1368 Birds. 



serting in the ' Zoologist.' As a gentleman, a short time since, was walking by 

 a hedge, he observed upon the opposite side of it two blue-caps (Parus cceruleus) fight- 

 ing upon the ground. And so earnestly were the little combatants engaged, that al- 

 though he made his way through the hedge near the spot, (in doing which he must 

 have made a considerable noise) they did not seem to observe him, but continued 

 fighting, even allowing him to place his hat over them, before they desisted. — E. G. 

 Montford ; East Winch, North Lynn, Norfolk. 



Curious Nesting-place of a pair of Robins. — Some months since a number of skulls 

 (human) were discovered when digging close by the old wall of this town, (Clonmel) 

 supposed to have been buried there during the siege by Cromwell. One of them was 

 left in a basket to bleach on the seat of an open bower in the garden. A pair of ro- 

 bins took possession, and in place of brains, the skull now contains their nest and eggs 

 on which they are sitting. — James Clibborn ; Anner Mills, near Clonmel, April 

 25th, 1846. 



A Household Robin. — At a gentleman's house in Darley Dale, a robin has domi- 

 ciled for three successive winters, having had ingress and egress during the day, with 

 the privilege of free access to a well-stocked larder, partaking at will of each dainty 

 there. Its roosting place is usually the kitchen on a Christmas bough, which is still 

 retained for its dormitory ; it enters for the night at dusk of evening, having during 

 the day occasionally sung for hours together to the domestics, as if to reward them for 

 cherishing it thus bountifully. Each year it builds its nest in the trunk of a tree near 

 the house, and feeds its young from the larder. Being so familiar with the house- 

 hold, it will fly undauntedly from room to room, and occasionally on the family break- 

 fast table, sometimes perching and chirping as if to ingratiate itself with its hospitable 

 entertainers. — Derby Reporter. 



Early arrival of the Swallow in Cornwall. — Swallows were seen at this place on 

 the 1st of April, and again on the 2nd, and by myself on the 4th. I heard the chiff- 

 chaff for the first time on the 22nd of March. — Edward Hearle Rodd ; Penzance, 

 April 5th, 1846. 



Protection to Nightingales. — A curious order of the police was issued at Berlin on 

 the 2nd of March, 1846. With a view to prevent the diminution of nightingales in 

 their natural state of liberty, it is decreed that every person in Prussia, who keeps a 

 nightingale in a cage, shall pay an annual tax of ten thalers (forty francs), and that 

 any person putting a nightingale in future into a cage, without giving information to 

 the police, shall be fined ninety thalers. — Times ; April 4th, 1846. 



Late departure of the Swallow at Redcar. — Below I send a note of the late depar- 

 ture of the swallow in 1845 for insertion in the ' Zoologist,' should you deem it worthy 

 a place therein. On the 3rd of December, being on the Sandhills, about two miles 

 to the east of this place, I observed a swallow (Hirundo rustica) sporting very vigor- 

 ously backwards and forwards along the high water mark below me. Another was 

 seen the same morning sporting over the houses in this village ; day cold, calm, and 

 without sun.— T. S. Rudd ; Redcar, April 8th, 1846. 



Ornithological Note. — The 4th day of April, 1846, was one of the most inclement 

 of the season. At two o'clock, P.M., during an extremely heavy snow shower, about 

 thirty or forty small birds (which were believed to be sand martins) were observed 

 skimming round and round close to the water, at the junction of the rivers Suir and 

 Anner. They kept together and approached nearly within reach of the hand, 

 appeared extremely weak and emaciated, and apparently indifferent to the presence of 



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