Page:The Zoologist, 1st series, vol 4 (1846).djvu/330

1496 as we have lately had so many stragglers from that country, but a close examination and comparison, proves beyond doubt, that our bird is strictly identical with that described by Mr. Gould. Mr. Yarrell informs me that the Australian and Indian species are not identical.

Curious capture of the Goshawk. — I was so fortunate at the beginning of this year as to obtain a goshawk, caught in the following curious manner : the hawk was perched on a gate-post, so intently watching a flock of starlings, that be did not perceive the approacb of a man, who captured him by seizing his legs. — George Horn; Egham, June, 1846.

Nesting of Montagu's Harrier in Norfolk. — On the 23rd of May I took a nest of this rare bird with two eggs in it, and on the 13th of June another nest with two eggs also ; the eggs in both were quite fresh, and there would probably have been five in each. The nests were composed of dead grass and sedge, laid loosely together on the ground. The eggs in one nest were spotted with brown, — C.B. Hunter; Downhamy Norfolk, August 23rd, 1846.

Occurrence of the Great-horned Owl at Hampstead. — On the 3rd of November, 1845, my father preserved for Mr. Burgess, Temple House, Hampstead, a female specimen of the great-horned owl (Strix Bubo) ; it was caught, after much trouble, in a hedge near the house, and was kept for some time, and until it died : it was very fierce during its captivity, and bad been severely wounded in the wing by shot pre- viously to its capture. — Thomas Hall; 7, City Road.

On the occurrence of Parti-coloured Song Thrushes. — On the 18tb of last June, William Marshall, of Bunton, near Pontefract, found in a hedge at that place a nest of young song thrushes which were colored black and white. There were four in the nest at the time ; the colors were differently disposed on each ; the greater part of one bird was white, the others bad more of black, but none were of the usual colour. The birds are still in the possession of the finder. — Henry Thompson; Acltworth, July Uth, 1846.

Early arrival of the Chiff-chaff near Swansea. — Having read in the June number of the* Zoologist' a notice of the early appearance of the chiff-chaff at Penzance, I beg to inform you that it was first beard by myself and others in the neighbourhood of Swansea on the 30lh and 31st of January, from which time its note was frequently re- peated.— Arthur Berrington; Swansea, July 7th, 1846.

Singular variety of the Wheatear (Motacilla Œnanthe). — A singular variety of this bird was shot at Spetchley, about four miles from the city of Worcester, on the 28th ult., by R. Berkeley, Esq., of Spetchley Park, who presented it to the Worcestershire Museum. The black streak over the eyes, cheeks, and ears is gone, but there is a slight trace of the white line ; the flight feathers and wing coverts are white, edged with a kind of buff ; the rump and part of the tail is white, as in ordinary birds of this species, but all the rest of the plumage of ibis specimen is a kind of buff. — George Reece; Worcester.