUISITIONS,-ADDITIONAL From Major Thompson , of the Royal Engineers . 1 ; 60 A very fine double specimen of Fossil Fish from Monte Bolca in Italy. Monte Bolca, a branch of the Tyrolese Alps, situated about 20 miles North-East of Verona, is most remarkable for the innume¬ rable quantity of petrified fishes, found in a calcareous bed of bitu¬ minous slaty marl (hence usually denominated the Ichthyolite lime¬ stone), alternating with the volcanic tufa, of which latter the hill is principally composed, it being evidently of volcanic origin. These extraneous fossils lie imbedded in the strata, which are in the side of the hill in an inclined position, 1000 feet above the level of the sea. It would seem as if the whole seas and rivers of the globe had con¬ curred in depositing here their contents. The Fishes of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, are huddled together in one confused heap. The greater part are of known species; but some are either unknown or extinct, through recent specimens have been discovered of some of these in distant seas since they were first noticed in a fossil state. The impressions are formed betwen the laminae of the schist, which is split for the purpose by the workmen, after being extracted in blocks. In their form the fishes are scarcely, if at all, distorted, as in some other similar petrifactions; and so perfect that the animal matter or gluten is distinctly traceable. The sudden change of their substance is evidenced by the open mouths and dis¬ tended fins in many specimens, and certain other peculiarities, such as a shark, the contents of the stomach of which exhibit sea crabs in a half digested state; and two fishes on the same stone, one of which has seized the head of the other, and seems in the act of swal¬ lowing it. Out of about 94 species dug up, including fresh water and sea fish, of which scientific catalogues are printed, the genus Chaetodon seems to prevail. It has been asserted that petrified American fishes are found in no other part of Europe but in this mountain. This fact may however be doubted, as the fish found in the Sunderland Magnesian Limestone, as described by Mr. Winch, in Geol. Trans., is most probably a Chaetodon, a genus unknown to European seas, and principally confined to the American. In the specimen here presented, the contents of the stomach are visible, and the parts of the vertebral column, or back bone, which are greatly raised, correspond with the indentations in the opposite stone. The specimen, which is a broad and strong-boned fish, of about 8 inches in length, is probably a Sparus. In the operation of sepa¬ rating the laminae, the Limestone is usually shattered. The work¬ men, however, collect the pieces with the greatest care, and they are afterwards arranged and cemented by a skilful lapidary. Both this specimen and those recorded before, as presented by Rev. T. Baker, shew marks of these reparations. Of these latter the widely open mouth of one of the animals, as if gasping for breath (though possibly the effect of compression), is deserving of notice. It is a smaller fish about 6 inches long. The other lesser specimen of Mr. B’s is a small round Chaetodon. The principal quarry in Monte Bolca, in the side of the hill, is called Pescaia , from the circumstance of its contents; but there are several other quarries of less note and i i 306 RECENT ACQUISITIONS,—ADDITIONAL. fishes are also found in the neighbouring mountains of Monte No¬ vale, and Monte de Salzedo, thus demonstrating the presence of water throughout, at some former period. For a very detailed account of these fossil remains— see Ediiib. Ency. vol. iii, p. 641, from which the above is principally extracted; also, Daubeny's Active and Extinct Volcanoes (1826), p. 119. A view of La Purga di Bolca , the principal eminence of the mountain, exhibiting its basaltic columns, is also to be found in the Plates of Basaltic Mountains , pi. 29, a work in the Library of the Literary and Philosophical Society. . From Mrs. Beilby , Westgate Hill. 261. Siskin, or Aberdavine (Fringilla Spinus, Lin.) This is the original specimen from which the figure in Mr. Bew¬ ick’s Birds was made. 262. Quill of Porcupine (Hystrix cristata). From the Rev. C. Errington , Coupen. 