The Zoologist — October, 1874. 4197 



Cui'ions Nesfing of flic Flycatcber. — Some days ago I received a letter 

 from a friend iii wliicli be gives the followiHg account of the site chosen by 

 a pair of flycatchers for rearing their young : he writes, " In the spring of 

 this year I discovered, in a fork of a plum tree trained to a -u-all in the front 

 of my house, a last year's bird's nest — by what bird built I cannot say. 

 I was surprised some time since (alwut July 1st) to discover four young 

 flycatchers fully fledged, and a few days after they left the nest. J could 

 not perceive any addition to, or reconstruction of, the old bird's-nest." — 

 John A. Dockrai/ ; Winsloiv, Bucks, September 14, ]874. 



ChifTchaff, Swift and Fieldfare. — On Friday, September 11th, when 

 shooting at Calverton, near here, I was surprised to hear the notes of the 

 chiffchaff; it was in a tall hedge. To make sure I went and saw the bird, 

 and it repeated its call or song several times. I also saw a swift the same 

 day. Are not both these late? AVhen shooting at Blidworth the next day 

 several of us saw a fieldfare ; we put it out of a high holly hedge, and it 

 continued flying before us to the top of the field ; this is very early. — 

 J. Whitaker ; Septemher, 1874. 



English Sparrows iu Philadclpliia. — I was in Philadelphia yesterday, 

 and in passing down Walnut Street I was pleased to see a flock of at least 

 two dozen English sparrows feeding in the street, and perfectly fearless of 

 the passers by. Amongst the flock was one little fellow nearly white, and 

 forming a very singular contrast with the other birds. I stood looking at 

 them for several minutes, and left them iu the full enjoyment of their meal. 

 The sparrows in Pliiladelphia and in other American cities are made quite 

 pets of, and are fed regularly by the inhabitants, consequently they become 

 very tame. — Edward Sweetapple ; Public Ledger Paper Mills, Elkton, 

 Maryland, U.S., September 5, 1874. 



Ulenioraudum on the Crowned Pigeon. — Having been long accustomed 

 to see the domestic pigeon emerge from its nest-pan full-grown and in all 

 respects similar to its parents, except some small critical distinctions of beak 

 and feathers and the tendency to sport in colour which is common to nearly 

 all domestic animals, I was somewhat surprised to see at the Zoo a specimen 

 of the crowned pigeon [Columba coronata of Linneus) leaving its nest when 

 it had not acquired a third part of the magnitude of its parents, yet was in 

 other respects precisely similar to them. Looking back a very long time 

 into the past, I think it must be twenty years, I recollect a similar instance 

 of this bird breeding in the Gardens, and of its producing a single chick. On 

 inquiring of Mr. Travis, the very intelligent and obliging keeper who has 

 the charge of the Western Aviary, I learned two or three other particulars 

 respecting these grand birds which may interest some of my readers as 

 much as they do myself. The time of incubation is exactly one calendar 

 month, and the additional period spent in the uest while receiving pigeon's 

 SECOND SERIES — VOL. IX. 3 E 



