•J-2-2 CHAPTER OF MISCELLANIES? 



Papilio podalirius a British Insect, — Mr. Allis's account of this Insect 

 (p. 38) is a further proof of its being met with in the New Forest, and also its 

 being set up at Portsmouth. — J. C. Dale, Glanvilles Wootton, Dorsetshire, May 

 13, 1837. 



Anecdote op Parental Affection in the House Sparrow ( Passer domesti- 

 cus). — " A pair of Sparrows," says Mr. Graves, " had built their nest in a wall, 

 close to my house. I noticed that the old birds continued to bring food to the 

 nest some time after the brood had left it. I had the curiosity to place a ladder 

 against the wall, and looked into the nest, when, to my surprise, I found a full- 

 grown bird which had got its leg entangled in some thread, which formed part of 

 the nest, in such a manner as to prevent its leaving it with the rest. Wishing 

 to see how much longer the old birds would feed their imprisoned offspring, I left 

 the young one as I found it, and observed that the parents supplied it, during the 

 whole of the autumn and part of the winter months ; but the weather setting in 

 very severe soon after Christmas, I was afraid it would kill the young Sparrow, 

 and therefore disengaged its leg. In a day or two it went with the old ones in 

 search of food ; but they continued to feed it till March, and during the whole 

 time they all nestled in the same spot." — Communicated by E., Doncaster, May 

 20, 1837. £We presume the above interesting anecdote is extracted from 

 Graves's British Birds, a work, however, which we have never seen. — Ed.] 



Arrival of the Yellow Wagtail and Common Swift in the North. — I 

 have to-day for the first time this year seen the Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla, 

 flava), at Kirk Sandall, near here. The first and indeed the only Swift I have 

 yet seen this season, was two days ago. I fancied that I saw two or three pass 

 the window a few days before, but am not certain. — F. 0. Morris, Doncaster, 

 May 23, 1837. 



Comparative Rarity of the Stone Chat in Norfolk in 1837. — I find the 

 Stone Chat ( Saxicola rubicola) is, comparatively, very rare this spring in 

 Norfolk, where I have been in the habit of seeing several pairs other years. I 

 can only now find a solitary pair, and in some situations not a single bird is to 

 be seen. I think many of our smaller birds are not so abundant as in former 

 years; the Common Linnet (Linaria cannabina) is evidently not numerous. 

 Our furze heaths are generally quite alive with them at this season, but now only 

 a pair here and there fluttering from bush to bush are to be seen. I should 

 attribute the severity of the winter as the cause of the scarcity, as I cannot 

 perceive any difference in the numbers of bur spring visitants, which are as 

 plentiful as in former years. — J. D. Salmon, Thetford, Norfolk, June 14, 1837- 



Capture of a Shark on the British Coast. — Yesterday great crowds were 

 attracted around the shop of Mr. Sweetman, fishmonger, opposite the Swan with 



