NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 
Varrell informs us that “ young starlings of the year, before their first autumnal 
moult, are of a uniform greyish brown colour” ; and that “its first moult occurs 
in its first autumn.” Gritke says that young starlings in their brown plumage 
begin migrating by themselves towards the end of June ; and conse<|uently, before 
the autumn, and before they moult. Mr. Price’s assertion therefore that “ young 
birds certainly do migrate after moulting,” seems to be rather too confident. 
Most of us know where many migratory birds go in summer, and where they 
spend the winter. Mr. Price considers this knowledge “ hypothetical,” and 
“ stretching a point.” In migrating, birds are uninfluenced by the conformation 
of the land. A migratory column advances in a broad extended line. That of 
the gold-crested wren, a few years ago, was found to be 1,900 miles broad. 
Mr. Westell gathers from the lhi$ that the “migrants of every species fly 
close to the surface of the water under all conditions of weather.” Giitke says 
many birds are high-fliers. Which are we to believe ? 
Some birds that migrate but a short distance, such as rooks, crows, starlings 
and larks, which go backwards and forwards to us from the Continent, are low - 
fliers, never going up above 1,000 feet, and generally keeping close to the water. 
The dangers of so short a flight as this are small. Those kinds, however, that 
do long distances up to 8,000 or 10,000 miles at a stretch, ascend to great heights 
above the region of storms, clouds, and thick darkness, and thus avoid many 
dangers they would otherwise encounter. 
Southacre, Swaffham, Norfolk. Edmu.nd Thos. Daubeny. 
May, 1904. 
113. Birds Singing on the Ground. — I have not unfrequently noticed 
blackbirds singing whilst on the ground, and a day or two ago (May 8) I 
observed a robin doing so. This is the only occasion that I can recall noticing 
this habit in the robin. 
The Gables, Wirksuoorth. C. E. Meade Waldo. 
114. Birds Singing on the Ground.— Twice, in the early summer of 
1895, It heard birds sing on the ground. This was in the garden of my 
cottage in Penn, S. Bucks. A thrush sang standing on the grass, and at another 
time a blackbird, standing on the earth of a small flower-bed among the plants. 
In both cases the song was short. Both birds stood within six yards of the 
drawing-room window. 
May 8, 1904. Eleanor Grove. 
115. Waxwing? — It seems not improbable that the strange bird seen by 
your correspondent, C. J. Maurice, at Hillingdon, was a hawfinch. There have 
been several notices lately of visits from this bird to localities near London, and 
on April 14 I had the pleasure of seeing one in my small garden. It was in fine 
plumage, and its warm russet colouring, together with the conspicuous white 
bands on the wings, made the description given by your correspondent agiee 
very closely with the appearance of the bird as I saw it. 
Aero. E. Hubbard. 
116. Some Notes on Birds. — One evening in April this year a jackdaw 
and a wood pigeon were seen fighting, and the next morning both were found 
lying dead on the grass about four feet apart, their beaks covered with blood, 
and both much injured by pecks, the jackdaw about the head and the pigeon on 
the back. 
A hen blue-tit, quite an old favourite, seemed to go out of her mind for about 
three weeks this spring, constantly fluttering against the windows outside and 
pecking vehemently at her own reflection in the glass. She began at five every 
morning, and the incessant tapping was quite disturbing. She would hardly stay 
away long enough to get her food, and attacked all the windows in turn, never 
coming into the house but only going for the shut panes. During this time she 
deserted her nest, which was half built ; but now (May 8) she has settled down 
again with her mate, and there are two eggs in the nesting box. 
A few days ago a blackcap fell on the ground when I came near its nest, and 
fluttered along pretending to be hurt. Is this usual for blackcaps? There were 
only eggs in the nest. 
Bolley, Hants. 
M. S. Jenkyns. 
