The Zoologist — October, 1866. 455 



The Common Starling •' adoption of Cormoall as a breeding locality. — The 

 starling, up to within a few years, withdrew entirely from Cornwall in February and 

 March, and was never known to breed with us. This was not the case in most of the 

 other southern counties, although I believe the bulk retired to the north, returning 

 to the south and west at an early period in the autumn in enormous flocks, roosting at 

 night in sedgy morasses, fir-plantations, ozier-beds, &c. I first heard of their 

 adopting our county in the summer some years since from my brother, who lives in the 

 eastern part of the county, when be wrote me word that a few pairs of starlings had 

 in that and the few previous years bred in the hollow trees about his residence. Last 

 year I received a letter announcing that ihey had reached the Bodmin country (the 

 central district of Cornwall), and this week I received a communication from Mr. A. 

 Chenhalls, who lives in the Land's End district, calling my attention to the autumnal 

 flocks of starlings having made their appearance at least three weeks before the usual 

 time. Whether we shall have the same honour and compliment paid us by 

 nightingales remains to be proved ; but these changes of residence are curious in the 

 absence of any apparent reason for the change. — Edward Hearle Raid ; Penzance, 

 September 17, 1866. 



A Rook at Sea. — Hooded crows are very numerous, and frequently perch on our 

 yards, attracted by the meat lashed to the masts. There are no rooks on the island 

 (Shetland), there being no trees for their accommodation, but I noticed a lot of 

 starlings and a mountain finch. Speaking of rooks reminds me of an account Captain 

 Gravil gave me of one which came on boardutterly exhausted, in the Greenland Sea 

 or North German Ocean, two hundred miles from the nearest point of land, viz. the 

 North of Scotland. This poor rook (he is certain as to the species) alighted on the 

 yards, and was caught, confined and fed ; and after a few days liberated, with full per- 

 mission to depart in peace; but, strange to say, this usually shy bird chose to remain 

 on board, running about the decks and amongst the men, and feeding sumptuously on 

 potatoes and scraps, and roosting at night in the rigging. Arriving at Shetland, 

 Captain Gravil sent the bird on shore, and sailed in the evening for Hull; but imagine 

 his surprise and that of his crew, many of whom are now on board, when next morning, 

 about breakfast time, they descried their late shipmate winging his way to the vessel 

 (then more than forty miles from Lerwick, and out of sight of land), on which he 

 alighted with a prodigious cawing and every token of satisfaction, and renewing his old 

 habits and intimacy with all on board. This continued voluntarily on the rouk's part 

 until the vessel arrived in Hull, when he was put in a cage that he might be conveyed 

 to Captain Gravil's garden, but unfortunately the boys, who always swarm on a whaler's 

 deck directly she returns to port, got at him and poked him to death with sticks, to the 

 regret and annoyance of all the ship's company.— C E. Smilk; S.S. ^ Diana,' 

 Lerwick. 



White Swallows. — I am on a stay at Llandrindrod Wells, Radnorshire, for the 

 benefit of my health. In taking a drive through Horney, a village two miles distant 

 from here, I observed a white swallow flying about with others. On my return I pro- 

 cured a gun, and was fortunate enough to again find the bird, which I brought down 

 with its feathers uninjured. On examining it I found it perfectly white, except a 

 dusky cream badge on the back. There were some boys present when I shot the bird ; 

 they informed me that there were several bred at a farm-house in the neighbourhood. 

 I went and saw the farmer this morning, who informed me that there was a nest of 



