Birds. 8845 



.spring a pair of wagtails took possession of the old nest, and have reared one brood, 

 and the hen, on the 29th of June, was sitting on her second laying. The swallows 

 made two or three ineffectual attempts to build in the same chimney, but were com- 

 pelled to take to another chimney. It is the first time I ever heard of or saw a nest in 

 a similar situation. — J. Ranson ; York. 



Snow Bunting near Barnstaple. — I was greatly astonished when out shooting yes- 

 terday at seeing a flock of some fifty snow buntings rise before me while walking across 

 a stubble field situated on some high ground about three miles from here. When I 

 first saw them I imagined they were merely ordinary sky larks, as the sun was shining 

 brightly on them at the time, and under such circumstances birds often appear to have 

 white wings, or even to be entirely white ; I have occasionally seen rooks look so. 

 They pitched again only a few yards ahead, and the dogs having put them up a second 

 time they flew in an opposite direction, and I at once saw what they were ; being how- 

 ever very tame they did not go far, but alighted again in the same field. I then called 

 the dogs to heel, and walked up to the spot where I had marked them down, but could 

 see nothing of them for some time, until at last one individual stood bolt upright and 

 looked around for some seconds, as if to take a survey of what was going on, and being 

 apparently satisfied it squatted down again close to the ground. I then noticed several 

 others in the same position, their plumage harmonizing so well with the stubble and 

 quartz pebbles with which the field abounded that it was extremely difficult to dis- 

 tinguish them from surrounding objects. The little fellows had their eyes fixed on 

 myself or the dogs, but they did not appear to be particularly frightened at either of 

 us ; the nearest could not have been more than five yards from me, and very pretty 

 and interesting they looked. I was really very sorry to have to shoot at them, but as 

 these were the first I had ever seen alive, and my brother not having a Devonian 

 specimen in his collection, the temptation was too great; and, moreover, I wished to 

 prevent any mistake or doubt on the subject, so I fired; and when the flock rose, three 

 unfortunates were left on the ground dead. Upon examination neither of these were 

 in the same stage of plumage. No. 1, evidently an old bird, was nearly white ; No. 2 

 had the tawny and white markings equally divided : and in No. 3 the tawny plumage 

 almost entirely predominated : the two latter were without doubt young birds. After 

 having their ranks thus thinned the remainder evinced no desire to leave the field, but 

 settled down again but a short distance from the spot where their three comrades had 

 just met with such a sudden death. ?Poor little birds! to be so cruelly received after 

 their tedious flight from northern climes. However, they will not, I hope, be molested 

 again as long as they remain where they are. How long they had been there of course 

 I am unable to say, but the three killed are uncommonly plump and fat, and I intend 

 having them roasted as soon as their skins have been taken off, and daresay they will 

 be very good. It is very extraordinary these birds being so far south so early in the 

 year : as far as I can recollect only one has been seen in this neighbourhood (excepting 

 Lundy Island) for many years, and that one used to frequent a large turnip field, in 

 company with oiher small birds, in January, 1858, when snow was on the ground. — 

 G. F. Mathews ; Raleigh House, near Barnstaple, October 25, 1863. 



Parrot Crossbills at Brandon. — Seven specimens of the parrot crossbill, five of them 

 malts and two females, were received by Mr. J. A. Clark for preservation, having been 

 killed near Brandon, in Suffolk, on the 24th of October, 1863. — Thomas Huckett. 



The Jag and Cherries. — I have frequently suffered from jays plucking my peas, 

 which they shell as dexterously as a good housewife, but it was not until this spring 



