The Zoologist — Jdne, 1866. 259 



and forwards as it gradually advances ; the next moment perhaps this 

 column will contract into a spherical body, looking like a gigantic 

 ball — no sooner seen than it vanishes altogether, as the birds change 

 their line of flight, reappearing again as suddenly as they had vanished, 

 and again rising into the tall soaring column, quickly again to con- 

 tract and spread out from each flank into a long thin line, like a body 

 of skirmishers. It is only, however, in the spring, and before the 

 breaking up of the flocks, that starlings attempt these complicated 

 manoeuvres, their evolutions during the remainder of the year, when 

 retiring to roost, &c., falling far short of these their vernal per- 

 formances. Few of our common English birds are so thoroughly 

 insectivorous as the starling. I never open them without finding insect 

 remains in their stomachs : at this season it is no unusual occurrence, 

 in our marsh district, to see a flock broken up into small parties in close 

 attendance on the sheep, moving round them as they lie on the grass, 

 and jerking out from their wool the "fags," which, attracted by the 

 warm sun, are crawling on the surface, thus making a sort of "happy 

 hunting ground " of the sheep's back, performing the same kind service 

 which travellers say the little " beef-eaters " do for the cattle of 

 South and Western Africa. 



Mountain Finch. — A very beautiful specimen of this finch, a male 

 in mature plumage, was this day (April 10th) forwarded to me by a 

 friend. It was killed in the neighbouring parish of Barnoldby-le-Beck, 

 and, curiously enough, shot by mistake ; a man shot a stock dove in 

 his stack-yard, and on picking it up found this bird lying a few yards 

 beyond in the line of fire. 



Golden Plover. — April 10th. Observed three of these birds feeding 

 in company with peewits in the grass-marshes : the}' had nearly 

 acquired the full summer dress: the hw gray plovers on the flats do 

 not as yet show any signs of a change of plumage. I have ren)arked 

 that golden plovers, as a rule, assume the black under parts weeks 

 before the gray plovers show any signs of a change. 



Gray Plover.— These birds have a habit, when taking flight and 

 when alighting, of throwing up their wings over the back, showing the 

 black axillary plume ; they may readily be distinguished by this when 

 at a considerable distance, as the black feathers show very plainly 

 against the white ground of the under parts. 



Dales of Arrival of Samtner Miffranls in North Lincolnshire in 

 J/)n7.— April 4. Wheatear ; 5. Tree Pipit ; 11. Cliiffchaff Warbler; 

 14. Chimney Swallow; 16. Cuckoo; 18. Willow Warbler and Yellow 



