The Zoologist— February, 1867. 599 



bird." I have seen it somewhere argued that this is no imitation, but 

 only the natural notes of the bird. I do not altogether hold with 

 this argument, yet, what would be the note of the sedge warbler if we 

 " cut out " these so-called imitations ? Last spring, soon after the 

 arrival of the summer immigrants, I was more than once deceived, by 

 hearing the sedge warbler exactly imitating the call note of Ray's 

 wagtail. Two years ago a pair of starlings built their nest in the roof 

 of our house, and the male bird used frequently to bring in the notes 

 of other birds in his attempt at singing. Just after the wryneck 

 arrived he caught its note, and would utter it so plainly that it was 

 scarcely distinguishable from the real note of the wryneck. At another 

 lime he would give very clearly, but not so loudly as his tutor, several 

 notes of the missel thrush's song. The swallow's " dick richard " also 

 came in amongst others, and I once heard him trying the call-note of 

 the partridge just after having heard that bird, but at this he did not 

 succeed so well. It is noticeable, also, that the lark especially and also 

 the song thrush in the vicinity of the sea vary their song occasionally 

 with the ringed plover's whistle. I have often, when on the coast, 

 looked about me for the last-named bird, only to find that the note 

 proceeded from a sky lark soaring above, or from a thrush in some 

 distant tree. 



W. Jeffery, jun. 



Ratham, Chicbester, January 11, 1867. 



Erralum.—kt paj;e 514, line 20, for " Bishopstowe" read " Bishopstone." 



Oological Notes from South-East Essex. 

 By W. Vincent Legge, Esq., F.Z.S. 



The following are from observations taken during the nesting 

 season of 1866. 



Raven. — As this bird is becoming comparatively scarce now, I was 

 surprised to find three pairs nesting within a distance of six miles of 

 this station. They seem to have preferred the lowlands, probably on 

 account of the large trees growing in the hedge-rows, as all three 

 nests were built in tall elms so situated. I have not yet met with any 

 ravens in the uplands of this part of the county, but down here they 

 both breed in the season and remain during the winter. The first nest 

 found was on the 16th of March, and was built high up in the fork of 

 a large elm. The foundation of the nest was very large and straggling, 



