322 OBSER VA TIONS ON BIRDS. 



On the 31st January 1792 I received a bird of this 

 species which had been recently killed by a neighbouring 

 farmer, who said he had frequently seen it in his fields 

 during the former part of the winter : this perhaps was an 

 occasional straggler, which by some accident was prevented 

 from accompanying its companions in their migration. 

 MARKWICK. 



THE SMALLEST UNORESTED WILLOW WREN. 



The smallest uncrested willow wren, or chiff-chaff, is the 

 next early summer bird which we have remarked ; it utters 

 two sharp piercing notes, so loud in hollow woods as to 

 occasion an echo, and is usually first heard about the 20th 

 March. WHITE. 



This bird, which Mr. White calls the smallest willow 

 wren, or chiff-chaff, makes its appearance very early in the 

 spring, and is very common with us ; but I cannot make 

 out the three different species of willow wrens which he 

 assures us he has discovered. Ever since the publication of 

 his History of Selborne I have used my utmost endeavours . 

 to discover his three birds, but hitherto without success. 

 I have frequently shot the bird which "haunts only the 

 tops of trees, and makes a sibilous noise," even in the very 

 act of uttering that sibilous note, but it always proved to 

 be the common willow wren or his chiff-chaff. In short, I 

 never could discover more than one species, unless my 

 greater pettychaps, sylvia hortensis of Latham, is his 

 greatest willow wren. MARKWICK. 



FERN-OWL, OR GOAT-SUCKER. 

 The country people have a notion that the fern-owl, or 

 churn-owl, or eve-jarr, which they also call a puckeridge, is 

 very injurious to weanling calves, by inflicting as it strikes 



