Letters, Annuuncernents, ^c, 215 



XX. — Letters, Announcements, S^c. 



The. following letters, addressed "To the Editor of 'The 



Ibis/ " have been received : — 



5 Peel Terrace, Brigliton, 

 March 1, 1866. 



Sir, — In 'The Ibis^ for 18G1 (p. 113) I expressed my be- 

 lief that the Serin {Seri7ius hortidanus, Koch) would prove to be 

 a not unfrequcnt visitor to the south coast of England, and I 

 mentioned that several reported instances of its occurrence had 

 come to my knowledge, but without dates or particulars. 



A specimen killed in this neighbourhood has long been in a 

 bird-stuffer's window here ; and a few days ago Mr. Swaysland 

 sent for me to inspect a skin recently forwarded to him by Henry 

 Byne, Esq., of Miligan Hall, Bishop^s Hull, Taunton, who wished 

 to know what it was. I requested Mr. Swaysland to obtain 

 further details for me, and these I have in Mr. Byne's letter 

 now before me. The bird was killed " in the last week of January 

 1866, by William Gorett, Esq., in a small garden surrounded 

 by trees, in Bridge Street, North Town, Taunton. It perched 

 on a tree and was shot for a Sparrow, but there were no other 



birds there at the time I saw the Serin Finch the day it 



was killed.^^ 



There is still, of course, the probability of the bird having 

 escaped from captivity to be got over, but I dare say we shall 

 have others to report in due course of time. The season of the 

 year in this case is to be remarked — midwinter, while the in- 

 stances recorded by Mr. Bond ('Zoologist,^ p. 7105) bear date 

 20th June and October, 1859. 



It appears like a British bird, but I do not wish to manufac- 

 ture one without more examples. 



I am, &c., 



Geo. Dawson Rowley. 



10 Torrington Place, Plymouth, 

 March 8th, 18G6. 

 Sir,-:— The other day, in looking over ' The Ibis ' for 1862, I 

 met with a Review of the ' Memoir of Thomas Bewick,' the 

 writer of which, in a note (at page 377), gives, so far as he can, 



