330 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Announcements, fyc. 
of Eggs,” in 1857, that in Algeria they are “ entirely confined 
to the dry highlands, far away from the habitations of man ; 33 
near Brighton, however, they may be shot within a mile or less 
of the houses ;—this I take to be exceptional. The spring 
plumage of Sylvia provincialis is much darker than the autumn; 
the bird appears almost a different species. On the 6th of April, 
1859, I saw a cock lately killed : the beak of this specimen was 
quite denuded of feathers on the under mandible, in the manner 
of the Book, to which it bore a strong resemblance. Mr. Sways- 
land and I compared the beak with that of one killed the pre¬ 
vious autumn: this was well clothed, and we could only explain 
the circumstance by supposing the bird to dig in the ground as 
does the Book ; during frost the earth would be soft at the 
roots of the furze. I am told that this appearance of the under 
mandible is common to specimens killed in spring. Probably 
some of your readers may be able to confirm the circumstance I 
have mentioned, which I do not find recorded by any ornitho¬ 
logical writer. 
I may here call your attention to the fact of two specimens of 
the Short-toed Lark ( Alauda brachydactyla) having been ob¬ 
tained near Brighton. I saw one alive on September 26th, 
1854, which had been caught by boys on the Downs, and kept 
in confinement some time, not being distinguished from the 
Skylark. This bird cracked seeds like a Canary, instead of 
swallowing them whole; it was very tame, and ultimately killed 
and stuffed. The second specimen was killed in April 1858, by 
a person on the sea-shore, who saw it come to land, and light, 
after a short rest, upon the road, where it immediately began 
dusting itself. I did not see this bird, but my informant was 
the person who killed it, and one who is quite trustworthy : it 
was afterwards preserved. 
Yours, &c., 
George Dawson Bowley. 
5 Peel Terrace, Brighton, 
8th April, 1859. 
To the Editor of The Ibis . 
Sir,—- 1 obtained on the 1st of this month a nest and eggs of 
