Birds. 823 



gradual stages, until it dropped on the deck. So breathless and ex- 

 hausted did it appear, that he took it up with his hand. 



Upon passing through Hedon, near Hull, I noticed at two of the 

 inns there two tame ravens, which, upon enquiry, I found had been 

 procured from Flamborough Head, in the fastnesses of which they 

 breed annually. They were very quaint and amusing in their man- 

 ners, and imitated with laughable precision the various modulations 

 of the humau voice, the cough of a human being, and also the voices 

 of some animals. One repeated the notes of a cuckoo with wonderful 

 clearness and even melody, not to be distinguished from those of the 

 harbinger of spring. They were, however, furious and pugnacious, 

 and would attack a child or dog, and on this account, in both instan- 

 ces, were kept confined. 



J. J. Briggs. 



King's Newton, Melbourne, Derbyshire, 

 November 12, 1844. 



Occurrence of the Goshawk, in Northumberland. The very few instances on record 

 of the capture of the goshawk, (Astur Palumbarius), in Great Britain, will perhaps 

 render a brief notice of its occurrence, interesting to some of the readers of the 

 1 Zoologist.' This beautiful bird, the rarest of the British Falconia?, has thrice oc- 

 curred in Northumberland, in every instance in the mature dress. A very large 

 female was shot at Bolam Bog, on the 18th of February, 1841, and was sent to Mr. 

 Thomas Ellison, animal-preserver, of this town, for preservation, in whose possession 

 I examined it, whilst "in the flesh ;'' it is now in the possession of John Forster, Esq., 

 of Shaftoe. Another female was also procured during the same year (1841) in the 

 vicinity of the Duke of Northumberland's park, at Alnwick, and was for some time in 

 the possession of Mr. Snowdon, gun-maker of that place. The third instance, also a 

 female, was taken on the 2nd of October, 1844, in a trap, near Beddington, by the 

 keeper of Michael Langridge, Esq., who had observed it flying about for a few days 

 previous, and was forwarded to Mr. R. Duncan, of Newcastle, for preservation, to 

 whose kindness I am indebted for allowing me to examine so interesting a rarity. — 

 Thomas John Bold, 24, Cloth Market, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Nov. 25, 1844. 



Nesting of the Jackdaw. I observe that Mr. Waterton in his ' Essays,' says, that 

 there is no instance recorded of the jackdaw building on the boughs of trees. One 

 instance of it has come under my own observation, and perhaps others may have 

 fallen under the observation of some of your readers. The nest in question was about 

 thirty feet from the ground, close to the bole of a silver fir ; it was composed of twigs, 

 and of very large size, almost a foot thick : it was in the spring of last year I observed 

 it, and was puzzled for some time to know to what bird it could belong. I gave 

 strict injunctions that it should not be disturbed, but as it was very conspicuous, and 

 close to the high road, I was not able to have them carried into effect. The nest, 

 however, remains there now, or did a month ago, but the birds did not, as I hoped 

 they would, return to it this year. Perhaps it might not be out of place to remark 

 how exceedingly early some pheasants were hatched this year. I came upon a nide 



