9664 Birds. 



4th of May, — this is singular, as the swallows were early. I feel sure we have several 

 kestrels to stay the summer: I only knew of one pair during the winter, but now there 

 are four or five pairs building just round here. I ibink I told you the gray wagiail 

 breeds here: one pair came regularly during the winter tu our back door just after 

 dinner, when they used to get some crumbs, &c. ; since the fine weather they have not 

 been so regular and are more shy: they are evidently intent on building, but I cannot 

 find out where; I think in a stoire wall just below this house and by a little stream. 

 I have asked several to get me the nest and eg^s of the dipper ; they are pretty cominoa 

 birds here. I took a pair of tawny owls' eggs last week. From what I hear 1 believe 

 the merlin breeds near here; I intend going to see if they do : I think I shall see it, as 

 I have offered a good price to any one who will show me the nest. Chiffchaffs and 

 wood wrens (or warblers) seem more numerous and generally distributed than I noticed 

 them in England; and there are not many more willow warblers — they are decidedly 

 less numerous than at home. Of course we have no nightingales, and there are but 

 few blackcaps. I am not sure if we have the garden warbler. Larks are much less 

 numerous than with us. I have, however, heard the wood lark singing in every month 

 since I have been here; it is called the " mouuiain lark": during the severe weather, 

 in February, a little flock of five birds came lor several days into the farm-yard ; they 

 generally kept by themselves, and were veiy tame: we had no sky larks here at that 

 time. I never remember seeing the birds generally suffer so much as they did then. 

 ^?lackt)irds and thrushes were continually in the cattle-yards: one day in particular 

 the rooks swarmed in the yards; they came within five or six yards of the men at 

 work, and when I walked towards ihein they only just went out of the way: when the 

 poultry woman fed the fowls she could not keep them away without a boy to stand at 

 the opposite end of the feeding-place; if one by chance found anything eatable four 

 or five would be sure to pitch into him, so that the poor wretch was glad to be off. 

 About the same time I had four men movin;: some earth in the stack-yards here, whea 

 three pairs of slonechats kept close round them, and if a worm was seen down they 

 came upon it within a foot of their spades, just as you often see the redbreasts. 

 Magpies are very common, and are quite birds of oinen : the women when they see one 

 or two, will stop at once, and watch which way they fly and how, so that they may see 

 if ihey are to be lucky or not for that day. Carrion crows, too, are very common, and 

 are most certainly unlucky birds; I do not think I shall be far wrong if I say they 

 kill hundreds of mountain lambs yearly. Starlings come with the cold weather aud 

 leave with it; we had immense flocks during the winter, but they are all gone now. 

 We had very few woodcocks this season ; I went out several times, but never saw more 

 than three or four ; I am told generally it is easy enough to find five or six couples.— 

 Thomas Dix ; Llwynbedw, Kenarth, Carmarthen, May b, ISGo. [Communicated by 

 Henry Stevenson, Esq.] 



Occurrence of the Roller off Yarmouth. — A very beautiful exatnple of this rare and 

 accidental visitant to our coast was taken alive on board a vessel off Yarmouth about 

 the 25th of May, but died before the ship arrived in port. It was there purchased of 

 the sailors for Mr. Sayer, one of our Norwich bird.stuffers, who received the bird in 

 the flesh on the 26ih. I was sent for that evening to see it, but being away from 

 home the bird had been stuffed before I examined it, on the 29th. It proved to be a 

 male in perfect plumage, though in rather poor condition, the stomach containing only 

 a minitte fragment of a beetle's leg. — H, Stevenson; Norwich, June 20, 1863. 



