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TO THE EDITOR OP ^^THE NATURALIST." 



I was surprised at seeing portions of a letter of mine to Mr, Stnurthwaite, 

 of Richmond, inserted in the December number of "The Naturalist/' and 

 as that letter was written to shew the great scarcity of the Chough in this 

 county, I am at a loss to know how the contents could have removed 

 Mr. S.'s former impression on the subject, nor did it seem to have that 

 effect on him at the time, for in his reply to me in a letter, written on 

 the 31st. October, 1854, he says, "The highly interesting information which 

 you so kindly gave me with regard to the Chough, is, I think, important 

 in more ways than one; it proves that the bird is more rare in Cornwall 

 than is generally supposed, and would deter many from making a useless 

 excursion to that coast for the purpose of obtaining its eggs — a project which 

 I have frequently heard discussed." I think this extract clearly shews that 

 Mr. S. fully understood the tenor of my letter to him. As Mr. S. is now 

 in Germany I would wish to correct an error or two which have crept 

 into his copy, as printed in "The Naturalist." — 'Podstone,' should be ^Pad- 

 stow;' 'Mucrow,' should be ^The Manacles;' and I cannot help thinking 

 'numerous specimens' never appeared in my letter. With respect to your 

 note at the foot of Mr. S.'s paper, I can only say that I have been a 

 resident in Cornwall all my life-time, have several times visited the north 

 coast, and for nearly sixteen years have lived on the south coast, eastern 

 division, and have never yet seen a living specimen of the Chough; and 

 Mr. Jackson, who, I believe, is surpassed by few as a practical out-of-door 

 ornithologist, and has resided in Looe upwards of thirty years, has seen 

 but one specimen in this locality during that period; and on two occasions, 

 on visiting the western portion of the south coast of this county, from the 

 Lizard to the Land's End, saw but seven specimens on the first, and three 

 on the last visit; surely this does not say much for their being abundant 

 in Cornwall. In what locality on the South Devon coast are they to be 

 commonly found? For years past I have been trying to procure eggs of 

 the Chough in this county, and have not yet succeeded. — Stephen Clogg, 

 Looe, December 18th., 1855, 



Occurrence of the Mealy Redpole (Fringilla borealis) at Hammersmith. — 

 On going through Leadenhall Market about a month since, accompanied by 

 a friend, we saw high up amongst others at the live-bird sellers, a bird that 

 attracted our attention, and the next day my friend bought it, intending 

 to keep it alive, but it soon died, and he sent it to me for my collection. 

 This was the Mealy Redpole, Since that time I have known one bird- 

 catcher of this place take seven, three of which I purchased; and another 

 told me he had taken about two dozen. On writing to that excellent 



