OBSERVATIONS. 



77 



merula) was shot at Cookliam, Berks, 

 a few weeks ago. It was rather 

 above the ordinary size, and had a 

 beautiful ring of white feathers 

 going completely round its neck. 

 At the base of the bill it had some 

 more wliite feathers, which con- 

 trasted remarkably with its orange 

 beak and jet black feathers. This 

 one is a fine male bird, whereas all 

 the others which have come under 

 my notice have been female. A few 

 years ago there was a very fine bird 

 shot at the same place, but this was 

 a female also. This bird was pre- 

 served by J. Ford, Junr., of Cook- 

 ham, and is at present in my pos- 

 session. — R. B. S. 



Occurrence of the Snow Bunting at 

 Halifax. — I have just added to my 

 collection a fine pair of Snow Bunt- 

 ings [Emberiza nivalit;, Linn.) which 

 were shot on the High Road Well 

 Moor, near Halifax, in the month 

 of March last. — J. Gibson, Washer 

 Lane, Halifax. 



Singular case of a Cock cherishing 

 feelings of Bevenge. — About twelve 

 months ago a farmer residing in the 

 neighbourhood of Bingham, Notts, 

 pulled some feathers from the tail 

 of an ordinary farm-yard cock. The 

 bird after this seemed to entertain 

 a feeling of bitter animosity towards 

 him ; a feeling that was not dimin- 

 ished by any acts of kindness on his 

 part. On the 1st of April last the 

 farmer was engaged in foddering a 



cow in an outhouse, having concluded 

 which, he moved towards the door 

 which he had barely reached when 

 the bird, having previously secreted 

 itself on a beam overhead, flew down 

 upon the farmer and struck its spur 

 violently into his cheek, just below 

 the eye. The pain experienced was 

 much increased by the fact that the 

 bird had struck so deep as to be 

 unable to extricate itself, and as it 

 was fluttering about the whole time 

 it may be imagined what the pain 

 must have been ; at last, however, 

 the spur was extricated and the bird 

 killed. That the bird should have 

 cherished feelings of animosity for 

 so long a time, and in spite of any 

 conciliatory advances made, is surely 

 remarkable ; that it was prompted 

 by reason and memory there cnn be 

 little doubt, as, had it been instinct, 

 the bird would shortly have forgot- 

 ten the circumstance. It had also 

 made numerous attempts at retalia- 

 tion during the whole period, and 

 refused its food from the hands of 

 the farmer, standing aside from the 

 chickens during feeding time while 

 he was present. — Henry Gamble, 

 8, Shawfield-Street, Chelsea, S.W., 

 June 4. 



The Robin.— On the 28th of April, 

 I found the nest of a Robin built in a 

 heap of dead potato tops. As it was 

 necessary to remove this heap in 

 order to dig the ground, I took the 

 nest, which contained five eggs in 



