a HARVARD UNIVERSITY. LIBRARY nei g OF THE : MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY > SL Y2| = GIFT OF ss Ocloton 4g, 192 | Ss e~ ax ; r i. ‘ he \ ; " \ wi one Cog ee etee peg COLOURED FIGURES OF THE / BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLANDS. ISSUED BY FORD LIkPORD. ¥,2. 8... ETc., PRESIDENT OF THE BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION. VOLUME II. LONDON: R. H. PORTER, 7 PRINCES STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE, W. 4 1885-1897. Cte WMIPAS hie PRINTED BY TAYLOR AND FRANCIS, RED LION COURT, FLEET STREET, ee a ee a ee ee eee eee CONTENTS OF VOLUME TITLEPAGE ConTENTS Co.uaTtion oF EpItiIons List or PuateEs . Puates Text a COLLATION OF EDITIONS. Tuis Work was issued in two KEditions : the First commenced October 1885, and the Second April 1891, both Editions ending simultaneously ; the Plates in Volume II. appeared as follows :— mo de Oo ony mo Oo . GREEN WOODPECKER .. . Prep WooDPECKER .... ” ” . BARRED or LESSER SPoT- TED WOODPECKER. MW EVN OI: of -c0" 52 eco sicker . Common KINGFISHER .. . BHE-EATER . ROLLER . Hooros . Common Cuckoo...... . Great Sporrnp Cuckoo. . AMERICAN YELLOW- BILLED Cuckoo. . NIGHTJAR, GOATSUCKER, or Frry-Owt. . RED-NECKED NIGHTJAR . . EGYPTIAN or ISABELLINE NIGHTJAR. p SWERDTytere x) hada s . WHITH-BELLIED SWIFT . . NEEDLE-TAILED SWIFT . LURE ates, fe otis, bre . CaRRION-CROW Ist Edition. PART XVI. VEE 1b.G VEL. XVIII. b.O.4& XXXII. XXII. XXIV. XXXITI. Sept. 1890. Sept. 1888. Dec. 1888. Mar. 1889. Apr. 1897. Noy. 1888. Dec. 1888. Jan. 1890. Sept. 1888, Apr. 1891. Sept. 1890. Nov. 1896. Dec. 1892. June 1893. Noy. 1896. June 1887, Aug. 1886. Sept. 1890. Mar. 1889. ” 2nd Edition. PART XVII. Noy. 1892. VII. July 1891. Ix. Oct. 1891. Xe Dec. 1891. XXXIV. Apr. 1897. VOI. Ang. 1891. BX. Oct. 1891. XXVII. Aug. 1894. VII. July 1891. XIX. Feb. 1893. XVII. Noy. 1892. XXXII. Nov. 1896. XVIII. Dec. 1892. XXIII. July 1893. XXXII. Noy. 1896. V. June 1891. HE. Apr: 1891. XVII. Nov. 1892. X. Dee. 1891. ” vi COLLATION OF EDITIONS. Ist Edition. 2nd Edition. PART PART 21. Grey or HoopEp Crow. XI. Sept. 1889. XI. Feb. 1892. Pe ROOK 3 Fess cana as ee XXIII. Mar. 1893. XX. Mar. 1893. Ded. ci AOKAAW in tarsi xs alee ae Xx. Mar. 1889. | Dec. 1891. 24, Rup-BILLeD CnoucH 5 ” ” ” 2d. NLAGPIR 2S Apr. 1888. VI. June 1891. 46. Coan TITMOUSE ...... IV. Jan. 1887. IV. Apr 180m 47. Brirish Coat TrTMousE y ‘ r i ) 48. Marsu-Trrmovuse .... VI. Apr. 1888. VI. June 1891. 49, Crestep TIrMousE .... XVI. Sept. 1890. XVII. Nov. 1892. 50. Lona-rartep TITMousE . IV. Jan. 1887. TV. “Apr: 188%. Bl. Norearon 4.505 5 sows VIII. Nov. 1888. VIII. Aug. 1891. 52. TREE-CREEPER ........ TV..* -Jan. 1887, IV, Apredgon. 53, Rock-CREEPER........ XV. July 1890. XXI. May 1893, pa; WREN isi lec sa ohana TV. wan: 4687. TV. - Ape. 1890. Eis OF -PLATES IN VOLUME II. . Green Wooprecker. Gecinus viridis (Linn.). . Prep Wooprecker. Picus major, Linn. . Do. Do. Showing changes of coloration of head in both sexes. . Barren or Lesser Srorrep Wooprecker. Picus minor, Linn. . WRYNECK. ius iene rane . Common KinerisuEerR. Hanundowmustica; linn. hs se lee 37. Martin. Chelidonurbica (Linn.) . ... . 80 38. Sanp-Martin. Cotile riparia (Linn.) . . . . 82 39. Sporrep Frycarcuer. Muscicapa grisola, Linn.. 83 40, Rep-sreastep Frycatcner. Muscicapa parva, Bechst. «ies wees is ooo so ) 41. Prep Frycatcner. Muscicapa atricapilla, Linn.. 89 42. Waxwine. Ampelis garrulus, Linn... . . . . 92 43. Bearpep Rerepiine. Panurus biarmicus (Linn.). 93 44, Great Tit, Parus major, lann, . 5 5). Gee 45. Buve Tirmovsr. Parus ceruleus, Linn. . . . 102 PLATES IN VOL. II. 1X To face page 46. Coat Titmouse. Parusater, Linn... .. . 47. British Coat Tirmouse. Parus temo, L108 Sharpe & Dresser 48. Marsu-Tirmouse. Parus palustris, Linn. . . . 106 49. Crestep Titmouse. Parus cristatus, Linn. . . 107 50. Lone-rartep Tirmouse. Acredula caudata(Linn.) 110 51> Nurparcs. Sitia cesia, Wolf. . . . . . . 112 52. TReE-cREEPER. Certhia familiaris, Linn... . . 114 53. Rock-creererR. Tichodroma muraria (Linn.). . 116 54. Wren. Troglodytes parvulus, Koch . . . . . 120 "2 2S Ro a VOL, II. h GREEN WOODPECKER. GECINUS VIRIDIS (Linn.). Picus viridis, Linn. 8. N. i. p. 175 (1766) ; Naum. v. p. 270; Macg. iii. p. 91; Hewitson, i. p. 239. Gecinus viridis, Yarr. ed. 4, 11. p. 457; Dresser, v. p. 77. Pic vert, French; Griinspecht, German; Pito real, Pito verde, Spanish. Although sad havoc has been worked upon this fine species by dealers and their agents on account of its bright plumage, I am glad to say that it is still tolerably abundant in most of our wooded districts, becoming scarce in the northern counties of England, whilst in Scotland and Ireland it is virtually unknown. In the spring the Green Woodpecker announces his presence by a loud laughing call, and has in some parts of the country obtained the nickname of “ yaffle” from this peculiarity, which is commonly supposed to foretell rain, and certainly zs more frequently to be heard in showery than in fine weather. There is a restless energy and determination in all the movements of Woodpeckers that is very remarkable; whatever they do is evidently done with all their mind and all their strength, and, except when asleep, they are always active. neWwemans del. et olh Minterr GREEN WOODPECKER. Geeinus viridis (Linn), ses The flight of the Green Woodpecker is undulating and accompanied by loud whirring of the wings; when he taps at a tree he taps with all his might; no insect- food seems to come amiss to him, but he has a very marked predilection for ants and their eggs, and his actions at an ant-hill are most quaint and grotesque. This bird is very wary, and those who wish for his intimate acquaintance in his native haunts must be very cautious in their advances. The five or six beautiful glossy white eggs of the Green Woodpecker are laid in holes perforated by the birds in more or less rotten trees, without any nest whatever. The rapidity with which the Woodpeckers work through sound wood till they find the decaying heart of a trunk or bough is little short of miraculous ; the masses of chips below a hole bear witness to the labours of the birds, but not always to the occupation of the particular site, for I have several times found that the holes have been abandoned without any apparent cause, even after the soft wood had been reached. The young birds leave their nurseries before they can fly, and clamber about the boughs of its neighbourhood, generally returning to their hole for the might. Star- lings frequently take possession of the Woodpeckers’ labours, and, by placing their nesting-rubbish in the holes, disgust the rightful owners, who could certainly master the intruders in a fair fight. In captivity the Green Woodpecker becomes very tame and is most amusing, but requires plenty of room for exercise, as much variety of food as possible, and a constant supply of pure fresh water. So long as a supply of living ants is to be procured the best way of feeding these birds is to put a shovelfull of the ants’-hill into their cage; but they may gradually be “trained off” till they will feed readily on chopped meat, raisins, carrots, nuts, and soft fruit. All the Woodpeckers that 1 have kept in captivity invariably roosted at night by clinging upright to a bough or to the bars of their abode. PIED WOODPECKER. PICUS MAJOR, Linn. Picus major, Linn. S. N. i. p. 176 (1766); Naum. v. p. 298; Hewitson, i. p. 240; Dresser, v. p. 19. Picus pipra, Macg. iii. p. 80. Dendrocopus major, Yarr. ed. 4, 11. p. 470. Pic épeiche, French ; Grosser Buntspecht, German ; Pica- maderos, Pico, Carpintero, Spanish. Resident and locally frequent in England, less common in Scotland, and apparently rare in Ireland, the present species is found im all parts of the continent of Europe that are suited to its habits. Occasionally very shy and difficult of approach, this bird is, on the contrary, at times quite fearless of man. I have adopted the name of ‘ Pied,” as the shortest and most appropriate, but Greater Spotted Woodpecker seems to be the designation adopted by most writers. The bird is known commonly in various parts of England as “ French Pie,” “ Whittle,’ and “ Hacker” to my own knowledge, besides by other nicknames which may be discovered in other works. PIED WOODPECKER. Picus major. Linn. Litho. W. Greve, Berlin. ‘sons YG IN pHay Jo UNPDAO}0D Wn abuDYD Jo ssetboud burmoys any rofeut snoig “WAMOAddOOM TWHId 18 PAU, OZ [sp SreusmMey'y p du * soug PIED WOODPECKER. PICUS MAJOR, Linn. Mr. J. G. Keulemans has furnished me with the accompanying Plate, showing the change of colour in the feathers of the head in both sexes of this species : the original drawings were taken from a pair of living birds in his possession, and he has very obligingly supplied me with the following explanatory refer- ences :— Tllustrations of changes of colour in the feathers of head in both sexes. Fig. 1. Type of nestling plumage. Fig. la. Type of young bird (¢) prior to the first indications of change. (Sketched from life on Nov. 5.) Fig. 2. Young female of the same age (five months). (Sketched on Noy. 5.) Fig. 3. The same individual thirty-seven days after; repre- senting type of adult female. (Sketched Dec. 12.) Fig. 4. Young male (same individual as represented in fig. 1a) at the age of six months and five days. (Sketched Dec. 12.) Fig. 5. The same individual at the age of about ten months. (Sketched April 24.) Note.