Page:The Zoologist, 1st series, vol 4 (1846).djvu/132

1298 miles of Carron. The oldest man in this quarter never saw a swallow at new year's day, and he is now eighty-five. — John Dawson; Carron Works, Feb. 5, 1846.

[I am perfectly satisfied that the correspondent from whom I received the para- graph to which Mr. Dawson alludes sent it in all good faith, and in perfect confidence of its truth : I was myself well aware that it was simply one of the speculations of the "philosophical" school of Natural History, and relied on the better information of some of my "fact" correspondents to set it right. — Edward Newman].

Occurrence of the Great Black Woodpecker near Knaresborough. About ten days ago, near Eipley, on the estate of Sir Wm. A. Ingleby, Bart., a fine specimen of that very rare British bird, the great black woodpecker {Picus Martins) was shot, and is now in the possession of Mr. Jno. Stubbs, bird-stuffer, of Ripon. I understand it is a male bird. — James C. Garth; Knaresborough, March 13, 1846.

Occurrence of the Bearded Titmouse (C. biarmicus) near the Land's End. About a week or ten days since a male specimen of this bird, in beautiful and perfect plumage, was observed and afterwards shot in a sedgy spot not far from the Land's End. The only other example of this species which has occurred, to my knowledge, in this coun- ty, is now in the collection of I. P. Major, Esq., Redruth, and that was formerly the property of the late Humphrey Grylls, Esq., of Boscan, near Helston, near which place it was obtained.—''Edwd. Hearle Rodd; Penzance, February'' 6, 1846. Northern Range of the Nightingale (Philomela Luscinia). It may be interesting to the readers of the 'Zoologist' to know that this delightful songster of our groves and thickets has occurred in this neighbourhood. My authority is that of a friend on whom I can place full reliance. He says that five or six years ago, about half-a-do- zen specimens were shot or trapped in a thickety wood near this town, called Burton Bushes. There can be no doubt of the identity of the species, as the birds were heard singing when alive, and examined when dead, by persons well acquainted with them. I need hardly say that this wanton destruction of these elegant little strangers was de- plored as a public loss by all the right-thinking inhabitants of the town, to whom the pleasant walks in Burton Bushes afi'ord an agreeable promenade in the summer months. I am sorry to say, it has never, as far as I can learn, appeared here since. — Beverley R. Morris; Beverley, Yorkshire, Feb. 27, 1846.

Effects of the Mild Weather. What wonderfully mild weather we have had for several weeks past ! It is now more like the end of April than of February. The ef- fects of this extreme mildness is very apparent both in the vegetable and animal king- doms in this district. On the 22nd of January I heard a robin singing most delight- fully, and on the 23rd I heard several more, and they have continued ever since. On the 18th of February I heard several skylarks pouring forth their melodious notes, as you expect to hear them in May or June. All the early spring flowers have been in full blow for some time past. I gathered the wood anemone a fortnight ago, together with primroses, wild strawberries, and Ranunculus Ficaria—Id.

Anecdote of a Sparrow. An anecdote of a sparrow, somewhat similar to that of the robin mentioned in the January number of the 'Zoologist' by your correspondent Mr. Logan (Zool. 1211), was lately communicated to me by a friend, in whom I can place the utmost confidence. I took no note of it at the time ; but I think the follow- ing is pretty correct. One evening, about 8 o'clock (I forget at what season of the year, but it was "quite dark"), a loud tapping was heard upon the panes of one of the windows of a room in which there was no light. The room was on the first floor of the building. There were but two persons, and both of these ladies, in the house at