Birds. 9603 



Redbacked Shrike. — On the northern slope, and towards the foot of 

 the Down, I observed, on the 25th of February, a bird on the wing, 

 whose peculiar undulating flight attracted my attention; having 

 alighted on one of the topmost twigs of an apple tree, I had an oppor- 

 tunity of examining it through a glass, but for a few seconds only. 

 That it was a female of this species there can be little reason to 

 doubt, though early in its arrival. 



Blackbird. — Though the weather of late has been unusually severe, 

 I observed, on the 25th of February, that this species had paired, 

 having early that morning watched a couple. When first seen, the 

 female bird, with ruffled plumage, was basking on a sunny bank, while 

 the male briskly perambulated the grass-plot, digging his bill into 

 many a tuft^ of grass ere dragging forth a worm, which he was not 

 destined to swallow, for the female, as quick as thought, darted down 

 and snatched it from him, leaving her henpecked mate to continue his 

 search. 



Wood Pigeon. — Two were observed on the 28th of February, 

 evidently paired, in a clump of fir-trees. 



March, 1865. 



Partridge. — On the 1st of March first observed to be paired ; also 

 the magpie. 



Kestrel. — A pair seen, on the 1st of March, about the cliffs near 

 St. Lawrence, where I have known them breed for some years. 

 Though on the look out none had previously been observed. An 

 attempt was once made to get at the nest, but the cord proved too 

 slight to bear the weight of a person suspended over a jutting rock. 

 I should not consider a man a coward for declining to stand on the 

 edge of a precipice (see Zool. 9478), having known some brave men 

 who could not ; and it is truly a nervous thing to see another do it. 

 For instance, when rifle shooting on the northern coast of Devon, 

 I went to Baggy Point, accompanied by a youth from the village of 

 Croyde : a gull or two had been shot on the wing, and a cormorant 

 knocked off a rock at sea, when 1 observed another perched on a ledge 

 of the cliff beneath, which being likewise killed fell to the shore, 

 whereon my companion, without a moment's hesitation, began to 

 descend the shelving but almost perpendicular face of the cliff, where 

 a goat could hardly have found a footing, and he had neither rope nor 

 staff. Much alarmed for his safety, he was begged and entreated to 

 return, which he reluctantly did. I do not know the height of these 



