4^ Betrbspective Criticising 



the nest, that he has actually mounted up to them in propria pcrsoyia (not! 

 by deputy), and found the eggs covered with the materials of the lining o£j 

 the nest. Nothing in the shape of hearsay, or of affidavits from others^-* 

 will satisfy me. I know by long experience of minute attention to this ^ 

 subject, that no crow ever covers her eggs with the materials of the lining! 

 df the nest ; and the impression on my mind at present is, that the worthj;. 

 professor has b^eii misled by tliose who have taken advantage of his wantt 

 oP'knbsVledge of the true economy of the carrion crow. In p. 393. the 

 ^<^fessor says : — " I speak positively to the fact, as to our crows in Kent; 

 ^A, I doubt not, some hundreds of testimonies may be got to prove the 

 fiict." What ? — some hmifb-eds of testimonies ! How ? — when ? — 

 ^hiere are Carrion crows* nests to be watched, and climbed up to, by the 

 paying ornithologist, day after day, in these mournful times of penal pro* 

 ^iption to birds of the pie tribe ? No sooner is a nest found but it is' 

 tfTiindered : the poor owner is considered a rogue and a vaga,bond ; and he 

 #ho is fortunate enough to kill it is declared to have deserved well of his 

 pfarish. 



• When this little snack of carrion is consumed, which, I fear, has been 

 too long already under the noses of your readers, I will tlien beg to 

 c^H Upon the professor to produce 6ne single well authenticated fact of 

 Ahy rook, in Kent or elsewhere, covering its eggs with the materials of the 

 Btiing of its nest, either beforie or after it has begun to hatch'. After thisj 

 l^will inform him I have never yet discovered that any bird, the ^oung of 

 4Mch is blihd at the time of" its burstin'g the shell, ever covers its eggs 

 with the materials of the lining of the nest, though I have been in the habit; 

 df inspecting birds' nests in banks, in bushes, in trees, in ruins, and on prei 

 cipices, for nearly forty years. I speak only of land birds ; but I am fully 

 satisfied in my own mind that the same thing may be said of sea fowl : 

 though I can bring forward no facts from personal observation, being a 

 ihtsl stranger to their mode of incubation. — Charles Wafertdm «'iWj[tftai| 

 Mall, Ma?/ II. 1832. - a^mri iia in ^i 



^'* -The Nuthatch (SHta eiiropcB'a L.) is resident throughout the Yed}-, in tl*^ 

 febunties of Dorset, Gloucester, Worcester, Hereford, Kent, Sussex, and 

 feurrey. I make this remark in relation to Mr. W. H. White's statement 

 (Vol. IV. p. 4^5.), that he has never been able to see this bird about Bedi 

 ford in the winter season, and that he, in consequence, believes the nuthatch 

 ip be migratory in that neighbourhood. I have resided in all the eounties 

 $have named above, in none of which is the nuthatch considered an un-* 

 Common bird. — Ediuard Newman. Deptford, Sept. 12. 1831. 

 f- Montagu, in his Ornithological Dictionari/, remarks that the nuthatch 

 " remains with us the whole year, but is a local bird, and not to be found 

 in several parts of the Icingdom. We have never observed it far north, nor 

 so far west as Cornwall." It does occur, however, in Cornwall, as a list 

 of Cornish birds, lying by us, supplied by Mr. Couch, testifies. Mr Couchi 

 however, observes of the nuthatch, " It is rare in Cornwall." 



In recreative rambles round Ketisington Gardens, I have several times, 

 dirring the past winter, if winter it may be called, seen the lively, active, 

 Nuthatch (^g.97.) seeking its food among the numerous (not as to species, 

 ^^r y*"^-^'^^'"-' 'f.''"'' '"■ but individuals) trees with which these 



"Vw SX^ r • "^ '.d^^S^ gardens abound. My observation has 

 ,.0 ,T Yd .^^"'""J^^^^Y been mainly confined to the south- 



rfjrf'^ gniJfiior^^^^^^l^^^^^^^v western extremity of the gardenfe ; and 



here yew trees prevail, on the minute 

 nuts of which, usually, 1 suspect, ob- 

 tained from among the decaying leaves 

 on the ground, the nuthatch appeared 

 to regale, as did also P^ros caeriii 

 leus and major ; both which, especially 



