Birds. 9329 
the numbers of these wonderful birds; and the same observation may be made 
Tespecting snipes, which were much more abundant formerly, even in parts of the 
country not drained, than they are now; but when you find that twenty persons in one 
parish take out game certificates, where formerly two or three did su of yore, is not the 
cause apparent?—H. W. Newman; Hillside, Cheltenham. 
Martins congregatiny in August.—A writer in the October number of the ‘ Zoolo- 
gist’ (Zool. 9282), says he saw abont two hundred martins on the 13th of August at 
Willesden, Middlesex. It is somewhat remarkable that on the same day I had 
made a note of their appearance here, having seen about one hundred hawking near 
the sea-cliffs, and occasionally settling on the roofs of the houses. The day was fine, 
and the thermometer, about noon, 70° in the shade, so that it was-not cold that caused 
the gathering. Your correspondent does not say whether those observed by him were 
young or old birds, but I am inclined to believe they were the former, for those seen 
here were birds of the season; I observed them closely, and could not be mistaken. 
He inquires “ whether it is not rather early for martins to prepare for their departure ?” 
I think not, having frequently known them to congregate on this coast in August, 
which has been recorded, and I have stated it to be my belief that the young birds 
are the first to migrate, excepting a few of the later broods, which occasionally linger 
here until December. When living in the North, I never remarked this instinctive 
gathering of young birds,—a proof that it is only when migrating that they thus 
assemble. Though I have occasionally shot them, I now find no difficulty in dis- 
tinguishing them on the wing, at a moderate distance, for they are generally smaller 
than the adults, the tail shorter, the plumage speckled, and the flight less rapid and 
sustained. A few days later, namely, on the 29th of August, a considerable flock of 
young swallows made their appearance: I will not state positively that there was not 
an old bird amongst them, but I think I should have noticed it if there had been, for 
I watched them narrowly, and to a practised eye the young of this species is as readily 
distinguished, as that of the former, for at this season (August) none of the young 
birds have the tail fully developed; it is generally but slightly forked, and not 
unfrequently quite even, and the plumage more or less speckled : they might be mis- 
taken for the martin by the unscientific observer.—Henry Hadfield ; Ventnor, Isle of 
Wight, October, 1864. 
Food of Young Cuckoo.—Having just received the ‘ Zoologist’ for this month 
I have been unable to reply sooner to your suggestion (Zool. 9282), as to the vegetable 
matter which I found in the stomach of a young cuckoo. I am quite certain that the 
mass did not consist of the hairs of caterpillars such as are frequently found in the 
stomach of this species, the fibres being of some length, and branching into finer fila- 
ments. But, to make sure, I dried some and found that they burned readily, without 
any animal smell. Since writing my first note, it has occurred to me that these fibres 
may have been part of the vest, the young bird having either swallowed them along 
with its food or devoured them in a fit of greediness. At least I can think of no more 
probable explanatioun.— Edward R. Alston; Stockbriygs, Lesmahayow, October 11, 
1864. 
Sanderling at Gravesend.—My friend Mr. R. M. Presland has a bird he shot at 
Gravesend this spring that I do not know the name of, and it is not in Morris’s work. 
The bird is of the same size as a stint. The bill is one inch long; neck, chest and 
belly white; from the top of the head, back of neck and back light gray, with a black 
mark in the centre of each feather; long tapered wings, the longest feathers black, 
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