Birds. 1393 



animal or vegetable creation, or from places where their own presence 

 in too great numbers would work a similar injury. We may further 

 suggest that the former class is represented by those birds which ap- 

 pear in flocks, and the latter, by those which disperse in various 

 directions, and which are consequently only found amongst us, singly, 

 or in flocks of very limited extent. 



By such " nice links and beautiful dependencies," are the various 

 subordinate parts of the whole system of creation connected ! 



J. H. GURNEY, 



W. R. Fisher. 

 London, June 3rd, 1846. 



Erratum: 

 At page 1319, the 13th line from the bottom, for " northern " read " southern." 



The peculiarity in the mode of a Robins capturing its prey. — On the 28th ult. when 

 out entomologizing, I was much amused in witnessing what appeared to me the no- 

 vel manner in which a robin captured its prey. The bird was two yards distant from 

 me perched on a paling, which it several times left to dart upon some flies it had seeu 

 on the trunk of an oak, which it managed rather dexterously to ascend, and always 

 succeeded in capturing the insects, which were devoured upon its return to the palings. 

 Not recollecting to have seen this fact mentioned in any ornithological work which I 

 have read, I am induced to send you this notice, trusting it may find a place in your 

 magazine, if deemed worthy of insertion. — E. J. R. Hughes ; Catherine Street, 

 Whitehaven, June 9th, 1846. 



Occurrence of the Nightingale in Devonshire. — A nightingale was shot a few days 

 since at Tallaton, near Honiton, and is now in the possession of Sir John Kennaway, 

 Bart. Notice of this circumstance in the ' Zoologist ' will oblige. — Edward Murch ; 

 Honiton, Devon, May 2lst, 1846. 



The Oil-gland again. — The 14th ult. I took three ravens from a nest on Dartmoor ; 

 they are coming on finely, and the most forward bird is frequently pressing a vast 

 gland with his iron beak, extracting therefrom an oily matter, and spreading it on 

 his feathers. It seems to me that a liquor comes from his throat, and mixes with what- 

 ever he may get from the gland ; just as when we put any pungent substance on our 

 tongue, when the saliva will flow freely. I cannot be persuaded but that birds 

 lubricate. — Henry Daniell ; Exeter, April 26th, 1846. 



[I fear this communication aims at proving too much : it appears to me rather go- 

 ing too far to imagine that birds will with their beaks press a gland in order to express 

 a pungent oil, which pungent oil is to serve for the purpose of causing a flow of saliva, 

 and this saliva again to serve for the purpose of lubricating the plumage. — Edward 

 Newman]. 



Note on Mis-coloured Eggs. — Those who collect the eggs of birds, well know how 

 different the colour and markings are in different specimens of the same bird. During 

 the summer I found a nest in some ivy, containing some milk-white eggs ; on revisit- 



iv 5 1 



