The Zoologist — October, 1867. 949 



trapped in a season ; now, however, they are protected, owing to their scarcity as a 

 British bird. I may add that the keepers here, unlike those I read of in the 

 'Zoologist,' know every hawk by its proper name, and are therefore able to give much 

 useful information. The head keeper tells me he saw a hobby here this summer. — 

 Clifton ; Cobham Hall, August 23, 1867. 



Owls breeding in Confinement. — Having caught two large white owls last year, 

 I placed them in a large wicker cage, where they have afforded much amusement to 

 the patients. They proved to be male and female J and, having observed the former 

 to be very attentive to the latter in the spring, I erected a large wooden box on one 

 side of the cage. A nest was soon constructed, two eggs were laid, and a fortnight ago 

 two little downy customers gave intimation of their presence. The old birds are inde- 

 fatigable in feeding the owlets, and we well supply tbem with rats, mice and birds. 

 Have any of your readers ever met with a like success? I have never heard of owls 

 breeding in confinement before, and so I place this fact on record. — Edgar Sheppard; 

 Colney Hatch. — From the ' Field' 



Yorkshire Haunts of the Pied Flycatcher. — When I was at Castle Howard, the 

 domain of the Earl of Carlisle, I noticed the pied flycatcher. It was occupying the 

 lower branches of an elm tree, frequently flying out on to the grass and returning. 

 Once it flew away to some distance, but shortly returned to the same tree. My 

 estimable correspondent Mr. A. F. Wordsworth, of Scarborough, informs me that it 

 occurs pretty regularly near Scarborough. — George Roberts. 



Young Lark feeding other young ones. — Last June, in Mr. Fisher's shop in Eton, 

 I saw eight or nine young larks in a cage : some were about a fortnight older than the 

 others, and one of the elder ones was always seen to feed all his small brothers and 

 sisters in turn; and he never fed them out of their regular order, at least so 

 Mr. Fisher informed me. I myself one day saw this bird feeding some of the 

 others. — Alexander Clark- Kennedy. 



Late Yellowhammer's Nest. — On the 26th of August I disturbed a yellowhammer 

 from her nest: on looking into the nest I found three eggs in it, looking perfectly 

 fresh ; on my return the bird again flew from the nest, so there can be no doubt she 

 was brooding over the eggs. On passing again in a day or two I found the nest had 

 been destroyed. Is not this very late for birds of most kinds to be breeding ? — Stephen 

 Clogg. 



Hawfinch at Selborne. — A pair of hawfinches flew across my lawn while we were at 

 breakfast this morning, and settled in a fine Abies Douglassii, where I had the oppor- 

 tunity of watching one of them for some time. — Thomas Bell ; The Wakes, Selborne, 

 Alton, Hants, September 8, 1867. 



Mosecoloured Pastor in Wales. — We have just found in one of our bed-rooms a 

 very fair specimen of the rosecoloured pastor (Pastor roseus), a male bird, and very 

 thin. Will you kindly inform me if these birds are often found in this country? — 

 Henry Piatt ; Bryn-y-Neuadd, near Bangor. [The rosecoloured pastor is an extremely 

 rare bird in this country, and we have no clew to the cause or periods of its visits.— 

 Ed.']- From the 'Field.' 



Great Spotted Woodpecker caught in a Trap.— On the 23rd of July last a great 

 spotted woodpecker was caught in a trap which is constantly kept set for hawks, and 

 came into my possession : it was an old female deep in moult and of but little value. 

 Some time last summer another specimen of the great spotted woodpecker was caught, 



