62 



MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 



the bird in her talons^ flew back with it: the male bird after uttering a few 

 cries expret ive of pleasure, flew ofi" to renew his hunting." — Idem. 



Linnet, (Linota cannabina.) — I have heard a Linnet, kept in a cage in a 

 room overlooking a garden, leave ofi^ his regular song at the approach of 

 •Sparrows, and assume their twittering, which it generally continued for two 

 or three minutes without cessation. — Idera. 



Laying of eggs hy hen Pigeons. — Mr. Dixon, a page 60 of ^^The Dovecote 

 and the Aviary," a most interesting book, which no naturalist should be without, 

 mentions that the unmated hens in a dovecote will pair one with another, 

 ''go through all the ceremonies of pairing, make a nest, lay two eggs each, 

 sit alternately and carefully, and if they are members of a large flock, very 

 often rear young." A gentleman with whom I am acquainted kept a pair 

 of hen Fantails in a dovecote, apart from his other Pigeons, which laid 

 nearly thirty eggs during the summer, but they were all unproductive; and 

 another friend informed me of a hen Canary kept alone in a cage, which 

 laid eggs annually; of course also unproductive. — Idem. 



Swallow, (Ilirundo rustica.) — Jenyns, in his ''Observations on Natural 

 History," p. 159, says, "The Swallow has a peculiar note, which it utters 

 in the height of summer, just at break of day, when it begins to get light. 

 This note differs from its ordinary song at other times, in being less varied 

 and lively, and is put forth in a peculiarly plaintive, and very monotonous 

 manner; it is sometimes repeated for an hour together, and is always uttered 

 from the chimney top where it is perched." Buffon also, vol. xvii., p. 473, 

 remarks "While the female sits, the male spends the night on the brim of 

 the nest; he sleeps little, for his twittering is heard at earliest dawn." I can 

 myself bear testimony to this, having been kept awake for hours by this 

 pleasing chirping of the Swallows at day-break, perched on the chimney tops, 

 particularly, I think, about May or June. 



"I love to be awake, and hear 

 His moruing song twittered to dawning day." 



IIuiiDis. — Idem. 



Capture of tJie Red-necl<xd Phalaropc, (Phalaropus hyperboreus.) — This 

 uncommon bird was shot by Mr. C. Dobson, of this place, November 22nd., 

 •^851^ — J)_ Ferguson, tiedcar, December 2nd., 1851. 



Capture of tJie Stormy Petrel, (Thalassidroma pelagica.) — This bird was 

 taken alive here on the beach, November 13th., 1851. — Idem. 



Arrival of Swallows in 1851, at Lynn, Norfolk. — I saw the Swallow, 

 (Ilirundo rudica,) first at North Wootton, about three miles from Lynn, on 

 the 18th. of April; it made its appearance there on the 17th. I first saw 

 the House Martin, {H. urhica,) here on the 19th. of April. On the 20th. 

 I heard the Cuckoo, and on the 18th. of May I saw the Swift, which con- 

 tinued with us until the 28th. of August. A friend informs me that he saw 



