3278 Birds. 



Curiously coloured Rook in Suffolk. — A rook, a nestling, but perfectly feathered, 

 was killed near Bury St. Edmund's this spring, of a dingy purplish brown or maroon 

 colour all over, suffused with a darker shade; the legs were light brown, and the beak 

 flesh-colour. — JEdivard Newton ; Elveden, Thetford. 



Occurrence of the Great Black Woodpecker (Picus martius) in Essex. — As you 

 some time ago begged that any occurrence of the black woodpecker in England, not 

 hitherto recorded, might be made known to you, and as this bird still occupies a dis- 

 tinguished place in controversial ornithology, I am induced to tell you of the follow- 

 ing instance : and although the example in question was not obtained, yet I have no 

 doubt, from the knowledge of birds possessed by my informant, that no mistake was 

 made as to the species. One was seen in the park at Audley End, near Saffron Wal- 

 den, June 5, 1847. It was put up first from off the ground, where it appeared to have 

 been feeding, and flew into a high tree, uttering a note like that of the green wood- 

 pecker, but hoarser and louder. My informant was at the time walking with two 

 other persons, one of whom had a single-barrelled gun ; they went round to the other 

 side to drive the bird out, and it flew, passing first behind another tree, and then came 

 round almost over my friend's head, affording him a full view of it. His chance was, 

 however, by that time gone, for he fired at the bird through the tree the moment it 

 appeared, fearing that it would be his only opportunity of doing so. It then entered 

 a plantation ; and although no efforts were spared to obtain it, and a large reward was 

 offered for it, it was not even so much as seen again. I am sure that in this case no 

 mistake respecting the bird was made ; and the observer related the occurrence as he 

 was showing me the collection at Audley End, remarking how nearly it had been en- 

 riched by the substitution, for a foreign skin, of that of a bona fide British-killed spe- 

 cimen of this rare bird : and my friend, only a day or two ago, showed me a note of the 

 occurrence which he made at the time. — Alfred Newton ; Cambridge, Sept. 18, 1851. 



Occurrence of Black Grouse and Quails in Northamptonshire. — It may interest 

 some readers of the 'Zoologist' to know that the black grouse (Tetrao Tetrix) has oc- 

 curred in this county. A gray hen was observed in September, 1849, in a wheat-stub- 

 ble near C ran ford, the seat of Sir G. Robinson, and was afterwards seen three or four 

 times in that neighbourhood, and in Grafton Park: and in May and June, 1850, 

 labourer at Cranford, in clearing out a ditch, disturbed her from her nest containing 

 ten eggs, which were put under a hen, but all proved rotten. I never heard of this 

 bird in this county before, and the nearest place that I am aware of in which they are 

 indigenous is Sherwood Forest, in Nottinghamshire. I may also mention the occur- 

 rence of several quails (Coturnix dactylisonans) in the neighbourhood of Aldwinkle 

 and Titchmarsh ; these birds having hitherto been rare, at all events, in these parish- 

 es. — T. L. Powys ; Lilford, Northamptonshire, September 25, 1851. 



Occurrence of the Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) in Yorkshire. — On Friday, the 

 2nd of August, Charles Vaux, servant to Mr. George Milner Farmer, observed a sin- 

 gular looking bird among the ducks. He got his gun and shot it, when it proved to 

 be a fine adult female of the spoonbill. He brought it, scarcely cold, to Mr. Graham, 

 of York, by whom it has been set up, and it is now in my collection. The place of its 

 capture was Wilberfoss, near Pocklington, about eight miles from York. — W. M. E. 

 Milner ; Nunappleton, September, 1851. 



Occurrence of the Spoonbill at Hailsham, Sussex. — On the 3rd instant a man ob- 

 served six spoonbills feeding together in a field near the above place, and succeeded in 



