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authors describe them to be of an ash* 
colour. The nest has been remarked to 
be extremely fetid, and some authors have 
asserted, that it was made with human 
excrements. This bird is only an occasional 
visitant in this country, and that, not at 
stated seasons; and instances have not 
been wanting, to prove that they have 
sometimes bred with us. 
In May, 1815, we received a specimen 
kil?ed near Cley; and in the same month, 
we received another specimen killed in the 
neighbourhood of Aylsham, in this county. 
On the first day of September, 1817, 
R. Hawkes, Esq., of this city, shot a fine 
specimen; and we have likewise had spe- 
cimens which were shot in November and 
December. It has been taken in almost 
every part of Great Britain, and is an in- 
habitant of most parts of the Old World, 
from Lapland to the Cape of Good Hope. 
Throughout the whole of Europe they are 
birds of passage, never remaining the 
whole year, even in the mild climates of 
Greece and Italy. 
They are seen among those vast crowds 
