Birds. 2985 



after he had received the eggs from Mr. Dann, was an oversight. He also tells me 

 that the representations of the redwing's eggs in Dr. Thienemann's late work, resem- 

 ble those of the missel-thrush, fieldfare and blackbird, and not those of the song- 

 thrush. — J. P. Wilmot ; Manchester, November 16, 1850. 



Occurrence of the Pied Flycatcher (Muscicapa atricapilla) in Norfolk. — A male of 

 this species was shot at Lowestoft, on the 10th of May, 1849, by a gentleman residing 

 at that town, and several others were killed in the neighbourhood of Lynn, during the 

 same month. — J. O. Harper ; Norwich, December 4, 1850. 



Blackcap Warbler in Noveinber. — This delightful bird usually leaves this neigh- 

 bourhood in September ; indeed, it seldom stays beyond the first week in that month. 

 This year, however, has presented us with a remarkable exception ; for on November 

 11th, a labourer brought to me a fine male, which had just been taken alive, under 

 the following circumstances. He and another person were walking along a retired 

 lane near here, when one of them perceived an unusual little bird, gliding leisurely 

 about the branches of some willows in a holt. They at once determined to take him, 

 and after considerable exertion ran him clown. They described the bird as flying well, 

 although when brought to me, one wing was somewhat damaged, probably in endea- 

 vouring to capture him. With the exception of the oak, the trees had lost their 

 leaves ; the hedges also were bare, yet the bird had lingered with us more than ten 

 weeks after his companions had departed, braving some cold weather and frosty nights, 

 and still to all appearance was as healthy, and in as beautiful condition and plumage, 

 as when summer fruits were abundant and the woods were green. He had evidently 

 never been straitened for food, and I found from the dung which he dropped that 

 he had been feeding on ripe blackberries. As soon as I received him, he was put into 

 a cage and fed upon this fruit and worms, both of which he ate, and still looks lively. 

 The confinement, however, is not quite so much to his taste as his native fields, for he 

 is restless and uneasy, and continually flitting around his cage and trying to escape. 

 My impression is, that had he not been caught, he would have braved the winter. — 

 John Joseph Briggs ; Melbourne, Derbyshire, November 17, 1850. 



Occurrence of the Shore Lark (Alauda alpestris) near Yarmouth. — A specimen of 

 the shore lark was shot near Yarmouth about a week since, by a boy who was shooting 

 small birds. It is a male specimen, in very good condition as to plumage, and it was 

 also very plump in point of flesh. This is only the second instance (as far as I know) 

 of the occurrence of this bird in the county of Norfolk. — J. H. Gurney ; Easton, Nor- 

 folk, November 15, 1850. 



Description of the Hairy Woodpecker, chiefly copied from Wilson's 

 1 American Ornithology.'' By Edward Newman. 



It will be within the recollection of my readers that some corres- 

 pondence appeared in the volume for 1849, on the occurrence in York- 

 shire of a woodpecker, new to Britain : the first notice is in the July 

 number of that year (Zool. 2496), where Mr. Higgins minutely de- 

 scribes the specimen which was shot at Whitby, and which reached 

 IX. C 