—The change of colour in the plumage of the head first showed itself in the female. In August I noticed that several black feathers had made their appearance amongst the red feathers on the top of its head. On examining the bird’s head I found that some of the feathers were black at base, leaving only a small margin of red, whilst others were still almost entirely red. A few days later the thin red margins of the feathers previously examined had almost entirely disappeared, and a great many of the others, viz. the red crown-feathers, were now likewise black at base. Great care was taken to ascertain whether any feathers were shed, but none were found in the cage, nor was there any sign of fresh feathers developing themselves in any part of the bird’s head. By November 5 only a few red crown-feathers remained (fig. 2). In the young male no change had, at that date (Noy. 5), been noticed, and I found, on lifting up the feathers of the crown, that all except a few were still red, without any markings of black. Some, however, at the anterior part of the crown were mottled with black. By December 12 all red had disappeared in the female bird. The male now began to moult the feathers at the nape, several being found in its cage. By comparing the extent of red on the crown as it now appeared with that in my sketch taken on November 5, it was found that the change into black had made some progress, the red crown now seeming somewhat smaller than before. The male bird changed the black feathers on the nape by moult; but the red crown-feathers turned black by the gradual progress of the black colour beginning at the base of each feather. The female did not change colour by moult, but by a gradual change of coloration in the feathers them- selves, the first regular moult taking place at the age of ten months, at which time the male shed some wing- and tail- feathers. It died during that process, having been killed by a cat. BARRED or LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER, PICUS MINOR, Linn. Picus minor, Linn. 8S. N. i. p. 176 (1766) ; Naum. v. p. 334; Hewitson, i. p. 241; Dresser, v. p. 53. Picus striolatus, Macg. iii. p. 86. Dendrocopus minor, Yarr. ed. 4, ii. p. 477. Pic épeichette, French; Klein-Specht, German; Picama- dera, Pipo, Spanish. This little Woodpecker is tolerably common in almost all the woodland districts of England, but from its small size and habit of frequenting the dead boughs of our tallest trees, often escapes notice, and is considered as a rare bird even in many parts of the country where it is in reality by no means uncommon. In Northampton- shire I consider it as the most abundant of our three species of Woodpecker, and in February and March its “jarring” is as constantly to be heard, in fine weather, as the laugh of the better-known and far more conspi- cuous Green Woodpecker. The nesting-holes of this bird are made in almost any species of tree, and it does not seem to be particular as to the height of its nursery from the ground. ‘The eggs are generally from five to seven in number, of a pure glossy white; the young birds appear amongst the branches in the neighbour- hood of their home about the middle of June. J. Smat del. et hith 3 Minterm Bros. imp i BARRED, or LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER. Pieus minor, Linn. WRYNECK. IYNX TORQUILLA, Linn. Yunx torquilla, Linn. S. N. i. p. 172; Naum. v. p. 356; Macg. iii. p. 100; Hewitson, i. p. 242. Iynx torquilla, Yarr. ed. 4, ii. p. 487; Dresser, v. p. 103. Le Torcol ordinaire, French ; Hormiquero, Torcecuelo, Spanish ; Der Wendehals, German. A regular spring visitor to England, arriving about the beginning of April, when its loud familiar call at once announces its presence. Lord Lilford’s own observations on this bird will be found in his ‘ Birds of Northamptonshire’ (vol. i. p. 273). [O. S.] LONDON. CHROMO-LITHO. ART STUDIO, WRYNECK. lynx forquilla, 7.227. | ' * { , i . | i % , “ " - COMMON KINGFISHER. ALCEDO ISPIDA, Linn. Alcedo ispida, Linn. 8S. N. i. p. 179 (1766) ; Naum. v. p. 480; Macg. iii. p. 671; Hewitson, i. p. 255; Yarr. ed. 4, ii. p. 443; Dresser, v. p. 113. Martin Pécheur, French; Gemeine FHisvogel, German ; Martin pescador, Spanish. This very beautiful species is well known throughout our islands, and would be exceedingly common in many districts were it not for the brutal persecution it meets with for the sake of its feathers, for the personal adorn- ment (?) of ladies, and for the making of artificial flies. I most heartily wish that any words of mine could bring any of my fair readers to use their utmost efforts to discountenance the wearing of any feathers, except those of the Game Birds and Wildfowl to be met with in abundance, great variety, and beauty in the game- dealers’ shops during the season. J.G Keulemans ded. et lith COMMON KINGFISHER. Alcedo ispida,Linn. BEE-EATER. MEROPS APIASTER, Linn. Merops apiaster, Linn. S. N. 1. p. 182 (1766); Naum. v. p- 462; Macg. ii. p. 685; Hewitson, i. p. 254; Yarr. ed. 4, i. p. 485; Dresser, v. p. 155. Guépier vulgaire, French; Europdische Bienenfresser, Ger- man; Abejaruco, Spanish. The Bee-eater is a somewhat rare straggler to our islands from the south. In many parts of S. Europe it is exceedingly common as a summer visitor; and Colonel Irby, in his work on the ‘Ornithology of the Straits of Gibraltar,’ has given some very interesting details of the regularity of its annual transit from Africa to Europe. It abounds in Andalucia and most parts of Spain south of the great central sierras in summer, and beeds in holes excavated by itself in almost every bank soft enough to be bored into, as well as occasionally in open, uneven, sandy wastes, in a round chamber at the end of a tunnel of several feet in length. These birds lay from four to six eggs, of a glossy pure white. The food of this species consists entirely of flying insects, and it is very destructive to the honey-bee. BDERSEATER.. Merops apla ster, Lum ; ee muy “emMiies setoeI0g ‘AATION Ulpag ‘2AeID Ay ‘OUITT ROLLER. CORACIAS GARRULA, Linn. Coracias garrula, Linn. S. N. i. p. 159 (1776); Naum. ii. p- 158; Macg. iii. p. 540; Hewitson, i. p. 253; Yarr. ed. 4, 11. p. 428; Dresser, v. p. 141. Rollier, French; Mandelkrihe, Blauracke, German; Car- lanco, Carraca, Spanish. This brightly plumaged bird, although a rare visitor to our country, is exceedingly common in summer in Spain and many other parts of Southern and South- eastern Europe, becoming rarer towards the north of the continent, but breeding sparsely in Sweden. The food of the Roller consists almost entirely of large beetles, grasshoppers, and other insects, which it takes on wing and from the ground; the flight is buoyant and well sustained, and the bird has a curious habit of turning somersaults in the air somewhat in the fashion of a “tumbler” Pigeon, from which it has derived its common English and French names. The nests of this species are generally situated in hollow trees, in holes or clefts of sandy cliffs and river- banks, or not infrequently in the walls of abandoned or even inhabited buildings. The eggs are glossy white, somewhat rounded in shape, and four or five in number. The notes of the Roller consist of a variety of more or less harsh screams and ejaculations, all discordant and unpleasant to the human ear. T have had frequent opportunities of closely observing the habits of this bird in Southern Europe; he seems to avoid closely-wooded localities, and generally selects isolated tree-tops or telegraph-posts in an open country, from which to watch for and capture his prey; if several individuals are about, they chase one another with loud outcries, and seem eminently quarrelsome and unsociable; on the ground as might be expected, their actions are very clumsy and grotesque. I have at this time of writing two young Rollers alive at Lilford, one of which is tame enough, and will take food from the hand, whilst the other is wild, stupid, and a bully to its more amenable companion. HOOPOE, UPUPA EPOPS, Linn. Upupa epops, Linn. S. N. i. p. 183 (1766) ; Naum. v. p. 437 ; Macg. iii. p. 