172-2 The Zoologist— June, 1809. 



Hoopoes at the Land's End District. — I have seen no less than four of these beau- 

 tiful birds in the flesh during the last week. It is much to be regretted that every 

 example of this beautiful bird should be persecuted to death whenever they appear, 

 especially as the occurrence of more or less every spring may be regarded as a 

 certainly. — Edward Hearle Rodd ; Penzance, April 20, 1869. 



Cuckoo in Confinement. — A cuckoo, caught last June or July, whilst being fed by 

 a pair of yellow wagtails, has been kept caged through the winter : I saw it this morn- 

 ing alive and well; it sometimes indulj-es in a sort of lauf>h, somewhat like that of a 

 parrot, but has never yet cuckoo'd. — Egbert D. Hamel, Bole Hall, Tamworth, April 

 15, 1869. 



Curious Malformed Beaks of the Woodpigeon and Ringed Plover. — On the 18th of 

 February a female woodpigeon was shot at Rackheaih, near Norwich, which presented 

 an unusual growth of bill in both mandibles. The upper mandible was at least three 

 quarters of an inch longer than the lower one, and gradually arched throughout its 

 length. A few days since I received some ringed plovers from Yarmouth : the upper 

 mandible of the bill of one projected beyond the tip of the lower to some extent. — 

 7'. E. Gunn ; Norwich, March, 1869. 



Vitality of a Turkey. — The Norwich papers of the 6lh of February last contained 

 an account of a turkey that had remained for thirty-eight or forty days without food. 

 A game dealer of this city had some turkeys which were placed for the night in a 

 cellar that was a sort of general receptacle ; next morning the birds were liiken out, 

 with the exception of one that had imprisoned itself behind a couple of barrels: this 

 when discovered was still alive, although in a very emaciated condition ; it died two 

 days afterwards, partly, it is supposed, from exposure to cold. — Id. 



Contents of a Heron's Crop. — On Thursday last, the 25ih, two male herons (Ardea 

 cinerea) arrived from Norfolk at Mr. Swayland's, naturalist, to be stuffed. I was 

 curious to ascertain the last dinner of these unusually fine birds. The first had slowed 

 away in his oesophagus eleven perch, some of them five inches long, regardless of the 

 sharp dorsal fin of that species : one of them has been preserved as a memento. The 

 other heron had regaled himself with a nice little pike of eighteen inches in length, 

 setting some formidable teeth at defiance ; inside the pike again was another fi»h half 

 digested, which appeared to me to be a roach of some five inches. The pike apparently 

 had not long bolted his prey before " a long-winged heron great Minerva sent,'' but 

 not with good omen. The roach in his turn had feasted on something; but, having 

 followed the subject from its ardeine commencement, I here let it drop, as it was 

 becoming rather nasty, though I believe it might liave been ])ursued, according to 

 what philosophers call the "sequence of events," somewhat further. — Geo. Dawson 

 Rowley; 5, Peel Terrace, Brighton, March 27, 1869. 



Purple Sandpiper in Suffolk. — A beautiful male of the purple sandpiper was shot 

 at Gunton, near Lowestofi, on the 10th of November last: weight two ounces. — 

 T. E. Gunn ; Norwich. 



Solitary Snipe near Nonvich. — During last autumn a line male bird was shot in 

 tills neighbourhood. — Id. 



Sabine's Snipe (?) at Christchurch. — We have just had brought us a very good 

 specimen of black snipe, which proves to be a female. — W. Hart ^ Son; West End, 

 Christchurch, Hants, March.30, 1869. 



Velvet Scoter in Norfolk. — A fine adult male was shot at Hunstanton on the 12lh 



