Birds. 569 



jet as during the breeding season. Mr. Greenwood must have taken for males either 

 the females, or the young of the preceding spring, both which have the crown 

 of the head reddish brown ; however, this remains for him to solve. If there is a 

 change takes place with him, as he has stated there is, it seems to me extremely odd; 

 for it is a most undoubted fact, that no such change ever takes place in the plumage 

 of the male reed buntings here, beyond what I have before stated. I should be sorry 

 to see this pretty bird robbed of its most distinguished ornament without first a proper 

 investigation into the matter. The reed bunting is very generally dispersed — indeed 

 I might say common — about here; in any hedge by a brook or ditch, or amidst the 

 reedy dyke a pair of these birds may be found : in winter, as many as six (males and 

 females) may be seen congregated together, although two is the most general number 

 to be seen at once. The male bird, when in song, mounts the topmost spray of some 

 bush, and pours forth its unvaried but pleasing song to its mate, often for more than 

 an hour together. Though these birds frequent reeds at all seasons of the year, I have 

 never seen them while perched on those plants pick the seeds from them. They de- 

 stroy great quantities of insects in the hedge-rows and amongst reeds : when more solid 

 food is needed, they take to the fields, where they feed promiscuously upon grain and 

 small seeds — but chiefly the smaller seeds are had recourse to — thereby rendering a 

 great service to the agriculturist. I have remarked that these birds are always in 

 pairs ; one instance only occurs to me when this general rule was broken through, and 

 that was when there were two female birds and one male, so that it is not improbable 

 they remain paired for life. Mr. Yarrell, in his account of this bird, gives good rea- 

 sons for adopting for it the name of the " Black-headed Bunting " instead of that of 

 " Reed Bunting," which name I can highly recommend to be used in the nomencla- 

 ture of our birds by writers in ' The Zoologist.' — Vivian Walmesley ; Westwood House, 

 March 6, 1844. 



Note on the occurrence of the Snow Bunting at Derby. In the beginning of last 

 March a specimen of the snow bunting was shot here : it is now in my possession. — 

 R. J. Bell ; Mickleover House, near Derby. 



Notes on the Habits of the Haivfinch. Having for some years paid attention to the 

 Ornithology of this district, I beg to offer a few observations on the habits and nidifi- 

 cation of the hawfinch, which our position on the borders of Epping-forest has given 

 me unusual facilities of making, and which I have thought may prove interesting to 

 some of your readers. This comparatively rare species came first under my notice 

 about the winter of 1825, when a fine cock bird fell dead on the gravel walk before 

 the gardener, from what cause was not ascertained; but it was not until 1837 that I 

 was aware of their being resident and rather numerous in the neighbourhood. Dur- 

 ing the winter and early part of that year, four or five of these birds were pretty con- 

 stant visitors in my father's garden, and others were occasionally observed flying over. 

 On the 17th of May we discovered a nest situated in an apple-tree in a retired part of 

 the garden, about ten feet from the ground, and the old birds, though very shy, might 

 be occasionally observed about. The hen sat very closely on four eggs, after I had se- 

 cured a fifth for my collection, and on the 3rd of June hatched only one young bird, 

 which left the nest on the 18th, but was not seen afterwards. In external appearance 

 this nest much resembled that of the bul finch, though considerably larger, being com- 

 posed of an abundance of twigs and small dead sticks, loosely put together, and lined 

 with garden-bass and fibrous roots. The eggs, which are now well known to most col- 

 lectors, are of an olive green ground, marked and blotched with dark brown. Bein<> 



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