2382 Birds. 



Greenfinch, from n March to i August. Wren, from i January to iv June, and 

 Goldfinch, from n April to iv May, and from iv August to iv December. 



from iv January to iv July. Cuckoo, from n April to iv June. 



Common linnet, from n March to in Swallow, from n April to iv August. 



May. Ring dove, from i February to in June 



Starling, .... from n July to iv De- and at intervals, and from n July to 



cember. iv September. 



Wryneck, from iv March to i June, and Turtle dove, from i May to iv June, and 



at intervals till in June. at intervals till iv July. 



In the above list are several birds which can hardly be said to sing, yet I know 

 of no better word to express my meaning. — Alfred Newton, Elveden, January 31, 

 1849. 



Dates of Departure of Migratory Birds at Elveden in 1 84 8. 



Hooded crow last seen April 24 Swallow last seen Oct. 6 



Common swift „ Augt. 30 Martin „ Oct. 7 



Spotted flycatcher „ Sept. 15 



The different species of Hirundinidae departed each in a body, leaving no strag- 

 glers. — Id. 



Dates of Arrival of Migratory Birds at Elveden in 1848. 



Golden plover Sept. 30 Fieldfare Oct. 14 



Woodcock Oct. 5 Redwing Oct. 18 



Hooded crow Oct. 8 Wild (bean ?) goose Nov. 14 



With all due deference to the opinion you have expressed in the preface to the late 

 volume of the 'Zoologist,'* I feel sure that both the fieldfare and redwing, as the above 

 testifies, were somewhat earlier in their arrival last autumn than usual. My brother 

 and myself, in different places, on October 14th, saw and heard fieldfares, and both of 

 us came to that conclusion before we saw one another ; and the note of the missel- 

 thrush cannot be mistaken for that of the fieldfare by any one who has heard the two. 

 On October 19th a fieldfare was shot here. The first intimation which I had of the 

 arrival of the redwing was finding, on October 18th, the remains of one which had 

 been killed and partly eaten by a hawk, and the feathers and other remains abun- 

 dantly testified to the species. — Id. 



Rare Birds near Thetford. — A fine rough-legged buzzard was killed at Santon- 

 Downham in July last. An adult male marsh harrier was trapped at Croxton in the 

 beginning of last September. A female hawfinch was shot at Riddlesworth some 

 time last summer; it had probably bred there: two also have been killed in the 

 neighbourhood in the present month,— one at Garboldisham, the other near Bury St. 

 Edmunds. A male mealy redpole, in full breeding plumage, was shot at Riddles- 

 worth last July : I have no doubt that this bird had bred there. A sanderling, in 

 perfect winter plumage, was shot at Gasthorpe the first week of this month : another 

 was seen with it, but having been shot at and missed once it became very wild, and 

 was not again approached. A bittern was shot near Bury about December 14th. A 

 curlew was shot on Foulmire, Wretham, at the end of August last. Three summer 

 ducks (Aix sponsa, Boie), two males and one female, were shot at Livermere, October 

 24th ; some others have since been seen there : these had doubtless strayed from some- 



The dates to which I alluded were September 9 and September 12. 