41; Hewitson, i. p. 249; Yarr. ed. 4, ii. p. 419:; Dresser, v. p. 179. Huppe, French; Wiedehopf, German; Abudbilla, Spanish. The Hoopoe is a regular spring migrant to the eastern and southern coasts of England, and has occurred frequently in Scotland and Ireland. ‘Ihe instances recorded of the nesting of this species in this country are but few, though I am glad to say that I have several authentic unpublished notices of such occurrences ; but in most cases the beauty and conspicuous plumage of the bird, to say nothing of its tameness, lead to its immediate destruction by the first armed idler who sees it, as the senseless craving for British-killed specimens induces bird-stuffers to give long prices for any (so- called) rarity, and causes the murder of many harmless and ornamental species besides the subject of this protest. Litho. W. Greve, Berlin HOOPOE. Upupa epops. Linn. J.G.Keulemans del, eb lith 2 5 COMMON CUCKOO. Cuculus carLlorus , Luue. Mintern Bros nmp COMMON CUCKOO. CUCULUS CANORUS, Linn. Cuculus canorus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 168 (1766); Naum. v. p. 196; Macg. iii. p. 109; Hewitson, i. p. 251; Yarr. ed. 4, ii. p. 387 ; Dresser, v. p. 199. Coucou gris, French; Kuckuk, German; Cuco, Cuclillo, Spanish. Although I for some time flattered myself in the delusion that I was, from close and constant obser- vation, acquainted with certain facts in connection with the habits of this well-known but very eccentric visitor, that were but little known to my fellow-lovers of birds, I must frankly confess that I find every scrap of my supposed “private information” set admirably before the public by my friend Professor A. Newton, in his article on this species in the 4th edition of Yarrell’s ‘ British Birds,’ vol. 11., with many additional details of which I was previously ignorant. As I imagine that all those who care sufficiently for ornithology to sub- scribe to my book are either possessed of, or have ready access to, the work to which I have referred, and as I do not profess to write a history of my subject, I will merely state for the information of those to whom birds are interesting only as beautiful creatures, and not as objects of study or observation, that the male ~— Cuckoos arrive in our country as a rule during the first three weeks of April, and are shortly followed by the females, the stronger sex always, however, largely predominating in number. The Cuckoo cannot be correctly called polygamous, but the females admit the amorous advances of many males. The eggs are invariably placed in the nests of other species (seventy-eight of which are enumerated at p: 394 of the volume above alluded to); the nests generally selected in the part of England with which I am best acquainted are those of Reed-Warbler, Pied Wagtail, Hedge-Sparrow, Spotted Flycatcher, Tree- Pipit, and Redstart ; the old Cuckoos generally dis- appear early in July, whilst the young birds occasionally linger with us till the third week of September. It is perhaps superfluous to add that the ancient myth of the Cuckoo’s sucking the eggs of other birds has no foundation on fact, and probably originated from the now well-ascertained habit of this species of carrying its own egg in its beak to deposit it in nests where it could hardly be laid in the natural manner. It is difficult, but by no means impossible, to keep the Cuckoo in confinement through the winter in this country ; but itis not an attractive cage-bird, and, in my experience, becomes so restless at the seasons of migra- tion that, however tame and quiet it may be at other times, it invariably, when urged by the travelling in- stinct, ruins its plumage and appearance by breaking the feathers of its wings and tail in attempting to escape. ‘The general demeanour of my captives of this species has been sulky, greedy, and spiteful. L 3 Mintern Bros . imp GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO. Oxvlophus glandarius (Lu). GREAT SPOTTED CUCKOO. OXYLOPHUS GLANDARIUS (Linn.). Cuculus glandarius, Linn. S. N. i. p. 169 (1766) ; Naum. v. p. 287. Coccystes glandarius, Yarr. ed. 4, 11. p. 408; Dresser, v. p- 219. Coucou-geai, Coucou tacheté, French; FEichel-heher, German ; Cuco real, Spanish. Two instances only of the occurrence of this species in our Islands are on record: the first of these was taken alive off the coast of Connemara in 1842, and is, according to Mr. Saunders (‘ Manual of British Birds,’ p- 279), still preserved in the Museum of Trinity College, Dublin; the same authority (/oc. supra cit.) informs us that a second was shot near Bellingham, Northumberland, on August 5th, 1870, and is now in the Newcastle Museum. ‘This Cuckoo is by no means a common bird in any part of Europe as _ politically defined, with the exception of Spain and Portugal ; in certain districts of the former country it was, in my experience, abundant as a summer visitor, and as I only once saw the bird at large elsewhere, the following notes, from personal acquaintance, refer exclusively to Spain. ‘The Spotted Cuckoo is extremely local in its Spanish haunts, common in New Castile, La Mancha, and certain parts of Estremadura and Andalucia ; whilst in the eastern provinces it is comparatively scarce, and to the north of the Sierra de Guadarrama decidedly rare. In the neighbourhood of Madrid these birds arrive about the end of March or early in April, and at once commence to lay their eggs in the nests of the Common Magpie; the first two eggs found by us were taken from a nest of this bird in a high oak tree in the grounds of the Casa de Campo, a royal demesne just outside the walls of Madrid, on April 12, 1865; this nest contained no other eggs. It is, of course, impossible to discover how many eggs go to form the usual complement laid by this Cuckoo; I quote on this subject my notes on the ornithology of Spain, in ‘The Ibis,’ referring to the neighbourhood of Aranjuez :—On April 29, 1865, we found three nests of Magpie all containing eggs of this Cuckoo, which is extremely common in this locality; in one nest were eight eggs of the Magpie and three of the Cuckoo, in another one of the former and three of the latter bird, and in the third two of each species. In almost every case in which we found eggs of both species together the Cuckoo’s eggs were more advanced towards hatching than those of the rightful proprietors of the nest. We took altogether some forty or more eggs of the present species near Aranjuez, and might certainly have trebled the number. On one occasion only did we find a Cuckoo’s egg elsewhere than ina Magpie’s nest, this exception was a single egg found in a Raven’s nest with five of those of that species; the greatest number of Cuckoo’s eggs found by us in any one nest was eight, with five of the Magpie. I am assured that in a certain district of Andalucia this Cuckoo lays commonly in the nests of the Blue-winged Pie (Cyanopica cookt) ; but, although I have no reason to doubt this story, I have as yet no proof of its truth. The eggs of this species vary but little in ground- colour and markings—pale greenish blue with red- brown and purple spots; but the variation in size frequently met with in eggs from the same nest is very remarkable. Colonel Irby writes :—‘‘ The egg can be easily distinguished by its elliptical form, those of bs the Magpie being pointed at one end;” and as a general rule this distinction holds good. ‘The shell of the Cuckoo's egg is also much smoother and far more strong than that of the Magpie. The difference of plumage between adults and birds of the year is so singular and noticeable that more than one writer on ornithology has treated of the latter as a distinct species; for this reason, and because the adult has been more frequently figured than the young bird, I have given the prominent place in the accom- panying Plate to a bird of the year. The Spotted Cuckoo is a noisy, restless bird, constantly during the spring and early summer engaged in pursuing and being pursued by its own species and the Magpies. In flight it much resembles our Common Cuckoo ; both sexes are very vociferous, their notes consisting of a harsh barking chatter and a loud rolling cry, which Mr. Saunders renders not inaptly by the word “ durroo- burroo,” rapidly repeated. So far as we were able to ascertain from dissection the diet of these birds consists entirely of large insects— locusts, grasshoppers, dragonflies, beetles, and moths, in every stage of their development. This Cuckoo is not able to support captivity (in our English climate at least) for any length of time. I never observed the Great Spotted Cuckoo taking or attempting to take insects on the wing; but on the ground it is, for a Cuckoo, remarkably agile and rapid in movement. The nests in which