Birds. 9211 
renders the identification quite positive. The nest, which was met with in Baldersby 
Park, near Thirsk, was, together with the accompanying eggs, forwarded to me by the 
Hon. Guy C. Dawnay, to whom also I am indebted for the careful observations which 
have enabled me to record this fact —J. C. Atkinson ; Danby in Cleveland, July 2. 
Extraordinary Arrival of Starlings to Ireland in June. — On the 28th of June I 
saw three large flocks of starlings come across the sea as if from the Welsh coast, due 
east, and pass over this island in a westerly direction. The next day four flocks were 
seen by a fisherman to pass in the same direction. Itis nothing unusual for me to 
see, in severe Novembers and Decembers, thousands of starlings, skylarks, thrushes, 
fieldfares, redwings, linnets, greenfinches, &c., pass over in the same way from east to 
west; but to see starlings arriving while the hay is making is quite strange to me. 
For about a fortnight back I have seen a flock of these birds frequenting some fields 
in the neighbourhvod of the Beggar’s Bush Barracks, Dublin. Of this circumstance 
alone I had intended to send a note, the congregating of these birds so soon as the 
18th of June being, I think, unusual. The starling rarely breeds iu this locality. I 
am well aware that starlings, before roosting, fy about their breeding haunts in flocks, 
but have never before seen them feeding in flocks in the fields so early as the date I 
mentioned.— H. Blake-Knox ; Burtragh, Dalkey, Co. Dublin, July 2, 1864. 
Avocet near Chichester. — On the 27th of June an avocet was killed in a tide-mill 
pond at Sidlesham: it proved on dissection to be a male. The gizzard contained 
nothing but a few small stunes. The feathers were much worn. This specimen is 
now in my collection. I am not aware that a bird of this species has been killed about 
here since June, 1859, when one was shot in the same poud.— W. Jeffery, jun. ; 
Ratham, Chichester, July 8, i864. 
Cuckoo's Egg in Reed Warbler’s Nest.—We have not many reeds in this part, 
consequently the reed warbler is a scarce bird. I only know of one reed-bed near 
Chichester where it is to be found. In that place last year one man took five or six 
cuckvv’s eggs, and one or two young cuckoos, from nests of the reed warbler. This 
year he has only taken one nest, and that contained two reed warbler’s eggs and one 
cuckoo’s; these were partially incubated ; so that either the reed warbler only laid two 
eggs, or the cuckoo ejected some when it deposited its own. Yarrell does not give 
the reed warbler in his list of nests in which the egg of the cuckoo has been found, 
and Morris makes uo particular note of it; so that this seems to be an exception to 
the general rule. Perhaps some correspondent living where the reed warbler is more 
abundant ean enlighten us on this subject. — This was written before I saw Mr. Mit- 
furd’s note (Zool. 9109).—Id. 
Occurrence of the Spoonbill in Dublin Bay.— On the 10th of last March I had 
the pleasure of noting the occurrence of the spoonbill in this Bay. Four examples, 
evidently much fatigued, alighted upon a rock a few yards distant from the coast. 
Being in my boat I approached within about ten yards of the rock, and had a magni- 
ficent view of these rare visitants. Like the heron, they stood, with crouched heads, 
upon one leg, the other being buried in the plumage of the abdomen. After sitting 
thus motionless for the space of about a quarter of an hour, they flew iv a northerly 
direction, most probably to the strand, or “ slob,” at Dolly Mount. Their flight was 
from the south-east.”—H. Blake-Knox ; July 2, 1864. 
Ringed Guillemot at Flamborough.—On the lofty limestone cliffs of Flamborough 
thousands of varidus species of sea-birds congregate during the breeding season. No 
species is more abundant than the common guillemot, and yet it is quite an 
