Birds. 



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the same time each year. The wonderful duration of their flight and their beautiful 

 gyrations have excited the admiration, and even the adoration, of some of the heathen 

 nations ; and the manner in which their nests are preserved, almost within reach of 

 the hand of man, is a proof that they are respected more than the generality of other 

 birds in Great Britain. — H. W. Newman ; Hillside, Cheltenham, October 5, 1863. 



White Swallow (Hirundo rustica) near Beverley. — A white specimen of Hirundo 

 rustica has been observed by several persous, during the last few days, flying about 

 Hull Bridge, on the river Hull, Beverley. It was seen by my friend Mr. R. Stephen- 

 sou, of the Hull-Bridge House ; also by Mr. H. Hewitson, of Beverley ; also by my 

 own servant, and several other witnesses, who all agree as to its species, as indicated 

 both by the longer tail and its companions, which were true "swallows," in contradis- 

 tinction to " martins." This bird has since been shot, but was so completely shattered 

 that the man who shot it unfortunately threw it away. — W. W. Boulton ; Beverley, 

 September 24, 1 863. 



Late Stay of Swifts. — While walking with Mr. Fryer, in his garden at Chatteris, 

 our attention was suddenly drawn to two swifts, which, in company with about a dozen 

 swallows, were making their way overhead. They were flying directly from west to 

 east, and were apparently "hawking" en route. This, I believe, is very late (October 

 14th) for swifts to remain with us. Will you kindly allow me, now I am about it, to 

 inform collectors and others that I no longer deal in insects, birds' eggs, &c., or col- 

 lect for sale ? — W. Farren ; 10, Rose Crescent, Cambridge, October 13, 1863. 



Late Stay of Swifts. — I have observed the very unusual circumstance of swifts 

 not having migrated till about a month after their average time of doing so. For 

 about twenty years I have been interested in observing the swallow tribe, and espe- 

 cially the swift. This year, after the middle of August, of course I expected any day 

 to notice they had taken their departure ; but September came and still they were 

 with us, in number about thirty. On the 10th instant the majority left us, and 

 the remainder on the 16th or 17th. 1 cannot account for their departure being de- 

 layed so late. I do not believe their nests were disturbed at the usual breeding time, 

 as there are several colonies of them in different parts of the town, and generally in 

 very inaccessible places. Nor has the weather, from the 20th of August to the pre- 

 sent time, been remarkably fine and warm ; on the contrary; I should say it has been 

 colder than the average of seasons. As Yarrell mentions, in his ' History of British 

 Birds,' that one swift was seen by Mr. R. B. Hale, M.P., of Alderley, on the 9lh of 

 September, 1839, it may be worth recording the very remarkable circumstance of thirty 

 or upwards remaining till the 10th of September, 1863. — Joshua Whiting ; Hitchin, 

 September 17, 1863. 



[I have several notes to the same purport. The swifts have, without doubt, stayed 

 unusually late this year, and other Hirundiues are following the example ; swallows 

 and martins were abundant near London yesterday (9th of October), and I saw one 

 sand martin over the Surrey canal amidst a host of its congeners. — Edward Newman.'] 



Hoopoe in the Isle of Wight. — I have a beautiful specimen of the hoopoe, shot near 

 Alum Bay yesterday; it is in a very handsome state of plumage ; it was shot by a 

 man of the name of Downor. This man shot two others in 1861, which I also pur- 

 chased of him. — H. Rogers ; Freshwater, Isle of Wight, October 9, 1863. 



Rock Dove in the Isle of Wight. — Two large flocks of rock doves were seen here 

 on the 12th of May ; it was a very rough and stormy day. Several hundreds of the 



VOL. XXI. 



