508 Snowy Owl taken alive in Orkney, 



many birds possess this instinct, it is far from being ex- 

 tended to the whole of the feathered race. On frightening 

 the throstle, the missel, or the yellowbill or blackbird (the 

 only kinds of thrush which breed s in Britain, except the 

 ring thrush (Turdus torquatus), which is not yet open to 

 popular observation), from their nests, they fly away, with their 

 discordant clatter, to quite a different part of the wood (sup- 

 posing they have not hatched), and make no attempt to 

 transfer the intruder's attention from their nests to themselves. 

 The hedge chanter, under the same circumstances, so far 

 from manifesting signs of distress, hops about blithely unde 

 the bushes, uttering its short note. The gold-crested kinglet 

 (22egulus auricapillus) flits from spray to spray, apparently 

 quite unconcerned, while you examine her pretty pendent 

 cradle. The ring pigeon flaps through the air on swift yet 

 heavy wing, till she is out of sight, but makes no attempt to 

 save her nest. The rock pigeon and the turtle dove, in like 

 manner, I believe, allow fear for their own safety to outweigh 

 maternal feelings. The wood pigeon we have here (near 

 Derby) no means of observing, as that species does not fre- 

 quent these parts. The redbreast flies off to a neighbouring 

 bush, where she sits uttering her plaintive note till the prying 

 naturalist is out of sight, when she returns and resumes her 

 maternal office. These instances (and any one may multiply 

 them) I think satisfactorily prove that, although some birds 

 are in the habit of using stratagems to lure intruders from 

 their nests, yet all do not. — S. D. W. Near Derby, Nov. 22. 

 1834. 



The Snowy Owl (Stria; nyctea), an Individual of, has been 

 taken alive in Orkney, and was alive on May 9. 1835, at 

 Canonmills, near 'Edinburgh. — " Last week I received from 

 Mr. Scarth, Sanday, Orkney, a living specimen of the snowy 

 owl (Strix nyctea). This was not a native specimen, but 

 evidently a bird of last year, in immature plumage, but whose 

 expanded wings extend 4 ft. in width. The bird arrived in 

 Orkney during a strong north-west gale, with hail and sleet, 

 along with flocks of wild swans, golden-eyes, snow flakes, 

 &c*; indicating an Icelandic or Greenland origin. It was 

 slightly pinioned, and captured by Mr. Scarth. It is now in 

 [good] spirits, and, if possible, shall be tamed, as I am not 

 aware of one having been taken alive before in the country, 

 or kept in confinement," [Extracted from a letter from Patrick 

 Neill, Esq., to the Conductor, dated Canonmills, May 9. 

 1835. We are happy to learn that the bird is in the care of 

 one so kind-hearted and philosophic-minded. In V. 663—666. 

 is an account of an individual of Siren Zacertina, which had 

 lived six years and four months in Mr. Neill's keeping.] 



