Birds. 3709 



as to the occurrence of the siskin, in summer, in Ireland. — John Robert Kinahan ; 

 Donnybrook, near Dublin, July 24, 1852. 



Occurrence of the Blue-throated Warbler (Sylvia Suecica) in South Devon. — About 

 the 15th of last September, Mr. Buller shot a specimen of the blue-throated warbler 

 in a furze-brake near Whimple, South Devon. — T. L. Poiuys ; Lilford Hall, North- 

 ants, October 9, 1852. 



Carrier Pigeons. — " Sir John Ross took with him four carrier pigeons belonging to 

 a lady residing in Ayrshire, intending to liberate two of them when the state of the 

 ice rendered it necessary for him to lay his vessels up for the winter, and the other two 

 when he discovered Sir John Franklin. A pigeon made its appearance at the dove- 

 cote in Ayrshire on the 13th of October, which the lady recognized by marks and 

 circumstances that left no doubt on her mind of its being one of the younger pair pre- 

 sented by her to Sir John. It carried no billet ; but there were indications, in the loss 

 of feathers on the breast, of oue having been torn from under its wing. Though it is 

 known that the speed of pigeons is equal to 100 miles an hour, the distance from Mel- 

 ville Tsland to Ayrshire, being in a direct line about 2,400 miles, is so great, that evi- 

 dence of the bird having been sent off about the 10th of October must be had, before 

 that we can well believe that no mistake was made in the identification of the indivi- 

 dual that came to the dove-cote. Sir John's letters from Lancaster Sound mention 

 that when he wrote he had the pigeons on board." — From Sir John Richardson's 

 1 Journal of a Boat-voyage through Rupert's Land and the Arctic Sea,' vol. ii. p. 157. 



Carrier Pigeons. — " Next — indeed we should say before the balloons — as a means 

 of communication, came carrier pigeons. When first proposed, in 1850, many people 

 laughed at the idea of a bird doing any service in such a cause ; and may be, might 

 have laughed yet, had not a carrier pigeon, despatched by Capt. Sir John Ross, from 

 his winter quarters in 1850, actually reached its home, near Ayr, in Scotland, in five 

 days. In our Expedition none of these birds had been taken ; but on board the ' Fe- 

 lix' Sir John Ross had a couple of brace. I plead guilty, myself, to having joined in 

 the laugh at the poor creatures, when, with feathers in a half-moulted state, I heard 

 it proposed to despatch them from Beech ey Island, in 74 p N. and 92^ W., to the me- 

 ridian of Greenwich and 56^ N. latitude, even though they were slung to a balloon 

 for a part of the journey. At any rate it was done, I think, on the 6th of October, 

 1850, from Assistance Harbour. Two birds, duly freighted with intelligence, and 

 notes from the married men, were put in a basket, which was attached to a balloon in 

 such a manner that, after combustion of a certain quantity of match, the carrier pi- 

 geons would be launched into the air to commence their flight. The idea being that 

 they would fetch some of the whaling vessels about the mouth of Hudson's Straits ; 

 at least so I heard. The wind was then blowing fresh from the north-west, and the 

 temperature below zero. When we in the squadron off Griffith's Island heard of the 

 departure of the mail, the opinion prevalent was that the birds would be frozen to 

 death. We were mistaken ; for, in about 120 hours, one of these birds, as verified by 

 the lady to whom it had originally belonged, reached her home, and flew to the nest 

 in which it had been hatched in the pigeon-house. It had, however, by some means 

 or other, shaken itself clear of the packet entrusted to its charge. This marvellous 

 flight of 3,000 miles is the longest on record ; but, of course, we are unable to say for 

 what portion of the distance the bird was carried by the balloon, and when or where 

 liberated ; that depending upon the strength and direction of the gale in which the 



