MISCELLANY. 
385 
scarce in our neighbourhood. A specimen was once killed by a boy with a stick 
at Knapton, near Scarborough, and presented to the museum of that town by 
Mr. E,. Tindall. When we consider the diminutive size of this Falcon, we may 
venture to pronounce it second to none of its family in point of courage. At the 
time the individual above mentioned was taken, it had just seized a Rook, and 
was very heedlessly giving the boy a sample of its skill as an anatomist.— 
Patrick Hawkridge, Scarborough^ Aug. 7, 1837. 
The Turkey-Pheasant.— Three or four of these birds once frequented the 
woods near Handford House, in this county; one of them was shot by the late 
H. Seymer, Esq., in October 1759, and an account of it was published in the 
'Philosophical Transactions for 1760. It is figured and described by Edwards as 
Meleagris hyhrida^ Linn., being a hybrid between a cock Pheasant and a hen 
Turkey.—J. O. Dale, Glanvilles Wootton, Dorsetshire^ July 9, 1837. 
The Wryneck’s Mode of Feeding. —A Wryneck which a person of my ac¬ 
quaintance long kept in confinement, did not exactly take insects by means of 
its long tongue, but was fond of sitting on the window, and when it saw a Fly 
within reach of its beak, it would dart out its tongue, repeatedly, with a very 
quick motion, so quick as to allow of no mistake, above and around the Fly, and 
would so gradually work it down the pane of glass till within reach of its beak, 
tickling it down as it were.—Mr. Edward Blyth, Tooting^ Surrey.^ Sept. 20, 
1835, in a letter to Neville Wood.^ Esq. 
The Egyptian Goose. —This bird quacks in a manner somewhat similar to 
the Mallard Duck, but the note is more barking. The shape of the body is also 
more that of an Anas than of an Anser, though, according to modern systems, it 
can belong to neither of those genera.— Ed. 
Relative Abundance of the Warblers {Sylvia) in Norfolk. —-The Hedge 
Warbler (Sylvia loquax J is a very rare bird in this district. I have not yet 
heard a single individual this year. The Willow Warbler (S. trochilus) is ex¬ 
tremely abundant, but the Wood Warbler (S. sibilatrixJ is scarce. I only saw 
one pair last season, owing, I suppose, to our not possessing any natural woods, 
the Scotch Fir, Larch, and Spruce Fir, being the principal trees growing in this 
sandy district.—J. D. Salmon, Thetford^ Norfolk^ April 12, 1836. [see p. 388.] 
The Siskin Goldwing {Carduelis spinus, Steph.).— The shape of the Siskin 
Gold wing is neat and tidy, and the tail short and considerably forked. The tints 
of black and green are beautifully variegated in the male; of this ordinary 
observers and even practical ornithologists appear to be little aware. Indeed 
our writers seem to be little acquainted with the bird, except as a dried skin, 
when both the size, shape, and colour are usually considerably altered. In con¬ 
finement it may be fed on various kinds of small seeds • and, as I am informed 
by a London bird-catcher, it is partial to the catkins of the Alder and Willow. 
When kept in an aviary or small room, it should be provided with the branches 
