A pied flycatcher (Muscicapa luctuòsa) was shot, in the parish of Stoke Nayland, on the 7th of September. It was in company with several of the spotted species. I know several instances of its being met with in the same vicinity, both spring and autumn; but never heard of its remaining to breed. J. D. Hoy. Stoke Nayland, Suffolk, Nov. 20. 1832. The Cirl Bunting (Emberiza Círlus L.) at East Garston in Berkshire. I have observed several of them here, where my attention had been first drawn to them by their peculiar note; and I was fortunate enough to procure a pair of them, together with their nest and two eggs, one of which I have since presented to Constantine Strickland, Esq., of Lincoln College, Oxford. Francis Orpen Morris. Charmouth, Dorset, Sept.

1832.

The Whinchat (Saxicola Rubètra Bechstein) at Killaloe in Ireland. Montagu, in his Ornithological Dictionary, mentions that the whinchat is scarce in the west of England; and from that circumstance imagines that, in their migrations, they enter by the east of England. There are, however, a good - T. K. many whinchats here still farther west. Killaloe, Sept. 21. 1832.

Notices on a few rarer Birds observed about the Vale of Alford, Aberdeenshire. The Siskin or Aberdevine (Carduelis Spinus Cuvier) is generally considered one of our irregular winter visiters, and rather rare in Britain. Many were seen here during the last breeding season. A gentlemen in the neighbourhood observed some about the middle of May; the first that I noticed was on the 27th: it was picking seeds of grass on the edge of the road, and was not at all shy; I saw others afterwards, at different times and places, till the end of June. The siskin, I believe, has not been before seen in this quarter. [See p. 113.]

A Pair of Redstarts (Sýlvia Phoenicurus Latham) bred here this summer, and brought up five or six young ones. The redstart had, I believe, not been before seen in this quarter.

Dottrels (Charadrius Morinéllus L.) breed on our hills. I do not state this fact on my own knowledge, but I disturbed a pair on Menaway, in the parish of Keig, on the 26th of June, that from their distress evidently had their nest near.

The Oyster-catcher or Sea-pie (Hæmátopus ostrálegus L.), Montagu says "is common on our shores, but never quits the sea-coast." We have them, here, however. During summer some may always be seen along the Don, from twenty-five to thirty miles from the sea; and I have been told that they breed about Kildrummy, a few miles higher up. I have never seen

the sea-pie voluntarily take the water; but, as noticed in Rennie's Montagu, it swims well. On the coast, one stormy day, I winged one, which fell into the water, and I expected would be cast ashore; but, to my surprise, it swam vigorously through a heavy surf, and got clear out to sea.- A Subscriber. Vale of Alford, Aberdeenshire, Sept. 28. 1832.

A puzzling Specimen of the Oyster-catcher (Hæmátopus ostrálegus L.).-A bird was lately shot in the vicinity of Downton Castle, county of Hereford, the seat of T. A. Knight, Esq., by the gamekeeper, of a kind which, we believe, has not been described by any ornithologist as a British species. The size is that of the curlew, and its weight about two pounds; the beak, in length and form, similar to that of a woodcock, but a little stronger, the colour at the base being bright orange, and gradually appearing paler or more dusky to the point; the head and neck black, with a white stripe under each eye, and many white feathers, mixed with a few black, under the throat; wings black, with the exception of the middle and lowest feathers, which are white; feathers of the body as white as snow, with the exception of those of the tail, which are tipped with black; legs similar to those of the bustard, having three toes only, and those pointing forward. (Hereford Journal.)

The foregoing, with a slight alteration (not connected with the description of the bird), was copied from the Hereford Journal of Dec. 5. 1832. In a letter addressed to me on the subject, by T. A. Knight, Esq., he observes "that the bird appears to have been an overgrown individual of the Hæmátopus ostrálegus L.; though its beak bears little resemblance to that given in Bewick's plate, and is extremely ill calculated for the purpose to which he supposes it to be applied: it terminates like that of the woodcock. In genus, this bird appears to me to be allied, almost in an equal degree, to those of Scolopax, Tringa, and Charadrius. It is an extremely expert diver."

I forward this for insertion, in the hope that some correspondent may be enabled to distinguish whether it is a new species of bird, or one already known to naturalists.— John Evans. Grove Place, Tything, Worcester, Jan. 26. 1833.

The bird here described is, as stated, the oyster-catcher, Hæmátopus ostrálegus, though the weight is greater than that usually assigned to the species. The beak, from a side view, has the appearance of being blunt at the point, but is so compressed laterally as to be but little thicker than an ivory paper-cutter, admirably adapted for being pushed in between the shells of muscles, oysters, and other bivalves, the soft animals of which are the principal food of this species.

Bewick's plate represents this bird in its summer plumage, at which time it does not exhibit the white mark under the throat. However little adapted to water its plover-like legs and feet may appear, its powers of swimming and diving have been recorded by writers generally.-S. T. P.

66

The Virginian Partridge.-J. C., of Staffordshire, describes (in Vol. IV. p. 16-18.) his unsuccessful endeavours to increase this bird, and there states, that, out of his first and only stock of two pairs, the hen of each pair had died. He adds, too (p. 18.), "I know that a quantity were turned down upon the large demesne of Edward John Littleton, Esq., M.P., at Teddesley, in Staffordshire, and that they did not breed at all, but straggled away; and some of them were shot ten or fifteen miles from his estate." Captain Brown, in one of his notes (p. 14.) to his edition of White's Selborne (noticed in the present Number, p. 133.), says: The Virginian partridge has been successfully introduced into Staffordshire, and has become abundant, and spread over part of the adjoining counties. Will J. C. please to state if he is aware of this? -J. D.

