Birds in the Neighbourhood of South minster Vicarage. 573 



Independent newspaper, the editor of which has remarked, 

 that he " can vouch " for the " accuracy " of the account.) 

 Our notice is from a transcript contributed by our corre- 

 spondent Mr. Fennell, from the John Bull newspaper of May 

 24. 1835. The similarity of the facts of the case to those 

 of another case which a correspondent, (we believe, Rev.) 

 Barton Bouchier, has related from his own observation, in 

 IV. 433., renders it, we deem, proper to present a notice of 

 this second case in this Magazine. — J. D. 



Species of Birds seen in the immediate Neighbourhood of South- 

 minster Vicar -age, Essex ; additional to those seen there noted in 

 VI. 452. — A longer residence here has introduced me to a 

 few more. — Two specimens of the Strix CTtus, the horned 

 owl. One of them is now in my possession, a male bird, in 

 full plumage ; the markings of buff and brown are very 

 beautiful : the wings are much crossed on the rump, extend- 

 ing beyond the tail. — The tree sparrow is occasionally abun- 

 dant here ; it may be distinguished from the house sparrow by 

 the brownness of the head, and the black patch that extends 

 low on the breast. — I observed, lately, near this place, a spar- 

 row with the wings nearly white. 



Of the water birds r I have seen the Rallus aquaticus, 

 water-rail : very rare here. — The green sandpiper (Tringa 

 ochropus. — Moorhen. — Little Grebe. I have seen an- 

 other species of grebe on the river Crouch (an arm of the 

 sea), about the size of a wigeon : I suppose it to be the 

 Columbus cristatus (the crested grebe), but have never been 

 near enough to decide which of the species it is. — Two 

 specimens of theColymbus Ringuia (lesser guillemot, or ratch), 

 shot on the Crouch, have come under my observation. It 

 is a clear lively looking bird : its brilliantly white breast 

 is set off by the sombre hue of the head and back. The 

 position of the legs obliges it, whilst on them, to rest on 

 the tarsus, so that it appears to be sitting down. It dives 

 with great quickness. — The redshank (Scolopax Cali- 

 dris). On turning to Bewick's account of this, we find that 

 he is incorrect in describing it as of a solitary character. On 

 this (the Essex) coast, on the immense flat oozy banks which 

 lie at the mouth of the Thames, this bird is to be found in 

 flocks of from ten to thirty or forty individuals, which are there 

 called by the name of teuks : their plaintive whistle is easily 

 distinguished amongst the various notes of the birds frequent- 

 ing the mud-banks. There is likewise another bird, which 

 the gunners call a merle, about the same size as the red- 

 shank ; the legs dark, and without any note : I have not yet 

 obtained a specimen to decide which of the waders it is. — 



