RARE BIRDS. — FIELDFARES BREEDING IN ENGLAND. 467 



Capture of rare Birds. — To the instances of the rose-co- 

 loured pastor mentioned by Mr. Yarrell, I have to add another 

 (in mature plumage), which occurred in the beginning of last 

 month at Gwithian, about twelve miles from this place, on 

 the north coast. 



On the 29th April I obtained a fine specimen of the grey- 

 headed wagtail — a male — having the slight mixture of olive 

 green in the grey feathers of the head, which Mr. Yarrell 

 states to be characteristic of the bird of the preceding year. 

 It was first noticed on the margin of a pool near the sea, be- 

 tween this place and Marazion. 



Two instances of the little gull in this neighbourhood have 

 come to my knowledge. The first, in St. Ives' Bay, on the 

 26th of December last, was a young male in moult, and I 

 suppose in transition to the mature plumage, as several grey 

 feathers appear among the brown of the back. It seems to 

 be a rather large specimen, the total length being 12 inches ; 

 wings from tip to carpal joint, 10J inches ; total extent, 33 

 inches : tarsus 1 J inch ; middle toe and claw lj inch ; gape 

 H inch. The central feathers of the tail are 1 inch shorter 

 than the outermost. 



The other was also a male, but in the adult winter plum- 

 age, and of great beauty. It was shot here, in the harbour, 

 March 4th, and is said to have been accompanied by another, 

 which escaped. The only respect in which it differs from 

 Temminck's description is the colour of the legs and feet, 

 which were a delicate flesh colour. — D. TV. Mitchell. — Pen- 

 zance, July, 1839. 



On Fieldfares breeding within the British Islands. — 

 Having seen various eggs presented by Mr. Fairholme to the 

 British Museum and Zoological Society, as those of the field- 

 fare and redwing thrushes, I cannot but observe that both 

 have exactly the appearance of slight varieties of those of the 

 common missel thrush, and are totally unlike others which 

 undoubtedly were laid by fieldfares and redwings abroad. 



I have recorded, however, in former numbers of this Ma- 

 gazine, two instances of the redwing propagating in the 

 southern counties of England, and can now add to them a 

 case of the fieldfare breeding at Merton, Surrey. About the 

 end of last May, a friend residing in that neighbourhood, and 

 who is as well acquainted with the common British land birds 

 in a state of nature, their notes, flight, habits, &c, as any per- 

 son well can be, sent a message to me to the effect that a pair 

 of fieldfares were then breeding in a field belonging to some 

 grounds which he superintends : it appears that he had been 

 crossing the field in question, when he was startled by the 



