442 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
quick-sighted these birds are, and how rapidly and swiftly they can alter 
the direction of their flight. On hiding behind the alder-bushes for the 
chance of a passing shot, as the birds were being driven up or down the 
river, they often came directly overhead, but with great rapidity shot 
perpendicularly upward, or suddenly diverged to the right or left, offering 
only a most puzzling shot. They seldom flew low over the river, but, as 
I have mentioned already, rose swiftly over the tops of the willows and 
alders on the banks before flying horizontally. The clear notes were 
distinctly heard when the birds were quite three hundred yards off, and 
yet when heard much nearer they always sounded low and almost sibylline. 
Former occurrences of this species in Stirlingshire are recorded in Gray's 
‘ Birds of the West of Scotland,’ when somewhat of the same habits were 
observed by me, but I have not at present that work beside me for reference. 
My impression is that these birds now frequent our river as regular early 
autumn migrants, arriving in August and often remaining till the middle 
of September. They have been frequently seen by our gamekeeper’s son, 
and were at once recognized by him when I showed him askin; and he 
tells me he has seen them about this time of year frequenting the same 
part of the river on several occasions in different years. There is the 
possibility of their having bred here, but I scarcely think they would have 
escaped observation so long if they had. I think we may look upon them 
as “early autumn migrants” frequenting a favourite locality some weeks in 
passing, or until circumstances of food or season require them to move 
further southward again. The specimen obtained is now in the collection 
of the gentleman who shot it, Mr. G. E. Paterson, of Glasgow. Since then 
all the low country along the river-side has been flooded, and this may 
have caused the birds to leave ; but when the water subsides I shall again 
search for them, and if there be anything further worthy of remark will 
report the same.—J. A. Harvir Brown (Dunipace House, Stirlingshire). 
Mieration oF TAE Rinc OuzeL.— On September 5th I saw a fine 
male Ring Ouzel in the garden of a house at the entrance of Wanstead 
Park, some six miles from London: having a good pocket-telescope and 
abundant opportunity for observation, there could be no question of the 
identity of this well-marked species. After remaining in view for about a 
quarter of an hour, it flew off in a south-easterly direction till lost to sight 
in the distance. I trouble you with this notice rather with the hope that 
other contributors to ‘The Zoologist’ will communicate any occurrence of 
the bird in this neighbourhood during September, and whether solitary or 
in company with others. About ten years ago I saw a single cock bird near 
West Ham. I have noticed them towards the end of September, in flocks 
of about twenty, on the wild uplands in the south-west of Dorsetshire, 
where they are regular visitants in spring and autumn, and may come from 
Dartmoor, where they are said to breed. White mentions them as visiting 