we found the eggs of this bird were generally at a considerable height from the ground ; in the few exceptions to this rule that came under my own observation the nest was situated in a dense thorn- thicket, and could not be got at without a considerable amount of work with the bill-hook. The Spanish country-folk eat this Cuckoo, and declare it to be good food ; but in this matter I went no further than sucking the contents of a few of its freshly-laid eggs through a blowpipe. AMERICAN YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. COCCYZUS AMERICANUS (Linzn.). Cuculus americanus, Linn. S. N.i. p. 170. Coccyzus americanus, Macg. iii. p. 137; Yarr. ed. 4, il. p. 414; Dresser, v. p. 227. Four or five occurrences in the British Islands of this American Cuckoo have been recorded, and a few on the continent of Europe. Its true home is North America, where it resides during the summer months and where it breeds as well as in some of the West-Indian islands. In winter it migrates to South America, where it has been traced as far south as Argentina. [O. 8.] ‘juuvy) SnuBoiioure snzk9909, ‘OOMNONO GATITIG-MOTIAA NYWOMMawy £ “usfdog “AAG. “AX “ONIN ‘uy ‘sneedoina snZjnanideg ‘IMO-NUAA YO ‘MAMONSLYOO ‘AVWPLHOIN “uyeg ‘84etD “AA ‘OWITT aaa iaslanint ong te Lech EIS NIGHTJAR, GOATSUCKER, on FERN-OWL. CAPRIMULGUS EUROPAUS, Linn. Caprimulgus europzus, Linn. S. N.1i. p. 346 (1766) ; Naum. vi. p. 141; Macg. iil. p. 633; Yarr. ed. 4, ii. p. 377; Dresser, iv. p. 621. Caprimulgus europeus, Hewitson, i. p. 270. Engoulevent ordinaire, French; Ziegen-melker, Nacht- Schwalbe, German; Zumaya, Chotacabras, Papa- vientos, Engaiapastores, Spanish. This remarkable bird, although a common summer visitor to all districts of the United Kingdom that are adapted to its requirements, is very locally distributed during its sojourn with us, and in many parts of England is virtually unknown. ‘The favourite haunts of our bird are shady woods, commons overgrown with fern and heather, and it is occasionally to be found also on rocky hill-sides amongst brambles ; but I have never found it established at any considerable distance from more or less extensive patches of the common fern or bracken. On passage, in May and September, it may, to use a common expression, be found “ anywhere,” and at the latter season I have known of several occurrences of the “ Fern-Owl” in turnip-fields far away from its accus- tomed abiding places. ‘The food of this species consists chiefly, if not entirely, of night-flying insects taken in the air. During the daytime the Nightjar remains dozing, generally, in my experience, on the ground, very often basking on bare sandy spots or flat ledges of rock, but often also upon low horizontal boughs, upon which it squats, as a sailor would say, “ fore and aft,” or length- ways. Soon after sunset in districts frequented by these birds the air suddenly appears to be full of them, although in reality there may not be more than two or three pairs on wing together; this illusion is produced by the mar- vellous rapidity and silence of their flight, and their continual twists and evolutions over some food-producing spot, also, no doubt, in many cases by the active pursuit of the moths disturbed by the observer in his evening stroll. I have mentioned the silence of the flight of this bird, and in fact the actual aerial progression of the Nightjar is as noiseless as that of the Owls; but in the case of the present species is frequently varied by a curious ‘¢swishing ” sound when the bird suddenly turns; the only vocal note that I have heard uttered by the Nightjar whilst on wing is a sharp squeak, the well-known jarring note being only produced, as I am fully convinced, whilst the bird is on the ground or seated on a bough. In common with many nocturnal bird-notes this remark- able cry is most deceptive with regard to the locality from which it proceeds; but, although not musical, it is always a delightful memory to me, associated with calm summer nights whose silence was only broken by it, the call of the Corn-Crake, the music of the Nightingale, and the occasional trill of the Grasshopper Warbler. The Nightjar makes no nest, but generally deposits its two eggs (which are, in my opinion, about the most beautiful of British productions of their kind) on a bare spot amongst ferns, stunted heather, or brambles, not uncommonly upon open wastes strewn with fragments of flmt and chalk, with barely any vegetation near the breeding-place. I hope and believe that the advance of education has eradicated the ancient superstition that gave the name of Goatsucker to this bird, but to my own personal knowledge it has been, and is still I fear, looked upon by game-keepers as a bird of prey, called a Night Hawk, and treated accordingly. I need hardly tell those who have had patience enough to read this dissertation, that the Nightjar is not only a perfectly harmless, but also a most useful bird. ‘wwar ‘s\jjooyns suspnuntideg AVILHDOIN GHAOUN-Cdada Uypteg ‘AAOID "AA OUT RED-NECKED NIGHTJAR. CAPRIMULGUS RUFICOLLIS, Temm. Caprimulgus ruficollis, Temm. Man. d’Orn. p. 438 (1820) ; Yarr. ed. 4, ii. p. 386 (note) ; Dresser, iv. p. 683. Engoulevent a collier roux, French; Zumaya, Papavientos, Engaiapastores, Chotacabras, Spanish. One specimen only of this very beautiful bird has been recorded as having occurred in England; the individual in question was found in the flesh by the late John Hancock, of Newcastle, in a shop in that town, and was stated to have been killed on the pre- vious day, October 5th, 1856, at Killingworth ; it is now in the Newcastle Museum. This bird is common, but exceedingly local, in Spain. We found it in abundance in the swampy willow-groves in the neighbourhood of Aranjuez on its first arrival early in May, and it is very common in most parts of Andalucia during the summer months, especially frequenting the sandy pine-woods, though by no means infrequently met with also in the scrub-grown wastes. I did not meet with it to the north of the Guadarrama range, but know that it occurs sparingly in the neigh- bourhood of San Ildefonso in Old Castile. In general habits this bird appeared to us to resemble the Common Nightjar, but there is a very perceptible difference between the “churring” notes of the two species ; their eggs are not to be distinguished by any constant diversity of size or markings. r ae, . — oe a eee / Fj : § . 4 4 \ 3 es a EGYPTIAN or ISABELLINE NIGHTJAR. CAPRIMULGUS 44GYPTIUS, Licht. Caprimulgus zgyptius, Lichtenstein, Verz. Doubl. p. 59; Dresser, iv. p. 629; Whitaker, Zool. 1883, p. 374; Saunders, Man. Br. B. p. 260. One occurrence. The gamekeeper of Mr. J. Whitaker, of Rainsworth Lodge near Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, shot a Nightjar on 23rd June, 1883, his attention having been attracted to it by its light colour. This specimen, on examination, proved to be a Caprimulgus agyptius. The bird has also occurred on Heligoland, but its home is Turkestan, Baluchistan, Egypt, and Nubia, whence it probably migrates further south in the winter season. [O. 8. | ‘majsuaqyoy ‘sandxkSe snspnurides ‘AWPLHSOIN ANITIAEYSI “ted ‘oAaTp “AA ‘OUP SWIFT. CYPSELUS APUS (Linn.). Hirundo apus, Linn. 8. N. i. p. 344 (1766). Cypselus apus, Naum. vi. p. 123; Yarr. ed. 4, ii. p. 364; Dresser, iv. p. 583. Cypselus murarius, Macg. iii. p. 614; Hewitson, i. p. 267. Martinet de muraille, French; Thurmsegler, German ; Avion, Vencyjo, Spanish. A more or less common summer visitor to all parts of the British Islands. , ‘ AK sas pate st pe Ui bret ass) WHITE-BELLIED SWIFT. CYPSELUS MELBA (Linn.). Hirundo Melba, Linn. 8. N. i. p. 345 (1766). Cypselus melba, Naum. vi. p. 115; Macg. iii. p. 611; Yarr. ed. 4, ii. p. 372; Dresser, iv. p. 603. Cypselus alpinus, Hewitson, i. p. 269. Martinet a ventre blanc, French; Alpensegler, German ; Avion, Spanish. A locally common summer visitor to Central and Southern Europe, rarely visiting the British Isles. WHITE-BELLIED SWIF1 | Vose S meltba NEEDLE-TAILED SWIFT. ACANTHYLLIS CAUDACUTA (Lath.). Hirundo caudacuta, Lath. Synops. Suppl. ii. p. lvii (1801). Acanthyllis caudacuta, Yarr. ed. 4, . p. 371; Dresser, iv. p- 6138. I find only two records of the occurrence of this species in Great Britain: the first at Great Horkesley, near Colchester, on July 8th, 1846, and the other towards the end of July 1879, near Ringwood, Hants ; in this latter instance the bird had been observed flying over the river Avon, with a companion of its own species, for a few days before its capture. Mr. H. Saunders, from whose work I am quoting, states that at the time of the publication of his ‘ Manual’ this bird had not been noticed in any other part of Europe ; that during the summer it inhabits South-eastern Siberia, Mongolia, Manchuria, Japan, and