Birds. 3113 



myself. The almost total absence of anything which could be called winter, during 

 the present season, induced us again to search for these birds in their old haunts, and 

 we were not disappointed, as my brother killed a fine male on the 30th of January, 

 and a female bird on the 21st of February. We have some reason to believe that these 

 birds are regular winter visitants with us, as one of the excavators at work upon the 

 South Devon railroad, who appeared to be well acquainted with them, said that he 

 had seen them in the locality for two or three winters. He could scarcely be mista- 

 ken in this, as he was evidently an observant and intelligent man, and told us it was 

 an unusual thing for redstarts to remain with us during the winter months. — Robt. 

 C. R. Jordan ; Teignmouth, Devon, April 2, 1851. 



Note on the Habits of the Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata) on the Downs in the 

 neighbourhood of Lewes. — On the 12th of October last, I shot a female Dartford war- 

 bler, and on the 7th of November a male, in the same place, as already recorded in 

 the ' Zoologist,' (Zool. 2953). I have in consequence ever since paid particular 

 attention to this bird ; but until the 12th instant I had not seen another specimen. 

 On that day, Mr. Swaysland, of Brighton, shot a female while rabbit-shooting. On 

 the 15th instant, — a beautiful day, — I saw a pair, male and female, among some fur- 

 zes on the downs, and after ineffectually endeavouring for some time to get a shot at 

 them, they separated, and the male flew into a solitary furze-bush, about six feet long 

 and ten broad. I sent my dog into the bush and stationed myself at one end, while 

 my man beat the other, but no bird appeared. Here was a mystery ! We certainly 

 saw the bird enter, and had a clear view all round the bush, so that it could not have 

 escaped without our seeing it. So we stood still for a few minutes, and the dog came 

 out of the furze : when all was quiet, the little bird darted out close to me, and flew 

 into an adjoining furze-bush, where we again repeated the same process, but in vain. 

 At last, he darted out as before, and we lost him in some thick furzes. On the 21st 

 instant, — a beautiful day, — I again went to the same place, beat the bushes, and sent 

 in my dog, but no bird appeared ; so I altered my tactics and sat down on the ground. 

 I had not waited long before I heard the call of the male, and by creeping quietly 

 among the bushes, and keeping out of sight, T soon got a shot at him, and shortly af- 

 terwards at his mate. I had an opportunity of seeing the male dance in the air, and 

 his position at that time was so ridiculous, that I must describe it. Head and neck 

 turned alternately to the right and left : legs hanging down as if broken : tail jerked 

 about in all directions, and the bird angrily complaining all the time. From this ac- 

 count it will be seen that, as far as my experience goes, the habits of this bird differ in 

 one very material particular from those mentioned by Rusticus, namely, — " It is not 

 active and noisy when disturbed by dogs." The bird also appears to me to confine 

 itself to particular spots, and to associate in pairs. A. E. Knox, Esq., only records two 

 instances of its occurrence in Sussex. All my four specimens were shot in whitethorns, 

 and it appears to be more partial to them than to furze. If any of your correspon- 

 dents can reconcile the apparent differences in habit between the birds in this neigh- 

 bourhood and those of Godalming, or give any further information respecting such a 

 local bird, I doubt not that it will greatly oblige many of your readers. — J. B. Ell- 

 man ; Lewes, Feb. 27, 1851. 



Song of the Chaffinch. — The song of the chaffinch, if not in itself melodious, is 

 nevertheless hailed with welcome, as the sure harbinger of approaching spring, when 

 first we hear it on a fine morning in February, or it may be in January. At the com- 

 mencement of the season, the notes are but very indistinctly muttered in a low under- 

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