Tringa Cinclus, LINNÆUS; L'Alouette de Mer, BUFFON; Der Meerlerche, BECHSTEIN. This is a marsh bird, about the size of the redwing, and is very common on the banks of rivers, lakes, and large ponds. When it rises in the air it cries continually "_tzi, tzi, tzi, tzi_." Its beak is black, and its feet dark brownish green; the feathers on the upper part of the body are grey, glossy, and silky, with blackish bands notched on the sides, and bordered on the outer edge with rust red; a whitish streak passes above the eyes, whilst a narrow dark brown line crosses them; the under part of the body is pure white, but the breast is striped with dark brown; the quill-feathers are black, the anterior having a broad white streak on the inner web, the others having the same on the outer web; the greater coverts are tipped with white, which form two spots on the wings; the three middle feathers of the tail are grey brown with black bands; the others are white, with dark brown bands. The female is rather larger, and her plumage is paler. OBSERVATIONS.--It is easy to obtain this bird, which has many attractions for the amateur. It runs quickly, continually shaking the back part of its body, and repeating, particularly towards evening, its loud and tender call, "_hidutzt_." When wild it eats insects and worms, found near the water. In the house it will soon eat the universal paste, if a few meal-worms and ants' eggs are at first thrown amongst it. If there are other birds in the same room, the water vessel should be removed from the food, or another vessel devoted to it, for not being able to swallow what is not soft, it carries all its food to the water to soak, and thus renders it dirty. It catches insects very dexterously; it advances slowly like a cat, its head bent down, and then darts forward swiftly and slyly. I admire their habits so much that I have one generally in my house. I have observed that all the species of snipes have the habit of turning over any stones they meet with, to look for insects under. It is very easy to take the purr as soon as the stakes, sticks, and other places where they most commonly alight, are known; it is only to put bird-lime on them and drive the birds gently towards the part. This and the corn crake are the only two marsh birds that should properly be reckoned among house-birds. THE MOOR HEN. Fulica enloropus, LINNÆUS; La Poule d'Eau, BUFFON; Die grünfüssiges Meehuhn, BECHSTEIN. The length of this species is ten or twelve inches. The beak is greenish at the tip, red towards the base; the naked spaces above the knees are of the same colour; the feet are olive green; the claws are very long; the head, the upper part of the neck, the body, and the wing-coverts are dark olive green; the anterior quill-feathers and the tail are dark brown; the breast and belly are ash-grey; the vent and edges of the wings are white.