1500 Birds. 



were strong enough to fty away, with the exception of two which had died. Many 

 readers of the ' Zoologist ' will be better able than I am to form an opinion whether 

 the circumstances related, at all favour the views of those who advocate the hyberna- 

 tion of different birds, but I think they prove that birds of the swallow tribe do occa- 

 sionally congregate for the special object of warmth, and I would suggest that 

 like circumstances have probably given rise to that idea. — T. Catchpool, Jun., 

 Colchester. 



Note on a White Swallow. — On Tuesday last, a swallow perfectly white, was shot 

 at Stoke Holy Cross. — The Universe, September I8t?i, 1846. 



Is the tumbling of Pigeons a natural or acquired habit P — A short time since, while 

 sitting in the garden with a little boy about six years of age, his attention was attracted 

 by some pigeons which repeatedly flew over, and amongst them were some " tumblers," 

 these more particularly caught his notice, from their characteristic habit of turning 

 over in the air, and he said " Papa, are pigeons taught to do so ? " I answered on the 

 instant " No, it is a habit natural to a particular kind of pigeon, known as " tumblers.'' 

 Thinking it over since, I have doubted how far my reply was correct, and should be 

 glad if any of your various correspondents would give, through your columns, a reply 

 to the child's query, more satisfactory than the one I gave has proved to my own 

 mind. If our various kinds of dove-house, or domestic pigeon, are all (as has been 

 supposed) descended from the wild pigeons of the wood and forest, it is a subject of 

 curious enquiry, how this " tumbling " propensity was generated ? or whether it has 

 ever been noticed in any of the free-born inmates of the " Woodland Wild ? " — E. 

 R. Foster ; Camberwell. 



Note on the Pheasant. — About the middle of the last summer, the occupants of a 

 farm-house in the adjoining hamlet of Kermincham, were much surprised one day to 

 see a fine cock pheasant strutting about with the hens in the yard, and apparently as 

 much at home, as any of his domesticated companions. In the evening he retired to 

 the woods to roost, and made his appearance again in the morning by daybreak, and 

 this was carried on with great regularity for several months ; in fact, I am not certain 

 whether his visits have yet been discontinued. There was no reason to suppose that 

 the bird had escaped from confinement. The farmer informed me that he was fre- 

 quently seen in coitu with the hens, but the eggs were invariably barren. — T. W. 

 Barlow. 



Occurrence of the Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tringa rufescens), at Penzance. — I am 

 enabled to add the above rare Tringa to our Cornish fauna, by the capture of one on 

 the sands between this place and Marazion on the 3rd inst. The bird was flying in 

 company with dunlins and ring plovers, and was killed with several of the above birds. 

 The plumage of the bird seems to agree so entirely with Mr. YarrelPs specimen 

 (which was obtained at the same period of the year) that it would be unnecessarily fill- 

 ing your pages to enter into a full description of its plumage. The specific characters 

 which distinguish this species from the other species of the family, are clearly defined 

 in the under surface of the wings. — Edward Hearle Rodd ; Penzance, Cornwall, 

 September 19th, 1846. 



Occurrence of Sabine's Snipe near Clonmel. — I have just received a specimen of 

 Sabine's snipe ; it was shot on the 31st of last month in a bog near New Birmingham, 

 about sixteen miles from this place by J. Morton, Esq., of this town. It was in company 

 with a common snipe, and rose with it ; its cry was similar to that of the common, and 

 but for which cry it would have escaped, being on first rising mistaken for a water- 



