Birds. 1189 



Shieldrake, Tadoma Vulpanser. Common in winter towards the 

 sea ; scarce inland. 



Gadwall, Anas Strepera. Comes with the first frosts, leaves us in 

 March and April. Common on our marshes, rivers and lakes. This 

 duck is not difficult of approach, and great numbers are annually 

 shot ; but its movements are so quick that this is no easy matter, as 

 it often dives between the flashing of the gun and the receipt of 

 the shot. 



Erratum. — By some unaccountable mistake of mine in the last 

 number (Zool. 1071), I have said in speaking of the moorhen, — "The 

 greater number leave us during the first fine days of spring;" this 

 should have been, " come to us during, &c." 



Julian Deby. 



Laeken, September 12, 1845. 



(To be continued). 



Arrival of Summer Birds of Passage at Devonport. Inclosed I have forwarded a 

 list of arrivals of most of the summer birds which visit this neighbourhood. You may 

 probably think it strange to see so many recorded on one day (May 5), this season ; 

 but it was the produce of a walk of nearly thirty miles. The list should read horizon- 

 tally, thus, the wheatear arrived in 1840 on March 28, in 1841 on March 18. I re- 

 gret that the list is not quite so complete as it should be, but considered it might be 

 interesting to some of your readers. Of the arrivals for the seasons marked thus ... I 

 have no dates entered. 



1840. 1841. 1842. 1843. 1844. 1845. 



Wheatear Mar. 28 Mar. 18 Mar. 13 Mar. 20 Mar. 17 Mar. 24 



Chiff-chaff April 3 25 22 26 23 31 



Willow-wren 14 April 21 April 21 April 16 April 14 April 7 



Tree Lark 17 27 21 13 17 16 



Blackcap 17 27 21 16 13 16 



Swallow 24 18 26 15 15 14 



Whitethroat 24 27 26 19 22 May 1 



Yellow Wagtail 27 May 4 11 ... May 6 8 



Kedstart ... May 2 ... April 17 5 



Cuckoo April 27 April 26 April 19 May 1 5 



Sedge-warbler May 1 25 ... ... April 25 5 



Wood-wren ... May 2 ... May 2 5 



House-martin May 3 9 ... 2 5 



Spotted Flycatcher ... May 10 ... 2 ... 2 



Red-backed Shrike ... 12 May 15 13 ... 2 2 



Swift 7 3 9 ... ... April 27 



Grasshopper Warbler ... ... ... May 9 



