6604 



Birds. 



the dates of the arrival of these, and also the wryneck, may perhaps he of some 

 interest. 



Chiffchaff. Swallow. Nightingale. Blackcap. Wryneck. Cuckoo. 



1851. 



April 2. 



April 3. 



April 



14. 



April 10. 



April 5. 



April 16. 



1852. 



March 30. 





» 



13. 



„ 15. 



„ 9. 



„ 29. 



1853. 



April 4. 



„ 6. 



s> 



15. 



„ 21. 



„ 13. 



„ 21. 



1854. 



March 31. 



„ 5. 



>> 



12. 



„ 18. 



„ 7. 



,, H. 



1855. 



April 5. 



„ 15. 



5» 



14. 



„ 28. 



„ 17. 



„ 15. 



1856. 



March 21. 



March 28. 



1? 



22. 



» 13. 



„ 6. 



„ 23. 



1857. 



„ 30. 



April 12. 



» 



10. 



„ 17. 



„ 11. 



„ 23. 



1858. 





„ 8. 



5> 



11. 



March 31. 



„ 10. 



„ 18. 



1859. 



„ 25. 



„ 10. 



» 



12. 



April 20. 





„ 20. 



The chiffchaff, nightingale and blackcap were first heard by myself, in my own 

 garden, at the dates given ; the other three birds were heard or seen in the neighbour- 

 hood by myself or others; and of these it is possible that the arrival was sometimes 

 earlier than was observed, but I think not much earlier, and perhaps not often, as 

 I keep a pretty sharp look out. It will be seen that the arrival of the nightingale has 

 been remarkably regular, excepting in the year 1856: I cannot account for the late 

 arrival in this year, but had the bird arrived earlier, or at least had sung earlier, I am 

 confident I should, have heard it. In 1858 the blackcap was as irregularly early, for 

 which also I can assign no cause. — Id. 



Occurrence of Rare Birds near Worthing. 

 By John C. Wilson, Esq. 



The subjoined are notices of the occurrence of some of the rarer 

 British birds in this neighbourhood, within the last few months, and 

 which, I believe, have not yet been chronicled in the pages of the 

 ' Zoologist.' 



Roughlegged Buzzard. Female, October 29, 1858 ; male, March 

 10, 1859. 



Hoopoe. Male, April 25, 1859 ; female, April 5, 1859. 



Kentish Plover. Two females, April 3 and 6, 1859. 



Sclavonian Grebe. Male in full summer plumage, April 11, 1859. 



Sandwich Tern. Male, May 21, 1859. 



I also subjoin a list of a few rare birds which have occurred in or 

 about Worthing, within the last few years. For the observation of many 

 of them I am indebted to Thomas Wells, a most intelligent and trust- 

 worthy birdstuffer in this place ; many, however, I have personally 

 examined. 



Common Buzzard. November, 1855. During the four years 

 previous to that date six specimens were obtained. 



