Birds. 5203 



Zoology from the Seal of War. — I was yesterday on board H.M S. ' Sidon,' which 

 arrived at Portsmouth a few days ago from the Crimea. The captain introduced me 

 to the surgeon of the ship, Mr. Courtenay, who kindly showed me the living contents 

 of his cabin, which consisted of a magnificent eagle-owl, another owl rather smaller 

 than brachyotus, and which I do not know, and a hobby which had flown on board 

 and been captured in the sea of Azoff. The eagle-owl was obtained on shore, I think 

 at Kustendji ; it was very slightly wounded, and was captured before it recovered 

 itself; it has been two years on board the ship, and is an immense favourite with Jack, 

 who has tamed it to perfection : I never saw a more thoroughly gentle and domesti- 

 cated creature ; it allowed itself to be lifted by its wings to show its terrific talons, and 

 seemed to like being stroked as much as a cat does ; its magnificent eyes showed to 

 great advantage in the gun-room where there was not too much light! The owner had 

 a clever way of carrying it, which the bird seemed quite to understand: it was by 

 taking hold of the outside toe of each talon and then lifting the bird, which did not 

 contract its talon or attempt to support itself by grasping hold of the hand; this 

 struck me as being not the least interesting trait in its education : it flew back through 

 the door of the gun-room to its station with the usual easy flight of its genus. The 

 duties of the commissariat, viz., of providing raw fresh meat for so large a bird were, 

 especially when on detached duty in the sea of Azoff, attended with considerable diffi- 

 culty: it was never put on " ship's allowance," and has cost its owner more than £ 10 

 for fresh meat. In cold weather gulls could generally be shot near the ship, but they 

 never approached in warm weather, and then, if cruising, a live stock of poultry had 

 to be laid in, which at all events could be converted to good use if the gulls turned up 

 again. The poor hobby, though in good plumage, did not seem to appreciate so well 

 as the owls the luxury of a cabin in which he could not be seen without a candle. Mr. 

 Courtenay had pinned a few insects too about his cabin, amongst which I noticed A. 

 Atropos, Cynthia? Cardui, Arctia Hebe, &c, and he had also some live trap-door 

 spiders and their houses ; I think he said from Corfu : these are very large, the door 

 being I should think near an inch in diameter ; they appeared to be exactly like some 

 which I have from South Australia. I have omitted to say that four out of a num- 

 ber of nightingales obtained in the Crimea survived the voyage : this fact gave rise to 

 a rather amusing mistake, for just as I was going on board the ship I was told by a 

 person on shore most seriously and gravely, " Oh, Miss Nightingale is on board 

 the 'Sidon,' she has come home in her, incognito; however I dare say you will see 

 her." I had forgotten this "shave" until the mention of the birds reminded me of 

 their not less notable synonym. — William Henry Haivker ; Horndean, Hants, July 22, 

 1856. 



Occurrence of the Rose-coloured Pastor and Woodchat Shrike in Hertfordshire. — 

 The rose-coloured starling was shot in this parish on December the 20th, 1855, a very 

 unusual time for its occurrence in England. Although it did not appear at all 

 wounded, yet it may possibly have been injured in some way, so as to be incapable of 

 performing a long flight. It had been seen two or three times, previously to its being 

 shot, in some open fields, on fallow, and near flocks of other birds — starlings, &c. It 

 is a male bird, and seems to have been changing its plumage, as the rose-colour on 

 the back is mixed with dirty brown, and the black feathers on the head and neck are 

 edged with light brown : this bird was preserved for me, and is now at Mr. Lead- 

 beater's, in Brewer Street. The woodchat shrike was shot near this place early in the 

 spring, but I could not ascertain the exact date. The person who shot it was out late 



