140 MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 



kindly partook, in my presence, without any reserve, at little more than 

 the above-named distance. — Robert Daykin, Hurst, near Richmond, York- 

 shire, April 7th. 1856. 



Oolden-Eye. — A female Golden-Eye was shot last month on a piece of 

 water in the Lordship of Staverton, by a farmer named Wright. I saw 

 it yesterday, at a bird-stufFer's at Daventry. We have had but few rare 

 birds here this winter. — W. Brooks Gates, Derogate, Northampton, Feb- 

 ruary 20th., 1856. 



I this morning took three fresh eggs from the nest of the Dipper, which 

 bird I have several times mentioned in "The Naturalist." I think there is 

 hardly an instance on record of its breeding so early. I found the nest 

 nearly completed on the 23rd. of February. — Henry Smurthwaite, Rich- 

 mond, Yorkshire, March 15th., 1856. 



TO THE editor OF '^THE NATURALIST." 



Eeperring to an inquiry of your correspondent Mr. Smurthwaite, re- 

 specting the Cornish Chough, (Fregilus graculus,) I send a few memoranda 

 respecting it, on the principle that every little helps. The Chough is by 

 no means an uncommon bird on many parts of the Cornish coast, though 

 I fear more rare than they were ten years since, and likely to be still more 

 so whilst their constant persecution, for the sake of procuring specimens, 

 continues. Were it not for their extreme wariness, and the almost inac- 

 cessible cliffs which they frequent, they would, ere this, have been nearly 

 exterminated. I have myself met with them in tolerable abundance in the 

 following localities: — Bade Haven, Tintagel Head, Port Isaac, Pentire, 

 Newquay, North Perran, Perth Towan, Pertreath, Cape Cornwall, and the 

 Land's End, on the north coast; and the Logan Rock, Mullion, Pradnack 

 Head, Thynance, the Lizard Head, and as far as the Menacle Point, on the 

 south coast; eastward of this it becomes more scarce. A person unacquainted 

 with their peculiar cry might however visit all these places, and make 

 many inquiries for them, without getting much satisfaction, partly from 

 their similarity, when flying, to the Jackdaw, and partly to the confusion 

 of their names — the term Chough being always applied provincially to the 

 Jackdaw, as remarked by Mr. Clogg; the other being known as the Red- 

 leg. Their distinguishing characteristic is their note, which may after a 

 little while be easily distinguished from that of the Daw, being much 

 wilder, and more shrill. They are partially gregarious, keeping together 

 in flocks of six or seven during the autumn, winter, and early spring, but 

 breeding in single pairs, although occasionally two or even more pairs may 

 chance to occupy the same cavern; and this leads me to remark that all 

 the nests I have met with have been in caverns. The only one with 

 which I have had an opportunity of becoming closely acquainted was built 



