194 . THE ZOOLOGIST. 



between the two species is hardly distinguishable " (' Key List,' 2nd ed. 

 p. 20). In the diagnosis here, " under tail-coverts " is printed for " upper 

 tail-coverts," the same slip having also crept into this author's ' Ornithology 

 of the Straits of Gibraltar,' 2nd ed. p. 115). My thanks are due to the 

 three gentlemen above mentioned for kindly examining the bird, and to 

 Mr. Bristow for drawing my attention to it. — W. Ruskin Butterfield 

 (St. Leonards-on-Sea). 



The Song of the Icterine Warbler.— I have been greatly interested in 

 reading Mr. O. V. Aplin's account of " Bird-life in Eastern Algeria": I only 

 wish that I could enjoy similar experiences. With regard to the song of 

 the Icterine Warbler, I must confess that I agree with those who think 

 it one of the finest we can possibly hear. Prof. Collett, writing of the 

 occurrence of this bird in Norway, remarks: — " It is the very best of our 

 songsters ; its song not a little resembles that of the Nightingale, but one 

 finds iu it again the ditty of the Thrush." This description seems to me 

 to be true to the life. Some years ago I had the pleasure, with my boy, 

 of hearing this remarkable song in the Bosch, or Public Park at the Hague, 

 and we thought it fully equal to that of the Nightingale, although at times 

 it uttered some very strange and jarring notes. I found this bird nesting 

 at Kissiugen afterwards, and the hen allowed us to overlook her on the 

 nest without being disturbed. The male usually perched in the trees near 

 the Saale river close by, and there he continually emitted those strange cries 

 which are well described by Mr. Seebohm when he says, " it screamed 

 and warbled and chuckled, and sung voluminously." Some of the notes 

 reminded me of a Parrot, and were almost startling, so loud and weird 

 were they, I often wondered that the passers-by did not stop to reconnoitre. 

 But the sweet song we did not hear at Kissingen, nor afterwards at 

 Karlsbad, where I also heard this bird. My lamented friend Mr. J. G. 

 Rathbone, of Dunsinea, Co. Dublin, who shot the only specimen of this 

 bird ever obtained in Ireland, assured me that its song was really splendid, 

 and he was an excellent authority in these matters. — Charles W. Benson 

 (Rathmines School, Dublin). 



Supposed Occurrence of the Buff-backed Heron in Ireland.— In 

 working through the Reports of the Historical Commission, I came across 

 the following passage, which may perhaps have escaped the observation of 

 Irish naturalists, for whose benefit I have copied it. It occurs in a long 

 letter addressed to J. C. Walker by Major-General Vallancey, and is dated 

 from Cove (= Queenstown, Cork), January 25th, 1794 : — " I have seen what 

 Mr. Pennant has not seen — the small white Crane of Asia and Africa. It 

 is a most beautiful bird, about the size of a turkey pullet of three months. 

 In Asia it is called the * Paddy-bird,' from its eating the green ■ paddy ' or 

 rice; its plumage milk-white, its bill and legs yellow. This bird, one of a 





