674? Retrospective Criticism. 



Sir, I regret, and I am sure many of your readers will feel disap* 

 pointment, that I have been unwittingly the cause of depriving them, as 

 well as myself, of a treat from the pen of your ingenious correspondent, 

 Mr. Dovaston. That gentleman, it appears (p. 428.), had intended to 

 have sent you some account of our feathered minstrels, which, as related 

 in his peculiar strain, would have been a treat indeed. This purpose has 

 been partly relinquished, merely because I have already written something 

 on the same subject. But why, I beg to ask, should my homely remarks 

 preclude those of Mr. Dovaston ? The latter can only be second in order 

 of time ; and, in this case, as in all others, the second would give not only 

 brilliancy of toncy but enhance the value of the^rst ; for, assuredly, what- 

 ever notes are drawn from Mr. Dovaston's score, will always be not only 

 on the most melodious kei/, but with infinitely more expression than any 

 execution of mine can possibly elicit. Besides, my notes may require cor- 

 rection ; at any rate, they are capable of variations and numerous graces. 

 An accompaniment, therefore, from a master hand, who can so well give 

 sentiment to sounds, would not only embellish the attempt of the first per- 

 former, but command attention to a source of unalloyed pleasure, which 

 many are unconscious of, merely from ignorance that there is at this season 

 of the year, a free concert, by the First Master, arranged for their entertain- 

 ment in every grove. — J. Main. Chelsea, June, 1832. 



Cats kittened with short Tails, (p. 276.) — I have never seen a short-tailed 

 cat ; but I have heard that the Isle of Man boasts a breed of mousers 

 kittened without that decent and graceful ornament. — X. April 6. 1832. 



The facts on the Suffolk short-tailed cats (p. 276.) were stated from 

 memory; and, in consequence, from fear of exceeding the truth, are, as my 

 memorandum since found shows me, scarcely the whole of the truth. By 

 this memorandum, I first observed the short-tailed cats, in the places men- 

 tioned, as early as Nov. 8. 1822 : there were then five living in the village 

 of Livermere ; and they were all reported as keen mousers : their tails, or 

 stumps of tails, were less, rather than more, than 2 in. in length. Could 

 this peculiar breed have arisen from progenitors whose tails had been am- 

 putated ? — J.D. 



Habits of the Night Jar, or Fern Owl. (p. 603.) — [Since the information 

 supplied on this bird, p. 603., was printed, the following additional facts 

 have been communicated.] The migratory periods of this bird are not 

 well ascertained; but I have known one shot Nov. 27th, 1821, and they 

 had arrived April 28th, 1830. As there is scarcely a British bird of which 

 so little is known, the following notes may be interesting : — It has been 

 seen perched on the bar of a gate, not across, but according to its length, 

 with the tail elevated ; uttering its peculiar sounds ; but when perching, as 

 it often does, on the summit of a twig of oaken copse, it fixes upright, 

 with the feet grasping the twig, and not sitting ; just as the swift perches 

 against a wall. One was killed in broad daylight, perched on the upper 

 side of a sloping branch of considerable size; the head was uppermost, and 

 it rested on the feet and tarsi, the latter being bare on the under surface 

 for that purpose. Its attitude in this situation much resembled that of a 

 woodpecker. One that was kept alive with its wing broken sat across the 

 finger, like another bird. When about to take flight it makes a cracking 

 noise, as if the wings smote together, after the manner ^qf a pigeon. — 

 J. Couch. . Polperro, Cornwall, July 23. 1832 [but not received until August 

 the 8t/i. In Vol. Ill; p. 30. 188. 296. 449.; and Vol. IV. p. 275.425., 

 notices of this bird also occur. — J. D.] 



Parasitical Habits of the Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus L.). — By A. R. Y.'s 

 review of The British Naturalist, and an extriact presented at p. 62., it 

 appears that the author of that work doubts the fact that the cuckoo 

 (Cuculus canorus L.) deposits her eggs in the nests of other birds. 1 



