Birds. 983 



During the same frost, a fine specimen of the avocet (Recurviros- 

 tra Avocetta) was shot upon the Warren-sands at Exmouth. It is the 

 only instance 1 have heard of, since that recorded by Mr. Yarrell, of 

 this elegant and beautiful little bird being killed here. 



Last month, a great-crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) was killed 

 on the coast. This bird was in its young plumage. It had not the 

 fine tippet, and had only a few dark feathers here and there in this 

 part, instead of the chesnut colour seen in the adult bird. I opened 

 the stomach, and found it to contain a mass of a beautiful green co- 

 lour, which appeared to be some vegetable in a state of maceration. 

 There were several feathers of the bird mixed with the contents of the 

 stomach ; some of them were of a dark colour, and appeared to have 

 been taken from the sides or shoulders of the bird, but they were 

 chiefly white, like the feathers of the under surface of the body. 



A specimen of the great grey shrike {Lanius excubitor) was shot 

 near this city in the early part of this year : also one of the haw-finch 

 (Loxia coccothraustes), and one of the large spotted woodpecker [Pi- 

 ous major) : none of these birds are common here. 



During the winter of 1843, the cirl bunting was very abundant in 

 this neighbourhood ; I procured several specimens of it, and might 

 have obtained more had it been desired : but during the winter of 

 1844, I have been unable to fall in with a single bird ; though the lo- 

 calities where they were seen the year previous were all visited several 

 times in the hope of meeting with them. I am also informed that 

 they were seen in considerable numbers in the neighbourhood of 

 Taunton, during the winter of 1843. 



W. R. Scott. 



Deaf and Dumb Institution, 



St. Leonard's, Exeter, May, 1845. 



Partial Migration of Birds. By Edward Newman. 



In that portion of the Introduction to Bewick's Birds which treats 

 of migration, we find the following truthful passage. " Most birds 

 are, in some measure, birds of passage, although they do not migrate 

 to places remote from their former habitations. At particular times 

 of the year most birds remove from one country to another, or from 

 the more inland districts towards the shore." I believe no paragraph 

 was ever written more advisedly than this, and I have met with none 

 that opens so wide a field of observation. It has often struck me as 



