40^ Queries and Ansx<ocrs. 



tain the sex, but I have not yet heard the result. The velocity with which 

 it dived, after being slightly wounded in the wing, exceeds belief; and the 

 length of time it continued immerged, and the distance it dived to, are re- 

 markable. Nor was it till I had fired eleven shots at it that it was killed. 

 The following is the description of it : — Length, when stretched out, 

 16in. ; breadth, from tip to tip, about 25 in.; the head a bright chestnut- 

 brown, with a slight crest of the same colour, but a shade darker; the 

 scapulars pencilled with a bluish grey; the back and rump dusky; the tail 

 dark brown, with hoary edge, and consisting of sixteen feathers, the centre 

 ones the longest ; the chin and fore part of the throat white, inclining to 

 grey; breast pencilled with grey; belly brilliantly white; the lesser coverts 

 barred with white, in a large patch ; the greater coverts ash colour, with 

 two white bars; the primaries ash colour. The eye, bright yellow iris, sur- 

 rounded by white, and very brilliant ; the bill bluish brown ; the legs inclined 

 to dusky blue ; the webs particularly large and spreading. This bird vt^as 

 shot in the river Stour, near Sandwich in Kent, and is there known as the 

 small Dover. Any information respecting its habits, place of breeding, or 

 other circumstance connected with it, will be interesting to. Sir, yours, &c. 

 — Walter Henry Hill. Newland, July 14. 1829. 



The Black-headed Bunting (in answer to T. G. p. 289.) — Sir, Permit me 

 to refer T. G. to Bewick's History of British Birds, where he will find an 

 exact engraving of that small bird called the blackcap (M. Atricapllla Lin.\ 

 and by some the mock nightingale, from its imitation of the notes of that 

 sweet songster. The blackcap arrives early in the spring, with the many other 

 small birds which visit us at that season ; it frequents orchards and shrubbe- 

 ries, and builds its nest in a bush about 4 ft. from the ground. The male 

 bird has a singular habit of warbling its notes while sitting on the nest, in 

 which situation I have often seen him. The specific distinction between 

 the male and female is, that the spot or cap on the head of the former is 

 coal black, and of the latter a dark brown. Yours, &c. — A Constajit Reader. 

 July 5. 1829. 



A Nest containing a dirty greenish ivMte Egg. — Sir, This nest, of which 

 the following is a description, was taken by a boy in Essex, during the first 

 week of this month (July). The nest was built in a kind of hedge of elms, 

 or the shoots from elms growing by the side of a village road ; it stood 6 or 

 7 ft. from the ground. The bulk of the nest was formed of moss and wool 

 intermixed, and outside of this a very few pieces of dried grass were thinly 

 scattered. The inside was composed entirely of horse and cow hair. In 

 size it was not quite so large as the nest of the greenfinch. The egg (which 

 was about the size of a skylark's, though not so tapering at the small end) 

 was of a dirty greenish white, marked with eccentric dark spots, like the Q^g 

 of a yellow bunting. It cannot be the egg of that bird, nor of any of the 

 wagtails, for reasons which, on considering the above description, will, I 

 think, be apparent. I shall feel obliged if you or any of your correspondents 

 can enlighten me upon this subject. I take this opportunity of expressing 

 my regret that some gentleman does not undertake a description of the nests 

 and eggs of British birds : it is a work much wanted ; and, if executed care- 

 fully, would, I am convinced, repay his exertions. [There is Donovan's 

 Nests and Eggs of British Birds. Nos. I. to V. 4to. Zs. 6d. each.] I have 

 seen some periodical containing coloured engravings of insects, so excel- 

 lently done, that I am sure the same artist might be employed to advantage 

 upon the engravings for such a work as that I have mentioned. Is there 

 any person in London or elsewhere who collects and sells nests and eggs ? 

 Yours, &c. — T. F.R. Essex, July 13. 1829. 



A curious Ball containing Bees. — Sir, Some little time back a curious 

 ball was discovered suspended from the roof of a hen-house, which, on being 

 opened, proved to have been the habitation of a species of bee. The cells, 

 in one of which was an injured specimen of the insect, were enveloped in 