the mountainous regions of China and Tibet, also the Eastern Himalayas, migrating as far southwards as Eastern Australia and Tasmania in the cold season. As this is a species which would probably be impossible to keep alive for any length of time in captivity, I hold that the well-authenticated instances of its occurrence in England above men- tioned fully entitle it to a place amongst British birds, (CYPT) ByHoepNey siypAyyUuRoy “LAIMS GATIVL-TIGTaN RAVEN, CORVUS CORAX, Linn. Corvus corax, Linn. 8. N. i. p. 155 (1766) ; Naum. ii. p. 43 ; Macg. i. p. 498; Hewitson, i. p. 220; Yarr. ed. 4, ii. p. 259; Dresser, iv. p. 567. Corbeau, French; Kolk-Rabe, German; Cuervo, Grajo, Spanish. This most sagacious of birds, though formerly well known in almost all parts of the three kingdoms, is now uncommon in cultivated and game-preserving districts, and its breeding-places in England, except on our coasts, are few and far between. Entertaining, as I do, a great admiration for the Raven, and fully aware of his value as a most efficient destroyer of small four-footed vermin, I fear that it is impossible to deny that he is a formid- able enemy to the shepherd, the poultry-keeper, and game-preserver ; but, admitting his natural delinquencies to the fullest extent, I must yet plead for mercy for him on account of his beauty, courage, marvellous intelli- gence, and comparative scarcity at the present time in our country. The Raven is an early breeder. I have seen well- feathered young birds offered for sale in London in the latter end of March. ‘This bird rears its young year after year in the same spot, generally in a hole or crevice in the face of a cliff, but also often in a tall and “ difficult”’ tree. The old birds will drive off almost any bird from the neighbourhood of their nest, and their great wing-power and strength render them most for- midable antagonists, even to the Falcon. No birds are more easily tamed than Ravens, and certainly none more amply repay in all ways the small amount of care and attention that they require. UIMEG PAeIH “Ay ‘oyyTT ‘wT *X810D SNAIOD NAHAVY —— —_-— _ sey ——— CARRION-CROW, CORVUS CORONE, Linn. Corvus corone, Linn. 8S. N.1. p.155 (1776); Naum. ii. p. 54; Macg. i. p.516; Hewitson, i. p. 222; Yarr. ed. 4, ii. p-. 274; Dresser, iv. p. 531. Corneille noire, French; Kréhen-Rabe, German; Graa, Grajo, Grajillo, Spanish. Professor A. Newton, in the 4th edition of Yarrell’s ‘British Birds,’ has given such cogent reasons for con- sidering this Crow as specifically inseparable from the Grey Crow (Corvus cornia), that I will not say more than that my principal reason for not wholly accepting his conclusion is the difference of note between the two birds. I may at once state, as a well-known fact, that in districts in which both forms are resident they inter- breed freely. The Black Carrion-Crow is only too well known in most parts of England and the lowlands of Scotland as a thorough “ detrimental,” and I know of nothing to be recorded in defence of this common malefactor. UIPeg eAAH “M ‘OTN ‘uy “QUOIOD SNAIOD MOUYD NOIWYVO 02 SNAIO‘) ‘MOUD GAHAACOOH FO ‘AZAD UIP “PAATH “Aq “OUT GREY or HOODED CROW. CORVUS CORNIX, Linn. Corvus cornix, Linn. 8. N.i. p.156 (1766) ; Naum. ii. p. 65 ; Macg. i. p. 529; Hewitson, i. p. 224; Yarr. ed. 4, ii. p. 275; Dresser, iv. p. 543. Corbeau mantelé, Corneille mantelée, French; Nedelrabe, German. I must refer my readers to my remarks upon the Black, or Carrion Crow, for my principal reason for treating of the present bird as at all events presenting one very important difference from that species besides that of plumage; and although I am fully disposed to bow to the opinion of my friend Professor Alfred Newton and other distinguished ornithologists, I feel sure that I shall not be blamed by the majority of my subscribers for the few following notes relating to this form. ‘The most curious part of its history is its capricious (if I may be allowed the term) distribution. It breeds in all parts of Ireland and throughout Scotland and its islands, very rarely in England, abundantly throughout Scandi- navia, sparsely in Western or Central Germany, very seldom, if ever, in France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, and the Balearic Islands. On the other hand, it is ‘he Common Crow of the whole of Italy and its islands, as well as of most of the islands of the Greek Archipelago, Cyprus, Syria, and Egypt. From my own experience I am inclined to look upon the Grey Crow as a somewhat scarce winter visitor to the Ionian Islands and the shores of the adjacent mainland, but it is more than probable that it may breed in the Morea. In England the subject of this article is generally known as an autumnal visitor from the north-east, frequenting by preference open country and our eastern coasts, but making itself quite at home in the large woods of our midland counties during the winter months. In the south-western counties this bird is by no means a common visitor ; I have been assured, I do not know with what amount of truth, that it is virtually unknown to the westward of Poole Harbour. The Grey Crow, in common with most of its con- geners, is a most destructive enemy to both eggs and young of all our Game-birds. Litho. W. Greve, Berlin. ROOK, Corvus frugilegus, Linn. ROOK, CORVUS FRUGILEGUS, Linn. Corvus frugilegus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 156 (1766); Naum. ii. p-78; Macg.i. p.535; Hewitson, i. p. 226; Yarr. ed. 4, ii. p. 289; Dresser, iv. p. 551. Corbeau-Freux, French; Saat-Kraéhe, German; Graja, k Spanish. It is not probable that I can tell any of my country- men, who care sufficiently about birds to look at this work, anything that they do not already know about this well-known and most respectable of British Crows, although I confess that I am myself anxious for infor- mation upon certain points concerning his little ways and customs. Why, for instance, do the very great majority of old Rooks, with their young that escape the annual shooting, leave their breeding-localities altogether for several weeks during the summer? and whither do they betake themselves? At Lilford a very large number of Rooks breed in scattered colonies within a short distance of the house, and, from the beginning of October till the nesting-time arrives, one of our coverts is the roosting-resort of many thousands of these birds that flock in from a radius of several miles, but from the latter end of June till the time of corn-harvest it is a very exceptional event to see more than from fifty to sixty Rooks together. One of the most remarkable of the many authentic Rook-stories that has come to my knowledge was communicated to me by a friend resident in Rutland, and relates to that county ; it runs thus :— Some few years ago the wife of a gamekeeper, whose cottage was close to a large wood containing a well- stocked Rookery, observed, one evening towards the end of May, a great commotion amongst the Rooks, of whose community all that were capable of flight appeared to be circling in the air above the tree-tops with deafening cries, but without any apparent cause; the woman, suspecting that some trespasser was wandering in the wood, or that the disturbance was caused by some large bird of prey, summoned her husband, who was engaged at his pheasant-coops at a short distance; he at once explored the covert, but could discover no cause for the disturbance of the Rooks, which continued till dark ; the next morning not a Rook was visible, the Rookery was deserted, and many young left to perish, for their parents did not return during the year in which this event occurred. Several stories of a similar nature have come to my knowledge, but none, in my opinion, so extraordinary or so authentic as the above. I am not inclined to enter into the controversy as to the merits of the Rook as a friend to the farmers; there is no doubt that these birds destroy enormous numbers of noxious insects, both upon arable and pasture-lands ; it is equally indisputable that they are extremely fond of wheat in grain; this is abundantly proved by the number of Rooks that are annually destroyed by feeding upon newly-sown wheat steeped in poisonous compounds to preserve it from the attacks of insects. The Rook is an eminently sagacious and observant bird, and, whether he has learned of late years by infor- mation from other members of the genus Corvus, or acquired by intuition, the knowledge that the eggs of other birds are excellent food, I am unable to say, but, well within my recollection, our Rooks have become most determined egg-stealers, and it is no exaggeration to say that, in dry spring-times, when covert is scanty, we are annually robbed of hundreds of eggs of game- birds and wild-fowl