418 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



I can fully confirm this statement. One field of sainfoin near 

 Norwich, in February, 1886, was occupied by immense flocks of 

 Bramblings. A gamekeeper, taking advantage of their numbers, 

 cleared the snow from a patch into which they crowded to feed, 

 and, firing both barrels of his gun into the flock, picked up about 

 six score. I regret to add that I did not hear of this until 

 several days afterwards, when it was too late to examine them, 

 as they had been eaten by his ferrets. 



On Oct. 21st a fine young Goshawk, Astur jpalumharius, was 

 shot near Yarmouth. 



In the Editor's footnote to a communication headed " Swallow 

 perching on an angler's rod" (Zool. 1886, p. 417) an instance is 

 mentioned of a White Owl perching on a gun while held in a 

 sportsman's hand. A somewhat similar instance occurred to 

 myself when collecting small birds a few years since ; I was lying 

 in ambush with my walking-stick gun protruding, when a Wren 

 suddenly perched on the barrel, and remained there some few 

 seconds before taking flight. 



In reference to Mr. Kelly's communication (Zool. 1886, p. 368) 

 on the subject of three Cuckoo's eggs in one nest, I may refer 

 to a similar circumstance that occurred to my knowledge in this 

 neighbourhood, and which I recorded at the time in ' The 

 Zoologist' (1865, p. 9618). In my case, however, there were two 

 young Cuckoos and one addled egg, in addition to two young 

 Meadow Pipits. The young Cuckoos being hatched, it was 

 impossible to say if all belonged to one parent, as might possibly 

 be determined in the case of the eggs, if it be true that the same 

 hen Cuckoo alwaj's lays similarly-coloured eggs.* 



Two immature male Blackbirds were shot on Sept. 16th, the 

 first having the two outer feathers of one side of the tail white ; 

 the second having the breast, back, tail, and upper tail-coverts of 

 a slate-colour ; wings pale greyish brown ; head, neck, and throat 

 pale ash-brown, spotted with darker brown, as is usual in imma- 

 ture birds ; feet and legs pale brown. On Dec. 4th an adult 

 female Blackbird, killed at Tivetshall, had its stomach filled with 



* Let me here express my regret that the proposed " General Index" to 

 ' The Zoologist ' still remains unpublished ; it would prove an invaluable 

 boon to working naturalists, and especially to the contributors to this 

 Journal. 



