Ventriloquism in a Bird. 279 



one part is often elucidated in some other, and the interest of 

 the whole is increased by comparison. — IV. H. Webster. 



Signs of Spring, 1837. — As any indications of the return 

 to order of the present extraordinary season are now doubly 

 interesting, I think the following memoranda, confirming as 

 they do my previous observations on the cuckoo, valuable. 

 (See Old Series, Vol. VII. p. 342.) — March 26. Toads 

 croaked loudly, Stanley Green. — April 4. Swallow seen at 

 Woolbridge, near Wareham. — 8. Two swallows seen at 

 Julian's Bridge, near Wimborne. — 14. Tadpoles of toad 

 seen by me : numerous, apparently four or five days old, in 

 a pond at Lytchett Minster. (Snow falling every day.) — 

 17 and 18. Cuckoo's mate heard here. (This bird annually 

 builds in a tree in my garden.) — 19. Cuckoo heard here. 



The observations on the swallows were made by Mr. Wm. 

 Thompson of Lytchett, who communicated to Mr. Yarrell 

 the fact of the hare taking the water, recorded in Vol. V. 

 p. 99.; and who repeated the account to me the other day, 

 appealing to a workman of his who also was witness. The 

 same gentleman confirmed the assertions about snakes talcing. 

 the water (see Vols. I., III., and IV.), made by Mr. Murray, 

 myself, and others, by stating that he killed a large snake, 

 which was seen crossing a branch of Lytchett Bay, Poole 

 Harbour, when 200 yards from the shore. Mr. Thompson 

 asked how the reptile could possibly know to what point 

 it was steering, having so little elevation for its eye, and so 

 small a horizon in consequence? — W. B. Clarke. Stanley 

 Green, April 19. 1837. 



Natural Phenomenon of Ventriloquism in a Bird. — The 

 bird endowed with this singular control over his vocal 

 powers is our favourite and pugnacious little robin, whom I 

 discovered to be as complete an adept in this art as any 

 human ventriloquist could possibly be. While in my garden 

 a few weeks ago, the notes of the red-breasted warbler fell 

 deliciously on my ear, being mellowed, as I believe, by 

 distance. I expected to descry my musician on some distant 

 tree; but, to my great surprise, I perceived him within a few 

 yards of the spot I occupied. I was near enough to observe 

 the alternate contractions and expansions of the breast; but I 

 could not see any motion of the bill. — Edwin Edmunds. 

 Penzance, Cornwall, March 18. 1837. 



[We have heard, upon authority that cannot be ques- 

 tioned, a precisely analogous instance related of the singular 

 control which the robin appears to possess over his vocal 

 organs. — Ed.~] 



Campontia cruciformis. — In Vol. VIII. p. 179., I observe a 

 description and figure of Campontia cruciformis, by Mr. George 