by these otherwise comparatively respectable neighbours. This branch of petty larceny on the part of the Rooks was virtually unknown in our neighbourhood forty years ago, though we had many more Rooks breeding therein than at present. After all this, 1 am fond of the Rook, from old associations of happy summers gone by, and from long and close observation of its peculiar habits, but in a woodland and agricultural district I am convinced that an annual pretty close thinning down of the young birds by fair means is an absolute necessity in the interests of all classes of the human community. I could relate many other facts to the advantage, and a few to the prejudice, of the Rook, but the question of the preservation or destruction of the bird chiefly touches our unfortunate agriculturists, who, as a rule, are not disposed to neglect their own interests. I conclude by quoting from my article on the Rook, contributed to the ‘ Northampton- shire Natural History Journal’:—“ consumption of wire-worm, turnip-fly, daddy long-legs, and countless other animals of whose scientific designa- tion I am as ignorant as of those just mentioned. Besides from the direct benefit to man to which I have alluded, the Starling from its beauty, its sprightly manners, its cheery notes, and its pleasant familiarity is worthy of protection and encouragement. Few more interesting “ bird-shows” are to be seen in our Islands than a vast assemblage of Starlings wheeling over their roosting-places in the reed-beds of our fen-districts, or the small coverts that they generally select as dormitories in more elevated localities. In this connection I may mention that several instances have come to my know- ledge of the sudden desertion of a favourite roosting- resort of Starlmgs without any apparent cause, and on the other hand I am assured by a friend who resides in the extreme west of Devon that although some forty years ago the Starling was a somewhat scarce bird in his neighbourhood, one of his plantations has now become the nightly resort of many thousands of these birds during the autumn and winter months. There has beena considerable amount of discussion and controversy as to the number of broods yearly reared by a pair of Starlings, some observers maintaining that only one brood is reared, whilst others say that three broods are not infrequently brought to maturity in the spring and summer of a single year by the same parents. From my own personal observation, I am inclined to think that two broods is rather the rule than the exception; { cannot recall any instance of three having come to my knowledge. The imitative powers of the Starling in consumption of wire-worm, turnip-fly, daddy long-legs, and countless other animals of whose scientific designa- tion I am as ignorant as of those just mentioned. Besides from the direct benefit to man to which I have alluded, the Starling from its beauty, its sprightly manners, its cheery notes, and its pleasant familiarity is worthy of protection and encouragement. Few more interesting “ bird-shows”’ are to be seen in our Islands than a vast assemblage of Starlings wheeling over their roosting-places in the reed-beds of our fen-districts, or the small coverts that they generally select as dormitories in more elevated localities. In this connection I may mention that several instances have come to my know- ledge of the sudden desertion of a favourite roosting- resort of Starlmgs without any apparent cause, and on the other hand I am assured by a friend who resides in the extreme west of Devon that although some forty years ago the Starling was a somewhat scarce bird in his neighbourhood, one of his plantations has now become the nightly resort of many thousands of these birds during the autumn and winter months. There has beena considerable amount of discussion and controversy as to the number of broods yearly reared by a pair of Starlings, some observers maintaining that only one brood is reared, whilst others say that three broods are not infrequently brought to maturity in the spring and summer of a single year by the same parents. From my own personal observation, I am inclined to think that two broods is rather the rule than the exception; f{ cannot recall any instance of three having come to my knowledge. The imitative powers of the Starling in v Litho. W. Greve, Berlin. j STARLING. : > Sturnus vulgaris, Linn. Purple-headed race, Autumn plumage and Young assuming spotted plumage. captivity are famous, but the fact of their exercise in a wild state is perhaps not so widely known. I find in my note-books that at and about our home in North- amptonshire I have frequently been deceived by the Starling’s exact imitation of the cry of the Kestrel, the chatter of the Fieldfare, and the whistling of the Alpine Chough and Golden Plover. The great majority of the Starlings that breed and are bred in our county usually join the migratory flights that pass southwards in late October or November, but a considerable number remain with us throughout the cold weather, and in a mild winter we do not notice much diminution in the number of these birds, although I have no doubt that the gaps caused in our home forces are constantly filled up by migrants from the north. With regard to the accompanying Plates, I may say that the purple-headed race of Starling, of which Mr. Keuleman’s figure is a most excellent and certainly by no means over-coloured representation, usually appears in England on the autumnal migration; I have seen but few specimens of this race, but amongst them one or two in which the purple colour extended to the sides of the head behind and below the eyes. The young bird represented in the background of this Plate is of the typical British form. In those parts of Europe and North Africa that border the Mediterranean our bird is a winter visitor, but we found it breeding in Central Spain ; in the south of that country, and various localities in the Mediterranean, the resident Starling is the very beautiful Stwrnus unicolor, a species that has not yet obtained any satisfactory English name. a ee eee ee ee ile. She shat ROSE-COLOURED PASTOR. PASTOR ROSEUS (Linn.). Turdus roseus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 294 (1766). Merula rosea, Naum. ii. p. 206. Thremmaphilus roseus, Macg. 1. p. 613. Pastor roseus, Hewitson, i. p. 217; Yarr. ed. 4, ul. p. 243; Dresser, iv. p. 423. Martin roselin, French; Rosenstaar, German. An occasional and irregular straggler to our islands. It is somewhat difficult to assign a fixed home to this beautiful species, as it has often appeared and bred in vast numbers in certain spots in Europe and Western Asia, in which it was previously considered a rare visitor. It is extremely common in Northern India in the winter; but, although I have been informed of its breeding in Afghanistan, I am inclined to believe that the centre of its regular breeding-districts is on the upper valley of the Euphrates. Enormous flights of this species follow the movements of the locusts, and wherever that disastrous animal appears in swarms, more or less of these birds are pretty certain to follow. In captivity the Pastor is very noisy, quarrelsome, and dirty, a great devourer of all sorts of fruit, especially cherries and mulberries. The drawings for the Plate were taken from life in the aviary at Lilford. | Litho. W, Greve, Berlin . ROSE-COLOURED PASTOR. | (Pastor roseus.) GREAT GREY SHRIKE. LANIUS EXCUBITOR, Linn. Lanius excubitor, Linn. 8. N. i. p. 185 (1766); Naum. ii. p.7; Macg. ni. p. 492; Hewitson, i. p.69; Yarr. ed. 4, i. p.199; Dresser, iii. p. 375. Pie Griéche grise, French; Grosse Wirger, German; Alcaudon, Spanish. An irregular and not very common winter visitor to our islands. Several circumstantial accounts of its breeding in England have been published, but have, on critical inquiry, been discovered to lack authentic foun- dation ; this is somewhat remarkable, as the bird breeds not uncommonly in Holland, Belgium, and Rhenish Prussia. The singular habit of the Shrikes of fixing their prey (which, for the most part, consists of beetles, small birds, mice, earthworms, and lizards) on thorns is well known ; it is, perhaps, not so generally well known that, although these birds are most ravenous feeders, they consume but very little at each meal. I have kept many of this species in confinement, and used them with some success as sentinels in Hawk-catching. The present species has a low, but by no means an unpleasant, song. Kewemarvs del et. ith s Mar * PALe AOTRIE Ne sD LIU SES Lanius excubitor Linn As 5) LESSER GREY SHRIKE. Lanius minor, JF Gmdin LESSER GREY SHRIKE. LANIUS MINOR, J. F. Gmelin. Lanius minor, Gmelin, 8. N. i. p. 308 (1788); Naum. ii. p-15; Yarr. ed. 4,1. p. 205; Dresser, iii. p. 