The Zoologist — March, 1866. 133 



sniumer on some mountains in Carmarthenshire, near Newcastle-in- 

 Emlyn, 



Barn Owl — Not common : I have only seen two specimens during 

 the past year. 



Tawny Owl.— T!h\s, is Ihe owl of the country, and very common ; it 

 was no uncommon thing in the spring to hear half-a-dozen hooting at 

 the same time ; they are then particularly noisy. A pair bred in some 

 fir-trees at the back of the house, and they came every evening about 

 dusk to a large ash, about fifty yards off, where they would remain 

 some minutes, calling and hooting to each other. They have two or 

 three call-noles, but the usual one is a single " yack," repealed at regu- 

 lar intervals, often for some minutes in succession : when I first heard 

 it 1 thought it belonged to another species, but having shot the bird 

 there could be no mistake, and it was a female. I believe the birds 

 which bred here worked all night, for I repeatedly heard them again 

 about dawn, but never after sunrise. 



Redbacked Shrike. — Scarce in this district ; I have seen only one 

 bird (a male), which was in July. 



Spotted Flycatcher. — Common ; three or four pairs bred here last 

 season. 



Dipper. — Common about all the mountain-streams of any size, and 

 upon the rivers. It seems to be fond of the rapid parts of a stream: 

 at the fine falls at Kenarth, on the Teify, I have seen it dash into 

 the stream only four or five feet above the fall, coming up just by the 

 edge, apparently almost out of the falling water : it was evidently done 

 for pleasure, as the bird was under water only two or three seconds. 

 It is very solitary in its habits, except during the breeding- 

 season, when a pair and their young are seen together for a 

 short time. During the spring they often repeat their single call- 

 note, which is very similar to that of the common wren, which bird 

 this greatly resembles in its flight, dipping its body and flirting 

 its tail. 



Missel Thrush. — Common. I noticed this bird, in flocks of from 

 ten to twenty, early in July. Heard singing, January 6, 1866. 



Fieldfare. — This bird was by no means numerous during the winter 

 of 1804-5. I noticed a few on the 30th of October, but they made no 

 slay with us, only a few stragglers remaining a day or two : this winter 

 they have been more plentiful. A large flock settled on the tall trees 

 surrounding the house on the 5lh of November, 1865; a few of them 

 remained four or five days ; they gradually left, and since then I have 



