. CHAPTER OF MISCELLANIES. 165 



Shorten the pinion after the first moult, as many of the birds experienced no 

 difficulty in flying just before the primary quill feathers were fully grown up in 

 the wing not pinioned. — J. D. Salmon, Thetford, Norfolk, April 22, 1837. 



Vanessa urticce seen in stormy weather. — We have had very curious weather 

 here lately, with snow and frost constantly. I saw a large river frozen over two 

 or three days ago. Yet, notwithstanding all this, I saw a Vanessa urticee flying. 

 — Beverley R. Morris, Trinity College, Dublin, April 19, 1837. 



The Sibilous Brakehopper (Locustella sibilatrix) in the North of Eng- 

 land. — It is universally admitted that in England this is a very local bird, and 

 nowhere common. It is known in many parts of the south ; in Northumber- 

 land, also, it has been noticed by Selby, and in Scotland by Professor Rennie ; 

 and we feel much satisfaction in recording its appearance in the neighbourhood of 

 Doncaster, an individual having been seen near Campsall on the 4th of May. 

 We shall probably record some further observations on this interesting little bird 

 — the " Grasshopper Lark" of the older authors — in a future number. — Ed. 



Migratory Birds. — To-day I have heard the Cuckoo's note for the first time 

 this year. In the May No. of TheNaturalist (p.101.) the Editor remarks: — "Up to 

 this day (April 20) not a single spring visitant has made its appearancein the north 

 of England." This, however, is not the case, although no migratory birds may have 

 appeared in the neighbourhood of Mr. Neville Wood's residence. On the 18th I 

 was in Craven, on the beautiful banks of the river Wharfe, and there, seventy miles 

 north of Doncaster, Wheatears were in great numbers, flitting from stone- wall to 

 s,tone-waJl, and from heap to heap on the Downs. On the 5th of April I observed 

 some Swallows, and I think one Martin, near the river at the back of Thryberg 

 Park. I have seen Swallows on the wing as late as the 4th of December. With 

 regard to the period of the year at which singing birds find their voice of song, as 

 many correspondents have communicated their observations to this magazine, I may 

 add the following to their notes. Last year (1836) I heard the Blackbird sing 

 while the snow was lying on the ground, on the 8th of February. Also on the 

 same day the charming warble of the Robin. The Thrush I heard on or about 

 the 10th, and also on the 14th. On the 15th there was a universal concert of 

 the feathered tribes around vis at that season, the prelude to the approaching 

 spring. — F. 0. Morris, May 4, 1837. — [[Since the publication of our last number, 

 we have heard that some of our migratory birds appeared even rather early this 

 spring ; but the arrivals of the majority were certainly very unusually retarded 

 by the state of the weather. — We suspect the bird our correspondent mentions 

 having heard on the 8th of February was the Missel Thrush, whose notes closely 

 resemble those of Merula vulgaris,; we never remember to have heard the latter 

 so early as February, but the Missel Thrush is then always in full song, and is 

 very generally mistaken for the Garden Ouzel. — The. Redbreast sings throughout 



