Birds. 9607 



though I made the best use of my lime and opportunity, I may have 

 been mistaken as to shades of colour, the bird being first seen under 

 a bright sunshine, and then by a gradually failing light. [This bird 

 was still in the neighbourhood on the 4th of May. — E. N.] 



Pied IViigiail. — April 1. First observed to be paired. 



Goldjiiich. — Though a flock was seen on the 6th of April, this 

 species has begun to pair. 



Willow Wren. — First observed on the 7th of April. 



Wheatear. — Though daily on the look out I saw no wheatears till 

 the 7lh of April, on which day I found two couples : having watched 

 them for some time, I observed that male and female kept together, 

 leading me to think they pair ere their arrival. T am told that several 

 were seen near Shanklin on the 30th of March. A writer in the 

 'Zoologist' (Zool. 9108) remarks on the wheatear having been ob- 

 served in March ; in this island they generally arrive by the latter 

 end of that month ; but, in corroboration of Mr. Brown's remark (Zool. 

 9108), that he never but once saw a wheatear before April, in Scot- 

 land, I beg to state that the first wheatear I observed in Morayshire in 

 1859 was on the 6th of April though, according to Sir W. Jardine, 

 they arrive in Scotland the first week in March, i.e. a week or two 

 earlier than they appear in the South of England. Montagu gives the 

 "latter end of March" as the time of their arrival; but I think him 

 mistaken in supposing that because he had " seen it in the mouth of 

 February" that "some {qw probably remain the whole year." And 

 why should your North Wales correspondent (Zool. 9041) infer that 

 the wheatears seen by him in the middle of March had remained 

 throughout the winter ? 



Swallow. — First seen on the 10th of April near Luecombe by two 

 men who are known to me; and on the 13th I saw some twenty or 

 more in the same neighbourhood : first a single bird, then small parlies 

 arrived, apparently from the south-east, and flying against the wind, 

 which had only veered round to the west the night before : the evening 

 calm, but foggy, so that they could not be seen till close upon me. 

 Thermometer 49® at 9 a. m. 



Cirl Bunting and Bullfinch. — April 11. Observed to be paired. 



Wryneck. — Seen on the lllh of April. 



Wood Wren. — Seen on the 12th of April. 



Redstart. — One was observed in the garden on the 13th of April, 

 and, though much persecuted by a robin, was again seen on the 

 following day. I hear that the redstart was seen at Shanklin some 

 days ago, which is probable, ray observations leading me to believe 



