Birds. 1807 



willow wrens, and one perfect egg of the skylark, which appeared to have been set on 

 about a week, as I found on emptying it, the young to be distinctly formed : there were 

 no remains whatever of anything else. In September last T received a bird (shot by a 

 friend in this neighbourhood, and now in the possession of John Elliott, Esq., of 

 this place), which I suppose to be a young male of this species, with its nesting dress ; 

 its weight being somewhat about nine ounces ; the colour being of a uniform very 

 dark brown (appearing almost black at a little distance), except a broken patch of 

 white at the nape ; the upper tail-coverts, instead of being white, as described of that 

 bird, is of the same dark colour. — Henri/ Nicholls, Jun. ; Kingsbridge, South Devon, 

 May 24th, 1847. 



Occurrence of the Osprey and of the Grasshopper Warblers Nest near Downham 

 Market. — On Monday, the 3rd of May last, an adult male osprey was shot at Should- 

 ham, near this place ; and on Monday last, a nest of the grasshopper warbler, con- 

 taining five eggs, was taken near here: they are all in my possession. If you 

 think the above captures, or either of them, would be interesting to the subscribers 

 to the ' Zoologist,' you would much oblige me by their insertion. — Cooper Coulcher ; 

 Downham Market, Norfolk, May 27th, 1847. 



Nest of Savi's Warbler near Cambridge. — On Thursday, the 10th of June, I found 

 in a part of our fen near Wicken, about twelve miles from Cambridge, a nest of Savi's 

 warbler, containing three eggs. The nest was placed close to the ground, and is com- 

 posed entirely of sedge entwined together, and without any interlining. The shy ha- 

 bits of this bird may account for its being so little known ; as they are seldom seen or 

 heard except early in the morning, or towards dusk in the evening, when their peculiar 

 note may be heard in company with the grasshopper warbler, but from which they are 

 easily distinguished by their softer and higher note. I have also observed them in 

 the fens of Huntingdonshire. — John Brown ; 30, Bridge Street, Cambridge, June 

 25 th, 1847. 



Java Sparrow breeding in England.— As I have never met with any notice of the 

 Java sparrow {Fringilla oryzivora) having bred in England, perhaps the following 

 statement may be acceptable to the readers of the ' Zoologist.' The pair of birds 

 have been in my possession for more than two years, and lived all the last winter in an 

 aviary, thatched, but otherwise open to the external air ; and early in May I observed 

 both birds very busily occupied in collecting straws, the stems of dried plantain, and 

 short sticks in one of the compartments of a box placed for the accommodation of some 

 turtle-doves. The young birds (three in number and two addle eggs) were hatched 

 about the 1st of June, but up to the present time, though apparently healthy, and the 

 quill and tail-feathers fully developed, they have made no attempt to leave the nest. 

 I wish just to notice what is stated in the account of this bird in Swainson's ' Zoolo- 

 gical Illustrations,' that the male bird only has the white patch on the ear, and the 

 plate is coloured to correspond. Now, both my birds are exactly similar in plumage, 

 and the only difference I can perceive, is, that the one I imagine to be the hen-bird 

 is rather the smaller of the two ; but the difference is so slight, that it is almost im- 

 possible to tell one from the other, especially as they are both equally attentive to 

 their young family. — Robert M. Lingwood ; Lyston, near Ross, Herefordshire, June 

 23rd, 1847. 



Dates of Arrival of Summer Birds at Broadway, Worcestershire. — As you admit 

 into your Journal lists of the appearance and departure of our migratory birds in dif- 

 ferent localities, I have sent you an account of those most common to this neighbour- 