263. Impression on Sandstone. From Mr. Geo. Wales, Newcastle. 264. Stoat (Mustela erminea, Lin.). From Wm. Burrell , Esq., Broom Park. 265. Tufted Duck (Anas fuligula, Lin.). Shot in the river Ain. From Mr. Wm. Hutton, Newcastle. 266. Three fossil Fish, from the Magnesian Limestone at East Thickley, near Darlington. The discovery of these organic remains having excited considerable interest, I cannot refrain from inserting the following remarks of Mr. Wm. Hutton, which form part of a Paper read at the Meeting of the Lit. and Phil. Society of Newcastle, on his presenting these spe¬ cimens— “ The edge of the Magnesian Limestone formation, resting upon our Coal measures, ranges (as is well known) from the mouth of the Tyne through the middle of the county of Durham; along the whole of this line it rises gently into round-topped hills, which give, in many places, a pleasing effect to the landscape. The Stockton and Darlington rail-road, in its progress westward, crosses the whole breadth of the Magnesian Limestone, and enters upon the Coal district at Brusselton . At a spot called East Thickley, 1 mile south of Eldon, and about 6 from Darlington (a little within the edge of the Lime¬ stone), one of these low round hills was cut through to form the rail¬ road—the Limestone was found very thin, and about the level of the road a Sandstone of the Coal formation was come upon. The bed immediately above this, which is the first of the Magnesian RECENT ACQUISITIONS,—ADDITIONAL. 307 Limestone, is of a brownish buff-colour, of a soft and slaty texture. In this, and not more than half a yard from the Sandstone, the Fishes were found, lying flat, between the laminae of the stone,—they are a little in relief, and of a brown colour; arising, perhaps, from the animal matter having pervaded the carbonate of lime. "When first found every scale and fin seemed to be in its place. “ It is a singular circumstance attending these Fish, and one in which they agree with those that have been found in different situa¬ tions upon the Continent, that many of them are contorted—not that sort of twisting which might be produced by a movement in the mass, and subsequent to the time they were enveloped, but the graceful contortions of the living animal in a state of pain, as if strug¬ gling against its fate. A few Shells are said to have been found with the Fish, as might have been expected, and the workmen say, the remains of Plants also; but of these I have never been fortunate enough to see a specimen. The Magnesian Limestone in this dis¬ trict (except in a few spots) contains scarcely any organic remains. Several years ago a single specimen of a Fish was found in the lime quarries at Pallion, on the river Wear—this specimen is in the col¬ lection of the Sunderland Subscription Library, and a figure of it is given by Mr. Winch, in his Memoir on the Geology of this district. The quarries at Pallion are situate near the edge of the Limestone, and are worked quite down to the Sandstone rock : it was in one of the lowest beds (I believe) in which the Fish was found. The Rev. George Abbs, of Gateshead, has a specimen, which was found some time ago in the lime quarry, at Down Hill, near West Boldon, in which, although the specimen is mutilated, many of the scales remain, It is a curious fact that in this quarry the Sandstone of the Coal measures comes to the day, and although this specimen was not found in siiu , yet it