18S MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 



most of those Tisei in class demonstration^ it is quite applicable; and besides 

 saving expense in first cost, lessons their liability to damage, from falls, etc. 

 The writer has beside him at this moment slides of this nature put up 

 two years ago, consisting of sections of wood, stomates, pollen grains, grandular 

 hairs, colour cells, starch granules, and even a beautiful spiral cell. For 

 wings, limbs, and scales of insects, nothing could be better. 



Edinhurgh, Sept. 4:tJi., 1851. 



3itkBllnntnii3 lintins. 



Rapacity of the Peregrine, (Falco Percgriniis.) — A fine specimen of this noble bird was obtained 

 by my friend J. C. Dale, Esq., of Glanvillcs Wootton, Dorset, under rather singular circum- 

 stances, in the winter of 1839-40. It was observed by a countryman to strike down a Wood 

 Pigeon into a bush; he immediately ran to the spot, and succeeded in capturing the Falcon 

 alive, before it had time to recover itself, and along with it its unfortunate quarty. The Falcon 

 ■was stuffed, but its victim was reserved for a less noble, though still useful end. — -B. II. M. 



Hare Birds at Woburn.—K fine male specimen of the Gray Shrike, (Lanius excubitor,) was 

 shot on "Westoning Manor, near Wobuni, on February lOtli., 1851; this being a very rare bird 

 in Bedfordshire. The Thick Knee, or Norfolk Plover, (dJdicncmus crepitans,) was caught near 

 Wobiim, on March 29th., it havmg been previously wounded.— G. B. Clarke, Wobuni, 

 Bedfordshii-e, July 10th., 1851. 



I heard the Nightjar, (Caprimulgns Enropcctis,) on the 12th. inst. On the 11th. I saw a 

 specimen of the Groat Gray Shrike, (Lanius excubitor,) in a field near the Ilaihvay Station, 

 where I understand they breed every year. — S. IIanxafoiiu, Jun., Totnes, May 17th., 1851. 



Extraordinary Nest of the Common IFren, (Troglodytes Europoeus.) — In a garden belonging 

 to the Eev. F. II. Ilele, of Littlehempston, near Totnes, a pair of "Wrens have this year built 

 their nest in a plum tree against the wall, about four feet from tlie gTound: it is composed 

 cmtirely of small pieces of decomposed thatch from an adjoining bam, and is of a very large 

 size. The liole, which is in the front of the nest, is beautifully lined round with gi-cen moss ; the 

 neatness of which forms a singular contrast to the rough unshapen exterior. The bottom, top, 

 and sides are lined with moss and horsehair, but the back part is not lined at all, leaving the 

 rough wall uncovered. Tlicre is no bird, perhaps, which varies so much in the materials of 

 ■which it forms its nest, as the Wren. Eennie mentions one, built neaf a school-room, partly 

 lined with quill scrapings; and Montagu says, "The materials of the nest are generally adapted 

 to the place: if built against the side of a hayrick, it is composed of hay: if against the side 

 of a tree covered with white moss, it is made of that material; and with green moss if against 

 a tree covered with the same, or in a bank." And Yarrell adds "Thus instinct directs it for 

 secui-ity;" but in this instance, there was an ample choice of materials, much more suitable, if 

 security was the object; for not only was the dirty black mass quite unconcealed and insecure, 

 but the ground underneath was covered with pieces of the vmused thatch. Indeed I am at a 

 loss to account for such strange materials being used, but am inclined to believe with Mr. Ilcnnic, 

 that they vary "according to the experience of the bu-ds, and thcar difibrent notions of comfort." 

 — Idem. 



Predacious habit of the Book. — As one of the keepers in the evergreens, Wobui-n Park, was 

 aitting at breakfast on June 22nd., he observed a Rook, (Corvus frugilccjus,) suddenly dart down 

 amoiigst the fern on the hill opposite to the log cottage in which he lives, and thinking tliero 

 "wa-s something amiss, he went to the place ; and as he approached, several Eooks flew away ; he 

 then found a Pai-tridge's nest, with about thu-teen or fourt(!en eggs, and the old one dead about 

 a yard or two from the nest where she had been no doubt killed by a Fox, several of the eggs 

 were sucked, and one of the Eooks flew away with an egg on the end of its bill. When the 

 keeper knew what the Rooks had been doing, he set a ti'ap close to the nest, and succeeded in 

 trapping one of the Rooks in a short space of time, which he killed and brought home with 



