NOTES. 07 



On the Jackdaw, (Corvus monedula.) — Rennie, page 41 , of the same work, 

 questions the assertion of Sonnini, that these birds prefer a church to nestle 

 in, to any other building. I can only say that I never saw them build 

 but in churches. In my native place, Totnes, Devonshire, there have been 

 great numbers of them, as long as I can remember, in the church tower. Bewick, 

 vol. i. page 76, says "They frequent churches, old towers, and ruins." 



Hearing of Cuckoo, (Cuculus canorus.) — There are so many accounts im 

 record, authenticated by Jenner, White, Willughby, and others, of young 

 Cuckoos being fed and reared by Hedge Accentors, Titlarks, Wagtails, • etc., 

 that T can scarcely look upon the fact recorded by Mr. McTntosh, in No. 1, 

 of "The Naturalist," as one of general occurrence. I have, myself, (in May 

 last,) seen a young Cuckoo, just able to fly, attended in its flight and fed by 

 a Hedge Accentor ; and it is a common thing for the female bird to hover 

 round the nest, where she has deposited her egg, as if to ensure its safety. 

 Although she does not hatch her young, it would be wrong to suppose her 

 void of all parental feeling for them ; and the case in point only proves that 

 she watches over her young with the same care as any other bird; for the 

 moment it was deserted by the Hedge Accentor, she was on tlie spot to 

 take its place, and provide nourishment for her offspring. Although this rare 

 occurrence must prove highly interesting to ornithologists, yet I am inclined 

 to think the frequent recurrence of it xarj doubtful. 



Nests of House Pigeons. — Referring again to Rennie's assertion, in '4^ird 

 Architecture," page 118, that this bird "selects hay or straw instead of 

 twigs;" and page 119, "never uses twigs." On examination of several nests 

 of last year, in a pigeon cote, I found them all composed of straw and Jir 

 tvngs, the latter being very -numerous. To obtain these fir twigs, they must 

 fly to a plantation, several himdred yards from the hovise, whilst hay and 

 straw might have been obtained close to their cote. 



On a Yellow-hammer, (Emberiza citrinella.) — A Yellow-hammer flew to some 

 friends of mine, who were walking near Todwick, Yorkshire, crying piteously, 

 much to their astonishment at first, but on looking upwards, they perceived a 

 fine Sparrow-Hawk hovering in the air. He — 



"On his pinions lay, 

 Like a stooped falcon, ere he takes his prey." 



And it was with great difficulty he was driven from his object. 



Green Woodpecher, (Picus viridis.) — A very fine specimen shot near Thorpe, 

 by the gamekeeper; which I have, stuffed, in my possession, ^^'^hen brought 

 to me, the tongue protruded more than an inch and a half from its mouth. 

 There is a singular mechanism connected with its tongue, by which it is 

 enabled to dart it out to a great length in feeding. 



The Pariridge, (Perdix cinerea.) — ^Last season there was a nest in the 

 whin-cover plantation in Kivcton Park. A dog once attacked the female 



