60 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
instance, which ocenrred last April, when a gentleman in this parish 
brought me an egg of the Kestrel and another of the Sparrowhawk, both 
taken from the same uest, to the considerable amazement of the finder, 
I say this may not so much astonish the ornithologist, who recollects that 
both species are apt to make use of the deserted nest of the Crow, and yet 
it is not, I think, by any meaus a common ocenrrence, and so I have 
deemed it worthy of record in the pages of ‘The Zoologist.’ At first 
T entertained the opinion that possibly the Sparrowhawk, whose eggs vary 
much in colour, might have laid one of abnormal colouring, even running 
into the exact hue of the Kestrel, just as the Blackbird will occasionally lay 
eggs closely resembling those of the Song Thrush, thereby proving the 
affinity of the several members of the genus Turdus. Indeed, one such 
egg of the Blackbird, taken by myself in this place, I forwarded many years 
since to Mr. Hewitson, who thought it worthy of a place in the last edition 
of his work; but then all the eggs in that nest were alike in colouring and 
marking. On further consideration, however, I do not think the Hawk’s 
eggs in question can be referred to one and the same parent; there is no 
blending of one with the other, no partaking of the markings of both; but 
the colouring of the one egg proves it to be so unmistakably a Kestrel’s, and 
that of the other no less pronounced a Sparrowhawk’s, that I think two 
birds must each have laid an egg in the same nest. Possibly this may not 
be so rare an occurrence as I imagine; if so, I shall be glad to hear of 
further instances. —AL¥RED CHARLES Samira (Yatesbury Rectory, Calne). 
A Pomreran Bird Suor.—A correspondent of ‘The Times,’ writing 
some time since from Pompeii, gives an interesting account of the 
excavations which are being carried on there, and amongst other curious 
discoveries, thus notices the ruins of a bird-dealer’s shop, which had 
been brought to light:—* No sooner was the excavation of this chamber 
commenced than a number of bronze and terra-cotta vessels, bronze fibule, 
bracelets and rings, iron keys, kitchen utensils, and other articles of house- 
hold use were found almost in a heap together near the door, and among 
them a considerable number of small earthenware pots, which I somewhat 
incredulously heard described as drinking cups for birds; but there soon 
followed abundant proof that this had been the shop of a seed merchant and 
seller of singing birds, and very little imagination was required to see the 
place as it was the day before the fatal eruption of 79. At first the room 
seemed to have been a mere receptacle for a miscellaneous collection of 
bronze and earthenware objects. There was no special character about it. 
The walls bore no traces of painting, but, as the clearing was continued, 
to the left of the door on entering, a heap of millet-seed was found, so 
carbonised that on taking up a handful it flowed between one’s fingers, for 
every grain was separate and distinct. It was taken away in baskets full. 
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