080 The Zoologist— April, 18G7. 



No one but the " we," of course, can discern a corn crake from a water 

 rail, a singing redwing from a throstle, a viper's young one from a 

 viper's tongue; nowhere but in London can a thing be solved. In the 

 year 1861, during November and December, I used frequently lo turn 

 out of a particular hole one of these birds ; I caught it at last one night 

 in the hole — nest, I might say, for it was thickly bedded with leaves 

 from a neighbouring dunghill, on which beech-leaves had been thrown, 

 but I let it go after some time — in honesty, not through kindness, but 

 because I could not help it, for it could pass through any hole, almost, 

 as Paddy used to say, " as limber as a glove." I could also state many 

 instances of dogs chasing corn crakes in winter to holes, and in one 

 case remember how nearly I was summoned for tearing down a man's 

 ditch, " in pursuit of rats," as he said, though he had two eyes and saw 

 the bird run from hole to hole. More learned men than he may have 

 often thought the same thing. Hybernaling, in my view, would not 

 mean a dead, torpid state ; I should consider it a sleepy inactive state, 

 — a lying up in cold weather and a temporary arousing during genial 

 days, — and in this state I have met the corn crake in winter. 1 do not 

 say distinctly that it does not migrate, for though I am a sea-soaring 

 bird I can tell but little of its passages across the seas. 



White Martin. — Sept. 3rd. My gunmaker, Mr. Weeks, of Essex 

 Quay, Dublin, very kindly presented me with a stuffed specimen of the 

 martin in a creamy white state of plumage. Like all white examples 

 of this bird that I have seen, the natural white spots on the tail show 

 much whiter than the surrounding parts. This bird was killed at 

 Balbriggan, in this county. Notwithstanding that it was hard shot, 

 had laid a day and a half in the shooter's pocket, was sat upon, and 

 lastly finished by one of our atrocious Dublin stuffers, some resem- 

 blance to the martin is luckily to be seen. 



Migration and Powers of Flight of the liedth routed Diver. — 

 September 5lh. To-day, while cruising in the Bay, I saw the first red- 

 throated divers of the season : there were three in all, and young birds 

 of last year, as I could distinguish by the clear white of the speckles; 

 adults in September are always in faded nuptial garb. This is a very 

 early appearance, October being the general month of arrival. Their 

 stay away this year has been little better than three months, as many 

 were off the coast as late as the middle of May: I count this early 

 arrival as a bad omen for an abundance of this bird this year, and so 

 much the worse for my researches; but I cannot repine — they were 

 plentiful enough last year, goodness knows, and let the northern diver 



