44-8 Short Comnmni cat ions s — 



hippolais and rufa, to be the latter bird. In consequence of 

 this result, the Sylvia hippolais of Bechstein must now be 

 erased from the catalogue of birds of the north of Ireland 

 (and, he has little doubt, from that of Ireland generally), and 

 the Sylvia rufa of Latham be inserted in its place. Mr. 

 Thompson could not, however, omit stating that his own 

 observations forbade him to coincide with Professor Rennie in 

 the remark that Temminck (whose description is evidently 

 intended to be general) is M undoubtedly in error " when he 

 describes the " habite " of the S} T lvia rufa to be " les grands 

 bois, particulierement dans ceux de pins et de sapins [ex- 

 tensive woods, especially pine and fir forests] : " it being 

 chiefly in extensive plantations and among pines and firs 

 that he has himself seen the bird ; although, like Professor 

 Rennie, he has also known it to appear in other localities, 

 and has occasionally observed it to frequent trees of other 

 kinds than those mentioned by M. Temminck. 



\_The Willow Wren (Sylvia "Trochilus) is more numerous in 

 the North of Ireland, than the Chijfchaff.~\ — Mr. Thompson 

 remarked, that the chiffchaff is not by any means so widely 

 dispersed over the plantations of the north of Ireland as the 

 willow wren (Sylvia Trochilus Latham) ; the latter bird being 

 fully as abundant there as he has ever found it to be in any 

 part of England or Scotland, or of the many continental 

 countries he has visited. Mr. Thompson thus noticed the 

 S. Trochilus, on account of Montagu's statement, that its 

 migration "does not extend far to the west in England, as it is 

 rarely met with in Cornwall," having recently again appeared 

 in the edition of his Ornithological Dictionary edited by Pro- 

 fessor Rennie, as well as in Mr. Selby's invaluable Illustrations 

 of British Ornithology; and from which it might be inferred 

 that Ireland, owing to her still more westerly situation, is not 

 included within the range of the willow wren's migration. — 

 Belfast, Aug. 6. 1833. 



A Pair of Eagles, I am sorry I cannot state of which 

 species, were observed, previously to Christmas of 1832, upon 

 Brandon rabbit warren, in Norfolk, about which place 

 they had remained some time, and committed unwelcome 

 havoc among the rabbits. The warreners made several un- 

 successful attempts to shoot them, but at length both were 

 caught in large iron traps each baited with a rabbit. One of 

 the eagles, it is reported, after becoming entrapped, removed 

 the trap, of seven pounds' weight, by its efforts, to the dis- 

 tance of twenty yards, and was even after this taken alive. 

 It is said that its wings measured seven feet in extent. Their 

 roosting-place was found to be in a plantation of fir trees in 



