OCCASIONAL NOTES. 341 
13th; in 1876, on September 12th. I have unfortunately lost the date for 
1877, but am almost certain it was either on the 6th or 7th of September; 
and in 1878 on the 11th of September. For a few days previous to their 
departure they collect in great numbers on a projection in front of the 
Wesleyan Chapel, which has been a rendezvous for these birds for a 
number of years. On the morning of their migration they are very active; 
preening themselves, and performing short flights until they rise almost 
simultaneously for their final voyage. They fly, at a moderate height, in a 
south-easterly direction.—K. P. P. Burrerriexp (Wilsden). 
Barn Owxs anD Sarew Mice.—The Barn Owl, it is generally supposed, 
never preys upon Shrew Mice, but on clearing out an old nesting-hole, last 
August, I was surprised to find among the skulls of other mice, hundreds 
of those of the Shrew. Many of the pellets were composed mainly of the 
skulls of House Sparrows, and I failed to detect the remains of any other 
bird. The young, when taken from the nest, thrived, and fed greedily on 
any sort of fish, when meat was not forthcoming. I fancy if more attention 
was given to the castings of Barn Owls, we should often find the Shrew in 
the bill of fare—C. Marruew Prior (Bedford). 
[On dissolving in warm water four pellets of the Barn Owl forwarded 
by our correspondent, we discovered the crania, more or less perfect, of nine 
mice and three shrews; nine pairs of lower jaws of mice; three pairs of 
lower jaws of shrews; besides fragments of the leg-bones and shoulder- 
blades of a corresponding number of these little animals. No remains of 
birds.—Eb.] 
Woop Wren In THE County oF Wicktow.—In the month of June 
last, while staying at the Glendalough Hotel, I made it my object to search 
carefully for the Wood Wren in the oak plantations of Derrybawn, where 
Thad previously observed the bird during three different summers. Having 
visited its haunts daily from the 1st of June I did not observe it until the 
9th, when a couple of pairs made their appearance, and I have now little 
doubt that the bird breeds annually in this locality —H. Cuicuester Hart 
(7, St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin). 
GoLDEN ORIOLE 1n SurroLk.—At the end of May last Mr. T. C. Ellis, 
of Oxnead Lodge, Newmarket Road, in this city, while driving from Sudbury 
to Newton, saw a fine male Golden Oriole fly from a tall hedge by the 
roadside. He was particularly struck with the brilliancy of its colour, and 
from the description he gave me and his recognizing a specimen in my 
shop-window, there can scarcely be a doubt of its occurrence as stated.— 
T. E. Gunn (St. Giles Street, Norwich). 
Nesting Hasits or tHE StTarLinc.—With reference to the remark 
I made relative to the Starling rearing but one brood in a season (p. 187), 
