1 44? Short Communications ; — 



but my propensity to indulge myself in the arms of Mor- 

 pheus has too often gotten the better of my resolution. 



Larks always in fine weather hail the earliest dawn of day 

 with their song, and sometimes sing before the dawn, as I 

 have recently learned in a journey by the night coach (the 

 Red Rover) from Cambridge to London. I and my fellow 

 travellers were surprised to hear the singing of the lark as 

 early as two o'clock on a frosty morning, on the 7th of May 

 (1833). The subject furnished us with agreeable chat, and 

 roused us from our inclination to sleep : before it was ex- 

 hausted, we were greeted with the song of the nightingale and 

 cuckoo. The house sparrow, as we approached near London, 

 was chirping. The sun was rising. The metropolis of 

 England was in view. We arrived at the Flower-pot (a sign 

 suggested from nature), in Bishopsgate Street, almost forgetting 

 that we had lost a night's rest. 



Birds, at least Singing Birds, are Lovers of Music. [VL 523.] 

 — A goldfinch of neighbour 's, in whose room the Pri- 

 mitive Methodists hold their meetings, always sang with the 

 congregation, whether by day or night. I have observed the 

 robin, when I have whistled to him, appear pleased, and 



listen with attention. My nephew , who plays on the 



violin, had a linnet that always appeared delighted when the 

 violin was played. The early singing of the lark, of which I 

 have spoken, was possibly owing to the bird's being aroused 

 by the sound of the guard's bugle ; it was immediately after 

 the guard's playing a tune that we observed the singing of the 

 lark, in a field near Buntingford, the London side of Royston. 

 Rustici. 



At " vernal dawn" the larks pour forth a concert of music 

 as they sit on the clods. I witnessed this on April 16. 1833, 

 in passing some lands sown with barley, three miles north of 

 Cambridge : the barley was just visibly up. — J. Z). 



The small dark br 011071 Thrush of the Western Islands of Scot- 

 land, which W. L. deems of an undescribed Species. (III. 238., 

 note t, VL 218. 516., VIL 75.) — Mr. Blyth states, in VL 

 516., that I have mistaken the redwing ( Jurdus iliacus) for 

 the brown thrush of the western islands. Now, I beg to say 

 that the redwing, even at a considerable distance, is very 

 easily distinguished from every other species of Turdus, by 

 size, attitude, and general colour combined together ; for, 

 although its watchful and listening air, and its colour, resemble 

 much those of the fieldfare (T. pilaris), when this species is 

 observed at a distance, yet it is so much less (being, indeed, 

 the least of the genus), that there can be no mistake between 

 the two. Besides, I have several times noticed it at a dis^ 



