out of print and scarce; and the reliable nature of the information
which it affords has for some time rendered a new edition a
_desideratum_ with naturalists. A new edition has at length appeared,
edited by Mr. Thomas Southwell, of Norwich, who has made some
valuable additions of his own in the shape of notes on the existing
mammalia of Norfolk, and on decoys past and present in the county,
prefaced by a memoir of the author by Mr. Henry Stevenson, and
supplemented by some interesting notes on Hawking in Norfolk, from
the pen of Professor Newton.”--_The Field._
* * * * *
“In addition to the intrinsic merits of the book, of which we can
personally speak in the superlative degree as one of the most
pleasantly written of the many pleasant natural history books
our language is so rich in, describing, as it does, the ‘Broad
District’--a country unlike any other part of England, and a very
paradise to the botanist, entomologist, and ornithologist--this new
edition is edited by Mr. Thomas Southwell, the active Secretary of
the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ Society, whose full and accurate
knowledge of the natural history of Norfolk better fits him for the
task than any other man we know of.”--_Science Gossip._
* * * * *
“While Mr. Lubbock’s personal observations were chiefly directed
to the neighbourhood of the Broads, the editor has endeavoured
to make the work as comprehensive in its scope as possible, and
he includes the district known as Lothingland, between Lowestoft
and Yarmouth, which, though in Suffolk, belongs geographically to
Norfolk.”--_Midland Naturalist._
* * * * *
“We promise to those who have never yet read this book, a rare treat
from its perusal.”--_Zoologist._
* * * * *
“We can scarcely speak too highly of the way in which this volume
has been ‘got up,’ and the publishers have added such a map as has
never yet been executed of this county, showing, as it does, not only
the rivers and broads, and other principal pieces of water, but the
sites of heronries and decoys (used or disused), gulleries, and other
localities, having a special interest for Naturalists.”--_Norfolk
Chronicle._
* * * * *
“The ‘Fauna’ is a book which everyone should read who desires to know
something of the natural history of Norfolk.”--_Norfolk News._
* * * * *
“Absolutely reliable and authoritative as a work of reference, and
invaluable to every naturalist and ornithologist.”--_Live Stock
Journal._
JARROLD AND SONS, 3, PATERNOSTER BUILDINGS, LONDON;
AND LONDON AND EXCHANGE STREETS, NORWICH.
_Large 8vo., Cloth Boards, Seven Shillings and Sixpence._
Rambles of a Naturalist
IN
EGYPT AND OTHER COUNTRIES,
WITH AN ANALYSIS OF THE CLAIMS OF CERTAIN
FOREIGN BIRDS TO BE CONSIDERED BRITISH, AND OTHER
ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES.
BY J. H. GURNEY, JUN., F.Z.S.
JARROLD AND SONS, 3, PATERNOSTER BUILDINGS, LONDON;
AND LONDON AND EXCHANGE STREETS, NORWICH.
FOOTNOTES
[1] Dr. Robert Brown on the ‘Seals of Greenland.’ Reprinted, with
additions, in the ‘Manual and Instructions for the Arctic Expedition,
1875,’ from the _Proc. Zool. Soc._, 1868, pp. 405-440.
[2] _Land and Water_, August 26th, 1875.
[3] Dr. Brown’s ‘Seals of Greenland,’ _Proc. Zool. Soc._, June, 1868,
reprinted in the ‘Arctic Manual,’ p. 67.
[4] ‘History of North American Pinnipeds,’ by Joel Asaph Allen. U.S.
Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories, Miscellaneous
Publications, No. 12, Washington Government Printing Office, 1880.
[5] ‘Seal and Herring Fisheries of Newfoundland,’ pp. 32-34, as quoted
by Allen, _l. c._, pp. 551-3.
[6] _Land and Water_, May 9th, 1874.
[7] Great diversity of opinion, however, exists upon this point, the
Dundee sealers considering that the fishery should open a few days
earlier, and that a time should be fixed for its closing, in order that
too great a number of the old Seals may not be shot. The young Seals
grow with great rapidity, and even a few hours make a marked difference
in their condition; it seems, therefore, of the greatest importance
that a time should be fixed for the opening of the fishery, which will
ensure the young animals being in as forward a condition as possible,
and that the nursing mother should be spared. It is said, also, that,
in consequence of the number of females killed while nursing, the old
dog Seals are vastly more numerous than the females, and that positive
good is accomplished by some of them being killed off. One opinion,
however, seems universal, which is, that not much good has resulted, at
present, from the close time.
[8] The Seal of the Caspian Sea was described as a variety of _Ph.
vitulina_, by Pallas, and as a distinct species, by Nilsson, under the
name of _Ph. caspica_. It is, however, notwithstanding its abundance,
very little known, and may, probably, prove to be more nearly allied to
the next species. The yearly average of this species taken in for the
six years ending 1872, as given by Schultz, is 130,000.
[9] _Proc. Zool. Soc._, 1868, p. 402.
[10] _Journal of Anatomy and Physiology_, 1870, p. 260.
[11] ‘Danish Greenland, its People and its Products,’ p. 123.
[12] ‘Mammalia of the Outer Hebrides,’ _Proc. Nat. Hist. Soc. Glasgow_,
1879, p. 95.
