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mile or so from the sea. The nest is a mere concavity in the ground; the eggs, two in number, are laid in the month of June. It is during the nesting season that the bird displays such courage and tenacity in holding possession of its domain. When the nest is approached, the bird shows a determination to defend its own. And bird, whether raven, gull, or hawk, that happens to stray into the Skua's territory, is at once attacked; the parent birds dart down from a considerable height, and dash vehemently, with a noise and speed truly astonishing, against the intruder, and cease not the attack until the enemy is well driven away; even when the intruder is the more powerful Bonxie, do they continue the charge without intermission. Man even is not prepared to brave the gull's fury, he receiving constant flaps with the wings of the bird; usually the bird comes sweeping along full at the person, and when within a foot, rises a little in its flight, so as just to graze the head. If a stick be elevated at this juncture, the bird swerving to the right or left, skilfully avoids the obstacle; but not unfrequently dashing against it, falls a mangled corpse at one's feet, a prey to its own fury, so great is the vehemence of its charge.

The Richardson, like the Partridge and Plover, employs the same stratagem to decoy enemies from its nest,—scrambling along on all fours (wings and legs), assuming an appearance of being disabled and incapable of flight, tumbling over and over; thus exciting pursuit, but in a direction away from its nest; and on the success of its trick, mounts and leaves one with the impression that he has been "sold."

The Scories of this species (for so the young of all gulls are called) are the least sombre of the tribe; the plumage of the young Richardson may be fairly called handsome; it is of a glossy, darkly speckled-brown. It is a cunning, nimble little bird, and leaves the nest soon after it is hatched. It secretes itself in holes, behind stones, or lies close among the vegetation on being approached, and when captured, its show of defence is really very amusing.

The Skua Gull, or Boxie (Lestris cataractes), is one of the largest European gulls, and is only an occasional visitor to Great Britain, save in the Shetland Isles, to which it annually resorts for breeding purposes. It is there, however, confined to one or two stations. It is said still to breed on the island of Foula; it formerly bred on Hermaness, Unst, where, until the death of its protector, Thos. Edmonston, Esq., the colony numbered about twenty pairs. Since his decease, which occurred a few years ago, a war of extermination has too successfully been carried on against this noble bird. The nests have been robbed, the old birds have been shot,—for a price was fixed on their skins and eggs; and this wanton destruction has resulted almost in the extinction of this rarity. Though fortunate in seeing a live Skua, it was under unfavourable circumstances; he was not at home, for though a bird of great power, he was harassed by the Richardsons, and exhibited all the appearance of an Ishmael among his tribe.

To the sportsman, a successful shot at this fine bird may be a source of gratification; but the wantonness exhibited by visitors to these island, the main object being nothing more than to secure the skins of this sea-fowl, is a theft, and its results are sad to contemplate. Take me out of the beaten track of sight-seekers, too often indelibly marked; I wish for none other museum than the precipices and moorlands, if the extermination of a species like this is to be the sacrifice.

The habits of the Bonxie are the same as those of the Richardson. This bird is no less tenacious of its domain, and is as fearless in defence of its nest as its congener. When the Bonxie is attacked by the Richardson, for it is the old story, "every cock can crow on his own dunghill," he has one resource left, that of alighting; for the tactic of his aggressor is lost, his long pinions, so advantageous while on the wing, are quite the reverse on the ground.

The Pomerine Gull (Lestris Pomarinus) is a rare visitant to the Shetlands. It approaches the Bonxie in size, and resembles the Richardson in plumage. Specimens are occasionally shot.

Those who live in the orchard districts of Herefordshire can scarcely avoid being struck with the quantity of mistletoe. Being, as I may say, brought into contact with it in my daily walks, and having an interest excited in me by others, I endeavoured to collect what information I could concerning its mode of growth. The result of a short research is here. If you think it worth insertion, it is at your service, and may perhaps induce others to examine more fully and carefully this remarkable parasite.

A description of the stem, leaves, and flowers will be found in any botanical work, and would therefore be superfluous.

The seed is heart-shaped and compressed. A vertical section (fig. 2) shows two club-shaped radicles, which are superior, i.e., directed towards the apex of the fruit (fig. 1). In the seeds I have examined I have met with two, showing one radicle only. Baxter, in his "Flowering Plants," says that some exhibit three. These radicles bend themselves down or up, as the case may be, to the surface on which the seed is sown, and attach themselves to it before the plumule extends itself (fig. 3).

As far as my observations have gone, I am led to believe that birds are the great means of dissemina-