310 The Zoologist— July, 1866. 



less iban half-an-hour there were hundreds, bolh of swallows and martins, apparently 

 weak on the wing: some were pitched on the reeds and shrubs surrounding the pond, 

 whilst others came so close to me, where I was sitting on horseback watching ihem, that 

 friend who was with me becahie quite excited in endeavouring to knock ihem down, 

 as he said, " for the sake of being able to say so," that is, wiih his closed umbrella; 

 but he did not succeed in his endeavours. — Stephen Clogg ; Looe, May 10, 1866. 



Starling hawking for Flies.— On one of ihe few warm and slill days we had in the 

 course of last month, I observed two or three starlings together hawking for flies, at a 

 considerable height from the ground. There could, I think, be no doubt as to their 

 occupation : they were rising and falling in the air with almost motionless wings, their 

 actions very much resembling those of the house martin when similarly engaged. 

 This is not the 6rst time I have seen starlings so employed, though I do not remember 

 to have ever seen it noticed anywhere. — Gerard Barton; Sunderhall Grange, 

 Wymondham. 



Redwinged Starling (Sturnus predatorius) in Scotland. — A fine male specimen of 

 the above rare visitant lo this country was shot, on the 12th of June, by Mr. A. Rannie, 

 of Greenlaw, in his garden at Mill of Boyndie, about two miles from the town of 

 Banfi". It was picking at the apple-blossom, when it drew Mr. Rannie's attention by 

 its call of " chuck chuck." Although the patch on the wing, a bright orange-red one, 

 is somewhat interrupted by a few very small darker feathers, and the bird otherwise 

 being mixed here and there with some narrow gray streaks, slill it is a very pretty one. 

 — Thomas Edward; Banff", June 16, 1866. 



Cwkoo suc/dng Eygs. — A partridge's nest containing fourteen eggs was found in a 

 wood contiguous to the vicarage land, on the 12lh of May, by some persons employed 

 in felling timber. On the morning of the 14th the nest was again visited: there were 

 then only seven egi-s. On watching the nest, which was under a stub on a bank, a 

 cuckoo was seen to go into it twice, and on a search being made the shells were found, 

 where I myself saw them, three or four yards below the nest, under the branches of a 

 felled tree, the eggs having evidently rolled down, when brought out of the nest by 

 the cuckoo, to that spot where she had broken them and eaten their contents. 

 I never before heard of cuckoos eating partridge's eggs; if they are in the habit of 

 doing so they are as destructive to game as hawks. — H. T. M. Kirby ; Mayfield 

 Vicarage, Sussex, May 19, 1866. 



Association for Reducing the Number of Wood Pigeons. — I am directed by this 

 Association to annex a Report of its proceedings during the past year. The Members 

 of the Association at the same time directed me to solicit your aid and co-operation in 

 promoting the object in view, and they humbly hope you will be pleased to give 

 direction for at least such a partial reduction in number of the wood pigeons upon 

 your estates as may be readily attained. — Thomas Hunter, Secretary ; Kelso, 

 2bth March. 



[This address has been widely circulated. As many of my readers are not pledged 

 to the destruction of the beautiful bird to which it refers, may I ask them to supply 

 roe with a report of their observations on the food of the wood pigeon. My own 

 experience gives this bill of fare: — turnip-tops, holly-berries, rowans, hips, haws, 

 charlock (seeds, leaves and flowers). Now that the destruction of the species is 

 meditated, it seems worth our while to inquire what is the injury done by the 

 accused. — Edward Newman."] 



