3276 Birds. 



him, Mr. Grant took advantage of the shade of a rock until the hawk came round it, 

 seemingly threatening the terrier and driving him onwards, circling in the air, and 

 uttering a wild and peculiar cackling noise ; when in front of the rock a shot ended 

 his hunting career." — F. Bond ; Whittlesford, Cambridge, September 8, 1851. 



The Hobby (Falco subbuteo) and Sparrow-hatvk (Accipiter Nisus) breeding toge- 

 ther. — About the end of last May, a male hobby and female sparrow-hawk paired to- 

 gether at Witchingham, in this county, and enlarged a ring-dove's nest, which was in 

 a fir-tree about nine or ten yards from the ground. Five eggs were laid in it, one of 

 which was taken by the gamekeeper, whom I had previously told to keep for me any 

 hawks' eggs he might take. As soon as the other eggs were hatched, he shot both the 

 hobby and the sparrow-hawk, leaving the young birds to starve. Fortunately I was 

 able to get the hobby preserved, although it had been hung up more than a month. 

 The egg which the gamekeeper kept for me has rather more red about it than is usual 

 for a sparrow-hawk's egg to have, and not so much as that of the hobby usually has : 

 but the hobby's egg sometimes very much resembles the sparrow-hawk's. I have 

 heard of another instance, also in this county, of the hobby and sparrow-hawk pairing 

 together in a wild state, but the birds were both shot before any eggs were produced. 

 — L. H.Irby ; Poringland, near Norivich, September 25, 1851. 



Occurrence of a White Sparrow-hawk in Norfolk. — A young male sparrow-hawk, 

 which was perfectly white, with the exception of a few feathers on the back of the 

 usual colour, was killed at Kiddlesworth this summer. The beak was also white, but 

 the irides and legs were as usual. — Edward Neivton; Elveden, Thetford, September 

 16, 1851. 



Piebald Varieties of the Hedge-sparrow, (Sylvia modularis). — On Wednesday last 

 I saw a beautifully marked variety of the hedge-sparrow at Weston-super-Mare, the 

 head, wings and tail were white, the back and breast being white mottled with brown. 

 The bird was quite close to me, but unfortunately T had no gun at hand. A few years 

 ago a whole nest of piebald hedge-sparrows were hatched and reared in this neigh- 

 bourhood. — A. M. Norman; Eglesfield House, Yatton, Somerset, September 19, 1851. 



Occurrence of the Whinchat at Scilly. — This bird, which is of rare occurrence in 

 most parts of this county, was observed and killed at Scilly, no doubt in its southern 

 migratory course.— Edward Hearle Rodd ; Penzance, October 10, 1851. 



Further Notes on the Dartford Warbler. — T have on three previous occasions no- 

 ticed the occurrence of this pretty little warbler on the Downs in the vicinity of this 

 town ; and as it appears to be very local, shy, and difficult of observation, I cannot re- 

 frain from writing a few more words about it. It was on the 12th of October last year 

 that I first had the pleasure of hearing the note of a warbler new to me, and a mo- 

 ment's reflection told me that the only six warblers I have ever seen so late in the year 

 never made such an extraordinary noise, and therefore the noise must come from the 

 throat of a Dartford warbler. Having obtained the bird, and found my supposition 

 correct, I searched diligently day by day, but unsuccessfully, until the 7th of Novem- 

 ber, when I obtained a male in autumnal plumage, in the same place, the first was a 

 female : both birds said " tscha, tscha." On the 12th of February Mr. Swaysland, of 

 Brighton, killed a third, being attracted by the note, and on the 15th and 21st of Febru- 

 ary I saw a pair whose movements were fully described in a former number of the 'Zoo- 

 logist.' These birds were in full summer plumage. On the 19th of March I saw ano- 

 ther pair. These were male and female, but they uttered no note. Week after week 

 from that time have I watched their haunts for hours, and roamed the triangle of 



