Birds. 3329 



under tail-coverts dingy white, with light brown patches : naked part of the tarsi reti- 

 culated and yellow ; toes yellow ; claws gray at the base, black at the points. A very 

 handsome and elegant male bird. Compared with that figured in Gould's ' Birds of 

 Europe,' the colouring on the head of the present specimen is lighter, and that of the 

 under parts darker. — F. L. Currie ; Clenchwarton, near Lynn, Norfolk, November 18, 

 1851. 



Occurrence of the Hobby (Falco subbuteo) at Clapham. — Thinking it might be 

 worth recording in the pages of the ' Zoologist,' I am induced to inform you of the 

 capture of the hobby in the neighbourhood of Clapham, near London. It was caught 

 by a bird-catcher of the name of Johnson, while in the act of darting on one of his 

 decoy-birds, a starling, about the last week in July. The specimen was forwarded for 

 my inspection and name a few days since. — C. Wood ; Wandsworth Common, Decem- 

 ber 5, 1851. 



Honey Buzzard with a White Head and Neck. — I have in my possession a re- 

 markably fine specimen of the honey buzzard, with the head and neck pure white : it 

 was shot near Newark on the 16th of October. — Hugh Reid ; the Museum, French 

 Gate, Doncaster, November 18, 1851. 



Occurrence of Montagu's Harrier (Circus cineraceus) at Eastbourne. — An imma- 

 ture specimen of this bird was obtained at the above place early in the autumn, and is 

 now in the possession of Mr. Packham, Eastbourne. — J. B. Ellman ; Lewes, Novem- 

 ber 10, 1851. 



Tameness of the Redstart. — In this month's ' Zoologist ' I observe that Mr. H. W. 

 Newman says he has found from experience the redstart a very wild and shy bird (Zool. 

 3275), such however is not always the case. A few years since I was at a large school 

 on the Rhine, and redstarts, or, as we used to call them, fire-tails, were very nu- 

 merous, and as tame as the common house-sparrow. One spring a pair of fire-tails 

 built their nest in our play-ground, in a hole in a wall about 3^ feet from the ground, 

 laid eggs and reared their young in safety, for all agreed they should not suffer for 

 their confidence. And whilst some eighty boys were engaged in noisy play just before 

 their nest, they fearlessly passed to and from it every few minutes with insects for 

 their little ones. — /. W. Hulke ; November 10, 1851. 



[I recollect a very similar instance. When at school at Compton, in Dorsetshire, 

 a pair of redstarts nested annually in an outhouse which formed one side of the play- 

 ground, and which presented a large flat surface, exactly suited for playing at a game 

 then very popular, called " ball " or " fives." The ball was struck against the board- 

 ing of this building and bounded back into the play-ground, when it was again struck 

 against the boards. Notwithstanding the noise of this continued series of blows 

 against a sounding surface, notwithstanding the shouts and frequent brawls of the 

 boys, the redstarts used to pass and repass through a circular aperture in one of the 

 boards, caused by the falling out of a knot in the wood. My impression therefore ra- 

 ther agrees with that of Mr. Hulke than with that of my respected namesake. I may 

 observe that we always called these birds " brand-tails." — Edward Neivman.'] 



Occurrence of the Black Redstart (Sylvia Tithys) at Brighton. — A specimen of the 

 black redstart was killed at Brighton on the 26th ultimo. — J. B. Ellman ; Lewes, 

 December 3, 1851. 



Note on the Snow Bunting (Emberiza nivalis). — The snow bunting has made its 

 appearance early this season. Several specimens were killed in the beginning of last 

 month. — Id. 



