NOTES AND QUERIES. 425 



1 heard the Willow-Warbler last April in the same spot — a mere oasis 

 in the desert of smoke-blackened houses. The Willow-Warbler also 

 is well known to sing in the autumn, but here too the same remark 

 holds good as in the case of the Chiffchaff, for the song is soft and sub- 

 dued, and lacks the energy of the bird's spring notes. I have often, 

 when listening to the Chiffchaff's song in the autumn, noticed it to sing, 

 as it were, with a stammer, uttering a succession of hesitating cheeping 

 notes. Sometimes it has seemed to me as though it were trying to sing 

 like a Willow-Warbler, but after repeated attempts always came back 

 to its own "cheep-cheep." These syllables more nearly represent the 

 autumn notes, to my mind, than the words " chiff-chaff." — Allan 

 Ellison (17, Selwyn Eoad, Birmingham). 



Richard's Pipit (Anthus richardi) in North Wales. — In connection 

 with my work on the fauna of North Wales, I have recently had lent 

 to me a MS. note-book kept by Dr. J. W. Moses, a medical man, who 

 resided at St. Asaph from 1839 onwards. Amongst numerous local 

 notes on natural history the following occurs : — " 1840, Dec. 9th. Shot 

 a lark upon the sandhills. I was attracted to the spot where it was 

 feeding by the shrill, and to me strange, note it uttered. It measured 

 from the point of the bill to the tip of the tail 7f inches, being nearly 



2 inches longer than the Skylark. In plumage it resembled the Titlark. 

 Whether this be a variety or no, I cannot say." This description 

 appears to indicate that the doctor had got hold of Eichard's Pipit, 

 although the species has never been recorded in North Wales. It is 

 unfortunate that the specimen is not, so far as I know, in existence ; 

 but the length of the bird, the shrill call-note, the Pipit-like colouring, 

 and the very long hind claw can only apply to the species named. 

 This note was submitted to Mr. Howard Saunders for his opinion, and 

 he agrees with the diagnosis. — H. E. Forrest (Shrewsbury). 



Siskins in Orkney. — On Sept. 21st several flocks of Siskins [Chryso- 

 viitris spinus) arrived on migration in the parish of St. Mary's, in the 

 mainland of Orkney. The flocks numbered from fifteen to thirty in- 

 dividuals, and were feeding on the thistles along the cliff-edge. They 

 were there, in decreasing numbers, for about three days, and then dis- 

 appeared. The wind before their arrival and during their stay was 

 southerly, and the weather foggy, particularly on the first morning 

 they were observed. In ' A Fauna of the Orkney Islands ' the Siskin 

 is only admitted in brackets, the sole instance of its occurrence being 

 a bird which was probably an " escape." Their arrival on migration 

 therefore seems to be worth recording, though it may well be that as 