is certain that it must have occurred at no great distance from the junction of the two rocks. “ Organic remains are of great use to Natural Science in different ways—to the Zoologist and Botanist it belongs to describe and point out the species, and their order of succession ; also how many are lost, and which still remain in a living state. They are also of great use to the Geologist, from the light they throw upon the early his¬ tory of our Planet, being, as it were Nature’s own medals of the wonderful changes that have taken place upon our earth, before it was brought to its present state, and without travelling far into the sub¬ ject, we may merely glance at the circumstances under which these Fishes occur. If we look back to the bed of Limestone, deposited prior to the one we are now considering, we shall find it, previous to the deposit of any of our Coal measures, full of animal remains; with the Coal series we have vegetables, to the exclusion of the ani¬ mals ; and now again we have a Limestone, differing in character from all that have been deposited before ; which with its animal fos¬ sils, appears to supersede the vegetables entirely. Just at this point these Fishes occur, and their chief importance is from the light that they may throw upon the nature of the changes that have taken place at the time they were buried. That these changes were sudden, the forms in which they occur, and their perfect preservation, suffi¬ ciently testify—indeed it is a generally received opinion, that where 308 RECENT ACQUISITIONS,—ADDITIONAL. the remains of soft bodied Fish occur, perfectly preserved, and asso¬ ciated in families, they have been suddenly overwhelmed, and en¬ tangled in the substance afterwards forming their strong matrix. “ Monte Bolca, in Italy, is the most celebrated place for remains of this kind, where they occur in a bituminous marl slate, in the finest state of preservation—there they are associated with rocks, evidently of volcanic origin, which are conceived to throw much light upon the mode in which they have been preserved.”— Mr. W. Hutton. 267. One specimen of a Fossil Fish, and 30 other Fossils, from the Lias, at Whitby, and the Oolite, at Pickering. 268. Twelve specimens of Strata, in the neighbourhood of Bristol, to complete a series presented before by Mr. Hutton. —See before, p. 282. 269. Eleven specimens of Granite, &c. from the Malvern Hills. 270. One ditto of Anthracite, or Stone Coal, from Pennsyl¬ vania. From Capt. Fleming, of the Lady Jane, Whaler, of Shields. 271. A Scoop, a Stone Lamp, and a Hatchet. The two former were found in Lat. 62°, on the W. side of Davis’s Straits. The Hatchet is supposed to have been made out of the mast-hoops of the Aurora or Dexterity, which were wrecked on that coast in 1821, Lat 71, N. From Chas. Cocker ill, Esq. South Shields. 272. Eight specimens of the Woods of New South Wales, and ad¬ jacent Islands, viz.:— Stringy Bark, so called from the bark hanging in detached stripes from the tree (Eucalyptus-) ? Iron Bark (E.-) ? Blue Gum— see White’s Jour. ( E. piperita). Yellow Wood or yellow Gum (Xanthorrhaea hastile). Beef Wood (Casuarina stricta).—Now in use in this country for furniture. Red Honeysuckle ( Banksia integrifolia). Pine, from"Norfolk Island (Araucaria excelsa)? Sandal Wood from the Feejee Islands ( Santalum album). 273. Cordage from the Feejee Islands, made of the outer rind of the Cocoa-nut. 274. Fishing Line, made by the natives of New Holland from the Phormium tenax , or Flax Plant of that place. 375. Sponges from New South Wales. 276. Fish-hooks from Ditto. 277. Pieces of the Gum used by the Natives of New S. Wales, to cement the joints of their spears, to repair canoes, &c., found 309 RECENT ACQUISITIONS,-ADDITIONAL. at the root of the same plant that furnishes the light shaft of the spear. 278. Tusk of Sus Babyroussa. 