1958 Birds. 



(See ' Bell's British Quadrupeds,' p. 517), " that if a cow produce twin-calves, one of 

 each sex, the male is perfect and the female barren.'' Being accustomed to receive 

 the opinions and assertions of such men as Bell and John Hunter with the utmost de- 

 ference, and consider them beyond the reach of contradiction, I have been very 

 reluctant to offer the following remarks, and my only motive for so doing is, that 

 I am fully convinced of their accuracy. The assertion then alluded to, I am con- 

 vinced requires further investigation, and is in many instances without foundation ; and 

 as far as my experience serves me, it appears that a female in such a case will just as 

 frequently breed as not. Several instances of one so doing have come to my know- 

 ledge. The most remarkable came under my immediate observation. One of our 

 dairy cows, fattened in the summer of 1844 and sold to the butcher, was dropped at 

 the same time with a bull, and was the fruitful mother of five calves in five successive 

 years. A young cow, if she does not breed, is called in these parts a " maiden " or 

 " raartyn heifer.'' — J. J. Briggs ; Derby. 



The Stoat and the Rooks.' — On the 17th of September, while walking to church, I 

 had my attention drawn to a party of rooks, seated on a hill-side not far off. They 

 kept up a constant chattering, and appeared to be in considerable agitation and rest- 

 lessness. On approaching, I found the cause of this commotion was a stoat, which, 

 sallying every instant from a bush of furze close at hand, was endeavouring to secure 

 one of the rooks, by springing at it, as it sat, or into the air, if it rose. It was amus- 

 ing to see the half-alarmed, half-jesting bearing of the rooks, as they gazed on their 

 puny but supple assailant, or leaped lightly into the air when he made too close a dash 

 at any of them. Small as he was, he did not cease practising his athletics, till he dis- 

 persed the conclave. The result, perhaps, convinced him of the folly of attempting to 

 breakfast on a rook. — James Hardy ; Penmanshiel, near Cockburnspath, Berwickshire, 

 October 5th, 1847. 



Notes on some of the rarer British Birds as observed in the South of Spain. 

 By the Rev. Charles A. Bury. 



Some time has elapsed since my name last appeared in your pages. And some of 

 your readers, I am given to understand, have been pleased to express regret at my si- 

 lence. You, Mr. Editor, know that that silence has not resulted from any diminution 

 of interest in the welfare of the ' Zoologist.' I could, were it worth while, assign more 

 than one reason for my apparent idleness ; but one must suffice. That one, how- 

 ever, will probably be deemed good and sufficient by your readers: viz., I had nothing 

 worth communicating. What I now send you may not be worthy of insertion. In- 

 sert or reject it, as you please, — it will at least assure you that the * Zoologist ' has my 

 unabated good wishes. 



Supposing you to pay me the compliment of printing this communication, I proceed 

 to allay any anxiety that may have been felt on my account by my zoological friends, 

 and to remove any hard thoughts my long silence may have given rise to, by informing 

 them that I migrated last autumn with our summer songsters (I am no songster my- 

 self) to a warmer clime. In short, that on October 17th, 184b', accompanied by my 

 better half, and my faithful Newfoundland dog, I embarked at Southampton for the 

 south of Spain. Now as one's natural propensities will attend one, go where we may, 



