1134 The Zoologist— March, 1868. 



from the nest, but upon the same tree, looking down at her from time to time. It is 

 very curious to see them feeding, suspended from the cones, making, as it were, a part 

 of them. I sent one of the nests to Mr. Glennon, and hare not the least doubt but 

 that they would have bred in frost and snow had the nests not been destroyed and 

 blown down. I have been every day this winter on the look-out for them, but could 

 not see a single bird, though I have been told by one of our men that he saw a couple 

 very early in the season." Thompson, in his ' Natural History of Ireland,' mentions 

 them as having bred at Tollymore Park, County Down, in 18.36, and probably 1846. 

 Seen with their young in 1839, at Ballibrado, near Cahir, and supposed to have bred 

 there also the year previous. They were seen in numbers in County Dublin iu March, 

 1838. In 1837 many were seen in June, at the Dargle, County Wicklow. Since 

 the publication of Thompson's work I have not heard of the crossbill breeding in 

 Ireland, till last March at Kilkea. In no former instance was the proof so decisivejas 

 that afforded by Mr. Roussel, who deserves the thanks of Irish ornithologists for his. 

 observations. — Harry Btake-Knox; Dulkey, Co. Dublin; January 27, t8C8. 



Nuthatch in Ireland. — It seems lo be the general opinion that the nuthatch is 

 never found on the other side of St. George's Channel: notwithstanding this, my 

 brother informs me that he saw a nuthatch in County Mealh in 1866. He knows the 

 bird well.— Clifton ; Eton College, February 12, 1868. 



Pigeons perching on Trees. — Several pigeons, probably escaped from the dovecote, 

 frequent a large building in the middle of the park at Cobham : I believe they breed 

 there: from four to six are generally seen there. Those I have seeu appear to be 

 like the wild rock dove, light blue with black bars on the wings, but I have been told 

 there is one particoloured bird. One of these birds, to my great surprise, flew to the 

 top of a higli tree and sat there for some time. I believe it is well known that the 

 common pigeons often reassume the habits of the rock dove, and frequent rocks and 

 old buildings. Mr. Meyer seems to me hardly accurate wheu he states that wild rock 

 doves frequent some old buildings iu Surrey. I should imagine they were escaped 

 house pigeons that he saw. — Id. 



Thickkneed Plover in the County pf Dublin. — A great or thickkneed plover 

 (Qldicnemus crepitans) was killed in this county, on the 4lh of January, by Henry 

 Jameson, Esq., of Hermitage Roebuck. In answer to an inquiry Mr. Jameson very 

 kindly wrote me that he had shot the bird in the grounds of his brother, John 

 Jameson, Esq., Saint Marnock's, between the Velvet Strand and Baldoyle, in the 

 borough of Saint Marnock's. The bird made very short flights before being shot, and 

 from that circumstance it was presumed had not long arrived iu Ireland. I saw the 

 bird at Mr. Glennon's, taxidermist, Dublin. — Harry Blake-Knox ; Dulkey, County 

 Dublin, January 31, 1868. 



Common Bittern in Aberdeenshire. — An adult male, in fine plumage, of this species, 

 which occurs only now and again in Scotland, and fully as often in Aberdeenshire as 

 in any of the other counties, was shot ou the 20lh of December, 1867, at Badenscoth, 

 and sent to Mr. George Sim, taxidermist, 20, King Street, lo be stuffed, and to whom 

 I am indebted for the opportunity of making a description of the bird while in the 

 flesh. It weighed two pounds and a quarter. Its stomach contained beetles, some 

 moss and a few grains of quartz. — W. Craibe Angus; Aberdeen. 



Bittern near Ponlefract. — My friend Mr. Charlesworth informs me that a bittern 

 was shot by the gamekeeper, near a small stream in the vicinity of Ponlefract, during 



