9466 Birds. 



climbed the tree again, and found the remaining hawts had been removed. Is it 

 likely that the male bird, finding the young had been disturbed, removed them to a 

 place of safety? Perhaps some of ihe readers of the 'Zoologist' will be able to 

 explain this. — IVilliam Brotvn ; Wynyard Park, Slockton-on-Tees, January 27, 1865. 



Cream-coloured Redwing and Pied Variety of the Blackbird.— K cream-colouied 

 variety of the redwing (Turdus iliaciis) was shot here a few days ago, as well as a 

 pied variety of the blackbird (7'. merula), both of which came into my possession. — 

 G. F. Malketvs ; Raleigh House, near Barnstaple, January 12, 1865. 



Pied Blackbird at Moundnmere. — On the 2:5id of January a very pretty pied speci- 

 men of the blackbird was shot by Mr. A. D. Bradby at Moinidsniere; it was a male 

 bird, and in good plnmage. It has several white feathers in each of its wings, also in 

 its tail, the body being covered with white and black feathers intermixed. On ex- 

 amining its gizzard, I found it contained twelve small snail-shells, some partly 

 digested beetles and a quantity of half-digested matter, apparently corn, I fancy 

 cats. — Anthony S. Bradby ; Motindsmere, Hants, January, 1865. 



Blackbird's Nest built in a Wagon. — An instance of the curious building sites 

 selected by the blackbird came under my notice last breeding season. A friend of 

 mine, Mr. James Hunt, a gentleman residing in this city, brought me a nest and 

 eggs of this species one afternoon during the latter part of the month of August last, 

 and related to me the following curious circumstance attending the discovery of the 

 same. He says, " This morning I was passing through St. Stephen's Street, in my 

 gig, with another gentleman, when I observed a vva^on loaded with straw standing on 

 one side of the street, an unusual mass of material projecting from one side of which 

 attracted my attention, and thinking it somewhat peculiar I touched it with the end of 

 my whip-handle, when greatly to my astonishment out fell two eggs, which were smashed 

 on the pavement; upon this I stopped the horse, and, standing upright in the gig, 

 reached down the nest, for such it proved to be, and found it contained three more 

 fresh-laid eggs." In the afternoon, as above slated, Mr. Hunt very kindly brought 

 the nest and its contents to me. On examining it, I found it composed of the usual 

 materials, with the addition of a few small clods of green grass; some of the straw 

 with which the wagon was loaded was also entwined with the other materials by the 

 ingenious builders in its construction. The wagon had tnost probably stood next a 

 hedge in the field previously to its removal, and the parent birds, doubtless thinking 

 it more secure, selected this curious situation for their habitation, which, however, 

 only led to its ultimate discovery and removal. — T. E. Gunn; Surrey Mews, 

 Norwich, December, 1864. 



Wren's Nest. — In looking over some of the dried-up bodies of some predacious 

 birds that were nailed by the head to a pole, I found a wren's nest, containing seven 

 young ones, fixed in the claws of a tawny owl swinging to and fro in the wind. — 

 William Brown. 



Richard's Pipit at Brighton.— Yesterday evening Mr. Swaysland, naturalist, of 

 Brighton, sent up to my house a living specimen of Richard's pipit {Anthus Ricardi) 

 to examine. It had been taken in a clap-net, by a birdcatcher, at a place called 

 Toad's Hole, on our downs, one and a half mile from the sea, near Hangleion, Port- 

 slade, three miles from Brighton. The young man who caught it said he was struck 

 by its loud note, and drove it about nearly two hours before he could get it into the 

 net. Ultimately he managed to pull just as it flew across, being put up by sheep 

 feediug iu the field. There was nothing to attract it in the net, but, being an expert 