279. A Tooth of the Sea Elephant (Phoca-). 280. Tooth of White Bear (Ursus maritimus, Lin.). 281. Two specimens of dried Fish (Gen. Ostracion). 282. Tail of the Bird of Paradise of New South Wales (Menura superba, Collins ). 283. One specimen of Specular Iron Ore, from the Isle of Elba. From Mr. Thomas Crawhall. 284. Fine Specimen of the Crystallized Sandstone of Fontainbleau. From Wm. Lawson , Esq., of Long hirst, near Morpeth. 285. Six Fossil Seeds, or Nuts, and the Stem of a Plant resem¬ bling some of the large exotic Euphorbia?, from the Sandstone quarry of Longhirst. These are very curious extraneous fossils, as occurring in such formation, particularly the Seeds. Precisely similar ones have been received from Whitehaven. Fossil Fruits are rarely noticed, there being scarcely any other parts of vegetables found imbedded in rocks than the Leaves and Stems of Plants.— Mr. Winch. From Miss Sharpe , of South Shields. 286. Chamaeleon (Lacerta Chamaeleon, Lin.). From Rev. Mr. Otter , of JBoihal. 287. Dundiver, or female Goosander (Mergus Merganser, Liu.). 288. Female Scaup Duck (Anas Marila, Lin.). 289. Dusky Grebe, fern. (Podiceps obscurus, Lath.). From Mr. John Thompson of Crawhall Mill. 290. Common Heron (Ardea cinerea, Lin.). 291. White or Barn Owl (Strix flammea, Lin.). From Mr. Thomas Embleton , by Geo. Hill , Esq, Kenton . 292. Blue-breasted Warbler (Sylvia Suecica, Lath.) Shot by the Donor, on Newcastle Town Moor, 20th May, 1826. “ This bird, when first noticed, was sitting upon the earth, at the top of the mound which forms the base of the fence, on the north side of the moor, not far from the Grand Race Stand. It flew away close down by the side of the hedge for a short way, after it was first r r 310 RECENT ACQUISITIONS,-ADDITIONAL. observed, but soon alighted again, when it was immediately fired at and killed.”— (Mr. Hill.)—See before, Notes, p. 298. This speci¬ men, as British, may be considered unique. It appears to be a young male, the russet spot on the breast being small, and there being no white below the chin. Young birds are most subject to occasional migration.—I add the following remarks of authors on this subject:— “ Motacilla Suecica in Lapponise finitimis habitat, et quod emi- gret verisimile non est, cum apud nosUpsalise nunquam repertasit.” — Amcen. Acad. iv. 597. “ Inhabits West Bothnia and Lapland—Lives amongst the alders and willows, and is supposed not to migrate from that severe climate —is found in the northern parts of Russia and Siberia—sings finely. Mr. Edwards’s bird, pi. 28, was shot at Gibraltar.”— Penn. Arct. Zool. ii. p. 114. “ Found in many parts between Sweden and Gibraltar—are pretty common in Alsace, and are caught for the use of the table.—They do not frequent woods like the Redbreast, but places near the water.”— Lath. Syn. iv. p. 445. From Mr. Richard Downing , Saville-Row. 293. Two specimens of the Golden Plover, two of the Peewit, and one of Pipe Fish. From Miss Julia Forster , Alnwick. 294. Six species of Shells, viz.:—Solen Siliqua, jun., Tellina ferro- ensis, Venus Islandica, jun , Ostrea sinuosa, from Alemouth, and Argonauta tuberculata, from the West Indies; four Bones of the Cuttle-fish, a species of Diodon, a fossil Shark’s Tooth, and a Boar’s Tusk. 295. Two fine Specimens (with the Spines) of Sea Urchin (Echinus esculentus). From Mr. Taylor Gibson , Newcastle. 296. Scarabaeus Hercules, and another large Beetle. From John Stephenson , Esq. Solicitor , Newcastle. 297. One specimen of Sphinx Convulvuli, taken at Cullercoats, and one of Gryllus migratorius, taken near Hampstead about 20 years ago. From the Editor. 298. The Sanderling (Calidris arenaria). Killed by the Donor’s son, on Westoe Sands, in company with the Dunlin. From C. J. Clavering , Esq., of Axwell Park. 299. A young Rof. Deer. HE CENT ACQUISITIONS,-ADDITIONAL. 