Mollusks. 4331 



hatcLed a nest of partridges' eggs under a hen, and brought the young birds up in our 

 garden. They exhibited a remarkable degree of tameness and familiarity. Though 

 they would not exactly feed out of our hands, they would allow us to sit by them while 

 feeding, with our hands within an inch of them scattering the corn before them ; and 

 whenever my wife, who took the chief interest in attending to them, went into the 

 garden, they would come at her call from any spot where they might be, and it 

 was amusing to see them follow her closely as she walked backwards and forwards 

 about the lawn, and they would never leave her so long as she remained in the garden. 

 The room we usually occupy has three windows in a bow, the middle one shuts down 

 to the ground : the birds would come to this window, and if they were not noticed, 

 would tap on the glass to attract attention, and as soon as they were observed, would 

 run round to one of the side windows, from which the1»were usually fed, and fly upon 

 the window-sill. As the season advanced, several of them strayed away and 

 found other associates up the hill, but four remained constant quite into the month of 

 August, and seemed to get more and more familiar, till one day these likewise 

 disappeared, and seeing nothing of them for a day and a half, we supposed they would 

 return no more. But in the afternoon of the second day, a tapping was heard at the 

 window, and there were the four partridges again ; when my wife rose from her chair 

 they ran round to the accustomed window, flew upon the sill, and when she threw up 

 the sash, they flew up to her and fluttered about her face and breast in a most sur- 

 prising manner, then alighting on the ground, pecked up a few grains of coin which 

 she threw to them, and flew away. Their action was so remarkable that it was 

 impossible to fail being struck with it. Why did these birds come back after a day 

 and a half's absence ? Certainly not for food, for they did not peck up a dozen 

 grains; they tapped to obtain notice, and when the window was opened by their kind 

 friend and protector, they fluttered about her face and breast for a few moments and 

 then flew away. It seemed as if they came for no other purpose, and intended by this 

 extraordinary action, and in such dumb show, to take a parting salute and bid fare- 

 well. It was just as expressive, and as though they would have said, " We no longer 

 need your care and kind attention ; the time has come when we must follow the law 

 of our nature and join our associates and kindred, but we have obtained leave to 

 return once more to thank you for all your care and affection for us when we were 

 motherless and helpless, and to give you one farewell salute." They returned no 

 more. — J. F. Dawson ; The Woodlands, Bedford, April, 1854. 



Occurrence of Rare Birds at Scarborough. — I here send you word of the rare birds 

 which have been killed on our coast last month, and which are in my possession. The 

 red-necked phalarope (Phalaropus ht/perboreu-s), in mature winter plumage, shot on the 

 North Sands ; the common skua (Lestris catarractes), mature ; the glaucous gull (Larus 

 glaucus), mature ; the velvet scotor (Atias fusca), male and fully adult, found on the 

 beach dead; the black redstart (Phcenicura Tithijs), a male, shot at Filey ; the snow 

 bunting {Emberiza glacialis) ; the mountain finch (Frhigilla montif ring ilia) ; the 

 rough-legged buzzard (Buteo lagopus): all these rare birds are in first-rate feather. — 

 Alfred Roberts ; King Street, Scarborough, January 5, 1854. 



