3050 Tat Zootocist—May, 1872. 
looks as if some rooks really did migrate, and Mr. Gould, in his 
‘Birds of Great Britain, alludes to the enormous flocks of these 
birds which in winter assemble in the large woods of Cornwall, 
where their numbers seem so far to exceed any probable quantity 
reared in the district, that he likens their numbers at roosting-time 
to the masses of starlings on the Norfolk Broads. 
Blackbird.—March 10. Very hard frost; notwithstanding which 
a blackbird began to sing beautifully in our garden at daybreak, 
and early one morning I observed the same bird perched on the 
chimney-top of a high house in the street, singing melodiously. A 
rather unusual perch for a blackbird. 
Cormorant, §c.—March 13. Took a walk into the country; 
found linnets numerous in flocks, but no starlings where I had seen 
so many a week before. Titmice plentiful. I also saw three bull- 
finches on an apple-tree in a small garden. Greenfinches too were 
plentiful. Heard the alarm note of a pair of missel thrushes and a 
blackbird, the noise made by the latter amounting almost to a 
shriek or scream, when suddenly a sparrowhawk dashed over the 
hedge, and gliding swiftly along by its side was out of sight “in a 
twinkling.” Observed a flight of more than thirty ring doves: 
these birds are becoming more numerous in our neighbourhood. 
Came across a pair of wood larks, which were very tame: when on 
the ground this species has a more creeping movement than the 
sky lark. Itis rather local with us, but a few might always be in 
favourite haunts throughout the year: during severe snow-storms 
in winter, however, great numbers appear on our sea-coasts in small 
parties or pairs, from the east, together with fieldfares, redwings 
and sky larks, which are constantly passing to the westward in 
flocks from morning till night, and at such times I have known 
wood larks so tame as to actually alight in the streets. To-day, 
with a powerful telescope, I watched a cormorant which was 
perched on the top of a rather slender pole full fifteen feet high, 
stuck in a mudbank in the harbour, in which uneasy position it 
quietly remained for upwards of an hour, notwithstanding the 
diameter of the post was so small that it must have found great 
difficulty in grasping it with its large webbed feet. I also saw 
another at a birdstuffer’s shop which had been killed a week before, 
well advanced towards full breeding plumage. 
Black Redstart, Raven, $c—March 15. Walked many miles 
along the coast to the river Yealm. Observed a black redstart on 
a 
