THE ZooLocist—NovEmBER, 1876. 5165 
doubt by careful observation of the breeding season just passed, and now 
that the controversy is closed in the ‘ Field’ it may not be out of place if 
I inform Mr. Stevenson that, whatever may be their custom elsewhere, the 
starlings at Beverley do not rear two broods in a season. ‘These birds are 
very numerous here, and as soon as the young are hatched the parent birds 
may be seen hurrying from all sides into the town with food; and to give 
some idea of the quantity reared in Beverley, I may say that I placed 
myself on one of our commons on the west side of the town, and watched 
the constant flying backwards and forwards of the old birds, and though 
I and a friend stood a long time, at no period of our stay could ten 
seconds be counted before one or more birds passed us either to or from 
the town—and very frequently five, six or seven were passing at the same 
time—procuring food from this pasture alone. This fact proves that 
these birds hatch off very nearly at the same time, so that a mistake is well 
nigh impossible. As soon as the broods are able to fly the old birds take 
them away into the commons and grass lands, where they may be seen in 
large flocks, and the hurrying to and fro is ended for the season, and 
though a few—only a very few—are seen carrying food afterwards, they are 
no doubt birds that have had their nests destroyed from some cause or 
other, such as house-painting, spout-cleaning, &c.—F’. Boyes. 
[A writer in ‘ The Field,’ by means of a marked starling, established the 
fact that this species does, at least occasionally, rear two broods in one 
season.—Ep.] 
Chough, Curlew Sandpiper and Little Stint at Portrush My friend the 
Rey. George Robinson, rector of Tartaraghan, Armagh, informs me that 
during November last his sons killed several choughs, a large number of 
curlew sandpipers, and four little stints at Portrush.—John Gatcombe ; 
October 7, 1876. 
[It is to be regretted that the choughs were killed, for in the last few 
localities in the British Islands where this species is found it is becoming 
rarer every year. In many places it is beingousted by the jackdaw.— Eb. ] 
Late Nesting of Swift.—On the 2nd of September I was at Torrington, 
North Devon, and when in one of the principal streets was surprised to 
observe a swift repeatedly fly into a hole beneath the eaves of a thatched 
house, where, no doubt, she had her young. Surely this was very late for 
a swift to be nesting, for they usually leave us about the 14th of August. 
I watched for some time, but believe there was only one bird attending the 
nest, otherwise I should most likely have seen both together. The day was 
rather cold, with a strong breeze from the north-west.—Gervase I’. Mathew ; 
H.M.S. ‘ Britannia, Dartmouth, October 7, 1876. 
White Martin.—A white martin was observed for several days, in company 
with many others of ordinary hue, hawking for flies over the surface of the 
Torridge near Torrington, the last week in August.—Id. 
SECOND SERIES—VOL, XI. 3K 
