64- Zoology, 



misfortune than the loss of a part of the tail of the sitting bird, which was 

 rubbed off by the friction of the pump-handle ; nor did they appear dis- 

 turbed by the visitors who were frequently looking at her. — Wm. Henry 

 Hill. Newland, Gloiicestei'shire, Sept. 10. 1828. 



The Great American Bittern. — I was much interested with an account 

 I heard the other day of a bird, a species of heron. I believe it is called by 

 Wilson, in his Ornithology, the Great American Bittern ; but, what is very 

 extraordinary, he omits to mention a most interesting and remarkable cir- 

 cumstance attending it, which is, that it has the power of emitting a light 

 from its breast, equal to the light of a common torch, which illuminates the 

 water, so as to enable it to discover its prey. 



As this circumstance is not mentioned by any of the naturalists that I have 

 ever read, I had a difiiculty in believing the fact, and took some trouble to 

 ascertain the truth, which has been confirmed to me by several gentlemen of 

 undoubted veracity, and especially by Mr. Franklin Peale, the proprietor of 

 the Philadelphia Museum. {Extract of a Letter from Philadelphia y to Mrs. 

 C, Hackney, Oct. U.\S2S.) 



Yellow Greenfinch. — I beg to call your attention to a variety of the 

 Loxia Chloris (greenfinch), which was accidentally shot in a flock of chaf- 

 finches, yellowhammers, &c., in the neighbourhood of Ross, Herefordshire. 

 The prevailing colour is a rich yellow, tinged with green ; the top of the 

 head mottled with green, yellow, and a dirty white; the neck and throat 

 yellow, fading into white; the lesser coverts green, edged with bright yel- 

 low tipped with white ; the secondary quills ash-colour, edged with bright 

 yellow ; the breast, shades of green, yellow, and dirty white ; back and rump 

 greenish yellow ; vent, yellow ; tail, bright yellow on the outside ; the centre 

 feathers ash-colour, edged with green ; legs, dirty white. I have had this 

 curious mule set up by Mr. B. Ledbetter. — Id. 



Change of Colour in the Plumage of the Goldfinch. — It has been stated 

 that when the goldfinch is fed on hemp-seed exclusively, the red and yel- 

 low colours of the plumage become black. I possess a living example of 

 this curious change. — J. Murray. 



The Natural Intelligence of the Goldfinch (Fringilla Carduelis), were it not 

 well authenticated, would scarcely merit belief; but as the fact is undoubted, 

 I think it deserves being put on record. The circumstances are as follows ; 

 but as no dates were kept, the periods mentioned are only quoted from 

 memory : — It was very early in the spring of 1827, that a bird had been 

 lost from a cage, which was still hanging up, with the door open, in the 

 passage entrance to the back court of a gentleman's house in this town, 

 when a goldfinch was one morning found feeding in it, and the door was 

 closed upon it ; but, on inspection, as it appeared to be a female, it was very 

 shortly after restored to liberty. In the space, however, of about two hours 

 it returned, and entered the cage, when it was again shut in, and again 

 liberated ; and these visits were repeated daily for a considerable time. She 

 was then missing for some few days, but then returned, accompanied by a 

 male bird; she entered the cage, and fed as usual; but her companion, after 

 perching on the outside of the cage, retired to a neighbouring tree until she 

 joined him. They then quitted, and were no more thought of ; but, at the 

 end of about seven or eight weeks, she again made her appearance, and ac- 

 companied not by her former companion, but by four young ones, when she 

 again entered the cage, and fed as usual ; but as she could not induce her 

 brood (for such they were presumed to be) to follow her example ; she 

 finally went off with them, and has not since that time again made her ap- 

 pearance. I have written the foregoing account precisely as it was related 

 to me by the gentleman at whose residence it occurred, and I have not the 

 smallest doubt of the truth of it in every particular. — Mentor. Exmouth, 

 Aug. 26.1828. 



