Birds, 511 



in the West Indies, a* bird called the chicken-hawk : one of 

 them had attempted to carry off a young humming-bird ; 

 when the parent bird flew with the rapidity of an arrow, and 

 brought the hawk in agony to the ground, having pierced the 

 posterior part of its body with its bill. 



The last bird of passage that arrives here is the goatsucker, 

 which appears by the middle of May. They are very nume- 

 rous ; and resemble the one in England, but are larger. On 

 fine still nights, they fly very high, and make a loud humming 

 noise with their wings as they rapidly descend. They call 

 them in this country the mosquito hawk ; a more appropriate 

 name, as relates to the habits of the bird, than that of goat- 

 sucker. — O. Clapton^ Feb, 1834. 



Of the ForJced-tail Kite, we have a few about us : it is pro- 

 vincially called the " crotched-tail puddock." One flew over 

 the garden a few days ago, mobbed by several rooks. The 

 gardener, on seeing this bird, remarked, " What fierce things 

 they are when they 've got nests ! I was along with a boy 

 once, who got up to one ; and the old one picked a hole smack 

 through his hat, and scratched his hand properly, before he 

 could make her go off the nest. There used to be a good 

 many of them about here once, but there are not many of them 

 now." The latter part of the last remark is perfectly correct. 

 — J.C. Witkam, Essex, March 20. 1834. 



A Bittern was shot at Maldon, about six weeks ago. Bit- 

 terns are not unfrequently met with upon the marshes by the 

 side of the river which runs to that town. — Id, 



Some of the Habits of the Lesser Black-backed Gull (Ldrus 

 fiiscus); as shown by an Individual of this Species in partial 

 Confinement, — The individual to be spoken of is at present 

 in the grey or immature plumage, which, we are told, these 

 birds retain for several years. He has the full range of a 

 large garden, his escape being only prevented by having his 

 wing cut; but he constantly prefers the neighbourhood of a 

 large network cage, the residence of a pair of silver pheasants : 

 not very congenial companions, one would suppose, for a 

 roamer of the ocean. But such is the fondness of almost all 

 animated beings for society of some kind or other, that, when 

 that of their own species is out of reach, they will often 

 attach themselves to creatures of a very foreign character. 

 Near his gallinaceous friends our gull always sleeps, seldom 

 straying to any considerable distance; though he seems to 

 enjoy, at times, using his wings to the utmost of his ability ; 

 half-flying, half-running, in all directions, apparently for mere 

 amusement. He is, however, very tame ; and will, when 

 hungry, follow any of the family about the garden, uttering a 



