Page:Midland naturalist (IA midlandnaturalis01lond).pdf/267

 .—In answer to your correspondent "N.'s" enquiry, {p. 198,) I beg to say it is quite common for the cuckoo to repeat the first part of its note, or cry six or seven times in rapid succession just before its departure from our island in fact, the cry "N." refers to is a sure indication of the bird being about to leave us. I cannot give a reason for it. It may, perhaps, be interesting to some to know that I have obtained a cuckoo's egg in the south of England as early as March 3rd, though the bird is seldom heard to utter "cuckoo" till about the 14th or 15th of April and for some days after that the sound is exceedingly hoarse and indistinct.— Tamworth.

.—In answer to Mr. Rothera, although it must be conceded that properly speaking the lesser redpoll, common redpole, lesser redpole linnet, pea linnet, which are some of the common names for , (.,) is the bird we intend when speaking of the "redpoll," yet arguing from analogous cases the Act would, I think, be found to embrace all birds coming under the general term "redpoll," i.e., the "common," "gray" or "brown" linnet, Linaria cannabina, (L.,) which is really a "greater" redpoll, the L. rufescens instanced above, and also the mealy redpoll, L. canescens, (Gld.)—.

—The time is coming when the song of the birds mostly ceases. We have still, however, some of the best of them, the blackcap and garden warbler. The blackbirds and thrushes are only too numerous, and, as usual, claim a large share of the fruit, which must be placed on the other side of their account against the quantities of worms and snails of which their regular meals are made. I have noticed that the song of the thrush is in many cases quite different in the summer months from what it is in early spring. Some of the birds seem to amuse themselves with a repetition of the syllables "Weetah, Weetah," several times, followed by a somewhat monotonous chirrup, which is often repeated, and becomes rather tiresome to listen to. I suppose these must be the young birds of the present season, whose musical powers are not fully developed. Their song is much less agreeable than that of the older and more experienced performers. We have a good many of the gold-crested wrens about us this year. They are the smallest of all the British birds, and are very active and pretty. The nest is generally woven into the leaves at the extremity of a pine or cedar branch. We have also a great number of magpies all round us. They are great thieves, and their depredations amongst our little chickens and ducklings have made them very unpopular with us. I expect the comparatively innocent hawks and owls (which are much more easily shot) often get credit for the crimes which are really due to the magpie. When the young birds are fledged their appetite is ravenous, and the parents find the young ducklings hatched under a hen, and with no mother to guard them, an easy prey. They have carried off about half a dozen of these little ones, besides chickens. I do not object to their taking a fair share of the thrush's eggs, a delicacy they are fond of in early spring, and we can spare them some young blackbirds and thrushes, the remains of which bear frequent witness against them, but when they are seen to fly away with the little ducks there is a reasonable outcry against them.—, Coventry. July 3rd.

.—Will any of your correspondents describe the method of blowing eggs with one side-hole only?—, Normanton [The following extract from "Practical Taxidermy," by, Naturalist, Birmingham, published at the Bazaar Office, London, will give the information our correspondent requires:—"Eggs, when procured, must have their contents removed. To do this they