Birds. 



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few midges which were enjoying a passing gleam of evening sunshine in a sheltered 

 coiner close by. I have either heard or read that the note of the crested titmouse is 

 lirst heard in March ; but the early period of its commencement in the present 

 instance can scarcely be wondered at when we consider the unusual mildness of the 

 season. — Henry L. Saxby ; 54, Gilmore Place, Edinburgh, March 3, 1862. 



Unusual Number of the Grosbeak occurring in Cambridgeshire. — In many parts 

 of this county, as also those of the adjacent counties on the eastern side, this species 

 has been unusually numerous this winter, although almost unprecedented in mildness. 

 Cambridgeshire hitherto has not been a locality in which this bird was by any means 

 common. I am aware it is to be met with annually in various parts of England, 

 such for instance as the New Forest, Hampshire, and particularly at Albury Park, 

 Herts : at the latter place I have known as many as four or five to be bagged at one 

 shot. They used to frequent a row of beech and hornbeam trees, the seeds of which 

 it is particularly fond of. Their stay used to be from the beginning of winter till 

 early in May, after which they were never seen. The grosbeak is excessively wary 

 and shy in its habits. — S. P. Saville ; Dover House, Cambridge, March 11, 1862. 



Food of the Wren. — Mr. Brockholes having replied to my remarks upon the food 

 of the wren, I wish to say a few more words on the same subject. I had no other 

 motive in penning those remarks than to correct what I still believe to be an erroneous 

 statement respecting the food of this little songster. Mr. Brockholes admits that he 

 has never actually seen the wren feeding upon snails, and only supposes that it does 

 so from having seen this bird near the broken shells : I consider such evidence of very 

 little value. I have seen the thrush feeding upon snails scores of times, and this 

 morning watched a pair fetching them out from a laurel hedge in our garden, and 

 breaking their shells on a large stone close by. Gilbert White, in his ' History of 

 Selborne,' mentions the fact of thrushes being very useful in gardens, in consequence 

 of their destroying so many snails. As far as I am aware no other British bird feeds 

 upon them ; the blackbird may possibly do so sometimes, but I never saw one in the 

 act, and I much doubt if they ever do eat snails in a wild state. I do not think the 

 reference to the raven and blue tit has anything to do with the question : the powerful 

 mandibles of the tits enable them to crack hard seeds, pull flesh to pieces, &c, which 

 the wren, with its slender, feeble beak, could not possibly do ; and with regard to its 

 eating snails " peacemeal," I wish to ask Mr. Brockholes if he can bring forward a 

 single instance of a bird exclusively insectivorous, like the wren, feeding in this way ? 

 As far as I have observed they never capture an insect too large for them to swallow 

 entire. I am aware that birds which are partly insectivorous and partly frugivorous or 

 granivorous, like the sparrow, Sec, swallow their prey " piecemeal ," but I cannot 

 remember ever seeing a truly insectivorous bird feed in this manner.— Henry Double- 

 day ; Epping, March 5, 1 862. 



Further Notes on the Common Wren. — Some years since 1 published the following 

 notes on this species. The discussion in the pages of the ' Zoologist' has induced 

 me to send you a copy of them. " Is it a fact generally known that the common 

 wren, in sharp frosty weather, will resort, in numbers varying from twelve to twenty, 

 to holes in any places affording suitable shelter ? I myself, during a stay in Hert- 

 fordshire, have taken from one hole no less a number than twenty, and from others 

 twelve and fifteen. The reason I attribute for so many wrens huddling together is 

 to keep themselves warm. I think they are a very sociable species, or so many 

 could not live in peace, taking for granted that they do. The holes from which I 



