Birds. 



6059 



Earli/ nesting of the Longtailed Titmouse. — On the 18th of March, last year, 

 I traced some longtailed titmice to their nest by watching them carrying large white 

 feathers from a neighbouring farm*hoiise: it was in a bush of furze, — a situation 

 which they seem to prefer, — and in a few days later the bird was sitting on its eggs. 

 I have usually found the nest in June, and was therefore surprised to see it thus 

 early. — Id. 



Does the Male Partridge assist in Incubation. — I am not able to give the result of 

 personal observation in reply to Major Spicer's inquiry (Zool. 6014), as to whether the 

 male partridge assists the hen in the work of incubation ; but I have a note, written 

 in 1839, recording certain of the actions of a male partridge, and with that note 

 is connected a distinct recollection that the observers added to the information 

 recorded a further statement that the male bird did regularly take a part in covering 

 the eggs, in the absence of his mate. The observers were the then rector of Great 

 Braxted, in Essex, and a young man who lived with him; the latter having many 

 opportunities, and using them, of making himself acquainted with the habits of the 

 partridge and other game birds. The actions I adverted to were as follows; the 

 partridge's nest was in the hedge of the pasture in front of the rectory, and during the 

 time of incubation a rabbit very frequently came out to feed nearer the nest than the 

 partridge approved: whenever this happened the male bird attacked the intruder with 

 the partridge's equivalent to "tooth and nail," and always succeeded in driving him to 

 a more respectful distance. I have no doubt that my friends were quite correct as to 

 the sex of the champion, and the fact certainly proves that the male was in the close 

 vicinity of the nest whenever the approach of the rabbit called for a display of his 

 prowess, in defence of his wife in esse and children in posse. — /. C. Atkinson ; Danhy^ 

 April 3, 1S58. 



Supposed Variety of the Partridge. — With regard to the supposed variety of the 

 partridge spoken of in the Kev. Mr. Atkinson's interesting and most valuable paper 

 (Zool. 5982, at the bottom of the page), I can only say that, thirty years ago, we used 

 to kill the variety spoken of, on Hindhead, and have always called them " little black 

 heath-birds." They differ most essentially from the usual appearance of our birds, 

 almost enough to be taken for another species. They are fully a third smaller in size, 

 invariably of a blacker colour, and never frequent cultivated land ; they feed on the tops 

 of the heath, and, in the season, on the ripe fruit of the whortleberry, which is so abun- 

 dant on Hindhead, and always called " hurts " by the country people. I have no 

 doubt their dark colour is due, in some measure, to this food. One day I killed seven 

 brace and a half of these little black fellows, all exactly alike, and full three miles from 

 the nearest cultivated land. — Waring Kidd ; Ockford Road, Godalming ; April 13, 

 1858. 



Occurrence of the Little Bustard at Gorleston, Suffolk. — About the 4th of March 

 a female little bustard was shot in the Southdown Marshes, at Gorleston, near Yar- 

 mouth, and is now in the possession of J. H. Gurney, Esq., M.P. This bird was in 

 fine condition, the stomach being filled with various kinds of green food ; the ovaries, 

 about the size of small pins' heads, were easily distinguishable, from their being perfectly 

 white; the wind at the time this bird was killed, and for some days previously, was 

 N.E. ; the weather intensely cold, with snow on the ground ; in fact, exactly such as we 

 experienced in December, 1853, when the last Norfolk specimen (a male, in winter 

 plumage) was obtained in nearly the same neighbourhood (Zool. 4253) : at that time 

 several other specimens were recorded as having occurred in various counties about 



