94 THE QUERIST, 



been in a frozen state; but it doea not necessarily follow from that circumstauoc that the bird 

 must have been "frozen to death," since it is fiir more likely that the freezing of the body com- 

 menced after death than before it. The writer concludes with the remark that "the preceding 

 winter had not been very severe." What the preceding winter had to do with an occurrence 

 said to have taken place in the spring, it would be difficult to comprehend. If by that remark 

 he would lead us to infer that there was an absence, throughout the entire season, of any great 

 degree of cold, then the story would assume an aspect still more strange and marvellous, for 

 the bird would then appear to have been not only "frozen to death on her nest," but "frozen 

 to death" in weather rather mild than otherwise. — S. Stone, Brightharapton, Oct. 12th., 1853. 



T/t« Starling. — At page 220, vol. iii. of "The Naturalist," I stated that this bird "excavates 

 a deep hole," which Mr. Stone thinks ridiculous. The word "excavate," as Mr. S. should know, 

 means very commonlij to ^'■hollow out," which is not exactly to bore. Using the word in this 

 sense I am quite correct. But for his satisfaction I may expand my statement. The Starling 

 frequently selects an old tree for the purpose of incubation, in which there are holes formed 

 either by Woodpeckers, or, more commonly, by decay (Mr. S. seems to forget that Old Time 

 may have a hand in the matter.) These holes, however, from various causes, are often so 

 shallow that it requires to deepen them and to hollow them out, which it can easily do. I 

 make this additional explanation, although I hope ornithological readers understood my original 

 statement without difficulty. I have not therefore "mis-stated facts," of which offence I am 

 rather uncharitably accused; and I may be allowed to suggest that, in future, a reference to 

 an English dictionary would save, as it would in this case have done, coiigi«bq^[pjtqJ^'jT«^ble. — 

 J. LoxGMUiR, JuN., Aberdeen. /^i 



€liB (^nml 



Common Shrew, (Sorex araneus.) — With regard to G's query at page 24 of your third volume, 

 the following extract from Mr. Jesse's interesting "Scenes and Occupations of Country Life" 

 may serve to throw some light on the subject. At page 66 he says, speaking of this little 

 animal, "I am obliged to confess that it is a most pugnacious animal, and this pugnacity is 

 the cause of the death of those we meet with in our walks, during the months of April and 

 May. At this season of the year the males fight together, and I have examined several of 

 those I have found dead. They were all males. I sent some also to Mr. Gulliver, a friend 

 whose researches into Natural History have been equally curious and indefatigable, and he 

 discovered several livid spots about the neck and shoulders. This decisive fact will be sufficient 

 to controvert the various opinions which have been brought forward as to the frequent appearance 

 of the dead Shrew." — J. CAV.\.Fy, Westbourue Terrace, London, February 9th., 1854. 



Swallow-tailed Kite, (Nauclerus furcatus.) — Can any of your correspondents inform me whether 

 the cere and legs of the Swallow-tailed Kite are yellow, and the irides silvery cream, at any 

 period of its life.' these are the colours given by Wilson, while Morris and Yarrell describe the 

 cere and legs as blue, and the irides brown. With regard to the colour of the cere of Polybonis 

 Braziliensis, it is brick red in a living specimen in the possession of the Zoological Society; 

 the legs are dull yellow. There are also some other exceptions : in the adult and young of the 

 Chilian Sea Eagle, {Ilaliaetus Aquila,) the cere is bluish, the legs dull yellow. In the Harpy 

 Eagle, {Uarpyia destructor,) the cere is bluish blaok, the legs ochre yellow.— Idem. 



Unknown Eggs.— The white eggs mentioned by Mr. Hodge, in the January number of "The 

 Naturalist," may possibly have been those of the Blackstart, {Duenicm-a tithys;) its eggs are 

 glossy white, from five to seven in number, the nest generally placed in a hole in a rocky bank. 

 I believe the Wryneck generally builds in holes of trees; the size of the eggs, however, certainly 

 approaches nearer to those of the Wryneck than the Blackstart.— Idem. 



In reply to the inquiry of Mr. Tuckett in "The Naturalist" for September, 1851, about the 

 occurrences of the Great Bustard, I may refer him to my "History of British Birds," No. 47, 

 where he will find, I think, a pretty complete catalogue.— F. 0. Mokuis, Nafferton Vicarage, 

 Driffield. 



