452 Birds. 



title of Mr. Doubleday's reply, in which the word " inaccuracies " occurs, was written 

 by myself; as indeed are most of the titles of these brief notes. — E. N.~] 



Note on the migration of Larks at Yarmouth, (see Zool. 411). The skylarks contin- 

 ued to migrate up to the 15th of November; on which day I also witnessed the arrival 

 of (Montagu's) rock pipit. — Wm. R. Fisher ; Great Yarmouth, January 15, 1844. 



Correction of a previous note on the Pied Wagtail. In a note on Motacilla alba, 

 which appeared in the June number, (Zool. 188), I have mentioned three specimens 

 as having been taken at Falmouth : this is a mistake. The first (as there stated) is a 

 fine specimen of the continental bird, in good plumage ; but the other two (young birds 

 in immature plumage), afterwards proved to be varieties of M. Yarrellii. I think it 

 right to correct this error, although it is of little importance, as several individuals of 

 M. alba were seen about that time. — James J. Trathan ; Falmouth, January 3, 1844. 



Note on the Pied Flycatcher. Mr. Hewitson, in his pretty work on bird's eggs, 

 states that Muscicapa atricapilla is most abundant in the lake district. I may per- 

 haps be allowed to add, it is rather plentiful in Wharncliffe-wood, near this town ; it 

 is exceedingly local, only being found in a space of fifty or sixty acres of venerable 

 oak trees, near some fish-ponds; the trees are a good way apart: here alone it is found, 

 never, so far as I know, frequenting the thick wood. The males arrive the first ; they 

 are continually fighting about the tops of the trees : on the arrival of the females they 

 take possession of the lower branches, from which they make frequent sallies after 

 passing insects. The nest is built in a hole of a tree. An adult male was shot a few 

 years ago in a meadow near the town, and the same year I observed a young bird in 

 our garden. This species is said to be fond of the vicinity of water ; in the two for- 

 mer localities this holds good, but not in the latter. I have specimens from Studle) r - 

 park, near Knaresboro', where it is said to be pretty abundant. — John Heppenstall ; 

 Upperthorpe, near Sheffield, December 24, 1843. 



Note on the occurrence of the Rose-coloured Pastor at Thetford. A female specimen 

 of this bird (Pastor roseus) was shot at Thetford in September last. It had perched 

 on a tree in one of the church-yards, and is now preserved in the possession of Mr. 

 Reynolds, a bird-stuffer of that place. He tells me he never heard of its occurring 

 there before. The head and neck are glossy black, but have not the green and violet 

 reflections of the male bird ; there was a slight violet reflection, but very faint: fea- 

 thers on crown very elongated. Back, rump, breast and belly dirty white, with very 

 faint shades of rose red : under tail-coverts and thighs black, beak and legs dark brown . 

 Frank Clifford, December 29, 1843. 



Note on a singular noise made by a Sparroiv. I have more than once heard the sin- 

 gular noise made by the house-sparrow, noticed by the Rev. A. Hussey in the Decem- 

 ber number of* The Zoologist,' (Zool. 353). The first time I heard it was about two 

 years ago. My attention was attracted by a strange note which proceeded from. a bird 

 in an apple-tree, which tree I cautiously approached, fully expecting to discover some 

 rara avis. In this, however, I was disappointed, for after carefully scrutinizing every 

 branch, I could discover nothing but some sparrows : and feeling pretty sure that no 

 bird had flown from the tree since I heard the sounds, and being unable to discover 

 any cause from which they were produced, not suspecting at all that so common a bird 

 as a sparrow was in reality the author of this unknown noise, I began to think it was 

 vox et prceterea nihil. But hearing it repeated, it struck me it must have proceeded 

 from the sparrows. After watching them for some little time, I presently heard the 

 noise again, and this time I was fortunate enough to detect an old cock sparrow in the 



