Birds. 4255 



hitherto been recognised as a British bird. — A. G. More ; Doncaster, February 

 15, 1854. 



Extraordinary Propensity of a Moorhen. — At the beginning of last July, the 

 keeper having lost several pheasants about three weeks old, from the copse, and having 

 set traps in vain for winged and four-footed vermin, determined to keep watch for the 

 aggressor, when, after some time, a moorhen was seen walking about near the copse; 

 the keeper, supposing that it only came to eat the young pheasants' food, did not shoot 

 it until he saw the moorhen strike a pheasant, which it killed immediately, and 

 devoured all the young bird, except the leg and wing-bones. The remains agreed ex- 

 actly with those of eight found before. Perfect confidence may be placed in the cor- 

 rectness of this statement. — H. T. Partridge ; Hockham Hall, near Thetford, Norfolk, 

 March 4, 1854. 



Occurrence of the Turf Scoter (Oidemia perspicillata, Flem.) at Weymouth. — In 

 the mouth of December, 1853, a specimen of this rare scoter was shot in Weymouth 

 Bay, close to the shore, and between Weymouth and Purton Coast-guard Station. 

 The above specimen is a female ; it was very difficult to kill, in consequenee of the 

 facility with which it dived. The bird is very nicely preserved by Douglas Legg, of 

 this town, and who has it for sale. — William Thompson ; Weymouth, February, 1854. 

 Note on the Scarcity of Birds on the Continent. — With Mr. Sclater, I was struck 

 with the singular absence of birds on the Continent. In passing up =the valley from 

 Pipinsterre to Spa, in excursions about Aix-la-Chapelle, in ascending the Drachen- 

 fells, in the valley of the Lahn going to Emms, about Wiesbaden, Schalbach, Schlan- 

 genbad, and in excursions to the valley of the Mierg at Baden, though always on the 

 look-out, I saw but few ; a hawk every now and then, one or two carrion-crows, and very 

 often six or seven magpies together, apparently busily employed in plotting some mis- 

 chief; no thrushes, blackbirds, or robins, and not a single skylark between Ostendand 

 Boulogne. The Tythys or black redstart, which Mr. Sclater states to be abundant at 

 Baden, I was not fortunate enough to observe. — R. Wakefield ; Sussex Place. 



Provincial Names of Birds in Devonshire and Cornwall. — The following are the 

 provincial names of some of the birds in Devonshire and Cornwall which have come 

 under my notice: — The peregrine falcon is called sometimes a " falcon," and some- 

 times the " blue hawk ;" the kestrel, " cress hawk " and " wind-fanner ;'' kite, " fork- 

 tailed kite;" buzzard, "eagle;" common dipper, "water-crow;" missel-thrush, 

 " holm screech ; p fieldfare, " blue birds ; " redwing, " winnard " and " windalls ; " song 

 thrush, " gray thrush ; " hedge accentor, " hedge sparrow ;" stonechat, " furzechat; " 

 whitethroat, "whitty beard;" great titmouse, " big hickmull;" blue titmouse, cole 

 titmouse, marsh titmouse, "hickmulls;" tong-tailed titmouse, "long-tailed pies;" 

 wagtails, "dishwashers;" common bunting, "bunting lark;" yellow bunting, 

 "gladie;" chaffinch, "chinks,'' " silver finch," " copper finch ;" greenfinch, "green 

 linnet ; " common linnet, " fiery linnet; " bullfinch, " hoop ;" hooded crow, " market 

 sea crow;" jackdaw, "daw;'' green woodpecker, "woodwall;'' common creeper, 

 " tree climber ;" wren, " tope ; " ringed plover, " scanderling ; " lapwing, " horniwinks ; " 

 oyster-catcher, "sea-pie;" golden plover, "whistling plover;" common sandpiper, 

 " summer snipe ; " dunlin, " sanderling ; " great crested grSbe, " great dabchick ; " 

 little grebe, " dabchick;" great northern diver, " loon ; '' red northern diver, "loon ;" 

 common guillimot, " willock " and " murre ; " puffin, " sea parrot ;" razor-bill, " murre ; " 

 all the terns are indiscriminately called "sea swallows;" all the skuas, "Tom 

 Harries." — Edward Hearle Rodd; Penzance, February, 1854. 



