TURDIDJE. lo 



1S70, p. 2026). They sometimes nest very early in the year. A nest was 

 found at Torquay, January 7th, 1869 (Zool. 1S69, p. 1720). Several nests 

 were seen near Exeter on Februarj^ 15th, 1SS2. Albinos occur occa- 

 sionally ; one killed at Duuchideock, near Exeter, is in the A. M. M. 

 A pure white nestling occurred at Plymouth in May 18S3 (J. G., Zool. 

 1883, p. 420). In January 1866 a Robin with white wing-feathers was 

 seen near Topsham. A buff-coloured specimen with the usual red breast 

 was shot at Kingsbridge on December 3rd, 1886. (E. A. S. E.) 



These pugnacious little birds will fight for some favourite position in 

 the shrubbery, and the champion will drive away all intruders. Should 

 any accident befall him, the place is occupied at once by another Eobin, 

 who, in his turn, holds it against all comers. In the hard winter of 

 ]880-81, five Robins came into our hoiise, self-invited guests, and con- 

 tinued with us for more than a fortnight, hopping about the dining-room 

 floor at meal time and picking up crumbs. Several Blue Tits and Wrens 

 found refuge in the passages, and a small flock of Chaffinches, Hedge- 

 Sparrows, and Bullfinches were entertained in the kitchen until the thaw 

 came. The household cat was, of course, suppressed for the occasion. 

 (M. A. M.) 



The late Mrs. Mitchell, of jN'ewport House, Topsham, tamed a brood of 

 Robins by feeding them in the nest, which was in a hedge near a gardeu 

 path. They became so familiar that they would fly out of the hedge, as 

 she walked up and down thepath, and alight on her hand to feed on the 

 finely chopped meat she daily carried out for them, and even take food 

 from between her lips. Sometimes two or three at a time would perch 

 on her hand. They would sometimes take food from other female mem- 

 bers of the family. Some of this brood survived for a year or two, their 

 number diminishing one by one, much to the regret of their old friend. 



The heads of Robins are sometimes quite denuded of feathers, and 

 remain so for several months, the birds in the meantime presenting a 

 very amusing appearance. 



Nightingale. DauUas luscinia (Linn.). 



A summer migrant of occasional occurrence in the southern part of the 

 county. Breeds occasionally. 



Scarcely a season passes without one or more Nightingales being heard 

 near Exeter in April, May, and June, and several have been trapped and 

 shot in that ncighl)ourhood from time to time. One specimen in the 

 A. M. ^r., from the collection of the late ^Iv. F. W. L. Ross, of To])sham, 

 was killed at Stokewood, near Exeter, in 1844. ]Mr. lioss mentions in 

 his !MS. 'Journal of Occurrences in Natural History' for 1844, ]). ')], 

 that Nightingales had been heard at Topsliam, and both heard and seen at 

 Stokewood, for twenty-seven years l)y one ])ers()ti. IMr. W. E. \V. Bird 

 states that Mr. I'loss had said that he lieai'd Nightingales re])cat{'(llv 

 every year, and that he himself both heard and saw one singing in a t;iil 

 elm on Northcrnhay, Exeter, April 16th, 1846 ('Naturalist,' l85i, p. 177j. 



