4032 The Zoologist— June, 1874. 



Arrival of Summer Birds at Glcnarm. — Chiffcliaff, March 25th, 1874. 

 Fling ouzel, April 5th ; wheatear, ord ; swallow, '^Oth ; martin, 23rd ; 

 cuckoo, 23rd; comraou sandpiper, 20th; landrail, lOtli. On the 22ud of 

 April I observed a large flock of fieldfares migrating. — T. Brunton. 



Spriug migration of the British Warblers. — The arrival of our summer 

 visitors, with their welcome spring notes and songs, always suggests the 

 query where they actually come from — I mean those who visit the British 

 Isles and rear their young during the summer. This thought is now again 

 suggested by a friend who, in his tour through Italy, writes mc that 

 nightingales, blackcaps, garden warblers, willow wrens, &c., are all in 

 full vigorous song, and fill the groves with their melody. The question 

 naturally arises, how these birds arc singing in Italy, and what business 

 they have to he there at all, and so far south, at this season ? for it is 

 generally understood that the great vernal migration draws away the family 

 of migratorial warblers from the south to the northern countries to breed, 

 to return again at the great autumnal migration to the southern countries 

 of Europe, to avoid the rigours of our northern climate in winter. The 

 question which seems to suggest itself is, whether the Polar migration in 

 the spring is general or partud, a section of some families choosing not to 

 move, whilst others migrate? A second question is, whether these birds in 

 Italy in the spring, and in full song, are migrants from a still lower range 

 of latitude, such as the northern and central parts of Africa, and are satisfied 

 with their limited northern trip to Italy, only in the same way as those 

 from Italy and the South of Europe (the limits of their southern migration 

 in the autumn) aspire to a higher range, and thus visit us? Observations 

 upon this subject from your correspondents will be interesting. What 

 I have said is merely a suggestion from myself. — E. H. llodd ; May 1, 1874. 



Peregrines in the Isle of Might. — On the 30th of April I saw at a 

 birdstuffer's a pair of magnificent old peregrines, male and female, also an 

 immature but full-grown female, — all shot or trapped at the Freshwater cliffs 

 about the middle of the month, when in the act of incubating, and the eggs 

 of both nests were taken. The yearly destruction during the breeding 

 season of this noble species is very deplorable, and there is reason to fear 

 that ere long they will cease to frequent those lofty maritime cliffs, well 

 nigh their last resort. The eggs even find a ready sale at prices that would 

 formerly have secured the bird itself; though I see, in a priced list sent me 

 from a western county, the skin of the peregrine offered at six shillings ! 

 What such a pair of falcons, in perfect adult plumage, may be worth, 

 I cannot say, as they were not for sale, but the individual who procured 

 them would doubtless be well con^i^^en sated for all risks and dangers run. 

 Nor do I think that any law that could bo enacted would deter these 

 depredators from robbing the nests and trapping the birds. The plumage 

 of those old pcicgriues is remarkable for its perfection and puiity, the 



