1844 The Zoologist — Septembku, 1869. 



ever ngain went on tlie 28ili, and, iifter a walk of about five miles, I had llie good 

 fortune lo obtain a female Keniish plover, also a female sanderling. This Kentish 

 ])lo\er T shot when fl)ii:g alcnjj; the edge of the water in company wiih some dunlins, 

 one of which was killed at the same shot. I am not aware whether this is the first 

 recorded instance of the Kentish plover being shot in Yorkshire, but it is the fiist I 

 cHU hear of in this locality. I have since been down several times lo the beach, but 

 have not procured anything with the exception of a ringed plover and two or three 

 dunlins, which are very common here. I had brought to me early last month, by 

 T. Ling, of Flamborougli (who is, I suppose, one of the greatest enemies our sea birds 

 ever#ncounter), a male common buzzard and a male chough: these he bad shot at 

 Lundy Island, where he bad been for the purpose of shooting kittiwakes and other 

 gulls, for making into plumes, ^c: and he tells me that in two days, although a 

 lieavy sea was riiiining, he succeeded in picking up lo his own gun eight iiundred of 

 these birds. 1 ihink this alone is a strong argument in favour of the Sea Birds' Pro- 

 teciiou Bill, althou^ih Ling holds a different ojiiuiou, and does not see he is killing the 

 goose that lays the golden cg^. — Thomas B>>i/nlon ; Ulrome Grange, Lowlhorpe,lluU, 

 June 14, 18(39. 



I^ules on Migratory Birds. — March 19. Brambling last seen. 

 April 10. Whealear seen. 



April 11. Saw swallows. Heard willow wren, chifi'chaff, and yellow wagtail. 

 Goldcrest last seen. 



April 13. Cuck'io heard. 



April 18. Heard sedge warbler and tree pipit, and saw sand martin. 

 April *22. Fieldfares last seen. 

 April 27. Heard comnmn whiielhroat. 

 April 29. Heard lesser whitelhroat. 



May 1. Hearil corn crake. The corn crake arrived abi)ul the 2(>th of .\pril. 

 May 2. Heard garden warbler, wood warbler, grasshopper warbler, red.slail and 

 whinchat. Common whilelhroals increasing. Swallows not numerous. Blatkca|>, 

 swift, and house martin not yet seen. 



Nearly all the Spring migrants have appeared earlier this year than usual. IMy 

 last year's dales will be found in S.S. 1291. The cuckoo has seldom been heard in 

 this locality so soon. A jiair of swallows came to a shi'd here, in which they nest 

 annually: ihe male on Apiil 2t>ih, the female Miiy 1st: they are now building, .May 

 Idih. I should be veiyglad to ascertain, through the columns of the ' Zoologist,' bow 

 the swallow tribe occur this season in other parts of the country. — Georga Huberts; 

 LoJ'lJwiise,near Wakefield. 



Varieties of Birds' Egga. — I have obtained this spring the following varieties of 

 e<;gs, which I believe to be uncommon. The first is a nest of pale green redbreast's 

 eggs, some of which are unspoiled and some have a few pale reddish specks at the 

 larger end ; the seccmd, some pale blue missel thrush's; and ihe third a nest of pure 

 while house sparrows eg«s. I may add that all were taken in the vicinity of Brighton. 

 — W. IV. Verner,jun. ; 2, Victoria Terrace, Brighton. 



Position of Birds in Sleep. — Mr. Dix remarks that four cbaflSnches were brought 

 III him dead — "all of them had iheir heads under their wings, as though they died 

 asleep" (S.S. 167-1); but it is a mistake lo suppose that birds sleep thus: they ihrusl 

 the beak and head inlo the ^cipular fcalhcr^ above the wings, and not uudcr them. 



