330 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Announcements, ^c. 



of Eggs," in 1857, that in Algeria they are " entirely confined 

 to the dry highlands, far away from the habitations of man ; " 

 near Brighton, however, they may be shot within a mile or less 

 of the houses ; — this I take to be exceptional. The spring 

 plumage of Sylvia provincialis is much darker than the autumn ; 

 the bird appeal's almost a different species. On the 6th of April, 

 1859, I saw a cock lately killed : the beak of this specimen was 

 quite denuded of feathers on the under mandible, in the manner 

 of the Rook, to which it bore a strong resemblance. Mr. Sways- 

 land and I compared the beak with that of one killed the pre- 

 vious autumn : this was well clothed, and we could only explain 

 the circumstance by supposing the bird to dig in the ground as 

 does the Rook ; during frost the earth would be soft at the 

 roots of the furze. I am told that this appearance of the under 

 mandible is common to specimens killed in spring. Probably 

 some of your readers may be able to confirm the circumstance I 

 have mentioned, which I do not find recorded by any ornitho- 

 logical writer. 



I may here call your attention to the fact of two specimens of 

 the Short-toed Lark [Alauda brachydactyla) having been ob- 

 tained near Brighton. I saw one alive on September 26th, 

 1854, which had been caught by boys on the Downs, and kept 

 in confinement some time, not being distinguished from the 

 Skylark. This bird cracked seeds like a Canary, instead of 

 swallowing them whole ; it was very tame, and ultimately killed 

 and stufied. The second specimen was killed in April 1858, by 

 a person on the sea- shore, who saw it come to land, and light, 

 after a short rest, upon the road, where it immediately began 

 dusting itself. I did not see this bird, but my informant was 

 the person who killed it, and one who is quite trustworthy : it 

 was afterwards preserved. 



Yours, &c., 



George Dawson Rowley. 

 5 Peel Terrace, Brighton, 

 8th April, 1859. 



To the Editor of The Ibis. 

 Sir, — I obtained on the 1st of this month a nest and eggs of 



