Birds. 5251 



the object without attracting observation. The observer informs me that, early one 

 morning in August, his atteution was excited by one of the birds, as it was engaged 

 in catching young eels that, as is usual, were ascending the stream. One of its wings 

 was stretched out in the flowing of the river, so as, in some degree, to form a 

 breakwater in the shallow. An eddy was thus created, and when an eel swam 

 forward to the slack water, the bird immediately seized and swallowed it. This 

 action was observed on several occasions in different parts of the stream, the wing 

 being extended against the course of the current in every case. It has been 

 remarked that the dipper and the kingfisher do not keep in the same streams, 

 but which it is that drives the other away seems uncertain. — Jonathan Couch; 

 Polperro. 



Occurrence of the Rosecoloured Pastor at York. — I beg to inform you that a fine 

 specimen of the rosecoloured pastor (Pastor roseus) was shot in a garden here on the 

 4th of this month, and is now in my possession: it is a female. The male has been 

 seen several times, but I am sorry to say it is so wary that there is no coming within 

 shot. I have also received a very fine old male bird of Montagu's harrier (Falco 

 cineraceus), shot at or near Brompton, Northallerton, on the 14th instant. — Daniel 

 Graham; Market Street, York, August 16, 1856. 



The House Sparrow a Flycatcher. — July 31, 1856. A sultry day, with no air 

 stirring, the thermometer at 6 p.m. up to 72° ; just the sort of weather in which gnats 

 and flies delight to sport, and the air seemed alive with small black flies, to which my 

 attention was directed by observing some house sparrows hawking them, flying up 

 some twenty or thirty feet, then soaring and balancing themselves with extended 

 wings while seizing the insects, which they did seemingly as readily and expertly as 

 the true flycatchers. After catching their prey they would suddenly drop to the 

 ground, or fly on to the neighbouring roof or trees. One I observed proceed to feed 

 its young, doubtless with one of the captured flies. Although I have occasionally 

 seen sparrows take butterflies and other insects on the wing, 1 never before, that I am 

 aware of, observed them regularly hawking flies after the manner of the flycatchers. 

 I have for some years noticed the great partiality of the house sparrow for the leaf of 

 the sea-purslane. — Henry W. Hadjield ; High Cliff, Ventnor, Isle of Wight, August 2, 

 1856. 



Gray Longbeak (Macro rhamphus griseus). — Extract from note-book: — "Isle of 

 Man, 1847. When snipe-shooting in a marsh near the Point of Air, a bird suddenly 

 rose before me, which I at first supposed to be a snipe, but, owing to its more rapid as 

 well as peculiar flight, soon discovered my mistake. I fired, but it was out of shot 

 almost before I could raise my gun to my shoulder. I again flushed it with no better 

 success, but, having been careful in marking it down, proceeded to stalk it, taking 

 advantage of any cover or inequality in the ground, with my gun ready to be brought 

 to the shoulder, a finger on the trigger; so when sprung the third time I was 

 fortunate enough to shoot it, but on picking it up saw at once that it was not 

 a snipe. Although an old hand at snipe -shooting (having, in less than two 

 seasons, killed eight hundred snipes out of this and the neighbouring marshes), 

 I almost despaired of being able to bag it, from its great shyuess as well as 

 rapidity of flight. I consulted an old work on Ornithology, without finding it, 

 but subsequently, ou referring to Macgillivray's ' Manual,' met with a faithful 

 description of it in the gray longbeak. — Id. 



Occurrence of the Avocet near Newark. — Au avocet was shot at Fisherton, on 