311 From Colonel Cookson, of Witton-le- Wear. 300. Flying Fish (Exocoetus volitans, Lin.). Flew on board the Streatham, Eastlndiaman,in which the Donot was a passenger, in 1811, and preserved by him since that year in spirits. From Mr Joshua Richardson, of Newcastle. 301. Fossil Shells, from Derbyshire, of the Gen. Productus, Spirifer, and Pecten, also a specimen of Elastic Mineral Bitumen. These shells are precisely similar to those found in the Mountain Limestone of this District, and shew the coincidence of the forma¬ tion in the two Districts. From the Lit. fy Phil. Society of Newcastle. 302. The Copper Medal of Dr. Chas. Hutton, of which an Engrav¬ ing follows. The Marble Bust of Dr. H., which was executed by Mr. Sebastian Gahagan, of London, at the expence of a body of Subscribers, at the head of which was Lord Eldon, formerly a pupil of the Doctor’s in Newcastle, was bequeathed by him at his death to our Society, which had been an original subscriber to it, and was carefully for¬ warded by his son, General Hutton, in 1823. Out of the surplus of the subscription, a medal was struck, from a die executed by Messrs. B. and T. Wyon, containing on the obverse the head of Dr. Hutton, in profile, with an appropriate legend of name, age, &c. On the reverse , emblems of two Philosophical Discoveries, by Dr. Hutton ; the one on the Density or Weight of the Earth, and the other on the Exact Force or Strength of Gunpowder; with an ap¬ propriate motto. To each of the subscribers a copy of this medal in a case was presented, and ours is now placed in the Museum._ It is scarcely necessary to state that Dr. Hutton was a native of Newcastle, where he commenced life as a Teacher of Mathematics; that he was appointed Professor of Mathematics in the Royal Mili¬ tary Academy at Woolwich, in 1773, which office he resigned with a pension in 1807, and that he died full of years and of honours in 1823, aet. 86. For an account of his Life, it is only necessary to refer to the excellent Memoir of his friend and correspondent, Mr. J. Bruce, of Newcastle, printed by our Society, in 1823; and to a brief Memoir by Dr. Olinthus Gregory, in the Imperial Magazine for March 1823, and to the Annual Biography and Obituary for 1824, vol. Hi._We may add, what is not particularized by his Biographers, that some years before his death, he gave .£100. to the Schoolmaster’s Associ¬ ation at Newcastle, to which he had always been an annual sub¬ scriber; and also £100. to the Royal Jubilee School, in the same town, established in 1810, which sums are invested with the Cor- poration of Newcastle, who pay a perpetual annuity of £5. to each establishment. He also subscribed £20. to our new building. 1784. 1785. 1786. 1787. 1795. 1798. 1803. 1809. 1812. RECENT ACQUISITIONS (ADDITIONAL). Dr. Hutton's Works are nearly as follow :— A small Treatise on Arithmetic and Book-keeping. Treatise on Mensuration, 4to., and re-printed 8vo. in 1788. is the w ell-known teatise so often abridged. Survey and Plan of the Town and County of Newcastle upon lyne ; in 2 large sheets, containing also a short account of the place.— Executed at the expence of the Corporation. The Principles of Bridges, a Tract, 8vo,, re-printed in 1801.—This w r ork was occasioned by the overthrow of Newcastle Bridge by the flood, in Nov. 1771. . , Republication of the Poetical and Mathematical parts of the “ Ladies Diary,” from its origin in 1704, down to 1773, in 5 vols., with ad¬ ditions and new solutions to many of the problems.—N. B. lhe additional matter was also published separately, in “ The Mathe¬ matical Miscellany,” 1 vol. 8vo.