Birds. 443 



gratory songsters have many peculiarities with respect to their ditties. The redstart, 

 for instance, rarely prolongs his strains beyond the third week in January (22nd), whilst 

 on the contrary the sable swallow and diminutive chaff hold on till September, almost 

 up to the day of their departure. The landrail utters his hoarse " crake, crake " almost 

 every evening (especially the moist ones) from the middle of May (16th) to the fourth 

 week in July, very few birds being heard or seen after corn-harvest. The blackcap 

 hushes his wild pipe by the I lth of that month, and the cuckoo her two notes always by 

 the 1st of August. The sedge and reed warblers continue steadily in song from the 

 time of their arrival until a few weeks before their autumnal disappearance. White- 

 throats warble till the third week in July (about the 22nd), after which they are little 

 seen. The nightingale commences his love-songs early in May, and his wild varied 

 notes are the glory of the spring. Hidden by the shadowy foliage of some broad 

 wood or copse, he serenades his mate every evening and night till the end of June, 

 when his strains cease, and are succeeded by a rather harsh, croaking noise, falling 

 anything but melodiously upon the ear. Of our resident songsters it may be noted 

 that the skylark and woodlark awaken their exhilarating ditties in January, and con- 

 tinue them through all kinds of weather until the close of the year. The robin's plain- 

 tive lay is heard in the spring, then is nearly mute the summer through, and is very 

 distinctly audible in the autumn, owing to the solemnities of the season, and the ab- 

 sence of most other woodland voices. He is in full song in September, and his lay 

 may be called the dirge of the departed summer. The song-thrush sings nearly the 

 year through with the exception of the severest months. The blackbird, too, commen- 

 cing in spring, continues till October. The yellow bunting is in full song in July, and 

 loves to sing during the most sultry days. The elegant goldfinch twitters the year 

 round, and his delicate ditty is extremely pleasing. The low scream of the Greenfinch 

 although commenced in the early spring, is heard all the summer, and when blended 

 with the general chorus, has not an unharmonious effect. The chaffinch sings during 

 the vernal months, but closes early, frequently by the middle of June. — Id. 



Note on the occurrence of the Sea Eagle at Elden, near Thetford. A very fine fe- 

 male specimen of the sea eagle (Halia'etus albicilla) was shot on the warren at Elden 

 on January 12, 1843. As it was very slightly wounded, we endeavoured to keep it 

 alive for some time, but as it seemed to pine, it was killed and stuffed by Mr. Reynolds 

 of Thetford. It had haunted for some time the large rabbit-warrens in the vicinity of 

 Thetford, and was shot in the act of preying on a rabbit. It measured 7 feet 11 inches 

 from tip to tip, and 2 feet 6 inches from beak to tail, and weighed 1 1 lbs. when first 

 shot, but lost 1 lb. when in confinement. — Alfred Newton; Elden Hall, near Thetford, 

 Suffolk, Nov. 1843. 



Occurrence of the Osprey near Farnham. About the latter end of September, an 

 osprey was seen in several different places near here, hovering over Frensham and other 

 large ponds. 1 am not aware that this specimen was killed, but about three years ago 

 I obtained a specimen which measured 3 feet across the expanded wings. — T. Man- 

 sell ; Farnham, November 3, 1843. 



Note on the occurrence of the Osprey and other Birds in the neighbourhood of the ri- 

 ver Swale, Yorkshire. A fine specimen of the osprey visited this river in the month of 

 May last; its favourite localities being between the villages of Catterick and Langton 

 where it was easily distinguished by its large size and peculiar habits. When first 

 observed it was flying with an eel in its claws, and was afterwards frequently seen to 

 hover over the water like a kestril, sometimes hanging down its legs, then dropping 



