3474 Birds. 



struggled to release himself, the tighter did his leg become fixed in the unlucky fork ; 

 and so the poor bird fluttered and struggled to no purpose, until at length his strength 

 was exhausted, and then he hung with his head downwards, and suspended by one leg, 

 only occasionally making a fresh vigorous effort to disentangle himself, which ever 

 proved ineffectual : and so he would have continued to struggle till he died, had not 

 his kind-hearted protector chanced to pass by the tree, and looking as usual with a 

 complacent smile on his sable friends above, chanced to spy out the unfortunate bird 

 which dangled in so luckless a manner from the bough. To see one of his favourite 

 rooks in such a predicament, and to resolve on his rescue, was but one thought ; lad- 

 ders and ropes and men were soon summoned, aud although the tree was a high one, 

 and the bird had chosen a most unapproachable gibbet, yet the good work was not gi- 

 ven up, until the rescue had been effected and the poor rook released. Can we not 

 conclude that the kind-hearted Squire returned to his home with feelings more joyful 

 at the good work he had done, than if he had succeeded in bagging some rara avis to 

 add to his collection in the hall, for he is a naturalist of no small knowledge, and the 

 little incident I have related above marks him in my mind as a thorough ornitholo- 

 gist ; would that we could point to many such, who make birds not only their study 

 and delight, but also the objects of their care and protection. — Alfred Charles Smith; 

 Old Park, Devizes, May 3, 1852. 



Occurrence of Rare Birds near Kingsbridge. — I append a list of a few very rare 

 birds which have lately occurred for the most part in this neighbourhood. 



A pair of merlins, male and female, shot at Kingsbridge in January, are now in 

 Mr. Elliot's museum. 



A ringed guillemot, shot upon Slapton Sands, is now at Mr. Nicholls's for mount- 

 ing. I saw it alive. 



A fine male little bittern, captured yesterday at Prawl, apparently asleep, was 

 brought to Mr. Nicholls unhurt. He placed it in an empty room, where it appeared 

 quite at home, and amused us much by its grotesque attitudes. It seldom stretched 

 out its neck, excepting in the act of striking, which it did with much force, drawing 

 blood from the hand of a boy who ventured too near it. I can safely say I never saw 

 a stuffed specimen in a correct attitude. I have one in my collection, shot at Slap- 

 ton, a few miles from Prawl, a younger bird, and have secured this one. The follow- 

 ing are also among my birds : — 



Wood-chat shrike, adult, killed in Somersetshire, and a young one at Kingsbridge. 



White-winged crossbill, Taunton, Somerset. 



Pine grosbeak, a fine male, Taunton. 



Glossy Ibis, a brilliant bird, Taunton. 

 — Charles Prideaux ; Kingsbridge, April 24, 1852. 



Occurrence of Rare Birds near Norwich. — The following notice of the occurrence 

 of rare birds in this locality may not be unworthy of a place in your journal : — 



On Monday, the 26th instant, a fine pair of the Arctic tern (Sterna arctica) was 

 shot near this city, on the Heigham river. 



On the 17th instant a specimen of the black tern [Sterna fissipes), an equally rare 

 species, was shot near the railway terminus at Thorpe next Norwich. 



Two specimens of the hoopoe (Ujmpa Epops), in good plumage, have also been 

 shot; one at Kiitly, near Lowestoft", Suffolk, the other on Bclaugh Heath, Norfolk. 

 — T. O. Harper ; Norwich, May 6, 1852. 



()<<■!< rrmce of the Qiprey'near Derby'. — On Thursday, April the 26th, a fine female 



