314 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



dress; in others, though the orange-fulvous shone like flame in the 

 brilliant sun, light feather-edges still obscured the black of the upper 

 parts. The notes I heard were a loud " clizip " or " chip " (their usual 

 winter call-note) ; and .(uttered on the wing as well as when perched) 

 a " chutty, tutty-tut"; also, once or twice, the wheezy " weeech." 

 The day was a very hot one, the blackthorn in full bloom just then, 

 and as I watched the birds several brimstone butterflies drifted past ; 

 tortoiseshells swarmed. during the day, and I saw one peacock butterfly. 

 The only summer birds I noticed all day were two Chiff chaffs, but 

 Fieldfares were about. Altogether, I wondered whether it was summer 

 or winter. When we consider that Fieldfares and Bramblings breed 

 side by side in the Norwegian fir-forests and the Arctic birch-woods, 

 there seems to be no particular reason why the latter should not remain 

 with us as late in the spring as the former. But this does not seem to 

 be the case, for, although in 1903 I saw a male Brambling as late as 

 April 29th, I have never seen them in May, when Fieldfares are occa- 

 sionally met with. — 0. V. Aplin. 



Note on the Swift. — Early in May last I found a Swift (Cypselus 

 apus) on the upper floor of the dressing-plant at Tywarnhaile Mine, 

 about five miles north of Redruth. The bird was trying to lift itself 

 into the air to fly, but was unable to open its wings fully, as the tips 

 came into contact with the floor. When I saw it, it was only a few 

 feet from the top of a stairway, to which it was struggling as fast as 

 possible. It progressed with difficulty, in a kind of swimming manner, 

 using its wings as paddles ; each attempted stroke seemed to lift it 

 forward a short distanee on the tips of its wings, and so it fairly 

 quickly reached the edge of the stair, from which it dived and flew out 

 of the open door. I was glad to come across this confirmation of what 

 I had always regarded as a superstition, for the bird was quite unable 

 to rise from the floor ; had there been no edge to provide a take-off it 

 might have died of starvation. It probably found its way in through 

 a broken window, and perhaps was dazed by dashing itself against the 

 crowded machinery, which, however, was not in motion at the time. — 

 Malcolm Burr (Royal Societies Club, St. James's Street, S.W.). 



Bittern in Somerset. — On Jan. 10th last I purchased a Common 

 Bittern (Botaurus stellaris) in the High Street, Wells, from a turf- 

 cutter's cart. The man was hawking the bird together with his turf, 

 my attention being attracted to the feet, which were protruding from 

 the coloured handkerchief in the man's hand. It was shot at Ashcott 

 Corner on Jan. 6th. I sent the bird to Mr. J. Clarke, of Scarborough, 

 for preservation, and his measurements of it are as follows : — Weight, 



