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Birds. 9847 



Osprey near Exeter. — A fine specimen of the osprey was shot in the estuary of the 

 Exe by Mr. John Seward, poulterer, Exeter, on Wednesday. It measures from tip to 

 tip of the wings 6 feel 6 inches. It is in the possession of Air. James Truscoit, 

 naturalist, 2, Bartholoniew Street, to be preserved, where it can be seen. — Exeter 

 and Plymouth Gazette, October 6, 1865. [Communicated by the Rev. M. A. 

 Malhew.] 



The Great Black Woodpecker. — I have long known that a specimen of the hlack 

 woodpecker came into the possession of the late Mr. Newton, of Mellaton House, near 

 Okehamplon, Devon, and I have been informed from tune to time that it was obtained 

 from the immediate niighbourhood which borders on the north outline of Dartmoor. 

 Mr. Newton brought together a very large collection of British birds, and he used to 

 communicate everylliing of interest to the late Dr. E. Moore, of Plymouth, who pub- 

 lished a Fauna of Devonshire Birds, for various societies. The Rev. Mr. Rowe, of 

 Crediton, when he published his work on Dartmoor, obtained from Dr. Moore several 

 particulars of the Natural History of Dartmoor, and the following remark appears 

 respecting the specimen alluded to: — " Great Black Woodpecker (Picus martius): a 

 specimen is in Mr. Newton's collection, which was shot near Crediton." Mr. Newton's 

 son, Mr. J. G. Newton, has obligingly communicated these particulars to me, and he 

 concludes his letter by saying, " I may remark that my bird is a female, having the 

 crimson colour only at the back of the head." — Edward Hearle Rodd; Penzance, 

 October 24, 1865. 



Note on Hybrid Doves. — Two years since I bred in an aviary four hybrids 

 between two males of our wild turtle dove and two female collared doves (Risoria) ; 

 they were fine handsome birds, larger than their parents, hut unfortunately all four 

 turned out males. Last year I paired off a wild male with a female of the pure white 

 dove, which I take to be only an albino variety of the Risoria. The result was a pair 

 of hybrids slightly lighter in colour, but otherwise similar to the four of the last 

 season. This year I paired a male of these last birds with a white female, breeding 

 hack again towards the tame species ; the young obtained were again like both former 

 sorts of hybrids, only with a still lighter tint of plumage. In the two first pairings the 

 wild male bird took no part whatever in incubation ; in the third and last the male 

 hybrid took his share in both nesting and feeding. I will only add that these birds, 

 old and young, are exposed to external air throughout the winter, and I have never 

 yet lost a bird through illness or disease. — Robert Mitford ; Hampstead. 



Note on Lord Clermont's Enquiry respecting the " Sedge Warbler or Reed Wren at 

 Twickenham." — I saw, in the September number of the 'Zoologist' (Zool. 9729). 

 that Lord Clermont asks for information regarding a warbler, with a song like the 

 reed warbler, living away from water and breeding in and frequenting lilac and other 

 shrubs in gardens. If Lord Clermont will look back to the July number of the 

 ' Zoologist' for 1864 (Zool. 9109) he will find a description of the habits and nesting 

 of this bird in my own garden. I was very unwilling to destroy these poor birds, 

 although very curious to determine the question of species. I let them rear their 

 young, and then all depart in peace. But this year, in July, finding two pairs 

 inhabiting a nursery plantation of young lilacs, I obtained permission and shot the 

 two male birds, both in the act of singing. The females I did not see, as the top of 

 the shrub was such a dense and close mass of foliage that, but for the song of the 

 males, I should not have discovered even them. 1 afterwards succeeded in finding 

 two nests, similar in structure and similarly situated to those of the previous year in 



