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Redstart drove her away, took possession of the nest, and laid her clutch.

Both, however, were lost, for neither bird would allow the other to incubate.

Most of the birds of the moors, and their nests, were exhibited, and there

was a good series illustrating the cliffs and climbers at Flaniborough. The

Robin was, of course, included, for it is a universal favourite. Mr.

Grabham, however, spoke very plainly as to the pugnacious character of this

species ; as he did also ofthe misdeeds of the Sparrow, of which so good an

ornithologist as the late Lord Lilford had spoken as Passer damtiabilis. From

a scientific point of view, the most noteworthy views were a series showing

the nesting habits of the Kingfisher—which Mr. Grabham said was common

on all Yorkshire streams—and the young in various stages. But, as pictures,

the palm must probably he given to the sitting Black-headed Gulls on a

small, reedy island in a placid lake—probably iuvolving no great difficulty,

but very effective and picturesque.— Standard, October 26th, 1901.


Writing to the Feathered World of October nth last, Mr. D. G. Ricard

observes :—“ The two most beautiful birds in South Africa are the Blue Jay

and the Emerald Cuckoo ; which of the birds carries off the palm would be

hard to say, as opinion is divided on the subject. The Cuckoo, which is

about the size of the English bird, is one mass of green and gold, the wings

and head being of the latter colour, whilst the breast is a vivid green. The

Blue Jay is blue as to the wings and head, but with a golden breast. As

these birds fly by in the brilliant sunlight they make a picture such as an

artist would like to dwell on. These birds are only found in certain parts

of the country, namely, where bush is more or less abundant. They are

said to be dying out, the rage for ‘ curios ’ of all kinds no doubt being

responsible for this.”


Mr. Hedley Speed kindly forwards us the following cuttings from the

Liverpool Daily Post, October 21st, 1901 :—“ Bird Song.—Mr. W. E. D. Scott,

Curator of Ornithology, in Princeton University, United States, reared two-

young Baltimore Orioles away from the old birds and found that they

began to sing of themselves when the}' grew older, but the song was their

own, that is to say, different from the ordinary song of the Oriole. Other

young Orioles reared beside these birds copied their new song. Hence it

would appear that while birds inherit the tendency to sing they learn the

particular song.”


Extract from same paper, October 26th, 1901 :—“ From the statement

in the Liverpool Post of the 21st that a distinguished American ornithologist

has discovered “ that, while birds inherit the tendency to sing, they learn

the particular song ” from their parents, it is evident (writes a naturalist

correspondent) that we have still much to learn on this subject. How comes

it that young partridges have been heard to sound their familiar call-note

before they were hatched—five or six hours before they were out of the

egg ? Can they hear before they are hatched, and through the shell ? But

I can mention a more puzzling case. Some years ago an Edinburgh bird

dealer obtained a fledgling Cuckoo from a Hedge-sparrow’s nest and

managed to rear it. Now, in this case, the parents of that bird had left

the country before it was caught, and if it heard any “ song ” at all in

its infancy it was that of its foster parents. But what was the result ?

The young Cuckoo lived through the winter, and in the spring gave out



