66 MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 



attracted the attention of some boys, who threw stones at them, and 

 eventually drove them away. The nest was built at the bottom of a hedge, 

 in a small clover field, and was a bulky mass of hay and dried grasses; 

 it was about nine inches in diameter, though the opening was only three 

 inches. The birds had just commenced lining the nest with moss when 

 driven away. The clover field was situated at the bottom of Woodhouse 

 Eidge, near Battye Wood. — H. March, James J. Broadhead, No 1, Skinner 

 Lane, Leeds, 9th. December, 1857. 



Anecdote of a Sparrow. — A curious circumstance occurred to my wife 

 some days since, as she was walking in the vicinity of this place. She 

 observed a group of Common Sparrows, (sooty enough,) discussing that 

 which to them was doubtless a treasure, though not so in our eyes. As 

 she approached of course they took flight, but to her surprise, one of the 

 number, after just rising from the road fell down again, and shuffling along 

 as it were on his head, pitched two or three puddings, to use a common 

 expression. She immediately picked it up, and carried it about in her 

 hand for some time, considering that it was in a fit, and expecting that 

 it would every moment give up the ghost, as it lay still, with half-closed 

 eyes, panting sides, and its feet strangely contracted. However, suddenly 

 a sort of struggle took place, and having ejected what appeared to be 

 water, it waked up, became brighter, and speedily took flight, settling on 

 an adjoining tree, and she saw it no more. I leave it to those who are 

 more learned than I am in the diseases of birds, to say hinc illce lachrymce! — 

 O. S. Round, Pembroke Square, Kensington, December 18th., 1857. 



Partridges eaten by Hedgehogs. — Some years ago my brother had a brood 

 of young Partridges eaten by some Hedgehogs we kept in the garden. — 

 John Brown, Salisbury, January 7th., 1858. 



European Bittern, (Botaurus stellaris.) — A fine specimen of this bird 

 was shot by a gentleman yesterday, on a piece of marshy ground near 

 Terregles House. Some time since one was shot near the same place, by 

 Mr. Mc'Kenzie, Barnhill. The dismal booming of the Bittern in the dreary 

 marsh at sunset, is now among the things that were, and this beautiful 

 bird promises soon to be among our extinct species. — G., Dumfries, January 

 9th., 1858. 



Mildness of the Season. — There are no want of paragraphs in the various 

 papers just now, in proof of the mildness of the season. November and 

 December have been quite spring months here. Summer flowers are still 

 in bloom, and bees are occasionally seen amongst them. There is an 

 apple-tree in a garden at Collin, with a fine second crop on it; and during 

 the last week, the Bat has several times been seen sporting on our streets, 



