Birds. 2621 



islands during the past week, viz., the woodchat shrike. I append a description of 

 the bird, which is immature. Forehead, crown of the head and nape ash colour, 

 blended with indistinct brown and rufous spots : beak dark horn colour ; under man- 

 dible at the base saffron-yellow : middle part of the back dull white, barred with 

 black, bordered on each side with umber-brown : scapularies white, deeply margined 

 with brown, some of the feathers having a mixture of rufous : primaries black, with 

 the basal halves white, tinged with yellow towards the upper parts: great wing- 

 coverts dark brown, partially covering the white of the primaries, leaving a patch 

 only visible ; secondaries black, deeply margined with rufous and tipped with a lighter 

 colour ; lesser coverts the same : rump and upper tail-coverts nearly white, with in- 

 distinct semicircular bars of brown ; those next the tail rufous, edged with black : 

 tail, hair brown ; the exterior feather deeply tipped with dirty white ; outer web, and 

 a small portion of the inner web next the shaft, white ; the other tail-feathers more or 

 less tipped with the same colour : the whole of the under parts dirty white, rayed with 

 irregular semicircular and lance-shaped marks: belly dirty white: legs and feet 

 black. The same despatch which brought this interesting specimen, brought also a 

 specimen of the garden warbler (Curruca hortensis), and, within a day or two after- 

 wards, a wryneck ; all no doubt bound for their southern retreats, but driven out of 

 their course by the late easterly gale. — Id. 



Occurrence of Scolopax Brehmi in Scotland. — The following notice occurs in the 

 'Annals and Magazine of Natural History' for this month. "Two specimens of 

 Gallinago Brehmi have been shot at Jardine Hall, on the 9th and 10th of October, 

 being the first time that this species has been noticed as visiting our islands. We 

 have no doubt that it has hitherto been overlooked, but one distinction is very easily 

 noticed. On comparing the tail with that of the common snipe, it will be seen that 

 the outline of the latter is rounded, while in G. Brehmi the outer feather exceeds the 

 length of the second. At this season of winter migration we would invite sportsmen 

 to attend to the finding of this bird. William Jardine, Jardine Hall, October 

 11, 1849." This is the Scolopax Brehmi of Gould's 'Birds of Europe.' Can any 

 of your correspondents supply a description ? Collectors visiting the London markets 

 should have an eye for this species. — Robert F. Tomes ; Welford, November 5, 1849. 



Moorhens roosting in Trees. — In answer to an inquiry of the Rev. F. 0. Moms 

 (Zool. 2591), whether it is the usual habit of moorhens to roost in trees, I believe it is 

 not at all an unusual occurrence : I saw, in March last, three roosting together in a 

 tall hawthorn overhanging a stream ; and two winters ago a friend of mine shot a 

 water-rail, which he found in a thick holly bush. — J. W. Hulke ; 155, Lower Street, 

 Deal, October 19, 1849. 



Occurrence of the Great Northern Diver at Penzance. — The last week has produced 

 two specimens, apparently females, of this diver, in full summer plumage. The fact 

 is worth noticing, merely to confirm the impression which a similar notice of mine 

 two years ago conveyed, when referring to the capture of this bird, in the month of 

 October (I think rather earlier than the present instances) : I stated that, from the 

 appearances which the under plumage presented, there was every reason to believe 

 that the genus Colymbus undergoes the autumnal moult later than most other birds, 

 and which would account for the summer livery remaining unchanged. The present 

 two specimens exhibit precisely the same symptoms, viz., the new under feathers in a 

 state of active development, and of an uniform cinereous hue. — Edward Hearle Rodd ; 

 October 24, 1849. 



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