[13] _Ph. grœnlandica_ was the only Seal met with by the Austrian
Arctic Expedition, in the _Tegethoff_ in August, 1873, the ship then
drifting in the ice in lat. 79° 31′, long. 61° 43′. Subsequently both
this species and _Ph. barbata_ were met with about North lat. 81°.
[14] ‘Seals of Greenland.’ Reprinted in ‘_Manual and Instructions for
the Arctic Expedition_, 1875,’ p. 47.
[15] A communication in _Land and Water_ for Dec. 20, 1879, p. 524,
signed “R. M.,” states that about the 20th of June, 1879, a Walrus was
seen off the west coast of Skye. “He was seen lying on a rock near
the shore, on a fine calm evening, near enough to remove all doubt as
to the identity of the animal.... The huge tusks were quite easily
distinguished.” On being disturbed, it is said to have rolled into the
water, and swam a short distance to another rock, on which it was seen
to climb; after a little time it again took to the water, and was seen
no more. As no names are given, it is impossible to investigate this
report, or to judge what degree of importance should be attached to it.
[16] Cook’s Last Voyage, vol. ii. p. 458, edition 1784.
[17] ‘Some remarks on the Nat. Hist. of Franz Josef Land,’ by H. W.
Feilden, F.G.S., &c.--a Paper read before the Norfolk and Norwich
Naturalists’ Society, Dec. 28, 1880.
[18] _Physalus_, _Benedenia_, and _Sibbaldius_, of Gray, are now
rejected, I believe, by Prof. Flower.
[19] _Zoologist_, 1877, p. 360.
[20] McCulloch’s _Dictionary of Commerce_.
[21] Space will not permit of more than a passing reference here, but
much information as to the rise and progress of the whale-fishery
will be found in McCulloch’s ‘Dictionary of Commerce,’ article
“Whale-fishery;” Scammon’s ‘Marine Mammals of the North-western coast
of North America;’ Starbuck’s ‘History of the American Whale Fishery;’
Mr. C. R. Markham’s ‘The Threshold of the Unknown Region;’ Capt. A. H.
Markham’s book above referred to; and above all in Scoresby’s excellent
works, which have been extensively laid under contribution by nearly
all subsequent writers--‘An Account of the Arctic Regions, with a
History and Description of the Northern Whale-fishery’ (2 vols., 1820),
and ‘A Journal of a Voyage to the Northern Whale-fishery,’ in 1822.
[22] Blackstone mentions a curious old feudal law, to the effect “that
on the taking of a Whale on the coasts, which is a royal fish, it shall
be divided between the king and queen; the head only being the king’s
property, and the tail of it the queen’s. ‘_De Sturgione observetur,
quod rex illum habebit integrum: de balena vero sufficit, si rex habeat
caput, et regina caudam._’ The reason of this whimsical division, as
assigned by our ancient records, was, to furnish the Queen’s wardrobe
with whalebone”!--Blackstone’s ‘Commentaries,’ 1783 edit., vol. i., p.
223.
[23] Owen, ‘Anat. of Vert.,’ iii., pp. 546 and 553.
[24] Dr. Brown, in the paper before quoted, states that they couple
from June to August, and bring forth in March or April. See also a note
on ‘The Time and Manner of the Procreation of some Species of Whales,’
in the ‘Zoologist’ for 1845, p. 1161.
[25] ‘Recent Memoirs on the Cetacea, by Professors Eschricht, Reinhardt
and Lilljeborg,’ edited by Prof. Flower, Ray Society, 1866.
[26] ‘Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist.,’ 1878 (11), p. 495.
[27] ‘Bemærkninger til Norges Pattedyrfauna,’ p. 100. (Særskilt Afryk
af ‘Nyt Mag. for Naturvsk’) 1876.
[28] ‘Arctic Voyages of Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld,’ 1858-1879, pp. 51-2.
[29] ‘Geographical Distribution of Mammalia,’ by Andrew Murray, 1866,
p. 211.
[30] ‘Natural History of the Sperm Whale,’ p. 28.
[31] ‘Geographical Distribution of Mammalia,’ pp. 211-13.
[32] ‘Transactions’ of the Zoological Society, viii., p. 203.
[33] _Ibid._ x., p. 415.
[34] _Ibid._, p. 435.
[35] _Zoologist_, 1878, p. 319.
[36] Bell’s ‘Brit. Quad.’ p. 426.
[37] Collett, ‘Norges Pattedyrfauna,’ p. 99.
[38] ‘Zoology of H. M. S. Challenger,’ part iv., p. 29.
[39] _Proc. Zool. Soc._, 1871, pp. 41-53.
[40] _Proc. Zool. Soc._, 1879, pp. 667-9 (by which Society the above
woodcut was kindly lent).
[41] Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 3rd series, vol. 17, p. 312.
[42] Read before the Royal Danish Society of Sciences, in 1862.
[43] Trans. Zool. Soc., vol. viii, p. 3.
[44] _l. c._, p. 13.
[45] _l. c._, p. 18.
[46] _Trans. Zool. Soc._, vol. xi., p. 2, with plate.
[47] _Trans. Zool. Soc._, vol. xi., p. 5.
Transcriber note
Spelling and punctuation errors have been corrected.
Corrections listed in Errata have been applied to the text.
Italic text has been enclosed in underscores.
Bold text has been enclosed in equals.
Smallcap text has been capitalised.