CHAPTER OF MISCELLANIES. 
165 
shorten the pinion after the first moult, as many of the birds experienced no 
difficulty in flying just before the primary quill feathers were fully grown up in 
the wing not pinioned.—J. D. Salmon, Thetford^ Norfolk, April 22, 1837. 
Vanessa urticce seen in stormy weather. —We have had very curious weather 
here lately, with snow and frost constantly. I saw a large river frozen over two 
-or three days ago. Yet, notwithstanding all this, I saw a Vanessa urticse flying. 
—Beverley R. Morris, Trinity College, Dublin, April 19, 1837. 
The SiBiLOus Brakehopper (Locusiella sibilatrix) in the North of Eng¬ 
land.^ —It is universally admitted that in England this is a very local bird, and 
nowhere common. It is known in many parts of the south; in Northumber¬ 
land, also, it has been noticed by Selby, and in Scotland by Professor Rennie ; 
and we feel much satisfaction in recording its appearance in the neighbourhood of 
Doncaster, an individual having been seen near Campsall on the 4th of May. 
We shall probably record some further observations on this interesting little bird 
—the Grasshopper Lark” of the older authors—in a future number.-—Eu. 
Migratory Birds.— To-day I have heard the Cuckoo’s note for the first time 
this year. In the May No. of TheNaturalist (p.lOl.) the Editor remarks:—“ Up to 
this day (April 20) not a single spring visitant has made its appearancein the north 
of England.” This, however, is not the case, although no migratory birds may have 
appeared in the neighbourhood of Mr. Neville Wood’s residence. On the 18th I 
was in Craven, on the beautiful banks of the river Wharfe, and there, seventy miles 
north of Doncaster, Wheatears were in gi*eat numbers, flitting from stone-wall to 
stone-wall, and from heap to heap on the Downs. On the 5th of April I observed 
some Swallows, and I think one Martin, near the river at the back of Thryberg 
Park. I have seen Swallows on the wing as late as the 4th of December. With 
regard to the period of the year at which singing birds find their voice of song, as 
many correspondents have communicated their observations to this magazine, I may 
add the following to their notes. Last year (1836) I heard the Blackbird sing 
while the snow was lying on the ground, on the 8th of February. Also on the 
same day the charming warble of the Robin. The Thrush I heard on or about 
the 10th, and also on the 14th. On the 15th there was a universal concert of 
the feathered tribes around us at that season, the prelude to the approaching 
spring.—F. 0. Morris, Mag 4,1837.—[[Since the publication of our last number, 
we have heard that some of our migratory birds appeared even rather early this 
spring; but the arrivals of the majority were certainly very unusually retarded 
by the state of the weather.^—We suspect the bird our correspondent mentions 
having heard on the 8th of February was the Missel Thrush, whose notes closely 
resemble those of Merula vulgaris ; we never remember to have heard the latter 
so early as February, but the Missel Thrush is then always in full song, and is 
very generally mistaken for the Garden Ouzel.—The Redbreast sings throughout 
