358 



THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



our own woods produce many that are 

 beautiful, the Golden Crested "Wrens for 

 instance — but these will all be treated 

 of and figured in our treatise on British 

 Birds. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Ali communications to be sent to J. E. Robson, Bellerby 

 Terrace, West Hartlepool ; or to S. L. Mosley Beau- 

 mont Park, Huddersfield. 



NOTES, CAPTURES, &c. 



Cloantha Solidaginis at Hartlepool. 

 — Among a lot of insects brought to me to 

 name on Saturday, by Mr. Alfred Woods, 

 I was surprised to find a fair specimen of 

 Cloantha Solidaginis, which he had taken on 

 a rail, near the Cemetery, Hartlepool. The 

 species is quite new to the locality, and its 

 occurrence is a matter of considerable sur- 

 prise to me. There was also a curious 

 variety of one of the carpets, M. Subtristata, 

 taken on the railway side.-JoHN E. Robson, 

 West Hartlepool. 



Lepas anatifera. — A log of timber has 

 washed ashore here, completely covered 

 with the Goose Barnicle (Lepas anatifera.) 

 We are so completely out of the currents 

 from the main ocean here that I have not 

 known this species occur here before, nor 

 so far as I could learn have any of the 

 fishermen. I have secured a number of 

 shells, which I shall be glad to send any 

 one on receipt of small tin box and postage. 

 —John E. Robson, West Hartlepool. 



Anecdote of a Chaffinch. — Conversing 

 a few days since to a friend who has recently 

 arrived home from America, he told me an 

 interesting story of a pet chaffinch. It 

 appears that during the disastrous cyclone 

 which did so much damage to shipping in 

 the Bay of Biscay about the end of last 

 October (1880) large flocks of birds— inclu- 



ding thrushes, blackbirds, linnets and chaf- 

 finches — settled on the rigging of my friend's 

 ship when about half way across the bay. 

 Several of these birds were caught, but all 

 managed to escape except one chaffinch 

 which, as the sailors believed him to have 

 been blown from the Irish coast, they chris- 

 tened " Paddy." Paddy soon made himself 

 at home with the sailors and became very 

 tame. The "skipper" had two canaries 

 with one of which Paddy became very 

 familiar, allowing him in the day-time to 

 hop about his (Paddy's) cage as he pleased, 

 but driving him out at night when he 

 evidently wanted all the cage to himself. 

 He speedily picked up the notes of his 

 favourite and sang with such vehemence as 

 soon as day broke, that there was no sleeping 

 anywhere near him. During this time he 

 never seemed to regard the other canary 

 but as an intruder, driving him away from 

 his cage whenever he came near; but his 

 companion either being given away on their 

 arrival out, or dying (I forget which), Paddy 

 moped for a few days, then "made up" to his 

 old enemy and speedily became great friends. 

 Paddy withstood a stormy passage round 

 the Horn, and the tropical heat of Iquique, 

 and on arriving off Falmouth, on their 

 arrival home, he managed to escape and 

 flew ashore, returning to his cage, however, 

 at night, and not attempting to escape 

 afterwards. This bird, I am informed, is 

 now in Liverpool. — John W. Ellis, ioi, 

 Everton Road, Liverpool, Sept. 30th, 1881. 



EXCHANGE. 



Duplicates : Nebulosa, Lucipara, Herbida, 

 Thallasina, Plecta, Festiva, Rurea, and var. 

 Combusta. Desiderata : very numerous. 

 F. Ellis, 32, Swallow Street, Huddersfield. 



Wanted, a specimen of the Old English 

 Black Rat, for stufting.— S. L. Mosley, 

 Beaumont Park, Hudderfield. 



