Retrospective Criticism. 589 



one favourable for ornithology, and all those species included in the num- 

 ber which are only occasional or merely accidental visiters. Who would 

 have looked to find the stormy petrel in Warwickshire, the most central 

 portion of the island ? Yet so it is : one of your correspondents records 

 the fact of two of these birds having been taken in or near the town of 

 Birmingham (see p. 283.). Nor are these the only instances of the kind 

 that have occurred. A friend of mine, who resides at Coventry, has in 

 his possession a specimen of the stormy petrel, which was caught in the 

 streets of that city on the 2d of November, 1820, after some very tem- 

 pestuous weather. The bird was first observed flying up Bishop Street, 

 about 7 ft. or 8 ft. from the ground, apparently much exhausted. It had 

 attracted the notice of several persons, and was eventually captured by 

 my friend's assistant clerk, who knocked it down in the street with his hat. 

 Another specimen of this bird, I am informed, was likewise taken in Co- 

 ventry, some time between the spring of 1825 and 1827 : the exact date I 

 have been unable to ascertain. This latter specimen was killed in Much 

 Park Street, by a waggoner, with his whip ; and is, I believe, now in the 

 collection in Sir Eardley Wilmot. 



Mr. Warner j to whom I am indebted for the above particulars, has just 

 forwarded to me the following communication relative to other and more 

 recent captures of the species in this vicinity: — " May 21. 1832. I 

 have this morning seen two more specimens of the stormy petrel : one of 

 them was shot on the 20th or 21st of December last, while sitting by the 

 side of a pit at Stivichall (about a mile from Coventry) : it is a very fine 

 specimen. The other was found dead, by the side of the canal, some time 

 during last winter." From the above instances, it would appear that it is 

 by no means so unusual a circumstance as one might have supposed, for 

 the stormy petrel to be driven far in shore by violent gales j and to be met 

 with, in an exhausted state, in the interior parts of the country. 



I may here mention, as an additional instance of superstitions connected 

 with natural history (see p. 209.), that it is, as I am informed, accounted 

 ill luck by the sailors to kill a stormy petrel, or (as they call the bird) 

 " Mother Carey's chicken." But on this subject of superstitions I may, 

 perhaps, add a remark or two on a future occasion. I am. Sir, yours, &c, 

 — W. T. Bree. Allesley Rectory^ May 23. 1832. 



Wilson has some most sensible remarks on the ominousness and hatred 

 which sailors attach to the stormy petrel, as appears by the interesting 

 article which Professor Rennie presents of this bird, under the name of 

 " petrel," in his edition of Montagu's Ornithological Dictionary. — J. D. 



Inland Specimens of the Forked-tail Petrel, (p. 282, 283. 380.) — It is 

 very remarkable that so rare a bird as the forked-tail petrel (Procellaria 

 Bullocks of Fleming, whose name I prefer to " Leachw," for the reason 

 stated by himself) should have been so extensively diiFused over the 

 country as it has been this year. In addition to those mentioned as being 

 found in Oxfordshire (p. 282.), in Worcestershire (p. 380.), in Hereford- 

 shire (p. 283.), and in Warwickshire (p. 283.), I have been informed that 

 a number have been obtained in the neighbourhood of the metropolis. 

 Besides these, four have been picked up dead in the vicinity of York, one 

 or two near Hull, one at Thirsk, and three or four near Halifax. — 

 Thomas A/lis. York, 8th of the 5th month (May), 1832. 



Grey Phalarope. (p. 282, 283. 379.) — I have this year obtained a most 

 beautiful specimen of the grey phalarope, which was taken up dead in a 

 ditch near^his city [York]. —Id. 



The British Species of Petrel, — Sir, At p. 282, 283., mention is made of 

 the forked-tail petrel, and the reader is referred to Dr. Latham's General 

 Synopsis of Birds ; thereby making it appear that the author was unac- 

 quainted with the discriminations which have taken place, within these few 

 years, on that subject, as well as on many others. I beg leave, therefore, to 



