The Zoologist — April, 1868. 1171 



and will avoid those obvious mistakes in the birds and their arrival I 

 so frequently meet with. But for these vile guns would not the hoopoe 

 breed commonly with us ? It is to be lamented that the beauty and 

 rarity of a bird should be but the premium for its destruction. A dead 

 bird in the hand bears but little resemblance to the pretty, lively, 

 blooming bird in the bush. For stuffed birds I would not give a 

 shilling a dozen. 



In the spring of 1867 I saw, within a diameter of two miles, not 

 more than eight miles from London Bridge, above fifty different kinds 

 of birds. 



Matthkw Hutchinson. 



Blackheatb, December, 1867. 



Notes on the Folk-lore of Zoology. By Edward R. Alston, Esq. 

 (Concluded from Zonl. S. S. 1006). 



Red Grouse. — There is a tradition in Selkirkshire that before the 

 black grouse became common in that district the red species never 

 ate corn, for 



" The muirhen had sworn by her tough skin 

 She sail never eat of (he carle's win." 



But they have been sadly corrupted by their sable relatives. (See the 

 'Magazine of Natural History' for 1837, p. 120). 



Q/iail. — Ancient writers relate that ships were sometimes sunk by 

 the vast migratory flocks of quails which settled on them. Yarrell 

 derives the French proverb of "hot as a quail" rather from their 

 heating quality as food than from their animal temperature, but their 

 warm and amorous disposition is perhaps a more natural derivation 

 than either. A local Scotch name for this bird is " weet-my-feet," 

 evidently a paraphrase of its note. 



Dotterell.— As is well known this species was credited in old days 

 with great stupidity (hence, says Yarrell, its specific name of 

 ntoriiiellus, "a little fool"). It is thus alluded to by Drayton in the 

 ' Polyolbion ' :— 



" The dotlcrell which we think a very dainty dish, 

 Whose taking makes such sport as no man more can wish, 

 For as you creep, or cower, or lie, or stoop, or go, 

 So, marking you with care, the apeish bird doth so, 

 And, acting everything, doth never mark the net 

 Till he be in the suare which men for him have set." 



