Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 6 (1902).djvu/542

466 Turtle-Dove's, but was more solidly built. Hawfinches have been seen about the gardens near the locality above referred to for several years in the act of attacking the peas, and on two occasions several were shot. One of these—an adult male—is preserved in a Brecon collection. At another place, in the centre of the county, a small flock of Hawfinches, probably a family party, were found eating the peas in July last, and some of them, which were in the spotted plumage peculiar to very young birds, were shot. One of these is now in the collection of one of my neighbours. About the same time, in the east of the county, a flock were also detected damaging the peas in a large garden near Crickhowel. The Hawfinch has been observed nesting near this village several times in previous years.— (Woodside, Brecon).

Little Bunting at Durham.—This bird (Emberiza pusilla) was shot on the slag-bank at the Durham side of Teesmouth on Oct. 11th, after about a fortnight of east and north-east winds. Mr. C. Milburn and myself were walking along the top of the bank when we flushed it out of some rough grass at the side. We would have passed it for a female Reed-Bunting, but it uttered a different call—a sharp "cit"—so I shot it, and had it forwarded to Mr. Ogilvie Grant for identification. It was exhibited at the British Ornithologists' Club on Oct. 22nd, and is now in my possession. This is the second recorded British specimen.— (Sea View Terrace, Seaton Carew).

Migration of Jays.—The communication on this subject by Mr. G.B. Corbin (ante, p. 434) explains to me the cause of a large influx of Garrulus glandarius into this district during the last few weeks. Knowing pretty well the average amount of this species bred annually in the district, their sudden increase surprised me, and I was at a loss to account for it. There are still an unusual number here, but evidently the greater part have gone onwards, probably westward. I have had as many as ten or twelve at once in the field opposite my windows, and frequently half a dozen or more at a time pecking the acorns off a Turkey-oak tree close to my "den" window. I had forgotten the recorded immigration of this bird in 1883, referred to by Mr. Corbin, and have no note on the subject; but at any rate I can safely say that there has been no such an influx here, since then, as that which I have now recorded. I have, however, a note in October, 1861, that "numbers of Jays came here this month, and devoured the apples picked up into heaps for cider-making." That this might be the result of an immigration did not occur to me, and I evidently construed their presence to be simply due to the local attraction of my apple-heaps,