466 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Tnrtle-Dove's, but was more solidly built. Hawfinches have been 

 seen about the gardens near the locality above referred to for several 

 years in the act of attacking the peas, and on two occasions several 

 were shot. One of these — an adult male — is preserved in a Brecon 

 collection. At another place, in the centre of the county, a small 

 flock of Hawfinches, probably a family party, were found eating the 

 peas in July last, and some of tbern, which were in the spotted 

 plumage peculiar to very young birds, were shot. One of these is now 

 in the collection of one of my neighbours. About the same time, in 

 the east of the county, a flock were also detected damaging the peas in 

 a large garden near Crickhowel. The Hawfinch has been observed 

 nesting near this village several times in previous years. — E. A. 

 Swainson (Woodside, Brecon). 



Little Bunting at Durham. — This bird (Emberiza pusilla) was shot 

 on the slag-bank at the Durham side of Teesmouth on Oct. 11th, after 

 about a fortnight of east and north-east winds. Mr. 0. Milburn and 

 myself were walking along the top of the bank when we flushed it out 

 of some rough grass at the side. We would have passed it for a 

 female Keed- Bunting, but it uttered a different call — a sharp " cit " — 

 so I shot it, and had it forwarded to Mr. Ogilvie Grant for identifi- 

 cation. It was exhibited at the British Ornithologists' Club on 

 Oct. 22nd, and is now in my possession. This is the second recorded 

 British specimen. — C. Bkaithwaite (Sea View Terrace, Seaton Carew). 



Migration of Jays. — The communication on this subject by Mr. 

 G. B. Corbin (ante, p. 434) explains to me the cause of a large influx 

 of Garrulus glandarius into this district during the Jast few weeks, 

 Knowing pretty well the average amount of this species bred annually 

 in the district, their sudden increase surprised me, and I was at a loss 

 to account for it. There are still an unusual number here, but evi- 

 dently the greater part have gone onwards, probably westward. I have 

 had as many as ten or twelve at once in the field opposite my windows, 

 and frequently half a dozen or more at a time pecking the acorns off a 

 Turkey-oak tree close to my "den" window. I had forgotten the 

 recorded immigration of this bird in 1883, referred to by Mr. Corbin, 

 and have no note on the subject ; but at any rate I can safely say that 

 there has been no such an influx here, since then, as that which I have 

 now recorded. I have, however, a note in October, 1861, that " num- 

 bers of Jays came here this month, and devoured the apples picked up 

 into heaps for cider-making." That this might be the result of an 

 immigration did not occur to me, and I evidently construed their 

 presence to be simply due to the local attraction of my apple-heaps, 



