OCCASIONAL NOTES. 493 
birds suffer most from coming in contact with these obstructions, yet 
resident species are frequently killed or wounded by flying against them. 
A few years ago a single telegraph-wire was stretched across the sand-hills 
to the lighthouse at Spurn, and numbers of T'ringid@ and other shore-birds 
came to an untimely end by flying against it; but after the first year or so 
the number of casualties was very considerably lessened, thus showing that 
the birds get accustomed to these impediments in course of time and avoid 
them. I have seen a Turnstone that had one wing completely severed from 
the body, and have heard of other somewhat similar instances. On one 
occasion, whilst driving along the Leeds and Wetherby turnpike, a Wood 
Pigeon flew across the road at a place where it passes through a wood in 
which these birds nest, and, hitting the telegraph-wires, fell dead by the 
roadside, and I picked it up; but beyond a few feathers which had been 
knocked off, the bird showed no trace of the accident. A farmer one day 
flushed a covey of Partridges, and they flew into the wires, and he secured 
three of them. I also picked up a Thrush on the same road. About a year 
ago, when driving into Scotland over Shap Fells by the old coaching road, 
I noticed that when we reached the summit of the moor, the telegraph- 
wires, instead of being stretched from post to post in the usual manner, 
were,run in pipes under-ground for a considerable distance. On arriving 
at the hotel at Shap I was told that this had been done on account of the 
havoc which the wires when exposed had caused amongst the Grouse. 
Several other cases of both migratory and non-migratory birds, not having 
come under my own observation, I will not relate. They were cases of 
Partridge, Corn Crake, and Woodcock.—J. J. ArmistEaD (Douglas Hall, 
Dalbeattie, N.B.). 
Osprey IN CornwaLL.—On October 6th Mr. Pendarves, of Pendarves, 
near Camborne, shot an Osprey near his ponds. The bird had been 
observed by him and his keepers for a day or two previously; and an 
Osprey (probably the same bird) had just before that been seen by Mr. F. V. 
Hill, of Helston, at Clewance Ponds, about two miles from Pendarves. 
- The specimen, which is a young bird in excellent plumage, is now with 
Mr. W. H. Vingoe, of this place, for preservation. Mr. Vingoe informs 
me that on two occasions previously he has observed an Osprey in Mount’s 
Bay; and I myself, some twenty-five years ago, observed a large bird on 
the surface struggling with something in the water,— probably a fish too 
powerful for it,—and running my boat down upon it thought it to be an 
Osprey, but it flew away before I got within shot of it. The struggle took 
place in water about eight fathoms deep.— Tuomas Cornisu (Penzance). 
Hoppy NESTING IN OxFORDsHIRE.—I am glad to be able to record that 
the Hobby, with us a very rare summer visitant, has twice nested near 
here of late years. My brother, Mr. O. V. Aplin, has in his possession an 
