9468 Birds. 



snow, they did not see until tbey struck against it. I once saw two partridges struck 

 down in a similar manner: I was talking to some labourers who were close to a hedge, 

 and at the same time, in the shelter of a rick, a covey of partridges flew across one of 

 the fields near, and came strai<;ht for where we were standing; not seeing us till they 

 were very close, they had not lime to slacken their speed, hut, altering their course a 

 little, they came in contact with the rick, and thus two of their number got knocked 

 down ; one was soon on the wing again, but the other was very much hurt. — 

 Anthony S. Bradbij. 



Note on the Purple Sandpiper. — On the 24th of December, 1864, two of these 

 sandpipers were killed at Lancing Water, a long broadish pool lying between 

 Worthing and Shorebam. Mr. Wells, birdstuffer, at Worthing, informs me that these 

 sandpipers occur not infrequently, in winter, at this particular spot, and that he has 

 observed that, when standing at the edge of the pool, they have the habit of dipping 

 suddenly under water with a plunge, so much resembling thatjof the water rat that 

 when Mr. Wells first saw one of these birds perform this action, he actually mistook it 

 for a water rat (which he supposed to be making its accustomed dive from the bank 

 into the water), and it was not till after it had emerged that he discovered that tlie 

 subject of his observation was a bird and not a quadruped. — /. H. Gumey. 



Firecresled Reijulus at Brighton. — A. male specimen of the firecrested regulus 

 (Regiitns ii/nicapillus) was killed at P]omi)ton, near Lewes, by Henry Swaysland, ou 

 the 24lh of December, 18G4. The bird was in company with a blue tit {Parus 

 caruleus) in an oak tree. Another, supposed to be the female, was shdt at without 

 success. I observed the fiery crest very strong in this example, which makes me sup- 

 pose that when, after the second moult, Reguli obtain their red or orange crest they 

 keep it tlyough the year. I have not a sufficient series of skins by me to determine 

 the point, and find no help from the works I possess. It is a pity that our English 

 ornithologists did not adopt the " Roilelct triple bandeau" of Temminck for this 

 species, the trivial name " fire-crested " being by no means a striking point of 

 difference from P. cristatus, while the black bauds at once catch the eye^of the most 

 superficial observer. — George Dawson Rou-lcy. 



Food of Green Woodpecker. — I have on several occasions examined the stomach of 

 this species, and in most instances have observed tlial their food in general consisted 

 chiefly o( worms, insects, &c., and was therefore much surprised, on dissecting an 

 individual (a female) in October last, to find its stomach quite filled with oats, and the 

 remains of two or three acorns. I had known Picus major to vary in its food, some- 

 times substituting grains and other vegetable matter instead of insect-food, but I was 

 not previously aware that this species was ever in the habit of doing so. — T. E. Gunn. 



Water Rail in Stirlingshire. — I have pleasure in recording that a specimen of this 

 bird was taken here yesterday. The water rail has of late years been extremely rare 

 here, this being the first that has come under my notice as being killed in this 

 vicinity. It was caught on the public road by the gamekeeper, within a few yards of 

 the village, and at once brought to me, and I am having it stuffed by Mr. Small, of 

 Edinburgh, for my own collection. — John A. Harvie Brown; Dunipace House, 

 January 4, 18 05. 



Abundance of Woodcocks in N^orfolk. — The woodcock appears pretty plentiful in 

 Norfolk this winter; scarcely a week has passed by during the present season in which 

 I have not observed at least a dozen hanging up in our Csb-market. I heard one 

 gentleman remark, during the latter pait of the first week in December last, that as 



