SELBORNIANA. 
6 % 
bird, rare or otherwise, much rarer, is to shoot any specimen observed “at sight.” 
Probably this paradoxical gentleman would deny all these assertions ; but he has a 
much simpler way than argument, or proof, for silencing controversy : he re- 
plies to charges of “ lamentable ignorance,” by calling his opponents geese, and 
insinuating they are April fools. As much as we have seen of the discussion is 
closed by a communication of a very different kind — an admirable letter from the 
Rev. G. C. Green, of Modbury Vicarage, Ivybridge, South Devon, in which, 
after correcting several of Mr. Cornish’s blunders, he goes on to say, “ I can see 
no possible occasion for shooting these unfortunate little birds immediately on their 
arrival with us, as no mistake can be made in identifying such easily noticeable 
birds by any one who would be likely to take any notice of them at all. I am no 
mere sentimentalist. I have been a keen sportsman for many years of my life. I 
have made a large collection of birds. But of late years I have taken much greater 
pleasure in observing their habits out of door without wishing to possess them as 
specimens, and although I am not opposed to a few being secured for purposes of 
science, especially such as only visit us in the winter, or only pass our shores on 
the way to other countries, I do protest strongly against the wanton destruction of 
life of a common and most useful bird, merely that it may be identified, especially 
on its first return to our shores for the purpose of breeding. I commend to Mr. Cor- 
nish’s notice the study of the writings of the Selborne Society, which I think would 
interest him. I could supply him with several of these if he would care to read 
them, and should be only too glad if he could be induced to join us.” We thank 
Mr. Green for his wise and humane words, and shall be glad to learn that he has 
been successful in what seems to be a most difficult task — Mr. Cornish’s conversion. 
Migration of Birds. — The Rev. A. Rawson, Fallbarrow, Bowness, Winder- 
mere, points out that there was a slight error in his article with above title in the 
February number of Nature Notes. In the 9th and 10th lines from the bottom 
of page 20 the words “ last week of September, 1S78,” should read “ first week of 
October, 1876,” and in line 11 from the bottom of the same page the date should 
be 1875 not 1885. Mr. Rawson’s present residence at Windermere should be 
borne in mind in reading the article, as in some parts of it the observations made 
at Windermere are contrasted with those at Bromley in Kent. On the same subject 
we have received the following letter from Mr. T. G. Ward, of Leighton Buzzard : 
— “ As the time for the arrival of the swallow and martin and other of our summer 
visitors is at hand, I think it may be interesting to readers of Nature Notes to 
give the dates of the arrival and departure of them in this neighbourhood. From 
four years’ observation on the coming and going of the swallow tribe, I find that 
the swallow, as a general rule, makes its first appearance here about the 15th and 
1 6th of April, and they begin to depart by the end of September, though several 
remain till the middle of October ; but a few stragglers, of course, can be seen 
later, thus one was observed on the 31st of October, and another as late as the 
25th of November. The sand-martin seems to make its appearance here much 
about the same time as the swallow. The house-martin does not appear so soon as 
the above species, there being about a week or ten days difference, but their de- 
parture is about the same time as the swallow. The swift is the last of this family 
to arrive and the first to depart, appearing in this neighbourhood by the first 
week of May, and departing about the middle of August, though stragglers can be 
seen a few days later. Of the warblers, the chiff-chaff and willow-wren arrive 
at the end of March, the lesser and greater white-throat at the beginning of April, 
while the nightingale, redstart, and grasshopper warbler appear by the middle of 
the month. The following list is the first appearance and latest departure (from 
four years’ observation) of the summer birds of passage here : — 
Earliest Appearance 
Chiff-chaff, March 30th 
Latest Departure 
September and October 
October 20th 
November 25th 
September 
November 1st 
September 7th 
October 13th 
September 
October 21st 
August and September 
Willow-wren ,, 
Swallow, April 16th 
Sand-martin, April 23rd 
Martin, May 1st 
Swift, May 6th 
Whitethroat, April 5th 
Whitethroat (lesser;, April 5th 
Yellow wagtail, April 15th... 
Cuckoo, April 22nd ... 
