3056 Birds. 



these in very limited numbers, with the exception of once or twice a solitary bird, 

 which was, however, so shy, that I have been compelled to be satisfied with a most 

 distant acquaintance. Warm as the affections of birds may be towards their con- 

 geners ; when man is concerned, a certain degree of coldness is required to induce 

 them to break the ice of their ordinarily reserved and timid disposition. I think I 

 have noticed that the tits, particularly the great tit, the blue tit, the cole tit and the 

 longtailed tit are unusually numerous this year. I may say the same of the gold- 

 crested regulus. A pair of Royston crows have paid us a visit ; a very unusual cir- 

 cumstance here : I wish they might be induced to build, as there are many eligible 

 sites in the neighbourhood; but I fear they have only taken a lodging for the season. 

 — F. K. Amherst; St. Mary's, Oscott, January 25, 1851. 



Note on the Cirl Bunting (Emberiza cirlus). — By this morning's post I received a 

 male cirl bunting, shot yesterday at the Leases, near Bedale, Yorkshire, by Mr. T. 

 Strangwayes. As Mr. Yarrell has only mention of one being shot so far north, 

 perhaps this will not be thought unworthy a notice in the ' Zoologist.' T am disposed 

 to think the cirl bunting is not an unfrequent visitor to the North Riding of Yorkshire ; 

 but, that like many other of our rarer visitors, it is either not generally known as a 

 distinct species, or not noted. In February, 1840, I shot a young male, near St. 

 Agatha's Abbey, Richmond, Yorkshire ; and on the 29th of December last, I saw two 

 males on Askew Moor, near Bedale ; but at the time we were in chase of a very beau- 

 tiful ermine weasel (Mustelaerminea), which we succeeded in killing, but lost sight of 

 the buntings : they were in company with a flock of green and yellow buntings and 

 chaffinches. The bird first mentioned may be one of the same, as it was shot -not 

 more than a mile from the same place. — Richard Strangwayes ; 70, and 71, Chiswell 

 Street, February 6, 1851. 



Occurrence of the Rednecked Grebe (Podiceps rubicollis) in Gloucestershire. — A 

 young specimen of the rednecked grebe was shot, near Bibury, in this county, in 

 January, 1850, and is now in the possession of Mr. W. Bowly. — W. Joshua; Glouces- 

 ter Street, Cirencester, February 1, 1851. 



Occurrence of the Little Gull (Lams minutus) at Weston-super-mare. — Permit 

 me, through the medium of your interesting periodical, the ' Zoologist,' to inform the 

 ornithological world of another locality visited by that rarity, the little gull. A ma- 

 ture specimen was shot on the 7th of January, in the neighbourhood of Weston- 

 super-mare, situated on our channel, and about twenty miles from this city. As a 

 minute description of its plumage would be superfluous to the ornithologist, and un- 

 interesting to such as do not make birds their study, I will refrain from saying much on 

 that head, but briefly state that this pretty little creature resembles the kittiwake in 

 its second year's plumage, except in size ; it being but two-thirds as large as that 

 gull. There is also a very pretty, rosy tinge on the breast, much resembling that of 

 the roseate tern. As the season has been by no means severe either in England, or I 

 believe on the continent of Europe, and the little gull, as far as I can ascertain, is an 

 inhabitant of more northerly regions, it seems rather perplexing as to what to attri- 

 bute the exciting cause of its leaving its own snow-clad isles and icy shores. — John 

 N. Duck ; Kingsdown, Bristol, February 14, 1851. 



