4722 Tue ZooLtocist—DecemMBER, 1875. 
satisfactory to add instances, if possible. I will only, however, mention that 
T was surprised to see the passage in the new edition of Yarrell; and I have 
myself found thorn-trees and thorn-bushes in hedgerows in Norfolk, Suffolk, 
Kent, and other counties well “ decorated” with (among several others) the 
following species, viz., great titmouse, blue tit, longtailed tit (all a very 
common prey), robin and hedgesparrow ; once a thrush (young); twice old 
blackbirds, and once young partridges! in addition to the usual beetles, 
cockchaffers, &e.—Aleaander Clark-Kennedy; 22, Melville Street, Edinburgh, 
November 2, 1875. 
Migration of Redwings.—That large numbers of redwings were migrating 
during the pitchy dark nights between the 23rd and 28th of October I have 
little doubt. When walking home from Bray between 10 and 11 p.m. on 
the latter date I heard their shrill cries aloft very frequently. That night 
was one of inky blackness, and the birds seemed to be attracted by the light 
of the numerous gas-lamps, as their cries diminished in frequency when 
I got further into the country. A worse night for an aérial journey could 
scarcely be selected ; it was moonless and miserable, yet hardly worse than 
others during the week, on one of which I heard the cry of the redwings at 
Fassaroe, and believe I should have heard them on others had I been 
watching. Not seeing the birds, I could not say in what direction they 
were going. When I heard them at Bray they appeared to be flying in a 
bewildered manner over the town, confused doubtless by the glare of the 
gaslights. Turning to the “ Daily Weather Charts,” we see that the prevalent 
winds over.Great Britain were E. and S.E.,—that on one or two days the 
wind was northerly over Denmark; so presuming that the birds came from 
Scandinavia by land, they had tolerably favourable breezes, but if direct 
across the North Sea then side winds. The barometer was high over 
Northern Europe during the week.— Richard M. Barrington; Fassaroe, 
Bray, Co. Wicklow, November 12, 1875. 
Does the male Blackeap have a Black Head during the Winter !—In 
Professor Newton's article on this species in his new edition of Yarrell’s 
‘British Birds’ (vol. i. p. 422), the following passage occurs :—“ It would, 
singularly enough, seem that in winter some, if not all, of the males lose 
their black caps, and have their heads coloured like those of the females.” 
Mr. Harting, in his newly published work ‘Our Summer Migrants’ (pp. 55 
—58), also refers to the same subject. Last year I wintered in Corsica, 
arriving there in the end of September, but it was not until December 24th 
that I noticed any blackcaps (Curruca atricapilla). On that day [ shot a 
male; on the next day, at the same place, a female; on the 29th a male 
and female; and on the 1st of February another pair. (It is noteworthy 
that at that time of year these birds were also found in pairs.) Now all 
these males had pure black heads, as in the summer in this country. This 
evidence is of course by no means conclusive, especially as I was unable 
