428 Zoological Memoranda, by Mr James Hardy. 



it succeeded in tearing one through the middle, and, although 

 it was quite green, bore it off. Query, to line its nest ? or 

 cool its young ? 



Starling. — While I was observing the proceedings of a 

 pair that had their nest in the corner of a house at Wooler, 

 the male came home with a worm in its beak, and then flew 

 out with the white dung of one of its young, and dropped it 

 in the garden on its way back to the fields. 



Jackdaw. — On May 31, 1 noticed near a wall side, at two 

 different spots, above the haunt of the Jackdaws, the shells 

 of a partridge egg, which had been freshly devoured there, as 

 the remains of the albumen still adhered to the grass. I 

 blame the Jackdaws, because this is the place where they 

 feast on the booty which they have conveyed from a distance. 

 When they are pilfering corn they assemble here to hide, 

 and then make sallies out when they may venture with safety. 

 A Jackdaw with a dirty white band across the wings has 

 accompanied the flocks in the fields, throughout the season, 

 and nestled in the sea-banks. 



Hoopoe.t— Mr F. B,. Wilson writes : " There is a fine 

 specimen of the Hoopoe preserved at Hirst. The farmer who 

 has it says that it was shot at Newbiggen"; and his informa- 

 tion would imply that more had been seen in that vicinity. 

 Mr Cadogan recollects of Hoopoes being seen on the coast, 

 and of three being shot. Some particulars about these birds 

 we owe to the inquiries of the Rev. Edward N. Mangin, Vicar 

 of Woodhorn. The Hoopoe preserved at Hirst Castle was 

 shot about twenty years ago by Mr Howell, the tenant, at a 

 farm called Moor House, about half-a-mile to the east of 

 Hirst. About the same period, the gamekeeper and his son 

 shot two other Hoopoes at Cresswell. In the summer of 

 1871, a breaksman at the colliery, who has now left the 

 neighbourhood, shot another Hoopoe on a tree close to the 

 Hirst, and brought it to Mr Rowell to ask him what sort of 

 a bird it was. These four are the only specimens Mr Mangin 

 has heard of. 



White House Martin, (Hirundo urbica). — Two cream- 

 coloured Martins were reared, this summer, in the interior of 

 the highest story of Wooler Mill ; and were seen in the end 

 of July, dashing about as lively as the others, and passing in 

 and out from their mealy domicile. They were mostly con- 

 spicuous towards evening, and were very pretty objects. I 