393. Pie-Griéche d’Italie, French; Grauer Wiirger, German. This species, which is a common summer visitor to many parts of Southern, South-eastern, and Central Europe, is recorded by Mr. Howard Saunders (from whom I quote as the latest authority) to have occurred in four instances in our country; the first of these occurrences was that of a female, killed in November 1851 in Scilly, two others were obtained near Great Yarmouth in 1869 and in May 1875 respectively, and a fourth was taken near Plymouth in September 1876. My own acquaintance with this Shrike is very small, and I may here state that I was completely in error in my statement in ‘'The Ibis’ article on the birds of Spain, that this species was not uncommon in that country, where, indeed, I never personally met with it, though 1 have reason to believe that it has occurred in Catalonia, and perhaps in Valencia. A friend, who is well acquainted with this species, informs me that in the neighbourhood of Darmstadt it is a regular but not very abundant summer visitor, that it breeds very late, generally placing its nest of twigs and dry roots lined with wool, hair, and feathers either in fruit-trees or in the poplars so common along the roadsides in Germany, at a height of from 20 to 2d feet from the ground. The eggs, generally five or six in number, are of a greenish white, spotted and blotched with brown and grey; in habits this bird resembles the other European Shrikes, its food consisting principally of insects. I have kept one or two of these birds in captivity, but cannot recommend them as cage-birds, as I found them wild, sulky, and very fastidious feeders. RED-BACKED SHRIKE, LANIUS COLLURIO, Linn. Lanius collurio, Linn. 8. N. i. p. 186 (1766) ; Naum. ii. p- 80 ; Macg. iii. p. 505 ; Hewitson,i. p. 70; Yarr. ed. 4, i. p. 209; Dresser, iii. p. 399. Pie-griéche écorcheur, French; der Rothriickige hes German ; Alcaudon, Verdugo, Spanish. A common summer visitor to most parts of England south of Trent ; less frequent in our northern counties ; scarce in Scotland ; very rare in Ireland. ‘ AD 4 hanhart Chromo lith RED-BACKED SHRIKE Lamius collurio Lian 3 4 WOODCHAT. Lanius rutilus, Lathan. WOODCHAT. LANIUS RUTILUS, Lath. Lanius rutilus, Latham, Ind. Orn. i. p. 70 (1790); Macg. iii. p. 502. Lanius rufus, Naum. ii. p. 22; Hewitson, i. p. 72. Lanius auriculatus, Yarr. ed. 4, i. p. 215; Dresser, iu. p- 407. Pie-griéche rousse, French ; Rothképfiger Wirger, German ; Alcaudon, Spanish. This bird is a rare visitor to England, though it is common as a summer visitor to France and Germany, and exceedingly abundant in most parts of Southern Europe. In Spain it is perhaps as common in Anda- lucia as the Red-backed Shrike is in the most favoured localities im our country. I have met with it in the open plains, where its brightly contrasted colours render it a very conspicuous object, as it darts from the top of a tall thistle or from a telegraph-wire to the ground in pursuit of beetles or grasshoppers; but it is equally frequent amongst the olive-groves, the pine-woods, and scrub-grown hills of almost all parts of Spain south of the great northern Sierras. The Woodchat is a very confiding and fearless bird, very frequently nesting, without any attempt at conceal- ment, within a few feet of human habitations. ‘The nest is generally placed at the end of a branch, at from four to six feet from the ground, visible to every passer by ; a young or old olive-tree is in Spain a very favourite locality: the eggs much resemble those of our common Red-backed Shrike or Butcher-bird, but I have never met with the red variety which so frequently occurs in those of the latter species. When alarmed or excited the note of the Woodchat is a harsh grating cry, but it has besides this a peculiar low and not unpleasant song, and the country-people in Spain declare that it imitates the notes of various small birds with a view to luring them to their destruction ; of this story, however, I have no proof, and am inclined to think that our bird as a rule confines itself to an insect-diet. In captivity the Woodchat becomes very tame, but I have only once succeeded in keeping any of these birds through the moult; in common with most of the Shrikes that I have kept caged, the Woodchat thrives admirably up to the time of the autumnal migration, when most of them become very restless, and after a day or two succumb to fits. As long as house-flies are procurable alive, these birds do well, but when that supply fails we have found it difficult to “train them off” upon other food less natural to them; mealworms are readily devoured, but are much too rich to be given as the staple diet, and the same may be said of that most offensive insect the cock- roach, or black beetle of the British housekeeper. SWALLOW. HIRUNDO RUSTICA, Linn. Hirundo rustica, Linn. 8. N..1. p. 843 (1766); Naum. vi. p. 49; Macg. ii. p. 558; Hewitson, i. p. 257; Yarr. ed. 4, ii. p. 840; Dresser, 1. p. 447. Hirondelle de cheminée, French; Rauchschwalbe, German ; Golondrina, Spanish. Common summer visitor to Great Britain and Ireland. Swe i: OW Hirundo rustica MARTIN. CHELIDON URBICA (Linn.). Hirundo urbica, Linn. 8. N. i. p. 344 (1766) ; Naum. vi. p- 75; Macg. i. p. 573; Hewitson, i. p. 261. Chelidon urbica, Yarr. ed. 4, ii. p. 349; Dresser, iu. p. 495. Hirondelle de fenétre, French; Haus-Schwalbe, German ; Vencejo, Spanish. Common sumnver visitor to the British Isles. SAND-MARTIN, COTILE RIPARIA (Linn.). Hirundo riparia, Linn. 8. N. i. p. 344 (1766); Naum. vi. p.- 100; Macg. i. p. 595; Hewitson, i. p. 264. Cotile riparia, Yarr. ed. 4, 1. p. 355. Cotyle riparia, Dresser, 111. p. 505. Hirondelle de rivage, French; Uferschwalbe, German ; Golondrina de ribera, Oroneta, Spanish. A summer visitor to the British Isles: locally abun- dant. et = Ga Pp es ma & | ao & ae = me, ee Cotile SPOTTED FLYCATCHER. Muscicapa grisola, Linn. Litho. W. Greve, Berlin. SPOTTED FLYCATCHER. MUSCICAPA GRISOLA, Linn. Muscicapa grisola, Linn. 8. N. 1. p. 328 (1766) ; Naum. ii. p. 216; Macg. iti. p. 518; Hewitson, 1. p. 74; Yarr. ed. 4, 1. p. 220; Dresser, i. p. 447. Gobe-mouche gris, French; Gefleckter Fliegenfinger, Ger- man; Papamoscas, Spanish. This charming bird is probably too well known to my readers to require any lengthy description at my hands. In every part of England with which I have any acquaintance it is one of the most common and most observable of our summer visitors, although of course, as is the case with all our migratory birds, it is much more abundant in some years than in others; I may mention that I never remember to have noticed so many Flycatchers in Northamptonshire as there are at the present time (July 1895) about Lilford. One of the most remarkable sites for a nest of this bird that has ever come to my knowledge was a battered old hat of the “chimney-pot”’ order that was stuck on a pea-stick by one of our cottagers in his garden to terrify the marauding Sparrows. In Northamptonshire this bird is generally known as “ Cobweb”; “Beam-bird”’ is another common local name for it; and in Kent it goes by the name of “ Cherry-sucker,” a singular misnomer, as I need hardly say that our bird is exclusively insecti- vorous. In this connection it is somewhat remarkable that Morton, in his ‘ Natural History of Northampton- shire’ (1712), in alluding to the Tree-Creeper states: “At Desborough ’tis said to build in walls and to feed on cherries in cherry-time, and so is called Cherry-bird by some,—this I look upon as a mistake ; its proper food being insects.” The author no doubt here applied a_ local myth to the wrong species, as I think that it is sufficiently obvious that the “Cherry-bird” of Des- borough was the subject of the present writing. I believe that the Flycatcher often rears two broods, as, although our pleasure-grounds swarm with young birds almost throughout July, I have frequently found fledglings in the nests late in August. The pleasant familiarity of this species, and the enormous number of pestilential house-flies and other insects that it destroys, should ensure its protection and render it a general favourite; as a proof of its fearlessness of human beings, this summer a Flycatcher sat steadily on her eggs and hatched out her brood on the branch of a yew-tree, within three or four feet of my favourite shade-resort in our flower-garden, my head as I sat in my wheeled chair being constantly at the distance mentioned from the nest. Gardeners, gamekeepers, and others are apt to bring charges of depredation against all sorts of perfectly innocent birds ; but the only misdemeanour that I have ever heard attributed to my friend the Flycatcher is that of dirtying garden-seats, certainly not a very serious or irremediable offence. My readers must