MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 227 



behind a rock, and again made the young one cry, when she came ashore, and approached near 

 enough to receive a blow on the head, which put an end to a solicitude for her young deserving 

 of a better fate. I saw them both, and had the account from the man next morning. — Clement 

 Jackson, East Looe, July 16th., 18o3. 



Occurrence of the Great Shrike, (Lanius excubitor,) near Hackney. — On my return home from 

 a day's shooting last December, I shot a fine specimen of this bird in Pond Lane, Clapton, 

 Hackney. — B. Hesse, 9, Hertford Road, Kingsland, June 16th., 18o3. 



Tlie Hartford JFarbler, (Melizophilus Dartfordionsis.)— A fine specimen of this bird was shot 

 on the 10th. of November, 1852, on the Hackney Marsh, near the East London Water Works. 

 — Idem. 



The Dipper, (Cinclus aquaticus.) — The following instance of the pertinacity with which the 

 Water-Ouzel or Dipper rebuilds its nest after it has been several times destroyed, lately came 

 under my notice; and judging that the account may prove interesting to some of your readers, 

 I here give it as briefly as I am able, knowing that your pages must be occupied by more 

 valuable matter: — On the 26th. of March, 1852, a nest of the Water-Ouzel was found under 

 the arch of a small bridge, which is crossed several times every day by a railway train. Five 

 eggs were taken from it, and the nest itself pulled down. About three weeks afterwards another 

 nest was built on the same place, and this also was plundered and destroyed. The bird built 

 for a third time, about the second week in May, and this time, was allowed to bring up her 

 young in safety. On the 1st. of April of this year, a nest (built in all probability by the same 

 bird,) was discovered under the bridge, and was robbed of its eggs. A second time did this 

 indomitable bird raise her ill-starred nest, and a second time was it torn to the ground; and 

 on May 5th. she was observed to be making preparations for her third nest in as many months. 

 — H. S., Richmond, Yorkshire, June 8th., 1853. 



The Starling, (Stumus vulgaris,) and Jackdaw, (Corvus monedula.) — Whilst on a birds' -nesting 

 expedition a short time ago, in an old ruin near this town, a Starling was seen to fly out from 

 a hole, about twenty feet from the ground. A ladder was procured, and on mounting to the 

 hole, a Jackdaw also flew from it, and the nest, on examination, was found to contain four 

 Jackdaw's eggs, and one of the Starling. The latter was placed in the centre of the nest, with 

 the eggs of the Daw touching it on every side. Could any of your correspondents explain this 

 strange circumstance ? — Idem. 



Additional Heronry. — I am able to add another Heronry to the list published in "The Nat- 

 uralist;" — the one I allude to is at Bulwick, in Northamptonshire, and is the property of J. 

 Fryer, Esq. It is situated in a long wood, near to a large pond of water, in the middle of 

 fields. This pond is tenanted by numbers of Moorhens, Coots, and Wild Ducks, with several 

 specimens of the Little Grebe and Common Snipe; about a hundred yards from this lies the 

 wood, through which a green "riding" leads up to the Heronry. The nests are placed in high 

 oak trees, about the same elevation as Rooks', to which they bear no slight resemblance. On 

 proceeding quietly along the birds may be seen, if it is in the breeding-season, sitting on their 

 nests. On being disturbed, they glide silently off and fly round and round overhead, uttei-ing 

 at times a sort of harsh scream. The young ones keep up an incessant noise, like the sound 

 of a hammer when struck on a piece of wood. As far as I can remember there wei-e about 

 thirty couple when I was there last; but as some time has elapsed since I had the opportunity 

 of visiting it, I cannot speak with accuracy. — T. G. Bonney, Rugeley, Stafibrdshire, July 21st , 

 1853. 



Kingfisher' s Nest, (Alcedo ispida.) — I took a nest, containing five eggs, last June, in a hole in a 

 bank of the River Trent. The hole was about two feet and a half long, and about the width of my 

 arm ; at the end it expanded so as to form a ball-shaped chamber, the floor of which was below the 

 level of the gallery. This chamber was neatly lined to the height of the gallei-y floor with a 

 layer of small fish bones, on which the eggs were laid. Owing to the neatness with which 

 this was done, and the freshness of the eggs, I cannot but think that these bones were placed 

 there before the eggs, and that the Kingfisher does make a nest. I have inspected other nests 

 in former years with a like result. — Idem. 



