486 Qiieries and Answers. 



crested kinglet, a much more delicate species, commonly out- 

 lives our severest winters. The Sylvia hippolais commences 

 singing early or late, in proportion as the winter is mild or 

 severe, and the spring forward or otherwise. On windy days it 

 sings much seldomer than in calm w r eather ; and I have ob- 

 served all birds of sheltered situations to be averse to wind. 

 Thus the song, or rather garden, thrush frequently sings away 

 bravely in fine weather in February, while the March winds 

 completely silence it, and it reserves its strains for showery 

 April. — Neville Wood. Sudbury Hall, Derbyshire, April 1. 

 1836. 



[In VIII. 330. is a notice by Mr. Blyth of the influence of 

 the state of the weather upon the song of the cuckoo. In IX. 

 317. is an implied supposition that it may have some effect 

 upon the voice of frogs. A gentleman, whom the writer has 

 known, used to lose the sonorousness of his voice after being 

 some time in the heated atmosphere of his plant stove. In 

 VI. 93,94. 185.; VIII. 509, 510.; are facts and views on 

 the calling of what is concluded to be the night heron con- 

 nectedly with facts on the state of the weather, either coming 

 or present.] 



Is the Redstart known to feed upon the Hive-Bee ? (p. 207.) — 

 I should not be inclined to charge the tree (or common) red- 

 start with the eating of bees. — N. Wood. Sudbury Hall, 

 Derbyshire, April I. 1836. 



Is the Redstart known to feed upon the Hive-Bee ? — Not- 

 withstanding that the redstart is an insect-loving bird, I have 

 never observed it to feed on bees ; although, for several years 

 in succession, a pair of these birds (whether always the same 

 I cannot say) regularly built their nest in a hole near the top 

 of an ivy-clad wall, which surrounded the orchard of an old 

 family mansion. Under this wall was placed a range of bee- 

 hives, generally from six to ten, so that, if the redstart had 

 given preference to hive-bees for food, here was an ample 

 provision available at little expense or trouble ; but I never 

 observed them to interrupt the industrious insects. Indeed, 

 if they had preferred hive-bees as food, they would have con- 

 siderably diminished the colony during the period of their 

 possession of the wall, which was generally about five months, 

 namely, from about the middle of April till about the middle 

 of September ; but, as this was not the case, I am inclined to 

 think the redstart does not feed upon the hive-bee, except in 

 seasons when there is a scarcity of coleopterous and other 

 small insects. In fact, the redstarts had, on this occasion, 

 a full opportunity of devouring hive-bees, and might have 

 devoured hundreds unobserved, yet the secret would have been 

 detected when the hives were destroyed for the honey ; but 



