Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 131 



Augustus Pechell, who are staying with Mr. Smith for the Snipe- 

 and Woodcock-shooting which the Scilly Islands afford at this 

 season of the year. These gentlemen are good observers of 

 birds, and have been watching the arrival of the great autumnal 

 flight of small birds, consisting of Blackbirds, Thrushes, Larks, 

 Snow Buntings, Chaffinches, Hawfinches, Willow-Wrens, and 

 other soft-billed members of our Sylviidce. 



On Friday last Flycatchers appeared; and two apparently 

 young Pied Flycatchers (a species almost unknown as Cornish, 

 except just in statu migratorio), and a third, which from its size 

 and tone of colour was thought to be a Chiffchaff, were ob- 

 tained. The character of the exterior four tail-feathers, show- 

 ing white in their basal halves, drew their attention to the bird, 

 and it was fortunately forwarded for identification. This 

 proves to be a veritable M. parva, differing only from the 

 female skin you were good enough to make me a present of 

 in the under-plumage presenting a tinge of buff-brown, parti- 

 cularly on the sides of the breast, whereas in the specimen I 

 have from you these parts are of a uniform silvery light grey 

 approaching to white. The tips of the wing-coverts are in the 

 present bird edged with a lighter (or rather more reddish) 

 brown than the rest of the upper plumage, and the latter has a 

 more decided tone of brown than my stuffed specimen. This 

 leads me to offer you my opinion that the bird is an immature 

 male ; the buff-coloured breast, &c., agreeing with one of those 

 laws which appear to regulate the tone of colour in birds pre- 

 senting sexual differences when adult. It must be here remarked 

 that this bird was in company with the young Pied Flycatchers, 

 and exhibited the gestures and habits of the Muscicapidce in 

 abrupt flights, &c. 



Yours, &c., 



Edward Hearle Rodd. 



Magdalene College, Cambridge, 

 December 1, 1863, 



Sir, — The "Notes on the Ornithology of Iceland," contributed 

 by me to Mr. Baring-Gould's recent work, hardly deserve, I fear, 



k2 



