2726 The Zoologist — August, 1871. 



and by what I observed of it, I could appreliend it to be no other than 

 what our travellers call the tropic bird, met with usually in crossing that 

 line," p. 164. Of this hail-storm an amusing picture is given, in which 

 stones of au immeuse size are represented as killing hares and birds. I 

 should think Mr. Lees must have had the arctic tern in his district in May, 

 1842, when they were so extraordinary numerous in that part of England. 

 The specimen of the crane is in my collection. — J. H. Gurney, jiin. ; 

 Juhj 1, 1871. 



Summer fliigrauts iii Yorkshire. — Most of the summer migrants have 

 been unusually common here this season. The garden warbler, the lesser 

 whitethroat, the wood wren, the whinchat, the sedge warbler and the tree 

 pipit have been truly abundant. The lesser redpole has also been frequent ; 

 I have seen several pairs and found two nests. The blackcap, a bird which 

 is generally scarce here, has been frequently heard, and nests have been 

 found. One nightingale has been certainly heard, and two or three 

 reported from dififerent parts of Yorkshire. Nightingales are now heard in 

 central Yorkshire every spring, though it is only a few years since it was 

 doubted whether it came or not to this county : I fancy both the blackcap 

 and the nightingale are coming northward every year in greater numbers.* 

 The lesser whitethroat is certainly on the increase. The redstart and the 

 house martin are tlie only birds which have appeared in scanty numbers. 

 In early spring starlings were more numerous than I ever recollect to have 

 seen them. Now, July 3rd, the broods have got away, and there are very 

 few to be seen. I begin to suspect that small birds are on the increase, 

 in consequence of the decrease of birds of prey, and secondarily in conse- 

 quence of the imposition of the tax on guns. I hear that a measure for the 

 protection of small birds is likely to be passed, but I humbly think that an 

 act of this sort will be unnecessary, except it be simply to save the birds of 

 song from the wholesale birdcatchers. — George Roberts ; Lo/thotise, Wakefield, 

 July 4, 1871. 



Roughlegged Buzzard. — Allow me to remind Captain Hadfield that the 

 European roughlegged buzzard is distinct from the American representative 

 of that species : the latter being only the immature stage of the black hawk, 

 Archibuteo Sancti-Johannis (Gmeliu). This is one of the many cases in 

 which the young of one species resembles the adult of another {vide Zool. 

 S. S. p. liol'i).— Henry Bceks. 



Great Cray Shrike near Clifton. — I had intended to notice at the time, 

 but omitted to do so, that a specimen of the great gray shrike (a female) was 

 shot at Nailsea, a few miles from here, about tlie end of last March. — 

 Marcus S. (J. Richards; Clifton, July 14, 1871. 



• I should say that I wrote these remarks before I saw Mr. Cordeaux's note on the 

 nightingale in this month's ' Zoologist.' — G. R. 



