322 OBSERVATIONS 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 chifi-chafi", 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 Selhorne 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-SUOKER. 

 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 



