OCCASIONAL NOTES. 297 
seen to fly into an old building at Newtimber, in the same county, and 
being taken alive was sent to Pratt, at Brighton, from whom I obtained it. 
For some weeks before its capture it had been both seen and heard in 
the neighbourhood of Newtimber. Mr. Percy Godman, of Shermanbury, 
informed me that about six weeks previously he saw a Little Owl in a 
chalk-pit near that place, whilst waiting during a “check” in a run with 
the South Down Fox-hounds. In all probability it was the same bird. 
Since it came into my possession, however, I have received information 
which has considerably marred the pleasure I should otherwise have felt in 
recording the occurrence of this rare species in Sussex. It seems that in 
November last two pairs of the Little Owl, which had been in confinement 
at Knepp Castle, in the parish of Shipley, in this county, were given their 
liberty. Two were subsequently found dead; the other two, after about a 
month or six weeks, were not seen again. It is not unlikely, therefore, that 
these may have been the two specimens which I obtained four and five 
months afterwards.—W1Luiam Borrer (Cowfold, Horsham). 
A’ Barn Owe In tHE Ciry.—A Barn Owl was sitting perched in one 
of the trees in the churchyard of St. Dunstan’s-in-the Hast, in the city of 
London, during the 7th, 8th, and 9th of June. These trees are the 
- favourite resort of many hundreds of sparrows, which congregate there every 
evening to chatter and gossip for an hour or so before they retire to rest. 
Henry Tuxe Mennett (St. Dunstan’s Buildings, City), 
Pizp FLycaTcHER NEAR SaLisBuRY.—A male bird of this species was 
seen by Mr. G. A. Tyndale Powell, of Hurdcott House, near. here, on 
Sunday, April 29th. He saw it as he was walking back from church in the 
morning, and got within six yards of it, so that he could not be mistaken. 
A second specimen was killed at Herriard, near Basingstoke, in May. 
This was also a male bird, rather lighter than usual on the back perhaps, 
and is now in my possession.—Artuur P. Morrus (Britford Vicarage, 
Salisbury). 
Prep F'nycatcHer Nestine 1x YorKsHIRE.—On the 22nd May last, as 
I travelled from Barden Tower to Bolton Abbey, a distance of about four 
miles, I observed above a dozen male and four female Pied Flycatchers. 
They were all flying about the River Wharfe, and from their unsettled 
manuer it was evident they had only just arrived. Indeed if this species 
breeds as early as the various authors state in the ornithological works to 
which I have access, my observations have been unfortunately dull. A few 
years ago only one or two pairs bred annually in Wharfedale, and their 
habitat was confined to the north of Bolton Woods. Of late years, however, 
it has been greatly on the increase, and has extended its range in a 
southerly direction. In passing through its new breeding haunts, I could 
not help fearing lest this species, which has bred unmolested in Upper 
Wharfedale for a great number of years, should be wantonly destroyed by 
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