66 ODDS AND ENDS. 



logical Recreations/') that there are instances on record of the Barn Owl, 

 (Strix Jlammca,) hooting. But the gun has done its work, so there is little 

 chance of settling this question. Alas! for the bonny, bonny Owl. The 

 Swift, too, rejoicing from his colour I presume, in a bad name, has of late 

 years sensibly decreased in numbers: the reason not so easily accounted 

 for. Crossbills have not been seen here for some years, though I can 

 remember formerly shooting them in some numbers while hanging in all 

 attitudes from the branches of the firs. The visits of the Kingfisher, too, 

 are "few and far between." 



Among animals the Hedgehog (harmless but persecuted) will not long 

 exist. The lively Squirrel, also, has to exert all his activity to escape the 

 hubbub that is made after him for destroying the young shoots of forest 

 trees. There is one comfort, however; I think the Sparrow clubs have 

 not only before them a very ruinous labour to themselves, but an inter- 

 minaUe one too, and I therefore hope our pert little Cock-Sparrow will 

 long live to enliven our house-tops in spite of the desolating clubs. 



In a former number of "The Naturalist," (No. 53, page 161,) I men- 

 tioned that an Emu, in the possession of Richard Thorold, Esq., of Weelsby 

 House, Lincolnshire, was sitting on six eggs so early in the season as March. 

 Notwithstanding the excessive cold spring of 1855, she in due course of 

 time managed to hatch three young ones. She was frequently, as the 

 expression goes, 'happed' up with snow at the bottom of the ditch in which 

 she had deposited her eggs; nevertheless, she kept her seat eight weeks. 

 The young at first were striped something similar to the young Grebe pictured 

 in Yarrell, (vol. iii., page 303;) this dress they very shortly lost, and 

 assumed the plumage of their parents; but the heads of the young birds 

 are much darker, and altogether they appear better dressed and much 

 smarter than the older ones. Two of the remaining eggs contained full- 

 sized young. The egg is very dark green — almost black, and rough, and 

 long in proportion to its width. The elder birds are now about seven 

 years old, and as they did not attempt to lay until 1854, it is possible that 

 the Emu may not enter into the marriage state until it is four or five 

 years old — the period when the birds I have alluded to appeared to reach 

 their maturity. The young ones are now about half the size of their 

 parents, and the female will attack any stranger who attempts to molest 

 them, and she is no mean antagonist. 



On the 5th. of December, 1855, I observed a few Bramble Finches, and 

 predicted a severe storm, as these birds seldom visit this neighbourhood, 

 excepting in very sharp weather; accordingly, a tremendous snow fell on 

 the 6th., but the storm did not last much more than a week — the snow 

 about five inches on the level. On Sunday, the 23rd., the frost was again 

 very severe; the thermometer fourteen degrees below freezing point. During 



