of Passage in the Neighbourhood of Carlisle. 83 



numbers in Fleming's History of British Animals, which we have inserted, 

 in order that the reader who wishes to have a description or see the va- 

 rious svnonynis of any of the birds here alhided to, may find the species at 

 once, should he possess that highly useful and most excellent work.] 



Sii.-allo'UD. — A white or rather cream-coloured variety of this 

 species was shot in Nichol Forest, on the lOtli of September ; 

 and another was repeatedly seen during the summer near 

 Hohne Wrangle. 



Goatsucker. — Upon referring to our Table it will be seen 

 that the Goatsucker arrived this year unusually early. This 

 circumstance was communicated to us by an individual well 

 acquainted with the bird, and who resides within a short di- 

 stance of the heath where it almost annually breeds ; so that 

 there can be little doubt of the fact. 



Pied Flycatcher. — We have this year but little to add to 

 our former remarks upon this species, which have from time 

 to time appeared in the Philosophical Magazine and Annals. 

 Two males and a female were, however, killed in an orchard 

 contiguous to the city walls during the first week in May, — an 

 event which never occurred before. From this and several 

 other circumstances we are inclined to think that these birds 

 are extending their migration northwards. We had this year 

 an opportunity of observing the labours of a pair of Pied Fly- 

 catchers, from the time they took possession of a hole in the de- 

 cayed stimip of a felled tree, until they had completed the struc- 

 ture of (heir nest, and the female had laid her eggs, when all 

 were secured : these were seven in number, and all remarkably 

 small, none exceeding seventeen, and the majority only weighed 

 fifteen grains each ; which establishes a fact, that the eggs of 

 this species vary from thirty-three to fifteen grains in weight. 



We cannot allow this opportunity to pass without advert- 

 in<T to a mistake Professor Rennie has fallen into relative to 

 some observations of ours upon this subject, in his recent 

 edition of Montagu's Ornithological Dictionary, which he 

 there quotes, and attributes to Dr. Stanley of Whitehaven. 

 — How a gentleman residing upwards of forty miles from 

 Carlisle could " investigate the habits of this bird with care 

 and accuracy" as the Professor is pleased to say, is not very 

 obvious to us: but this is of litde moment, and far from being 

 the only error. Instead of giving the apposite and valuable 

 observations of Montagu, contained in his supplemental vo- 

 lume, which were communicated to him by the Rev. Mr. Dal- 

 ton of Copgrove in Yorkshire, we have an extract from Bol- 

 ton's Ilnrmonia Euralis, stating that "the (Joldfinch has been 

 kjiovvn to build its nest in an almond-tree when in full blossom," 

 which Montagu has shown to be luiwortliy of notice. Another 

 M 2 fron^ 



