Birds, 



6207 



used to be deemed a favourable opportunity. I have often been out successfully when 

 the snow was quite fresh and soft, though it was vastly more agreeable, as well as 

 easier for the dogs, when some continuance of frost had compressed the snow, and ren- 

 dered the surface harder. In such a chase as that by beagles, or indeed l)y many dogs 

 of what description soever, whether in cover or not, the pace will be too fast to admit 

 of any assistance from sight, so that the pursuit must be maintained by scent alone, 

 and in my own experience I never was sensible of any material difference in the style 

 of the dog's hunting when there was snow upon the ground and when there was not. 

 But though snow is no obstruction to hunting rabbits in woods or on open ground, it 

 is a very decided difficulty in furze-covers or patches, because, when the snow first 

 falls, it lodges on the thick top of the furze, whence it is shaken down by the working 

 of the dogs beneath, and buries, partially or entirely, the trail of the rabbits which 

 may be on foot. Frost without snow was never considered any impediment, but rather 

 the contrary, to cover-shooting of any kind. — Arthur Hussey ; Rotlingdean, Hanls^ 

 July 13, 1858. 



A Nest of Montagues Harrier. — About the first week of July a nest, containing 

 three young harriers, was discovered on a rushy marsh near the Ranworth decoy. 

 The old birds had been watched by the broodman flying backwards and forwards with 

 food for their young ones, and on making a search the nest was soon found. Of the 

 three young birds one only was feathered, the next partly feathered with down, and the 

 smallest covered with down only, showing that the hen bird had begun sitting after 

 laying the first egg. In the aviary of J. H. Gurney, Esq., M.P., at Catton Park, these 

 nestlings have thrived wonderfully. At this time the youngest is full fledged, and all 

 of them exhibit the rich chocolate tint of plumage forming the immature state of this 

 species, and the facial disk is in all fully developed. About the same time that these 

 were taken, another nest of young harriers was also found in the neighbourhood, by 

 some men whilst mowing the marshes. In this case the old bird was snared on the 

 nest, but I regret to say neither old nor young preserved. — H. Stevenson; Norwich^ 

 August 7, 1858. ^ 



Emhtriza nivalis. — I write to record an interesting fact concerning the snow 

 bunting {Emberiza nivalis) which has recently fallen under my notice, as well as to rej)ly 

 to the remarks from Mr. Doubleday with reference to a communication I made 

 respecting the same species (Zool. 6015). My friend Horace Waddington, Esq., of 

 University College, Oxford, spent a few days on liundy Island, towards the end of 

 this last May, and while there, among some other interesting ornithological specimens, 

 obtained a fine Emberiza nivalis, a female bird in good condition. When the bird- 

 stuff'er in Barnstaple came to skin and dissect this bird, he found eggs inside her 

 almost advanced to maturity. This shows that this species, although one of such high 

 and cold latitudes, may occasionally linger behind, and nest in the warm south. I 

 would also mention that among some eggs from Oxford, brought me in the month of 



rabbits, and so well trained, that I have seen a hare jump up under the nose of one of 

 the dogs, which took no notice whatever. Of course, shooting at a hare before those 

 beagles was most strictly prohibited 



