9790 Birds, 



Whinchat's Nests in Mowing Grass, — Last week I took two nests of the whinchat, 

 which were mown over here in the centre of two grass meadows. We have no furze 

 or common-land nearer than three-quarters of a mile. Is this not rather unusual? — 

 W. Jesse ; Maisonette, Inyutestnne, Essex, August 3, 1865. 



White Eggs of the Greenjinch. — In reference to your note (Zool. 9732) on " White 

 Egf^s of ihe Yellowhainmer," will you think the following worth recording? Two 

 seasons since, two of my children, tolerably zealous egg-hunters, hioughl me an egg of 

 what I hardly know how to describe otherwise than as a " warm shade of while," 

 something like that of an unl)lown while egg, such as ihe sand m irlin's or a thin- 

 shelled dipper's, but the shade more huffy than orange. The description and site of 

 the nest, in connection with such an egg, puzzled me exceedingly, and the end was 

 that I went with them to see it. I saw the parent bird on the nest, and when, after a 

 good look at her, she at last flew off, she still gave me opportunities of personal iden- 

 tification, if I had needed more. The bird was a common greenfinch, and the nest, of 

 the ordinary type, in a thick thorn-hedge, contained three other eggs of the same 

 character as that I had in my hand. — .7. C. Atkinson ; Danby, Grosmont, York. 



Miss Van der Meersch's Educated Birds at the Polytechnic. — On the evening when 

 I had the pleasure of seeing this charming young lady and her troupe, the corps dra- 

 tnatigue consisted of Mademoiselle herself, a Java sparrow, a bramble-finch or bram- 

 bling, a cardinal bird, and a coral-beak. These birds were in a small oblong cage 

 with four separate divisions, each with a portcullis door, the full width o( the division, 

 opening towards the audience. On commencing the performance Mademoiselle placed 

 in front of the cage a very long tray completely tilled with large cards, some having 

 printed on them the names of the months, others those of the days of the week, whilst a 

 third set had numerals, a fourth single letters, and a fifth were the facsimiles of an ordin- 

 ary set of playing-cards. These cards were placed in the tray upon their edges, and were 

 packed so closely together that the upper edges formed a flat surface, on which the birds 

 could walk. Opening the door of the cage containing the Java sparrow. Mile. Van der 

 Meersch addressed the bird in the most endearing terms, and requested him to come 

 out and lell the number of days in the year, whereupon the bird ran over the edges of 

 the cards and pulled out with his beak that one which had 365 printed on it. In the 

 same manner the cards containing the name of the day of the week and the number of 

 the day of the month were selected. The name of the month and any particular 

 letter were drawn out at the suggestion of any of the audience. Mademoiselle then 

 asked for a name, when that of Marie was suggested by one of the ladies present. She 

 then sorted out the cards having the five letters M-a-r-i-e printed on them, and desired 

 the audience to place them promiscuously along with the others in the long tray. The 

 brambling was then called out and asked to select the letters. He hopped over the 

 cards and pulled out two, when he hopped back into his cage frightened at a slight 

 movement that took place among the audience. The Java .<;parrow then came out and 

 selected two more, when he retired, and the brambling pulled out the remaining one 

 necessary to complete the name of "Marie.'' After this a number of cards were 

 chosen by the audience from an ordinary playing-pack held in the hands of Mdlle. 

 Van der Meersch, when the birds selected the corresponding cards from the row in 

 front of the cages. At this time one of the audience left to witness another per- 

 formance in the building; this movement alarmed the birds, who, with the self-conceit 

 of other public favourites, hopped back into their cages with offended dignity. In 

 estimating rightly the intelligence of the birds, as evidenced by this performance, it is 



