Zoology. 653 



turtle remain coupled during the period of nine days. The 

 turtler, mentioned in p. 476., whom I asked on this matter, 

 assured me, that I had been correctly informed. 



Lizards. I have frequently seen these animals procreate ; 

 they lie on their sides, belly to belly, and remain united for a 

 considerable time. — W. Sells. 



Yj'ingilla Montifringilla [the Brambling) and Frmgilla 

 (2kldris [the GreenfincK) both possess imitative Powers of 

 Song ; and an Instance of the Brambling^ s being met mth in 

 Norfolk. — Sir, Mr. Acton (Vol. IV. p. 163.) speaks of i^rin- 

 gilla Montifringilla as a rare bird. Perhaps it may be inter- 

 esting to that gentleman, and to your other readers, to know- 

 that an individual of this species M^as caught, in the winter of 

 1825, at Downham, Norfolk ; which I kept for nearly a year, 

 and which is now preserved in my brother's collection. Its 

 natural note was harsh and monotonous ; but I found that it 

 had strong imitative powers, and easily caught any notes 

 which I whistled to it. It is not a scarce bird in Norfolk, but 

 a regular winter visitant. I had also an opportunity, in two 

 successive years {1827 and 1828), of witnessing a similar 

 power in the jPringilla Chloris, a congener of the former bird. 

 A pair of them resorted to some trees close to my house, and, 

 during the period of incubation, the male delighted me with 

 its powerful but imitative song : an instance of an acquired 

 song, whilst the bird was in its wild state, which I never heard 

 of before. I am. Sir, yours, &c. — Henry Creed. Ched- 

 hurgh Rectory y near Bury St. Edmunds, Feb. 9. 1832. 



Mocking Powers of the Sedge Bird [Curruca salicdria Flem- 

 ing.) — In the article " Sedge bird," in Montagu's Dictionary, 

 p. 455. of Rennie's edition, the writer says, " It has a variety 

 of notes, which partake of that of the skylark and the swal- 

 low, as well as the chatter of the house sparrow. According 

 to my observations, it has a much greater variety than this: 

 I have heard it imitate, in succession (intermixed with its own 

 note o^ chur chiir), the swallow, the house martin, the green- 

 finch, the chaffinch, the lesser redpole, the house sparrow, the 

 redstart, the willow wren, the whin chat, the pied wagtail, and 

 the spring wagtail ; yet its imitations are confined to the notes 

 of alarm (the pelting notes, as they are called here) of these 

 birds, and so exactly does it imitate them, both in tone and 

 modulation, that if it were to confine itself to one (no matter 

 which), and not interlard the wailings of the little redpole 

 and the shrieks of the martin, with the curses of the house 

 sparrow, the twink fwink of the chaffinch, and its own care for 

 nought chatter, the most practised ear would not detect the 

 difference. After being silent for a while, it often begins 



