4238 The Zoologist — November, 1874. 



Orangeleggcd Hobby in Cbcsbire. — In May, 1873, a very f5ue orange- 

 legged hobby was shot at Styal, near Wilmslow, by the keeper of Mr. Robert 

 Hyde Greg. It was a female, and in very fine plumage. Though from the 

 time of the year it would seem likely to be in the neighbourhood for 

 nesting pui'poses, nothing was seen of a male bird. — Francis Nicholson. 



Aatomual Song of tbe Cbiffcbaff. — In the 'Zoologist' for October (S.S. 

 4199) Mr. Whitaker mentions having heard a chiffchaif singing on the lltli 

 of September, and expresses his surprise at the circumstance. In the 

 neighbourhood of Plymouth, where the bird is remarkably common, I have 

 on two occasions heard its song so late as the first week in October, on the 

 3rd and 5th, and another entry in a note-book gives September 30th as 

 the last time on which it was heard for the year. I believe it to be one of 

 the latest of our summer migrants to leave us, and know it to be no unusual 

 thing for it to give utterance to a weak song when moving towards the 

 coast. I have noticed the same habit in its congener, the willow wren. May 

 not these tuneful individuals be young male birds of the year? — T. R. 

 Archer Brifjgs ; 4, rortland Villas, Plymouth, October 6, 1874. 



Chaflincb Nesting in Confinement. — I keep most of our English seed- 

 eating birds in a large open-air aviary, and have been very successful in 

 inducing nearly all of them to breed, with the exception of the chaffinch, 

 until this year, when a pair built a nest, laid eggs and brought forth young. 

 None of my friends who have similar aviaries have had the chaffinch 

 paired, though they have occasionally crossed with other species. When 

 in London I asked one of the keepers at the Zoological Gardens whether he 

 remembered a similar instance, and I found that was not the case, though he 

 did not know why such should not occur. I should like to learn if other 

 people's experience is the same as mine. — Francis Nicholson. 



[I shall be exceedingly glad to receive communications on the subject of 

 birds either nesting or living in confinement : the nesting of our birds and 

 the state of their young on leaving the egg are subjects now happily 

 obtaining more attention than formerly, and should the proposed enact- 

 ment against birdsnesting ever become law, our only opportunity of really 

 studying the economy of our birds must be when they are caged. — Edward 

 Netcntan.] 



Cuclioo singing at Nigbt. — This is a very common occurrence ; in fact, 

 the cuckoos here are a perfect nuisance, they make such a noise aU night 

 long, but especially about midnight. In Hampshire also they were very 

 troublesome this year, beginning their cuckooing long before dawn, and 

 between them and the nightingales it was difficult to get any sleep at all. 

 I have often heard a blackbird singing at eleven o'clock at night. — C. B. 

 Carey ; Candie, Guernsey, October 22, 1874. 



>ybite Swallow in Nottingbanisbire. — Ou the 4th of this month I shot 

 a swallow in abnormal plumage. The bird was flying about with a number 



