Birds. 4511 



Portir.an's property, at Bryanston, and is now in the possession of Mr. Shipp, of 

 Blandford. — Octavius Pickard- Cambridge ; Bloxwortk House, Blandford, October 6, 

 1854. 



P.S. — At this moment, as I have just finished writing, the keeper of Mr. Dray's 

 decoy, on the heath between this and Wareham, has brought me in a beautiful old 

 male peregrine falcon, trapped yesterday: this bird is so old as to have the throat and 

 a good deal of the breast almost entirely without markings, which is, I believe, a sure 

 sign of age.— O. P.-C. 



Occurrence of Sylvia galactotes of Temminch on the South Doivns, near 

 Brighton, in Sussex. — As G. Swaysland, a bird-stuffer, of Cranbourne Street, West 

 Street, Brighton, was driving on the South Downs, about six miles from Brighton, 

 near a part of the Downs known as Plumpton Bosthill, he noticed a bird which he at 

 first took for a cream-coloured variety of the nightingale. Having no gun he pro- 

 ceeded about four miles to obtain one, and, returning to the spot, found the bird about 

 twenty yards from where he first observed it. It was very wary, flying always to the 

 further side of some furze-bushes, and settling on the side furthest from him, mounting 

 into the air some fifteen yards. Swaysland describes its flight as resembling that of 

 the young of the red-backed shrike. He at last got a shot at about forty yards, and 

 killed it: this was on the 16th of September last. The bird, on dissection, proved to 

 be a male, and would shortly have moulted, one or two young feathers of the primaries 

 having made their appearance on each wing: these are darker than the old ones. 

 The feathers, also, on the back and tail, especially the central ones of the latter, are 

 much worn. I borrowed the bird and sent it to Mr. Yarrell, who kindly sent me the 

 following references, stating also that he was not aware of its having previously oc- 

 curred in Britain : — The Sylvia galactotes is described in Temminck's Man. d'Orn. 

 vol. i. p. 182, and figured in Werner's ' Illustrations of Temminck,' and by Gould in 

 his ' Birds of Europe,' pi. 112, vol. ii. It is No. 146 on page 149 of Prince Bona- 

 parte's ' Conspectus Avium Europaearum,' and is mentioned in Degland's ' Omitho- 

 logie Europeen, vol. i. p. 367. — William Borrer, jun. ; Cowfold, Sussex, October, 

 1854. 



Occurrence of the Pose-coloured Pastor (Pastor roseus) in Derbyshire. — One of 

 these rare and prettily marked birds was shot near the Holy Well, at the village of 

 King's Newton, ou the 16th of September. It was discovered by Mr. Peter Gregory, 

 a market-gardener, whilst feeding on the ground, in a field much frequented by star- 

 lings, and where I observed one, as recorded in the ' Zoologist' (Zool. 2560), in 1842. 

 It is evidently a young bird, and the rose colour is much more delicate than in the 

 figure of the bird in Morris's ' British Birds.' It is now in my own possession. — John 

 Joseph Briggs ; Kings Newton, Swarkeston, Derbyshire, October, 1854. 



Poisonous Effects from Cherry -Stones. — A somewhat singular occurrence has lately 

 come to my knowledge of the injurious effects to young pheasants occasioned by eating 

 cherry-stones ; but I will first mention the very serious consequences which some years 

 ago befell a biped of my acquaintance, from the same cause. This young friend, who 

 had come to London to see sights and amuse himself by visiting Richmond, Green- 

 wich, and other neighbouring places of enjoyment frequented by the pent-up citizens 

 of London, went one day up the Thames, in a boat, as far as Shepparton, a quiet 

 and secluded spot, where" anglers were much accustomed to resort in the summer 

 months: on his way there this young gentleman had occasion to pass the several 

 market-gardens bordering on the banks of the Thames, and well stocked with fruit 



