190 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



nest from his parent. Unfortunately he dropped this true song, in favour 

 of the slightly eccentric noises aforementioned, to which he has recently 

 added the piercing whistle of a Gray Parrot. Devoted to insects, particu- 

 larly in the summer months, he nevertheless, of late, has shared all dainties 

 with a timid Grey Cardinal, with which he paired. He invariably cracked 

 all hemp-seeds before presenting them to her, and exhibited the deepest 

 concern when she died in moult last autumn. Only in the matter of the 

 first bath in the morning did he insist on holding his own. They lived 

 together on the happiest terms for two years, though they both resented the 

 intrusion of any other birds into their cage. This Hawfinch constantly 

 repeats his own name, " Jock," though the J baffles his efforts sadly. — 

 H. A. Macpherson (120, Westbourne Terrace, W.). 



Hooded Cuows in Hampshire. — From various notices in recent 

 numbers of ' The Zoologist ' it seems that Hooded Crows, both native and 

 migratory, have been very plentiful in many localities. It is not altogether 

 a frequent winter visitor to this immediate neigbourhood, yet its occurrence 

 at that season is by no means rare ; during the past winter, however, it has 

 been unusually abundant, so that many casual and disinterested observers 

 have noticed its appearance, or seen its mischievous depredations. The first 

 I saw was about the middle of October, but since that date I have seen a 

 most unusual number for this locality, and several gamekeepers tell me that 

 the birds display a considerable degree of cunning in avoiding snares and 

 traps prepared for their especial destruction. How can their occurrence be 

 accouuted for in this neighbourhood during such a mild and spring-like 

 winter? With such interesting and able articles as we often get in these 

 pages from well-known pens, our knowledge of the migration of birds must 

 necessarily increase, yet it seems that the more we know of the subject the 

 wider grows the field for investigation and research. The winter of 1880-81, 

 from its severity, caused many northern birds to visit us in great numbers, 

 whilst the " hoodies " were comparatively few, or at least no commoner than 

 in ordinary seasons. How different the experience of the past mild winter! 

 The great bulk of " visitors," and especially waterfowl, were rare or entirely 

 absent, but the species |or variety) in question came to us in unusual 

 quantities, and yet I suppose the same instinct and laws of migration 

 actuate the movements of each and every individual of the feathered race. 

 — G. B. Corbin (Ringwood). 



Kite in Cornwall. — Very recently a Kite was shot at Clowance, near 

 Camborne, the seat of the Rev. St. Aubyn St. Aubyn, I believe by his 

 keeper. A Kite (probably the same bird) had been previously seen by 

 Mr. R. G. Lakes at Trevarrack, St. Austell ; and shortly afterwards a Kite 

 (probably the same bird) was seen by Mr. E. Vingoe at Scorren, near 

 Redruth. The specimen killed at Clowance, which proved to be a male in 



