2346 Cetacea.— Birds. 



The Ca'ing Whale. — It seems to have been a bad season for the inhabitants of 

 Shetland. At the time I was there, the herring season nearly over, there had hardly 

 been one successful " ca'ing " or driving of a herd of u bottle-noses," as they are 

 there called. — John Wolley ; 3, Roxburgh Terrace, Edinburgh, November, 1848. 



Occurrence of the Osprey at Udimore, Sussex. — A veiy fine adult male osprey was 

 shot at the above place about three weeks ago by the gamekeeper of F. Langford, 

 Esq., and is now in the possession of Mr. Henley, of the same place. — J. B. Ellman ; 

 Rye, December 7, 1848. 



Arrival of Fieldfares (Turdus pilaris). In the preface to the * Zoologist' for 1848 

 you mention having received several contributions touching the early arrival of the 

 fieldfare, and you consider that the missel thrush may have been mistaken for it. 

 Last year I was several times deceived, taking small flocks of missel thrushes for early 

 fieldfares ; but was soon convinced to the contrary. This year fieldfares and redwings 

 were very plentiful on the 21st of October; and in order to satisfy myself as to the 

 reality, I shot specimens of them both. Can you inform me if the colour of the field- 

 fare's beak depends on the age of the bird, since some I have shot had the beak dark 

 brown, others dirty yellow. — J. W. HulTce ; 155, Lower Street, Deal, Kent, December 5, 

 1848. 



[I regret not being able to throw any light on this subject. With regard to the 

 early arrival of fieldfares in the autumn of 1848, 1 am really much in doubt : several 

 contributors still speak of having shot them early in September, but our best ornitho- 

 logists seem of opinion that there is some accidental mistake. — Edward Newman."] 



Occurrence of the Water Ouzel (Cinctus aquaticus) and Bearded Tit (Calamophilus 

 biarmicus) near Hitchin. — A specimen of the water ouzel has recently been met with 

 near this town (Hitchin, Herts) : it was shot at Westmill, in the little river Orton, by 

 the son of the tenant, who had observed it in the shallow water of the mill tail, fre- 

 quently dipping after its food : it appears to be a young male bird, in perfect plumage. 

 On the banks of the same stream, a few days since, I had the pleasure of seeing — for 

 the first time alive — the bearded tit. I think there was a small flock of them in a bed 

 of reeds ; but a pair allowed me to approach almost close to them, and observe their 

 movements. I do not mention the occurrence of this bird as anything very extraor- 

 dinary, for Yarrell describes it as common in reed-beds over various parts of England ; 

 but I believe it has not been seen before in this locality, — long the favourite field of 

 observation with several friends attached to Natural History and keenly on the look 

 out for rare birds. Last winter, a large bed of reeds, which has for many years been 

 shaded with old willows and other trees, was denuded of timber; and consequently 

 the reeds are much stronger this season, and generally seeded : the birds appearing 

 for the first time under these circumstances, proves that they make extensive flights in 

 search of " fresh fields and pastures new." — William Lucas ; Hitchin, December 8, 

 1848. 



Note and Inquiry respecting the Melodious Willow Wren (Sylvia hippolais). — I have 

 been interested by the announcement in the ' Zoologist' (Zool. 2228) of the occur- 

 rence of the Sylvia hippolais of Tcmminck near Dover, and also by the editorial re- 

 marks in the preface to the volume for 1848, relating to the probability of this bird 



