990 The Zoologist — November, 1867. 



such well-known things ; I will, therefore, only mention that they are always upon 

 apple-trees, avoiding pear-trees, which are in proximity. I wish to say a word, how- 

 ever, concerning the eggs, of which my collection contains a series of complete 

 sittings. Among these there are three distinct varieties, two of which are not un- 

 usual, but the third I believe to be much so. Two sets of ihis latter sort, the first 

 taken on the 28th of April, 1865, consist of five; the second on the 11th of May, 

 1867, six in number, have in both cases a pale bullfinch-blue ground, with small spots, 

 instead of the usual streaks, and resemble the eggs of the waxwing (Botnbycilla garrula) 

 in size and other particulars so closely that they might easily be passed off for them. 

 I believe the common counterfeit for B. garrula is the egg of the cedar bird (Ampelis 

 cedrorum), but on placing one of these beside the former, the difference in size is very 

 considerable. I have had one or two opportunities of examining the most extensive 

 series of waxwings' eggs known, and this particular variety of hawfinch closely 

 resembles them. I think, therefore, it is well to call the attention of collectors to the 

 fact. — George Dawson Rowley ; 5, Peel Terrace, Brighton, October 7, 1867. 



A strange Trap for Swallows. — One day last August a swallow was seen to be 

 caught by the head in the interstices of one of the gilded weathercocks which surmount 

 the towers of this house. Sympathizing crowds of swallows flocked to see it, and in a 

 short lime two more were caught in the same way. — Clifton ; Eton College, October 8, 

 1867. 



Martins and Wagtails. — In reading Mr. Stevenson's excellent work on Norfolk 

 Birds, I was pleased to see that he records what I have often observed before, but had 

 never seen mentioned in any work, viz. the strange antipathy of the pied wagtail to the 

 house martin. Fights between these birds are seen every day here, the wagtail 

 chasing the martiu with incredible swiftness. Most people think both are house 

 martins when they see a fight of this kind. The swallow and the flycatcher are also 

 on "cat and dog" terms generally, the swallows bullying the young flycatchers while 

 sitting and waiting for the parent birds to feed them. — A/. 



Swallows and Martins picked up dead at Aldeburgh. — On account of the frost on 

 Friday night, the 4th of October, swallows and martins were found dead in the streets 

 of this town. On Saturday there was snow and hail. — E. C.Moor; Aldeburgh, 

 Suffolk. 



Late Swift. — 1 was told by a friend of mine, Mr. W. Bashara, that he saw 

 a common swift flying over the Thorpe Merc, near Aldeburgh, Suffjlk, upon the 

 morning of the 24th of September. — A. Clark-Kennedy ; 14, Prince's Gardens, W., 

 September 26, 1867. 



Number of Eggs laid by the Swift. — With reference to the paragraph under the 

 above heading in the 'Zoologist' for September (S. S. 915) I beg to state, for the 

 information of those interested in the subject, that in the middle of June last I took 

 two swift's nests in the church here, one containing two fresh eggs, and the other three 

 eggs hard sat upon. This shows that the eggs of the swift are not invariably limited 

 to two. As to the bird never alighting, I have every reason to think that the statement 

 of Mr. Parnell is correct. There are at least ten pairs of these interesting birds which 

 breed in the church here every year, and though I have watched them closely for many 

 seasons 1 have never yet seen one of them alight, further than clinging to the eaves of 

 the church immediately before entering the nest. — Marcus Richardson; Portrush, 

 County Antrim, September 17, 1867. 