Pertinacious Perseverance in the Martin (Hirúndo úrbica L.) in renewing its Nest in one Place.- Last year (1832) a pair of martins (Hirúndo úrbica) had built their nest in a window at the usual time. On the morning of the 5th of June there happened to be a very heavy shower, during which it almost entirely fell, and the eggs which were in it were broken by having fallen out. On the next day, they commenced to rebuild it, and had finished it on the 10th. On the 21st, however, it again fell, and whatever eggs were in it were broken this time also. Having begun to rebuild it on the next day, they had it completed on the 27th. On the 8th of July it fell for the third time; but, as far as I could discover, there were no eggs in it. The next day they began to rebuild it, and finished it on the 16th. On the 13th of August it fell a fourth time, and the eggs were broken. After this, they seem to have given up all hopes, as I never saw them attempt to rebuild it. - R. Y. Edinburgh, Feb. 1833.

Fungus on the Bill of a Hedge Sparrow (Accéntor modulàris Cuvier). On Sunday morning, Nov. 1. 1829 (when resident at East Bergholt, Suffolk), a hedge sparrow was brought to me, which had taken shelter during the previous extremely cold night in an outhouse, and had there been made prisoner. On examination, it was found that his extreme indifference to resist being taken by the hand arose from incapacity. On the upper mandible there was a large fungus, which had com

pletely closed the nostrils, and the lower mandible was also enveloped in the folds of a still larger excrescence of the kind. I send you a drawing of the head (as I had the little creature stuffed by Bull of Leadenhall-street, and it now hangs over my study fireplace), by which you will more readily comprehend my description. When first taken, he seized at some crumbs of bread with great avidity: we put him into a cage, and attempted to nourish him, but he was quite incapable of feeding himself, and was too weak to rest upon a perch. He remained on the floor of his prison all night in a state of stupor, and in the morning he was found with his feathers erected and ruffled, as if suffering from cold, which foretold his death. He died in the course of the day; and his weight, when dead, was exactly half an ounce. W. B. Clarke. Parkstone, near Poole, Dorset, Dec. 21. 1832.

It will suffice that we remark that the drawing exhibits the excrescence on the upper mandible, of the size of a small pea, and that on the lower mandible of the size of a small horsebean. In Mr. Couch's manuscript catalogue of the birds of Cornwall, with observations on them, which has long lain by us, it is observed of the hedge sparrow :-" Common through the year. Large excrescences are often observed on the bill and legs." This last remark led us to judge a figure unnecessary. This bird's liability to these excrescences is not noticed in Rennie's Montagu's Ornithological Dictionary. — J. D.

A Bird's Nest in the Skull of an Esquimaux.- Mr. Bree recalls (p.32.) the narration, by Scolopax Rustícola (Vol. V. p. 289.), of a tomtit's building its nest and rearing its young in the mouth of Tom Otter, the murderer. For a parallel to this fact, I would refer your readers to the narrative of the Arctic voyages, by Parry, or Lyon, or Franklin, where it is recorded that a bird's nest was found in the skull of an Esquimaux, upon the shore of some island. I have lost my memorandum of the volume, and have none of these works with me here; otherwise I would give a precise reference to the statement. — W. B. Clarke. Parkstone, Jan. 9. 1833.

INSECTS.Device for entrapping Insects. In entomology, I think every student must feel the want of contrivances to entrap the objects of his search. This deficiency probably arises from the nature of many species not being thoroughly understood, and consequently it is almost impossible to invent any stratagem certain to capture them, when they follow their natural habits. A plan which I adopt for procuring insects inhabiting wood or other substances is very simple, and no doubt would be of as much advantage to others as it has been

18

to myself. When I meet with a tree that has a hollow passage bored in it, and I suspect the residence of an insect therein, I fit to it a Florence flask or bottle, the mouth of which is sufficiently wide to completely cover the entrance. The insect, upon coming out, finds no difficulty in its exit, but readily slips into the bulb of the flask, and will seldom crawl back again, owing to the steepness and smoothness of the sides. In this manner I have several times succeeded in entrapping beetles, caterpillars, and sometimes moths. Should the tree have many holes, it should be endeavoured to cover all, or as many as possible, as some insects have several exits. I may remark, that the shape of the Florence flask is preferable, as the steepness and smoothness of the instrument are the two points upon which the success depends. James Fennell. Nov. 1832. Device for securing captured Insects. Fig. 18. represents a small tin box, which I have found very convenient in collecting insects, particularly the larger species of Hymenoptera and Diptera: it consists of a tin bottle, having movable covers (a a), fitting tight, both on the top and bottom; the upper one having a tube (b) let into it. A short distance from the lower end there is a false bottom (c), pierced with very minute holes. In using this I place a small piece of sponge, saturated with liquor ammonia fortis, below the false bottom, the fumes rising from which kill any insects which may be placed in the box. Insects with very bright colours should not be put in, as they are liable to be injured by the ammonia. It is manifest that, by leaving out the ammonia, the box may be used as a common collecting bottle. The figure is half of the size which I have found most convenient. Charles C. Babington.

A cheap and easily practicable Method of providing Cases for the Reception of preserved Insects. — Sir, I have been agreeably led to the study of natural history, by perusing your valuable Magazine. When I commenced making a collection of butterflies, moths, &c., I was entirely at a loss in what portable shape to preserve them; for the museums and private collections which I have seen have their specimens preserved in bulky glass cases, which method I had no chance of following, for want of room. I therefore invented the following:

I cut a sheet of milled board into a folio size, squared it round the edges, and covered one side, for the back, with neat coloured paper; and the other side being to lay the specimens