MISCELLANY. 323 



may have overlooked them, as they do not begin to sing until some time after 

 their arrival. Saw the last Woodcock on the 16th of April, 1836. Notioed the 

 first early in October, 1835 ; this year I saw only three, all in the beginning of 

 October. The Longeared Owl (Strix otus) sitting on three eggs in a Magpie's 

 nest, placed in a Scotch Fir, May 2, 1836. Swifts arrived May 15, 1836. 

 Young Partridges hatched under a hen, July 1, 1836. Saw the first flock of 

 Stone Thicknees* ((Edicnemus crepitans J, Oct. 6, 1836. Swallows gone, Oct. 15, 

 1836. Swallows came generally on the 22nd of April, 1837. The Longeared 

 Owl sitting in a Scotch Fir on three eggs, April 23, 1837. Saw the last flight 

 of Fieldfares, April 23, 1837- The migratory songsters were sitting in the last 

 week in May. Kingfisher sitting in the early part of June. — R. P. Alington, 

 Swinhope House, Lincolnshire, July 15, 1837. 



Egg of the Ortolan Bunting. — I find, by Mr. Hewitson's illustrations of 

 the eggs of the Ortolan Bunting, that they resemble more closely those of the 

 other Buntings than I was previously aware of. My specimens all correspond 

 in their markings with the last figure of the plate. — J. D. Salmon, Tketford, 

 Norfolk, June 14, 1837. 



New Fox from Algiers. — The new Fox brought from Algiers by M. Bodi- 

 chon, and presented by him to the Menagerie at the Jardin du Roi of Paris, 

 is ten months old, and not so large as the Common Fox, which it resembles in 

 its fur, but it is redder on the chine and flanks ; the throat, lips, breast, belly, 

 and inside of the thighs, are all of the most silvery white. The tail, nearly as 

 long as the body, is ornamented with a half circle of black hairs, and terminated 

 by a plume of white. Its head and muzzle are elongated, the skull is more 

 flattened, the neck thinner, and the ears are wider, longer, nearer to each other, 

 and placed more on the top of the head, like those of a mule, rather than those 

 of the Fox of northern climates. It looks like a young Dog, emits a fetid 

 odour when fed on living prey, and in that case drinks but little ; when fed on 

 vegetables it is docile and obedient, although ten days of a contrary diet restore 

 it to its natural ferocity. It, however, never entirely loses its taste for poultry ; 

 and if it does not eat Fowls which stray near it, it hunts them and kills them, 

 hiding them afterwards. — Athenceum, July 8. 



The Craterince Indigenous to Britain. — No Martins (Hirundo urbica) 

 have returned this season (1837) to their nests over our front door, but there 

 have been several Craterince. crawling about the door and sides of the house 

 adjoining, which proves that the Craterince remain here, and are truly British.— 

 J. C. Dale, Glanvitte's Wootton, Dorsetshire, Aug. 4, 1837. 



* This, at least, we take to be the species designated by our correspondent as the " Whistling 

 Plover," under which name it certainly would not be known to the majority of our readers.— Er>. 



