222 Pugnacity of the Robin. 



indicated a temperature of 40° : there was a light breeze from 

 the westward ; the moon, at the time, shining brightly, Mars 

 being at the south-east, and almost touching that luminary ; 

 and Jupiter at a short distance from her western limb; the 

 whole having a most interesting appearance. The stars were 

 visible through the aurora, which had entirely disappeared at 

 11 o'clock. — James G. Totem. Wycombe, Feb. 20. 1837. 



Luminous Appearance at Birmingham. — Soon after 10 

 o'clock, on Saturday night (Feb. 18.), a beautiful luminous 

 arch of the loveliest rose-colour, spanned the heavens from 

 n.w. to s.e., at first preserving the rainbow form, but soon 

 breaking, and shifting into various groups of clouds and 

 streamers, through which the stars shone brightly. The moon 

 was particularly brilliant, and the wind high and intensely 

 cold. At 52 minutes past 10., Mars was occulted by the 

 moon, as we afterwards found, though, at the time, my pro- 

 foundly astronomical remark only informed our shivering 

 company that he was " slipping under." Little meteors darted 

 about the crimson glow at intervals, and columns of faint 

 yellow light slowly traversed it in different directions; till, at 

 about half-past 11, a long faint streamer of light stretched 

 towards the north, and soon after all the glorious show faded 

 slowly away. — L. A. T. Birmingham, Feb. 22. 1837. 



Pugnacity of the Robin. — On September 27. last I had an 

 opportunity of observing an extraordinary instance of the 

 pugnacity of the robin. Hearing one warbling in a tree in 

 one of the small gardens near my house, I was induced to 

 place on the window sill a beautifully stuffed specimen of the 

 bird, in the hope that it would attract the attention of his 

 living brother. Nor was I disappointed. The song became 

 louder and in longer strains ; and, at last, he made a flight of 

 inspection as far as the window. Shortly after, he flew up 

 from his tree, and made so violent an attack on the stuffed 

 specimen, as to throw it from a height of two stories to the 

 ground, pursuing it even while falling, and continuing its 

 violence when down. I then perched it on an empty box in 

 the yard, the live bird remaining within a few feet of me all 

 the time ; and, directly I had retired a few paces, the attack 

 was renewed with redoubled vigour, and so obstinately, that I 

 could easily have caught the living combatant. On my with- 

 drawing the stuffed bird from the unequal contest, its oppo- 

 nent resumed his place on the box, strutting about with an 

 expanded tail and erect attitude, as if claiming and pro- 

 nouncing a victory. Noticing the bird to be still hovering 

 about the place, I replaced my stuffed specimen on the win- 



