Birds. 565 



uncommon in the warmer parts of France. Those that visit our island, are probably 

 ! driven here by contrary winds. — /. Pemberton Bartlett ; Kingston Rectory, Kent. 



Note on the Sivallow's course over the Atlantic. On a voyage to New South Wales 

 ; in 1842, whilst passing the Cape de Verds, their noble peaks being often distinctly 

 i seen breaking through the clouds, we observed several swallows about the ship, at times 

 ! resting, by clinging to the shrouds. And although these interesting wanderers were 

 ! evidently exhausted by fatigue, and probably by hunger also ; they never made to- 

 I wards the land ; but continued with us until we were 130 miles to the southward of 

 | Fogo. On the 9th of October, in lat. 11° 13' N., long. 23° 27' W., one of our com- 

 panions became so weak that his flight could no longer be maintained : every attention 

 was paid to the weary traveller, but all in vain : after a few hours he expired in my 

 cabin. The fact of these birds not diverging from their course to land within twelve 

 or fifteen miles, is the point to which I would direct attention, in order to ascertain, if 

 possible, the country to which they were migrating. The ship's course was then in- 

 clining towards the African coast ; the Windward islands were 2000 miles to the west- 

 ward, and quite out of our track ; we therefore concluded the birds were proceeding to 

 the former, as, by continuing the line of direction, they would reach Cape Palmas, at 

 the entrance of the Gulf of Guinea, by a flight of 1025 miles. They had, most pro- 

 bably, departed from America, crossing the Atlantic on a S.E. course, from Halifax to 

 Cape Palmas, the distance being 3800 geographical miles; a very long journey, with- 

 out one resting place, for the little emigrants, whose progress would be much impeded 

 by the N.E. trade, from crossing the Tropic until their arrival on the sultry shore of 

 Africa. — Henry F. Cliffe ; Elm Cottage, Brixton Hill. 



Note on the early arrival of the Swalloiv or Martin. The circumstance of my hav- 

 ing seen either a martin or swallow on the 27th of last month, may be worth record- 

 ing. I was riding past Snaresbrook-pond when I saw it first, and again on my return 

 a few minutes afterwards, so that I could not be mistaken. Mr. Barclay, the banker, 

 was with me, besides several ladies, who all saw it. — Samuel Gurney, jun. ; 65, Lom- 

 bard St., April 15, 1844. 



Note on the late occurrence of the Swallow at Goole in December. Qn the 1 Oth of 

 last December was shot at Goole, in the West Riding of the county of York, a beau- 

 tiful specimen of the common swallow, an adult bird, and not a young bird of the sea- 

 son, in full plumage and good condition. This bird was sent to me, and I had the 

 pleasure of showing it to many of my ornithological friends. — R. J. Bell, Derby. 



Note on the Missel Thrush. The courage and strength of this bird are highly spo- 

 ken of by naturalists, who assert that that it drives off larger birds from the vicinity of 

 its nest. That it attempts to do so I readily admit, but positively deny that it is inva- 

 riably or generally successful, since I have repeatedly had the very best opportunity of 

 observing the contrary. In the large trees, usually in a fir, at the front of my native 

 place, a pair of missel thrushes built nearly every year, and it very rarely happened 

 that the nest was not robbed of either eggs or young, perhaps more than once, by crows 

 or magpies, though close to the house ; and I have seen a crow sitting in the nest, de- 

 liberately devouring its prey, although the thrushes were screaming as near as they 

 dared venture. Nor was I ever able to protect the poor birds, as I would gladly have 

 done, by shooting their enemy. — Arthur Hussey ; Rottingdeane, March 23, 1844. 



Note on the sudden change of Colour in the Plumage of Birds produced by Fright. 



May not the following facts partly account for the frequency of white varieties of birds 



"d other creatures ? In the ' Edinburgh Geographical Journal,' Mr. Young states 



