256 



vet. I have flushed a good many of these birds, but they 

 all rise up a little wa}- and start singing. Where are the 

 Youngsters ? It stands to reason there must be hundreds 

 of the first brood about, l)nt they do not take wing- 

 readily. 



The larger Whitethroat is in evidence everywhere, 

 and I have heartl some excellent imitations of different 

 birds' notes in its song. 



On or about ist July, a very stormy and showery da}', 

 I watched some three liundred vSwifts congregating very 

 low in the air. They had gathered over the Western end 

 of the beach, and although they must have liad a hard 

 time all that day they were apparently not feeding, nor 

 did they utter a sound. With the fall of night they 

 allowed themselves to be wafted over the town towards 

 the Eastern end of the beach, and have not congregated 

 since, no doubt owing to the improved weather. 



What can it have been in that northern half gale that 

 caused them to collect in such numbers, (probably the 

 whole contingent of the Felixstowe vSwifts), and stay 

 together for more than half-a-hour ? 



We have, of course, Blackbirds, Thrushes, and Star- 

 lings galore. What I found very poorly represented are 

 Fieldfares, Red-backed Shrikes, Swallows, Martins, 

 Yellowhammers, Chaffinches, Rock Pipits, vStonechats, 

 Hedge vSparrows, Wrens ; still I have seen some few of 

 each of these. 



I could mention a score of species, breeding on the 

 vSouth Coast, of which there is nothing to be seen here 

 this summer. A. R. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



A MARVELLOUS RECOVERY. 

 Sir, — Some time ago, I think last June, I did a sillj- 

 thing. I was short of cages, and to make room for a new 

 comer I put a Blue-cheeked Barbet in with a small Toucan, 

 who generally has a large cage to himself I ow^n I did it 

 with fear and trembling lest the Toucan's great beak 



