7938 



Birds. 



observed, but in smaller numbers, up to the first week in December. I have reason 

 to believe that they were all birds of the season. — Henry Hadjield; Ventnor, Isle of 

 Wight. 



Early Appearance of the Swallow.— On the morning of the 4th of February, whilst 

 walking out, I observed a swallow flying about quite as active as if it was July. That 

 I am not deceived I am quite certain, as I watched it for upwards of five minutes. I 

 may state that the weather here has been very mild and warm for the last two weeks, 

 and the sun was shining brightly at the time. — George H. Parke ; Halifax, Yorkshire. 

 [I think this bird could not have been a this-year's arrival. — E. iV.] 

 Occurrence of the Little Bustard in Yorkshire. — A fine mature female specimen of 

 the little bustard (Otis telrax) was shot on Friday, the 31st of January, at Leven, in 

 Holderness, East Riding of Yorkshire, by Mr. Hudson, gamekeeper to the Rev. Canon 

 Wray of that place. It was feeding in a turnip field. — W. W. Boulton ; Beverley, 

 February I, 1862. 



Re-examination of Sabine's Snipe. — Since I communicated to you the capture of 

 Scolopax Sabini in the central part of Cornwall, I have had an opportunity of re- 

 examining the bird with Mr. Gould, and discussing the merits of the points at issue 

 as to its specific value. One great character of distinction, as I before told you, is 

 extinguished in this specimen, viz., in the number of its tail-feathers being undoubt- 

 edly fourteen and not twelve. There can be no doubt that the striking tone of uniform 

 dark colour pervading the whole upper and lower surface of the plumage is calculated 

 to startle any observer as to its identity with our common snipe, but I think Mr. Gould 

 has quite made up his mind as to its being only a variety, and not specifically distinct. 

 It may be urged that all the specimens hitherto obtained of S. Sabini have agreed in 

 their general tone of colouring, without showing any intermediate plumage characters 

 of the common snipe in the partial development of the dorsal longitudinal lines and 

 the white under surface, but it is well known that all birds, in assuming a dark variety 

 of plumage, exhibit a general uniformity over the entire plumage. I adduce by way of 

 familiar examples the dark varieties of bulfinches, larks, sparrows, &c. It so happened, 

 in corroboration of this argument, when Mr. Gould was examining this specimen in 

 Mr. Vingoe's laboratory, that there was at the same time before him almost a black 

 variety of the male Montagu's hairier, killed near Helston,and on examining the under 

 surface of the wings of this specimen, the entire dark tone prevailed, without the 

 slightest vestige of the rufous markings peculiar to the male of this harrier. There is, 

 therefore, a strong probability that the specimens may all agree in colouring without 

 thereby establishing a specific distinction. — Edward Hearle Rodd ; Penzance, January 

 17, 1862. 



Correction of an Error. — In the article on Scolopax Sabini (Zool. 7882) you will 

 observe a very palpable error in the insertion of the word " not," the seventh line from 

 the bottom. I am made to say that " I had little hesitation in not thinking the bird 

 a distinct species," &c, or words to that effect, but I am writing without the book 

 before me. It should be, " I had little hesitation in thinking" &cc.—Id. 



Variety of Snipe— I have lately examined two examples of the large brown variety 

 of snipe, so accurately described by Mr. Rodd (Zool. 4704). One of these birds, killed 

 at Dartmoor in December last, quite equalled in size some specimens of S. major, but 

 differed from that species in having the belly white and only fourteen feathers in the 

 tail. The general markings were very similar to those of the ordinary sized common 

 snipe, but the plumage was altogether of a more ruddy cast, and the light stripes on 



