234 



MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 



as there is with respect to game. How much more innocent gratification to thousands would 

 be the consequence ; but there are few protectors of small birds like the owners of Walton 

 and Stainbro' parks. Even in this last beautiful domain three Nightingales, I am credibly 

 informed, were shot by a former gamekeeper. We have now to go a dozen or score miles to 

 hear one, chiefly to Edlington, though seldom a year passes without the occurrence of the 

 Nightingale in this part, but we only hear of it when it has fallen into the stealthy bird- 

 catcher's snare. Even this class of men might be impressed to some extent with the wrong 

 and absurdity of this practice as regards confining the bird, and the poor starving nature of their 

 calling, every year growing more uncertain and less gainful, as the birds are thinned off. 1 

 have a singular instance of self-denial to record of one of them, who sent me word on the 

 very day this Nightingale capture was recorded, that he had heard one on the 24th. of 

 May in a small wood near Elsecar, five miles from Barnsley, which he could have caught if 

 he had wished. Various engagements prevented me proceeding there until the 10th. of June. 

 Soon after reaching the wood and taking my bearings, then making my way, sometimes on 

 all-fours, under the thickly-tangled brushwoood, I heard, amid the chorus of warblers, tlie 

 delightful thrilling strains of 'jug, jugl, jug' — "and one low piping note more sweet than all" — 

 distinguishing the Nightingale from all other songsters. Not satisfied with this day's enter- 

 tainment, I started again with two companions on the following morning at two a.m., and 

 reached the place at day-break, just as the whole wood appeared to be hursting forth in 

 melody. In about half an hour we had the pleasure of realizing the fine description of that 

 truly natural poet "the peasant Clare," 



"Anon from bosom of that green retreat, 



His song anew in silvery stream would gush, 



With jug jug jug, and quavered thrilling sweet: 



Till roused to emulate the enchanting strain, 



From hawthorn spray, piped loud the merry Thrush 



His wild bra^-ura thro' the woodlands wide." 



We staj'cd about two hours, but only heard the song at intervals of about a quarter of an hour, 

 for, as our informant said would be the case, after sunrise the old birds would be busy feeding 

 their young. We saw them frequently with grubs in their bills. My thankful acknowledgment 

 for the information given by him, knowing my tastes to study birds in their natural state, 

 rather than in the cage or museum — too much the modern mania — appeared as satisfactory to 

 him as if he had made a captive of the bird.— T. Lister, Barnsley, June 18th., 1854. 



The Dotterel, (Eudromias Morinella,) at Brighton. — I have lately bought of Swaysland, the 

 bird and animal preserver of Brighton, a fine male Dotterel, which he informs me was shot 

 towards the end of May last, together with five others, in a field near the Dyke road. He also 

 showed me several rare birds, procured at different times near Brighton ; among which were the 

 Pernis apivorm and the Short-eared Owl, ( Braehijotos palnstris,) shot at Shoreham, in 1853; 

 two specimens of the rare 3Iotacilla alba, a Hoopoe, a Great Shrike, a Dartford Warbler, and 

 a variety of Passer domesticics, with white wings and a light chesnut back; a Squacco and a 

 Night Heron, {Nijctiardea grisea,) a male and female Whimbrel, several Spotted Sandpipers, 

 (Actitis macularias,) a Knot in summer plumage, two Little Stints, {Tringa minuta,) one 

 Little Kinged Plover, {^gialites minor,) some Gray Plovers, a Greenshank, {Glottis chloropus,) 

 and one immature specimen of Larus minutus. — J. Cavafy, Brighton, August 7th., 1854. 



Otcurrence of Pied Roohs, (Corvus frugilegus.)— Whilst walking along the coast near Dunbar, 

 towards the end of July, in company with an ornithological friend, my attention was directed 

 by him to a flo(!k of Rooks a short way off, among which was one with a bar of white across 

 either wing. It seemed to be much shyer than the others, like all these albinoes, for, as soon 

 as we approached, it made off, whilst the rest of the flock was almost quite regardless of our 

 presence. A short time previous, the same friend had an opportunity of examining a specimen 

 which was shot from the nest in a neighbouring rookery, and which had, besides the white 

 on either wing, also a few white feathers in the tail. Perhaps the above may be of some 

 interest to the readers of "The Naturalist," and so worthy of a place in your valuable 

 magazine.— W. E. Robertson, 72, Bath-Street, Glasgow, August 23rd., 1854. 



The Mountain Finch, (Fringilla montifringilla.) — On the 10th. of July last, a female Mountain 

 Finch, which has been kept in a cage since the autumn of 1852, by Mr. Jackson, laid an Qgg, 



