230 MISCELLAXEOUS NOTICES. 



Curious habit of the Robin, (Erythaca rubeeula.)—! last year noticed what appeared to me 

 something very remarkable in the uidifiuation of the Eobin, and doubtless it will prove as 

 interesting to many of your readers. Some time in the end of April, I discovered a Robin's 

 nest hidden in some ivy which runs over an old wooden fence round our garden ; at that time it 

 contained three young ones, which all went safely off, though the nest was constantly visited 

 by some of our family. Some three weeks after on looking at the nest again I was surprised 

 to find that it had been repaired, and that the old one was again sitting on seven eggs, five 

 of which proved good, and five young birds flew in due course. From the singular circumstance 

 of the old bird having used the same nest for two broods, we became very much interested in 

 her affairs, and visited and fed her constantly. You may judge of my surprise on going to 

 the nest about a fortnight after the second brood had flown, to find that the nest had been 

 again repaired, and that it contained a third sitting of eggs, I think five in number, three 

 of which were hatched, and the young birds got safely off. I have been a pretty accurate 

 observer of birds and their habits for many years, but I never met with anything like this 

 before; indeed with the exception of the Common House Sparrow, I know of no bird that 

 uses the same nest for two successive broods. —R. B. P., Shelly, Stoke-by-Nayland, 1852. 



Note on the Cuckoo.— '^Wa. respect to the late appearance of the Cuckoo, I saw a young 

 bird in this neighbourhood, the second week in September, and could have shot it had I felt 

 inclined." Idem. 



A. White Swalloiv, (Hirundo rustica.)— A White Swallow was shot in this parish about ten 

 years ago, and is now in the possession of a relative of mine. A White Martin, (Hirundo 

 nrbica,) was shot last summer at Hadleigh, in this county, by a young man; and two others, 

 probably of the same brood, were seen there by many persons. In 1844, I saw three Swallows 

 flying round the railway station at Chelmsford, on the 19th. of November, the latest period 

 that I ever saw either the. Swallow or Martin. —Idem. 



Hirundo rustica. — The first fiook 'fifty birds' appeared early on the morning of April 16th. at 

 Swanpool, wind blowing a gale from E. S. E. The second flock 'nearly one hundred' arrived on 

 the 3rd. of May at Swanpool, 12 o'clock, a. m. wind S. E. very warm. — W. P. Cocks, Falmouth, 

 May 8th. 1852. 



Robin,' (Sylvia rubeeula.) — On Monday the 5th. instant, I heard a Robin singing in a ficdd 

 at BridgetowTi, at nine o'clock, p. m., and on passing the same spot at half-past twelve, it was 

 still singing very sweetly. The moon Wiis shining very brightly. — S. Hannaford, Jun., Totnes, 

 April 7th., 1852. 



The Hedge Sparrow, (Accentor modularis.)— 'Mr. Mc'Intosh does not appear to require much 

 further corroboration of his statements as to the Cuckoo, Abraxas, Hedge Sparrow, etc., attacked 

 by Mr. Doubleday, beyond the able letter of Mr. William Kidd, who is a great authority on 

 these matters, and I know not therefore whether ray humble testimony in one respect will be 

 of any service. In case it may be I will mention that I myself have seen and taken a nest 

 of the Hedge Sparrow from a black-thorn hedge at Froome, near this town, with eggs, so late 

 as the last week of the month of June. —John Garlaxd, Dorchester, February 11th., 1852. 



Ornithology. — Another of those rare birds, the Fire-crested Wren, has been shot in the parish 

 of St. Clement, and is now in the possession of Mr. Passmore, Truro. A Hoopoe has lately 

 been shot at Hendra, in the parish of Ladock. Last week a singular circumstance occurred at 

 Truro : a Cuckoo flew against the plate glass window of Mrs. Tregellas, ironmonger, and instantly 

 fell dead. On examination it appeared by a wound to have been probably struck by a Hawk. 

 These birds are all in the possession of Mr. Passmore, to be preserved. — West Brixton, April 

 23rd., 1852. 



Curious deformity in the Bill of the Jackdaw, (Corvus monedula.) — A friend of mine shot a 

 Jackdaw, the bill of which was crossed like a Crossbill's; but, notwithstanding its strange shape 

 the bird was in very good condition.— C. Stubbs, Henley-upon-Thames, February 17th.,1852. 



Occurrence of the Oleander Hawk Moth, (Metopsifus Nerii.)^A fine male specimen of this 

 rare British Sphinx was taken in the garden of Montpellier House, Brighton, on the evening 

 of Saturday, the 11th. of September, 1852; at about half-past seven o'clock. — E S. L. S.mith, 

 Brighton, Sussex, September 15th., 1862. 



