The Zoologist— May, 1869. 1675 



the young were able to provide for ihenoselves. I have often dis- 

 turbed crows of an evening when walking through plantations, and I 

 have reason to believe they mostly return to the same place to roost. 

 I quite admit it is difficult to distinguish the two species at a distance, 

 but the shorter and thicker look of the crow will not often mislead. 

 I am greatly inclined to think the crows we hear of as being killed in 

 rookeries are in reality rooks of the year that still retain their beards 

 — and that keeper would be in advance of his brethren who could 

 distinguish the difference between the species : having once said they 

 have shot a crow they stick to it, for the same reason as the tailor who 

 having given evidence that a certain horse was sixteen yards high — ■ 

 when corrected, replied " I swore to it, and I stand to it." 



Hoopoe. — I see by Mr. Tracy's notes this bird has been obtained in 

 the neighbourhood of Pembroke : one was taken on the 17th of 

 March, 1847, at St. Twynell's; it had been seen about for several 

 days, and was at last caught in a cottage : another was taken on 

 board the Waterford steamer, at the mouth of Milford Haven, about 

 the same time ; and, in 1850, one was obtained near St. David's, also 

 in March. 



Bee-eater. — A specimen which I saw in Mr. Tracy's shop was 

 killed near Pembroke ; it was too much injured to tell if it was an old 

 or young bird. 



Kingfisher. — Certainly a rare bird in this immediate neighbour- 

 hood, but they are oftener met with in the lower part of the county, 

 where they also breed. 



Swift. — In certain localities these birds are numerous; T have seen 

 considerable numbers about Kilgerran and Pembroke castles. I once 

 saw a flock of about forty here ; they were flying a ie^ feet from the 

 ground, and apparently took a straight line across the country, — they 

 just rose at the banks as they sped onward in their race, for such it 

 appeared. 



Nightjar. — Not uncommon in favourable places ; they prefer 

 sheltered valleys, particularly where furze and heath are growing near 

 plantations. 



Turtle Dove. — This bird is only a straggler in this county ; it has 

 been known to breed in the woods at Orielton, near Pembroke, but I 

 believe only on one occasion. On the 20th of June, 1867, I was 

 surprised to see one fly across a small field here which was being 

 sown with turnips : the same morning, within a less distance than a 

 mile, I heard two others in different plantations; three pairs were 



