444 Birds. 



into it like a stone, it seldom failed to secure a fish, which it bore in its talons to land. 

 It was first shot at while sitting in a tall ash tree, but not being much the worse, the 

 bird flew off, dropping however a barbel of about half a pound weight. On another 

 occasion it was shot at while on the wing, and let fall the tail part of a large trout; 

 and while walking under a tree from which it had been disturbed, I found a perch with 

 the back and head torn, as if by the claws of the bird. These observations tend to 

 show that the osprey is no unskilful fisherman. The one in question, after remaining 

 in the neighbourhood for above a month, and being constantly fired at, was killed by a 

 gamekeeper on the 20th of June. Another bird of the same species was observed about 

 five years ago, but not obtained. A fine cormorant was shot at the Red hills, under 

 which the river flows, on the 18th of October, and is now in my possession. It is very 

 rarely met with so far inland, this place being about thirty miles from the sea. Two 

 little stints were seen in August, and one of them was shot ; also three or four green- 

 shanks. The latter are very regular visitors, generally arriving, together with the green 

 sandpiper, about the end of July. — Mark Booth ; Killerby, Yorkshire, Dec. 22, 1843. 



Note on the occurrence of the Grey Shrike at Lynn. A specimen of the great grey 

 or ash-coloured shrike was caught alive here on the 30th of last month. — Daniel C 

 Burlingham ; Lynn, 1st of 11 th Mo. 1843. 



Note on the occurrence of the Red-breasted Tanager, near Cheltenham. When in 

 Oxford during the month of September, I enjoyed the opportunity of examining an 

 adult male specimen of the red-breasted tanager (Ramphopis purpureus, Viellot) which 

 had been recently shot near Cheltenham. Whether the transatlantic straggler will be 

 entertained as an honest visitor, it is not presumed to determine, seeing that it is here 

 for the first time treated as one of the British list. — Charles Buckler ; 15, Rocking- 

 ham Row. 



Anecdote of a hen Song Thrush nursing a young Missel Thrush. A few years ago 

 having had a young song thrush (Turdus musicus) given to me, I succeeded in rearing 

 it until it was able to feed itself with the food supplied to it. About this time a young 

 member of our family, during one of his holiday rambles, having met with the nest 

 of a missel thrush (Turdus viscivorus), containing two half-fledged young ones, brought 

 one of them home, and introduced it into the same cage with the song thrush. The 

 latter (a hen bird) immediately undertook the part of nursing mother to her helpless 

 fellow-prisoner, feeding it regularly at the stated hours when food was supplied them, 

 before she partook of any herself. Under her affectionate care the missel thrush grew 

 and throve wonderfully, till it had attained to nearly its full growth, and during all 

 this time the affection displayed by the song-thrush for her eleve could not have been 

 surpassed, had she been really its parent. But one luckless morning, their cage, as 

 was usual in fine weather, was placed on a gravel walk in the garden at a few paces 

 distance from the window where I sat, and the song-thrush having by some means con- 

 trived to escape from the cage, had perched in a currant-bush hard by. Here she was 

 cleaning her feathers, when a cat, lurking near, suddenly pounced on the unfortunate 

 bird, and inflicted such injuries on her before I could come to the rescue, as caused 

 her death. From this time the missel lost all its animation, though previously remark- 

 able for its lively manners, neglected its food, pined and died within the week, not 

 unwept by its youthful master, nor unregretted by the rest of the family, who had ob- 

 served, not without admiration, the singular attachment which subsisted between these 

 two birds from the first. — F. Oivston ; Driffield ; December 2, 1843. 



Note on the occurrence of the Ring Ouzel near Farnham. At Aldcrshot, a village 



