The Zoologist— January, 1866. 33 



Martins in December.— On the 8th of December I saw a martin at Millandreath, 

 near Looe ; on passing- the same place on the 10th I observed three hawking about: 

 I sat on mj horse for a quarter of an hour or more watching them; they appeared toler- 

 ably strong on the wing. The following clay I went again to see if they were there, but 

 could not see them : I supposed they had left or died during the night, which was cold 

 and frosty, but having occasion to pass that way on the following day, to my great sur- 

 prise, there were five near the same spot, very strong on the wing, and apparently enjoying 

 the bright sunshine: they were more shy than on the former day, so that they did not 

 long stay for my observation, but speedily took flight over the adjacent hill. On the 13th 

 I had a specimen brought to me which was shot at Millandreath, which I sent you the 

 following day for your inspection ; and I also heard from reliable authority that three 

 were seen in Looe on the 14th, being the latest that I have ever heard of being seen iu 

 England by many days. A farmer who was working near Millandreath informed me 

 that on the Thursday or Friday of last week he saw a flight of some scores, about a 

 quarter of a mile up the valley from Millandreath, which is a beach of about half a 

 mile in length. — Stephen Clogg ; Looe, December 16, 1865. 



[The martin kindly sent me by Mr. Clogg was in very good condition, but the 

 crop and intestines were entirely empty : I examined them thoroughly, with the view 

 of ascertaining on what these birds could feed so late in the year. In the winter of 

 1863-4 I happened to be at Hastings at this time of the year, and daily saw martins on 

 the wing. — Edward Netvman.l 



White Martin.— A pure white martin was seen here last week, but fortunately 

 escaped without being shot.— Zrf.; November 2, 1865. 



Stomach of the Cuckoo. — I have just read with surprise the strange announcement 

 of your indefatigable correspondent, Dr. Boulton, on the hairy structures found in the 

 stomach of a cuckoo. At once the idea struck me that these hairs were merely adven- 

 titious, and in all probability the hairs of the "tiger moth," which Dr. Boulton also 

 noticed in the stomach. To entomologists it is a well-known fact that the hairs from 

 the larvae of many Lepidoptera have considerable penetrating power, and in the case 

 recorded by Dr. Boulton I would suggest that the apparently fixed structures were 

 merely such hairs partly embedded in the lining membrane of the stomach. To my 

 cost have I olten experienced the great pain resulting from the penetration of such 

 hairs into my fingers during my collecting days ; and once, I recollect, my late brother 

 had incautiously handled some larvae of the "fox moth" {Bomhyx Rubi), and in 

 afterwards rubbing his face a very trouljlesome sore, near the eye, was the consequence. 

 I would suggest to Dr. Boulton a careful examination of the two sets of hairs with the 

 microscope. — George Norman; Hull, October 11, 1«65. 



Moorhens -perching in Trees and feeding on Pears.— Mx. Armistead (Znol. 9540) 

 expresses surprise at seeing a moorhen perch in a tree: this is not at all unusual here, 

 especially when the bird is flushed by a dog as described. I have on two or three 

 occasions observed moorhens in trees, fifteen or twenty feet from the ground, feeding 

 on the berries of the hawthorn or ivy, and very recently I saw, iu a gentleman's garden 

 near here, more than twenty moorhens in some large old standard pear trees on the 

 borders of a piece of water they inhabited. The birds were very tame, and were 

 perched about at difi'erent heights, busily engaged in devouring the pears, which 

 (although it was in November) had not yet been gathered. I was told that the birds 

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