1552 Birds. 



der and delicate beak of this bird ; yet even this is better than the frozen ditches, 

 where no food is to be procured in any way. In the case of the kingfisher however 

 it appears to have been a matter of choice, and its instinct led it to the only way in 

 which it could obtain access to the abundant supply of food presented to it. The in- 

 ducement to frequent the sea-shore probably arises from the abundance of small fish 

 and marine insects in the pools, rendering it a smaller act of labour to obtain a suffi- 

 ciency of food there, than in its more natural habitat, viz. the streamlets of the district. 

 T shall now leave the matter to those who may wish to investigate more deeply the 

 causes which led to such a deviation from the ordinary customs of our only kingfisher, 

 being content myself with simply recording the fact as having occurred under my 

 own observation. — Beverly R. Morris, A. B., M. D. ; York, September, 25th, 1846. 



Occurrence of the Red-necked Phalarope in Norfolk. — I received last week from 

 Salthouse, on the northern coast of this county, a specimen of the red-necked or lesser 

 phalarope (Phalaropus hyperboreus), which I have reason to believe is the fourth indi- 

 vidual of this species which has been procured at Salthouse during the present au- 

 tumn. The last Norfolk specimen of this bird which came under my notice, previously 

 to the above, occurred several years since in the adjoining parish of Weybourn. — J. 

 H. Gurney ; Easton, Norfolk, November 14*A, 1846. 



Occurrence of the Gray Phalaropes near Penzance. — A large number of these birds 

 have been observed on our coast during the past fortnight, and nearly all the examples 

 that have been obtained, appear to be extremely emaciated. Several I have heard of, 

 have been chased down on the sea-shore and inland in a state of great exhaustion, others 

 have been found dead. It is probable that there must have been a simultaneous 

 movement of these birds from their northern habitat, most likely just before the late 

 severe gale from the S.S.E. which perhaps met them and opposed their progress south- 

 ward. — Edward Hearle Rodd ; Penzance, October 16th, 1846. 



Occurrence of the Gray Phalarope near Honiton. — A specimen of that rare and 

 beautiful bird the gray phalarope (Tringa lobata), was shot this morning on the river 

 Otter, near this town ; it has but partially acquired its winter plumage. — Edward 

 Murch ; Honiton, October \2th, 1846. 



Occurrence of the Gray Phalarope near Preston. — A male specimen of this bird, in 

 mixed plumage, was killed near this town, on the river Eibble, in company with an- 

 other, which though wounded made its escape. — James Cooper ; Preston, Oct. 1846. 



On the noise made by the Snipe. — On looking over your interesting periodical, the 

 ' Zoologist ' of the present month, I find some further observations on the noises pro- 

 duced by the snipe, in the breeding season, the writer alludes to another sound pro- 

 duced by the snipe which he describes as resembling the sharpening of a saw without 

 its harshness, and, supposes this might be the sound referred to, by Mr. Bree, (Zool. 

 1066), if so, I quite agree with Mr. Fisher, that this sound is produced while the 

 bird is on the ground, as well as when on the wing, but, I cannot understand how 

 the term " whorring " could be applied to it, for if we deprive the sound produced 

 by the sharpening of a saw of its harshness, we reduce it to that produced by friction, 

 such as the cutting of cork with an indifferent knife, or the axle of a barrow-wheel 

 that wants greasing, and indeed the comparison by Mr. Fisher was not a bad one, I 

 however understood " whorring " to refer to that sound called " humming " by the 

 Rev. J. C. Atkinson, and which both that gentleman and Mr. Fisher agree as being 

 produced, only while the bird is on the wing, and by a peculiar mode of flight : if, 

 however, Mr. Bree still means by " whorring " to refer to the noise called " humming " 



