Birds. (3561 



from the common coloured rabbits in different places and of different ages, and were 

 to be seen daily, and grew and thrived well, until within the last three or four months, 

 when they gradually disappeared, and now there is not a single rabbit out of all the 

 sixteen buff-coloured ones to be seen, though plenty of the common brown rabbits, 

 both old and young, are to be seen in every direction as before. As the winter was so 

 remarkably mild, with scarcely a day's snow and but very little frost, and as it is per- 

 fectly certain that these buff-coloured rabbits have not migrated, I am utterly at a 

 loss to account from what cause the singular and sudden disappearance of all these 

 buff rabbits is to be attributed to. It is impossible that the foxes or vermin can have 

 selected them in preference to the other kinds ; nor can the severity of the winter have 

 caused their death. But from what can it have arisen ? — W. H. Slaney ; Hatlon 

 Hall, near Shrewsbury, May 6, 1859. 



Occurrence of the Golden Oriole (Oriolus galbula) near the Land's End. — A male 

 specimen of the golden oriole, in its full brilliant plumage, came into my possession 

 yesterday: it was captured in a sequestered valley about four miles westward of this 

 place, Hying from hedgerow to hedgerow, very much in the style of the missel thrush 

 (Turdus muscivorus). The bird was in a state of emaciation and feebleness, but pro- 

 bably it had not been long so, for the whole plumage is in a stale of unsullied purity. 

 — Edward Hearle Rodd ; Penzance, May 2, 1859. 



Kite, Hoopoe and Golden Oriole shot near Scarborough. — I had the following rare 

 birds brought in last week : — a male kite (Falco milvus), in fine feather, trapped 

 near this town ; a hoopoe (Upupa epops), and a second very beautiful specimen, shot 

 near Oliver's Mount ; a male golden oriole (Oriolus galbula), in the finest adult plu- 

 mage, shot at Hunmanby, on Rear-Admiral Mitford's estate. — Alfred Roberts; 

 King Street, Scarborough, May, J 859. 



Curious Situation for a Dipper's Nest. — A curious fact in the nidification of the 

 dipper (Cinclus aquaticus) having just come under my notice, a fact, so far as I am 

 aware, quite unprecedented, I make no apology for laying the occurrence before your 

 readers. This nest was situated at the extreme end of a sand martin's old hole, formed 

 in a sand-bank overhanging a small brook, and nearly two feet in depth. The old 

 bird was caught on the nest by the finder, and with some difficulty drawn out of the 

 hole, the aperture being barely sufficient to allow the introduction of his arm. Five 

 fresh eggs were taken from the nest, which was subsequently dug out, and a good 

 deal resembled in shape that of the blackbird, but, as usual, was composed of moss 

 thickly lined with oak-leaves, the dome, however, being entirely wanting. I have 

 seen many dozens of dippers' nests, but never either saw myself or read of one built 

 in a situation at all resembling the above, and, believing the circumstance to 

 be unique, I have lost no time in communicating it to you. — Henry Smurthivaite ; 

 Richmond, Yorkshire, May 16, 1859. 



Occurrence of the Hoopoe near Shreivsbury. — On the first of May a fine specimen 

 of that rare bird, the hoopoe, was seen at Walford Manor, near Shrewsbury, the seat 

 of R. A. Slaney, Esq., M.P. It was feeding in a turnip field near a farmhouse and 

 outbuildings, and was very tame, running from place to place in pursuit of worms, and 

 allowed Mr. Slaney and his brother to come within about twenty yards of it, so as to 

 XVII. 2 K 



