2144 Birds. 



and I have no doubt that throughout the south coast of England they may be seen. — 

 Id., May 17, 1848. 



Occurrence of the Gray -headed Wagtail (Motacilla neglecta) near Penzance. — I have 

 seen a male and female of this species in full vernal plumage, which were also cap- 

 tured near Marazion. The plumage of the male bird exhibits the fine bright intense 

 yellow plumage which its congener — the yellow wagtail — possesses at this season of 

 the year ; but the female's plumage has a grayish faded cast of colour, without the 

 green olive tinge which the other species shows ; the streak over the eye is pure white, 

 and the breast and belly white, tinged with primrose yellow. — Id. 



Singular Proof of the Reasoning Faculty in a Canary. — In the year 1839 I had a 

 canary, between the wires of whose cage I was in the habit of placing a piece of lump 

 sugar : one day it dropped out, and when picked up was found to be quite wet on one 

 side : this excited my curiosity, so I looked to see if there was anything to wet it where 

 it had fallen, and being convinced there was not I replaced it, but put the dry side in- 

 wards, determined to watch the bird's proceedings, when, to my surprise, after a few 

 ineffectual attempts to nip some of the sugar (for it never pecked it) it went to the 

 water-trough several times, filled its bill, dropped the water on the sugar, and then, 

 after it was thus softened, began to eat it : this I have seen it do frequently. Now I 

 think this is more than an extension of the vital actions subservient to the physical 

 life of the individual; here must be thought, thought applied, something like deduc- 

 tion, a means used and the end answered. Now if so many of our philosophers and 

 divines persist in calling this instinct, what is reason ? where does matter end and 

 mind begin ? Is it not leading many into materialism ? Would it not be better to 

 allow that the lower animals have minds suited to their station, enabling them to ac- 

 complish the purpose for which the Author of their being intended them ? — Joseph 

 Duff ; Bishops Auckland, May 8, 1848. 



Additional Note on the Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs). — I have reconsidered the sub- 

 ject of the chaffinch (Zool. 2072), and as I had quoted from memory only, I instantly 

 referred to White's ' Natural History of Selborne,' to the paragraph which is in 

 Mr. Blyth's note to the above, page 36, and am sorry to find a discrepancy between 

 the quotation given by you and that given by Mr. Blyth : the quotation referred to is 

 as follows, that " in Northumberland and Scotland this separating takes place about 

 the month of November, and that from that period to the return of spring few females 

 are to be seen, and these few in distinct societies ; this, however, requires a little qua- 

 lifying, as there are many of both sexes that remain throughout the winter, and do 

 not flock even in the warmer parts of Scotland : in ordinary winters, in the south of 

 England, a very large proportion of them certainly do not congregate, and of those 

 that do the sexes are not invariably apart, but associate together along with yellow 

 buntings, green grossbeaks, and sometimes mountain spinks or bramble finches." The 

 following part of this note I apprehend to be Mr. Blyth's own observation. I am sorry 

 that I have not Mr. Selby's work ; but I doubt not the accuracy of your quotation, — 

 " the males remain and are met with in immense flocks." Now this is at variance (I 

 think) with the observations of naturalists generally ; but the explanation I offered 

 was not suitable for this quotation, neither was it intended for it, but for flocks of 

 supposed hens that were seen in the south. — Id., April 27, 1848. 



Note on the Mealy Redpole (Fringilla canescens), fyc. — Your correspondents, in re- 

 marking (Zool. 2018, 206'!) on the flocks of mealy rcdpoles which occurred last winter, 