—The printing of the foregoing works is stated to have first brought into public notice Mr. T. Bewick, who w'as called on at an early age to unite with Mr. Beilby, in the execution of the Diagrams. Dr. Hutton was about this time appointed by the Stationers’ Company the Editor of the “ Ladies’ Diary,” which he continued to conduct until 181S. The Compendious Measurer; an abridgement of his “ Mensura¬ tion.” 12mo., several editions. Mathematical Tables, 8vo. 2nd ed. 1794. Tracts, Mathematical and Philosophical, 4to. Elements of Conic Sections. 8vo. Mathematical and Philosophical Dictionary, 2 vols. 4to.—Also,a new edition in 1815. Course of Mathematics, 2 vols. 8vo. and a thin vol. in 1811. Translation of Ozonam’s Recreations, 4 vols. 8vo. Philosophical Transactions abridged from 1665 to 1800, in 18 vols. 4to., conjointly with Drs. Pearson and Shaw. Tracts on Mathematical and Philosophical Subjects; being part ot his former Publications, with additions, 3 vols. 8yo. Besides several Papers in Philosophical Transactions, particularly that on the Earth’s Density, in 1778. He w'as born at Newcastle, 14th August, 1737 ; died at his house in Bedford Row, London, Jan. 27, 1823, and his remains were in¬ terred at Charlton, in Kent. Tagc xvii. 1. 3, in part of the impression, for Gorge, read George. _20, 1. 18, for nephew, read nephews. -20, l. 26, for F. R. A., read F. S. A. _33, 1. 14,/or wisdom, read riches. _36, 1. 29, for July 17, 1786, read July 17, 1790. _39, 1. 23, for Oct. 31, 1803, read Oct. 31, 1800. _49, 1. 13, for lanariis, read lanatis. _51,1. 4, for Falo, read Falco. _51, 1. 13 et alibi, for Montague, read Montagu. _51, 1. 16, for Authorum , read auctorum. _54, 1. 30, after “ winter,” add Tunst. MS. _65, 1. 21, for Lhnyd, No. 331, read Lhwyd. No. 334. _72, 1. 28, for connexion, read correction. _74, 1. IS, for Spartow, read Sparrow. -78, 1. 32, after in all, insert its. _85, 1. 29, after Little Bittern, insert female. _103,1. 14, for authorum, read auctorum. _107,1. 10, for cristatus, read cristata. -120, 1. 4, for last, read Razor-bill. -121, 1. 21, for Great, or read Greater. _124, 1. 15, for D. Dixon, Esq. of N. C. read M. Bell, Esq. of V ol- sington. _125,1. 10, for Harlequin, read King. _130, 1. 2, for Turt. read Shaw. _.. 142, 1. 32, for Canaro read Canard. - 143, 1. 30, for there, read three. _ 143 , l. 30, for Harlequin Duck (Anas Histnonica), read King Duck (Anas spectabilis). _ 159, 1. 26,/or Tringilla, read Fringilla. _166, Running Title, for Shells, read Insects. _175, Running Title, for Vegetabilia, read Shells. _177, 1. 31, for Bolterus, read Boletus. _177,1. 4 from bott. stuck on paper, framed, transfer to next line. _ 178, 1. 34, for Amazonite, read Arragonite. _ 225, 1. 8, for “ Their Bronze Medal,” read “ A Wax Impression of their Seal.”—This Erratum was occasioned by the Medal of Dr. Hutton, which accompanied his Bust, belonging to the Ph. Society, being mistaken for a Cast of the Seal in question.— Dr. II.’s Medal being now placed in the Museum by the Phil. Society, we have thought well to present an impression of the Wood Cut, which was made from the Medal. 'JLhere is no cast of the Newcastle Antiquarian Society’s Seal, but a wax im¬ pression has been lately presented. _ 226, 1. 2, for “ Perth,” read “ Edinburgh .” _236,1. 27, for Thumberg, read Thunberg. _237, l. 24 et alibi, for Agartharchides read Agatharchides. _239, 1. 2 from bott. for oc^ioq read ctypioi;. _ 242, 1. 29, dele a foot thick. The expression has reference to the stratum of mud which contained the bones. _245, 1. 7, from bott. for brought read bought. - 247, 1. 6, for Aas, read Anas. _258. 1. 2. the asterisk and note remove to p. 257,1. 34, 11 l etras, - 259, 1. 19, for 730, read 73 N. _267 for Mr. J. Gibson, read Mr. Charnlcy. _ 272, 1. 24, far 201, read 229,235. -283, 1.13, for Cup, read Cap. This too extensive List of Errata has been owing, notwitfuitanding every care, to the desidtony nature of the work, the ill health of the Editor , and his distance from the Press. 12111K OO-C -rrr. u:hr. liu-K.!..- ... c ^-- . ■ - .1, - "f