The Zoologist— June, 1871. 2689 



Early NestiDg of the Ring Oniel in Devon. — When fishing with some 

 friends on Dartmoor, on the 24th of April, we observed several pairs of the 

 ring ouzel, and found a nest containing three eggs. — J. Gatconihe. 



Accident to a Missel Tlirnsh, — The followmg singular accident happened 

 a few days since to a missel thrush at Keswick, in Norfolk, and is perhaps 

 worthy of record. The thrush, which had built its nest in an apple tree 

 and had laid two eggs, was heard making a great noise, which attracted my 

 informant to the spot, when he found that the bird was hanging by one foot 

 to the nest. On examination it was found that the foot had become entangled 

 in the lining of the nest, and that the bird had broken its leg in its ineffectual 

 efforts to withdraw its foot. All four toes of the foot had become wound 

 roundjwith wool, and the hind toe with moss also. — J. H. Gurney ; Marldon, 

 Totnes, May 3, 1871. 



Missel Thrush. — The following incident in the economy of the missel 

 thrush may perhaps be worth recording. A pair of these birds annually 

 nest in an orchard of ours, and this year I saw the old bird sitting close on 

 four eggs the last week in March, and she brought out the young early in 

 AprU. These having safely flown, I was somewhat surprised to hear my 

 father say they were again using the same nest ; but on my examining it 

 this morning I found therein four more young ones a few days old. These 

 birds come quite into the town to nest, and this particular one is within 

 easy stonethrow of the Minster. — F. Botjes; Beverley, May 19, 1871. 



Golden Oriole at Scilly.— These birds are again at the Abbey Gardens, 

 flying to and fro the plantations. Mr. Smith informs me that the male 

 uttered a song consisting of deep guttural mellow notes, rather more abrupt 

 than the blackbird's song, and not unhke the strain of the missel thrush. — 

 Edward Hearle Rodd ; Penzance, May 20, 1871. 



Golden Oriole near Tamworth. — Last week I was shown the skin of a 

 golden oriole [Oriolus galhula), recently killed at Barton, near here, by a boy 

 with a stone. It may interest you to know that I observed my first sand 

 martin on the 7th of April ; swallow on the 10th of April ; willow wren on 

 the 16th of April; and swift on the 2nd of May. Cuckoo first heard about 

 the 23rd of April : aU near here. — Egbert D. Hamel ; Tamworth, May 6, 

 1871. 



Grayheaded Wagtail at Brighton. — On the 27th of April a male gray- 

 headed wagtail was netted near Brighton, and taken to Messrs. Pratt, who 

 sent it to me in the flesh. I see in the ' Zoologist' (Zool. 7709) that the 

 same naturalists got one, also a male, on the same day of April, 1861. — 

 J. H. Ourney, jun.; 2, Beta Place, Alpha Road, London, N.W., May 3, 

 1871. 



Migration of larks in East Yorkshire. — The first heavy fall of snow in 

 this district is the signal for a general migration of larks southward. The 

 migration of this species is interesting, and the reason of it is so obvious 



