Birds. 9617 



old hird. I have now traced four distinct states of male plumage before this species 

 ai tains its perfect Wvery.— Edward Hearle Rodd ; Penzance, Maij 11, 1865. [This 

 letter should have followed ilie two in)mediately succeeding. — E. iV.] 



Occurrence of the Golden Oriole at the Scill>/ Isles.— I have before mentioned, 

 I think, that the golden oriole has been observed at Scilly,a»d that the prominence of 

 its briyht plumage scarcely admitted of a particle of doubt of the fact. Mr. Smith's 

 servant has sent me a good specimen, which he said he had shot in the gardens of the 

 Abbey yesterday, and adds, in his note, he has seen one or two specimens besides. 

 I only hope they may not be destroyed, and that they may have a chance of building 

 and rearing a brood in the beautiful exotic shrubbery in the grounds of the Abbey. 

 The specimen sent here appears to be a male bird of last year, as there is a mixture of 

 green with the yellow on the back. — Id.; May 6, 1865. 



Female Golden Oriole at Scilli/.—l regret to say that an adult female of this 

 species has fallen a victim to powder and shot, where its male companion was killed a 

 few days since. Unfortunately the Scilly packet did not sail in time to convey my 

 request that the other specimen should be spared. — Id.; May 9, 1865. 



Occurrence of the Hoopoe and Golden Oriole at Scilly.— Thexe is a hoopoe 

 flying about at the Abbey Gardens, and one other golden oriole, in a fine state of 

 piumage. The 6rst plumage on its leaving its nest appears to be principally 

 brownish gray, with perhaps some yellow on the upper and lower tail-feathers; 

 the second slate shows an approximaiion to that of the adult female, and which 

 I reported to you in the second example sent over from Scilly as being a female, 

 but which proved to be a male; the third state of plumage shows a fine tone of 

 saffron-yellow, but of a darker tone, the yellow being (if I recollect the characteristic 

 rightly) King's yellow; the fourth state is that of the specimen I had from this neigh- 

 bourhood some years since, which is of a pure bright sienna-yellow, of almost dazzling 

 brightness, and showing a lovely contrast with its black wing and tail. — Id. ; May 14, 



1865. 



Occurrence of the Squaceo Heron near Carhayes CaHle, Cornwall. — This little 

 heron was captured at St. Michael, Carhayes, a fortnight since, in an exhausted and 

 emaciated stale. Allhough pretty far advanced in our spring season, I regret that 

 this specimen showed no external signs of plumes. The same remark applies in a 

 more or less degree to all the S|)ecimens that have come under my notice here in the 

 last thirty years. — Id. 



Arrival of Hirundine Immigrants at Blackheath. — On Thursday, April 20, 1865, 

 at 5.50 p.M, I saw one swallow fly over St. Germain's Place. In the afternoon of 

 Sunday, April 23, I saw one sand martin hawking over the round pond in Blackheath 

 Park. On Monday, April 24, I observed two house martins carefully examining their 

 old nest: I watched them fly out and join four sand martins and one swallow feeding 

 about the round pond : the house martins began to repair and build up their old nest 

 the next day : I have for years noticed they fly to their old nests directly they arrive, 

 which satisfies me ihe same birds return to the same locality. — Matthew Hutchinson; 

 Blackheath, S.E., May 11, 1865. 



Arrival of Vernal Immigrants at Birmingham. — The chiffchaff, willow wren, 

 wheatear, wliinchat, swallow and sand martin have been with us some few days. This 

 mornins: (April 19ih) I saw a redstart. Yesterday the cuckoo was heard in Sutton 

 Park. — Charles B. Hodgson. 



Arrival of Vernal Immigrants at Worthing.— I send herewith a list of spring 



VOL. XXIII. 2 H 



