Mr. C. C. Babington on the British Rubi. 83 



have a nest. They have been known in some instances to occupy 

 the same corner not only throughout the year, but during the hfe 

 of the oldest inhabitant. I know not how often they build in the 

 year, but the young have a very short time left the nest, when the 

 work of relining it again commences, and it is generally during 

 this time of incubation that the song is poured forth with all its 

 sweetness.'^ In a subsequent letter Mr. Kirk continues, " I men- 

 tioned in my supplementary letter of last year, that this little 

 bird built generally in our houses ; I have since found a nest in 

 the very interior of the woods, and at the same time neglected to 

 relate one very daring act of his in which I participated. One 

 day my attention being arrested by the more than usual vocife- 

 rations of this little bird quite adjacent to my window, on looking 

 out I observed a pair of them fluttering and hovering over a small 

 bush of grass in the garden ; on stepping down stairs I observed 

 a whip snake 4 or 5 feet long, hiding his head and drawing his 

 body after him'under the grass ; on turning him out he was at- 

 tacked right and left by these little warblers, striking him on the 

 head and tail alternately as an opportunity offered, obliging him 

 to take refuge wherever he could hide. They seemed to pay no 

 attention to my presence, for on pressing his head to the ground 

 they continued to nip his tail with their bills within 3 feet of 

 me. After I despatched him they retired to an adjoining fence 

 and poured forth a thousand thanks in an ecstasy of joy. ^' 



Sylvicola iESTiVA, (Canary or Siskin.) n. 



" Migratory ; time of arrival and departure not ascertained, but 

 they are to be found in February, March and April. Feed upon 

 small ants which they pick from the blossoms of trees, especially 

 that of the ' Cog wood,^ of which they appear particularly fond, 

 and which is exactly the colour of the bird's belly when in good 

 plumage ; they warble very prettily at times, are very unstaid, and 

 appear always pursuing each other.'' We receive this also from 

 Jamaica. 



Sylvicola parus. n. 



A single specimen only has been received and without remark. 

 [To be continued.] 



IX. — A Supplement to '^ A Synopsis of the British Rubi." No. 2. 

 By Charles C. Babington, M.A., F.L.S., F.G.S. fecf 



9*. R. Grabowskii (Weihe ?) ; caule arcuate anguloso glabro, acu- 

 leis sequalibus valde declinatis deflexisve basi dilatatis, foliis qui- 

 nato-digitatls planis supra opacis glabris subtus cinereO'tomentosis 



t Read before tlie Botanical Society of Edinburgh, Jan. 14, 1847. 



