3506 Birds. 



so long as he lived. He was first observed to employ it in partaking of liquids ; but 

 very soon solids came to be treated after the same fashion. We had no doubt as to 

 how the habit had been acquired in this case. The housemaid, on removing the tray 

 from table, had not been over particular in stowing away the china, among other things 

 the cream-jug with its contents. The discovery was soon made by Gibby, and the 

 cream was an object sufficiently inviting ; but the narrowness of the mouth of the ves- 

 sel which contained it effectually prevented the entrance of the head, and of course 

 the application of the tongue, after the usual method of cats. The natural alternative 

 was the introduction of the paw ; and finding he could gratify his palate by that expe- 

 dient, it was ever after employed under similar difficulties, and very frequently in par- 

 taking of his regular allowance from his accustomed platter. I am informed, indeed 

 a shrewd friend assures me, that rats can overcome far greater impracticabilities in the 

 way of feeding, than is implied in the above : and affirms that he has frequently known 

 them empty a vessel of oil, kept for the use of barn machinery, by introducing their 

 tails into the vessel through a comparatively narrow opening, withdrawing the oil as 

 it adhered, licking it off, and thus repeating the process so long as any of the oil re- 

 mained. — George Harris ; Manse of Gamrie, May 24, 1852. 



On the Occurrence of the Cedar Bird (Ampelis Carolinensis) in 

 England. By Alfred Newton, Esq. 



I should apologize to the readers of the ' Zoologist ' for the length 

 of time I have kept them in suspense with regard to the particulars of 

 the occurrence of the cedar bird of America in this country, which I 

 announced in September last, (Zool. 3277) ; and I must express my 

 regret that the excuse which I now offer for having so long delayed 

 the fulfilment of the promise I then made, is of a very unsatisfactory 

 nature. It is, that the bird I then alluded to is not now in the pos- 

 session of Mr. Batson, and I have been quite unable to obtain any 

 further clew to it, and therefore cannot say whether my information 

 was correct or not. I have, however, the pleasure, through the kind- 

 ness of Mr. F. Bond and Mr. H. T. Allis, of making known the occur- 

 rence of two specimens of this bird in the north of England ; and I 

 cannot do so better than by letting the latter gentleman tell the story 

 in his own way, in a letter to Mr. Bond, of which the following is a 

 copy : — 



"York, November 26, 1851. 

 " My dear Sir, 



" On Friday last I called on Mr. Heaviside, of Great 

 Ayton, to inquire about the American waxwing. He informs me that 

 the two that he stuffed were shot at Stockton-on-Tees, both in the 

 same locality, but on following days ; he cannot give me the exact 



