5320 Birds. 



Walden, Essex. I beg also to notice a very singular variety of the skylark's eggs, 

 which I have in my collection. They are quite white, with the exception of one or 

 two dots and streaks of a light brown colour. A skylark's nest was found here last 

 spring, containing eggs, the ground-colour of which was much lighter than usual. 

 This nest was taken. I have no doubt that the same bird made another nest, and 

 laid these eggs, as they were found near the same place as the former, and not long 

 afterwards. — Edward J. Tuck; Wallington, near Baldock, Herts, October 11, 1856. 



Occurrence of the Rose-coloured Pastor, Merlin and Peregrine in Norfolk. — A fine old 

 male of the rose pastor, with its rich salmon tinge and black crest, was killed on the 9th 

 inst. at Hunstanton; and a very beautiful specimen of the adult merlin, a species of 

 hawk extremely rare in this district, was obtained in the county about the same time. 

 A female peregrine, in immature plumage, was shot in a wood at Sprowston, near 

 Norwich, this week. A pair had been seen in the neighbourhood for some days pre- 

 viously ; but the other, probably the male bird, has not yet been procured. — H. Ste- 

 venson ; Norwich, October 15, 1856. 



Scarcity of the Song Thrush. — Mr. Edward, of Banff, referring to the great and 

 almost total destruction of the song thrush in the North, remarks (Zool. 5261), "The 

 other winter it suffered severely here, scarcely one being left." Although perhaps a 

 somewhat less enthusiastic admirer of the mavis than Mr. Edward, who gives it the 

 preference to and ranks it above the blackcap, I cau fully sympathize with him in de- 

 ploring the loss of so many of our sweetest native songsters ; and can, moreover, in 

 corroboration of his statement of what has occurred in the North, give a few extracts 

 from my note-book of what fell under my own observation in the South during the 

 severe winter alluded to: — " February 2, 1855. — The frost still continues with una- 

 bated severity, and, the ground being covered with snow, all the smaller kinds of 

 birds have in consequence suffered much, not excepting the house sparrow, one of the 

 hardiest of the feathered tribe. As for the thrushes, they look pinched beyond measure, 

 and seem to be in a complete state of collapse. One solitary, wretched, half-starved bird 

 I observed most perseveringly employed in endeavouring to break a snail-shell, raising 

 it on high and then striking it on the ground, or rather trying to do so, for its strokes 

 proved powerless and futile, the intensity of the cold having not only quite paralyzed 

 its strength, but rendered it helpless and half demented ; for so tenacious was it of its 

 fancied prize (for it proved to be nothing more nor less than an empty shell) that in 

 slowly flitting away it would not forsake or relinquish the worthless object, to which 

 it clung as if its existence was staked, or depended on the breaking of this shell." 

 " February 15. — The weather is more intensely severe than ever; and should the 

 snow-storm continue it is much to be feared that most of the thrushes, as well as 

 robins, must inevitably perish of cold or starvation, to say nothing of the numbers 

 that are falling daily under the murderous fire of the men and boys (now thrown 

 out of work, who pursue and persecute them morning, noon and night." " March 27, 

 — The weather is still so cold, with occasional frosts at night, that, although the sea- 

 son is so far advanced, I do not believe many birds have yet commenced the construc- 

 tion of their nests ; for at four o'clock this afternoon I observed a number of black- 

 birds and a few thrushes feeding together in a meadow in this neighbourhood, a proof 

 of the extreme severity of the spring, as in ordinary seasons they would not only have 

 been paired, but busy with their nests, or even silting on their eggs or rearing their 

 broods; for I have heard of a thrush's nest being found at Bonchurch, with four eggs 

 in, as early as the 28th of February ; but this year, with the exception of ivy, they 



