Birds, 



6443 



the goddess Holda, when she shook it in making it." In the thirty-first chapter of the 

 same book Herodotus delivers a similar opinion in these words, " Concerning those 

 feathers, of which, as the Scythians say, the air is so full that they are neither able to 

 see the country that lies beyond tbem nor to travel through it, my opinion is this: in 

 the upper parts of this land there are continual falls of snow, and these are less 

 frequent in summer than in winter, as one would naturally suppose: whoever has ob- 

 served, from close by, snow falling thickly, will understand what I say, for the snow 

 resembles feathers ; and owing to this severity of the climate the parts to the north of 

 this region are uninhabitable: the feathers, then, is a name which the Scythians, in my 

 opinion, give to the snow, indicating the similarity." I merely make these quotations 

 for the purpose of ascertaining whether the theory of Captain Blakiston is to be 

 received against that of Herodotus and Mr. Blakesley, and with the hope that an in- 

 vestigation of the subject may throw light on two passages of the great historian. It 

 also shows that, as our researches in Natural History extend, so will other works 

 become more comprehensive to us, and particularly the writings of Greek and Roman 

 authors. Captain Blakiston does not say whether he was actually in the shower or 

 not ; and, should this meet his eye, I trust that he will make a further communication 

 on the subject. If he only saw them at a distance, I must say that I incline to the 

 opinion of Herodotus. In case of his ever being caught in a similar phenomenon, it 

 would be worth while to send by post to England one or more of these feathers, — if 

 they be bond fide goose-down, and not snow-flakes, — for this would settle the matter 

 beyond doubt or dispute. — T. W. Greene ; Tonbridge, February 3, 1859. 



Occurrence of the Goshawk in Suffolk. — About three weeks since an immature 

 female of this species was killed at Somerleyton, near Lowestoft, which much 

 resembled in plumage the one lately obtained at Hampstead, in Norfolk, as recorded 

 in the 'Zoologist' (Zool. 6325). This latter specimen was, I believe, shot by 

 Mr. Gould, while on a visit to Sir Morton Peto, at Somerleyton. — H. Stevenson; 

 Norwich, February, 1859. 



The Jay a Bird of Prey. — As there are few recorded instances of this bird 

 attacking and making prey of other birds, and having had the opportunity of wit- 

 nessing this (supposed) rare fact, I think it worthy of being made a note of. About ten 

 o'clock one morning, last March, I was looking into the garden from one of the win- 

 dows of my house, and observing and hearing an unusual bustling and rustling 

 among the branches of a tree, I soon perceived that a small bird was pursued by a 

 larger one, when presently the lesser bird was struck down from the tree (shrieking and 

 crying) to the ground, and was instantly followed by its unequal opponent, which 

 seized the little bird in its claws and stood upon it, and was evidently exercising the 

 muscular power of its talons, for the little bird kept up broken cries of alarm. The 

 bigger bird very coolly gave a very systematic peck or dig with its bill into the body of 

 the captive, then looked up and repeated the last-mentioned acts, with the same cool- 

 ness and as systematically as before ; the little bird at each thrust it received cried 

 with convulsive ejaculations of distress, which grew fainter and fainter, until, as I snp- 

 pose, for want of life, cried no more. My view of this butchering scene ended here, 

 for the bird of might flew off with the body of the bird of lesser power. The smaller 

 bird I did not satisfactorily determine the species, but it was the size of the titmouse 

 (P. cceruleus), and I believe it to be that species. The large bird was the jay 

 (Corvus glandarius). All authors agree that the jay is a "shy bird;" it, however, 

 exhibited no symptoms of shyness on this occasion, for it was daringly impudent, 