pardon my prolixity with regard to one of my most favourite birds, associated as it is with many happy summer-times in English gardens and pleasure-grounds, good company, and good books. I have met with the Spotted Flycatcher as a migrant in every part of Hurope that I have visited. RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER. MUSCICAPA PARVA, Bechst. Muscicapa parva, Bechstein, Naturg. Deutschl. iv. p. 505 (1795); Naum. ii. p. 241; Yarr. ed. 4, i. p. 224; Dresser, iil. p. 465, Gobe-mouche rougedtre, French; Kleiner Fliegenfinger, German. Several examples of this very pretty little bird have occurred in England, but as I have no personal acquaint- ance whatever with it in a state of nature, I must refer my readers, for details as to its habits and occurrences in this country, to the standard works on British orni- thology. It is an Eastern species, and only occurs irregularly in Western Europe. The only specimen of this bird that I ever saw in the flesh I procured in the market at Nice in the autumn of 1858. RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER. Muscicapa parva, Bechst. | i | } Litho. W. Greve, Berlin. PIED FLYCATCHER. Muscicapa atricapilla, Zinn. PIED FLYCATCHER. MUSCICAPA ATRICAPILLA, Linn. Muscicapa atricapilla, Linn.S. N.i. p. 326 (1766) ; Hewitson, i. p. 75; Yarr. ed. 4, i. p. 229; Dresser, iii. p. 453. Muscicapa luctuosa, Naum. ii. p. 231 ; Macg. iii. p. 524. Gobe-mouche noir, French ; Schwarzgrauer Fliegenfanger, German; Papamoscas, Cerrajillo, Spanish. This pretty little bird is a vernal migrant to our country; but although not by any means very un- common, its breeding-haunts in Great Britain are so restricted that in the greater part of England it is virtually unknown. Although nests of the Pied Fly- catcher are said to have been found occasionally in several of the midland and southern counties, I believe that I am correct in stating that it is only known to breed annually and regularly in certain counties of Scotland, and south of the Tweed only in Northumberland, West- moreland, Cumberland, Durham, Lancashire, Cheshire, and Yorkshire, and three or four of the counties of Wales. In the other counties of England this Flycatcher (I write under correction) is only known as an accidental bird of passage, or, as I have said above, is not known at all. A few specimens have been obtained in Northamp- tonshire on the vernal migration; but my personal Eee — acquaintance with this bird in Great Britain is confined to having once seen it in Merioneth. I am, however, intimate with this species from personal observation in Spain, where it is very common in certain localities during the summer months. In general habits the Pied Flycatcher closely re- sembles our well-known Common or Spotted Flycatcher, but is less addicted to the neighbourhood of man, and frequently to be found in the wildest mountain soli- tudes. In my experience I have found this bird specially partial to old oak-woods in the vicinity of running water. It is by no means shy or wary, and very frequently nests close to a frequented footpath or bridle-road. The nest is generally built in the hole of an oak or other tree, frequently within reach from the ground, and as frequently at a considerable height; often, also, in old walls, now and then in the cranny of a rock. ‘The materials usually consist of moss, dead leaves, and feathers; but the nest is less compact and considerably slighter in bulk than that of the Common Flycatcher. The eggs, from 5 to 6 in number, are of a beautiful very pale blue, and are hardly to be mistaken for those of any other British bird. The Pied Flycatcher has a pleasant low song, very distinct from the rarely heard musical efforts of our other Flycatcher in the pairing-season. The present species is widely distributed during the summer throughout the Continent of Europe, and abounds in Algeria. oi 6 ale ee oe WAXWING. AMPELIS GARRULUS, Linn. Ampelis Garrulus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 297 (1766) ; Yarr. ed. 4, i. p. 523; Dresser, i. p. 429. Bombycilla garrula, Naum. il. p. 143; Macg. ii. p. 533. Jaseur de Bohéme, French; Seidenschwanz, German. This handsome bird is an irregular winter visitor to our islands from the extreme north of Europe, where it breeds; it has been recorded as occurring more or less frequently in every county of England, also in Scotland and Ireland. Five hundred and eighty-six examples of this species were reported in the ‘ Zoologist’ as having occurred between November 1849 and March 1850. The breeding-habits of this species were quite un- known to ornithologists before 1856, in which year the late Mr. John Wolley discovered nests and eggs in Lapland; a condensed account of this discovery is to be found in the 4th edition of Yarrell’s ‘ British Birds ’ (Newton), vol. 1. ; West, Newman & Co., Obromo-lith, WAXWING. Ampelis garrulus, Linn. - 3 3 Litho. W. Greve, Bertin. BEARDED REEDLING, Panurus biarmicus (Linn). BEARDED REEDLING, PANURUS BIARMICUS (Linn.). Parus biarmicus, Linn, 8. N. i. p. 342 (1766); Naum. iv. p- 98. Calamophilus biarmicus, Macg. iii. p. 694; Hewitson, i. p. 161; Dresser, ii. p. 49. Panurus biarmicus, Yarr. ed. 4,1. p. 511. DS Mésange a moustaches, French; Bartmeise, German ; Bigotudo, Chahuet, Valencian. This species, probably better known to my readers as Bearded Titmouse than by the name given above, was formerly abundant in many of the reed-grown districts of England, but from the general drainage and recla- mation of marsh-lands, and also in no small degree from the ravages of collectors, has now become, comparatively speaking, a rare and very local bird. My personal acquaintance with the ‘‘ Reed-Pheasant ”’ (us this species was commonly called in East Norfolk) in a wild state, is limited to that part of England, where I met with it many years ago frequenting the reed-beds in small parties during the winter months. I found that these birds were by no means shy, and by keeping still, 1 was enabled on more than one occasion to observe their habits pretty closely. They are very Tit-like in action, though they have very little, if any true affinity to that fumily. I noticed that they climbed the reeds from the water or crust of earth to the top, rapidly examining the joints and insertions of the leaves for insects, and lingering at the seed-bearing tops of the plants, constantly uttering a very peculiar and bell-like single note that in no way resembles that of any other bird with which I am acquainted. After a close examination of a certain seed-patch the parties would fly off in a sort of single file with a jerking flight to another spot, calling as they flew, and, except in the tone of their calls, reminding me much of the Long-tailed Titmouse. In captivity these little birds become very tame, and in a few instances I have succeeded in keeping them alive for a considerable time; but although in some respects hardy enough they require a great deal of care. I never could induce any of my captives to make a nest, though more than one laid eggs in their cages. At roosting time, and indeed often during the day, my Reedlings would sit closely huddled together in a line on the same perch, constantly examining the plumage of their next neighbour, and in every way showing a love of close company. I have never seen the nest of this species zm si/u, but one in my collection from Holland was taken from the crust from which a thick patch of reeds was growing, and was composed of leaves of that plant, with a few blades of sedge and a lining of the feathery reed- tops. The principal food of this species consists of small insects and the seeds of the reed; but in cap- tivity I found that ordinary soft-billed bird’s food suited them well, and that dried ants’ eggs were very favourite morsels. The eggs are said to be generally five or six in number, and are white, with irregular streaks and speckles of black or very dark brown. The Bearded Reedling is to be met with in suitable localities almost throughout Central and Southern Europe, and was formerly exceedingly abundant in the vast reed-fens of the Netherlands. I noticed a habit in this species that in my experience with caged birds is by no means common—that of hanging suspended by one foot to the wires at the top of their prisons for sometimes several minutes without any apparent cause ; the only other bird that I have observed to adopt this practice as an ordinary habit is the Grey Struthidea of Australia, Struthidea cinerea, Gould. » i hs ew 4 4 Ane es wy i WT Tyee es C4 “UTpdod ‘AAOLD “A “OUT “usp AUICUS Sao “LIL LYadad GREAT TIT. PARUS MAJOR, Linn. Parus major, Linn. S. N. i. p. 341 (1766) ; Naum. iv. p. 9; Hewitson, i. p. 149; Yarr. ed. 4, i. p. 479; Dresser, iii. p. 79 Parus fringillago, Macg. u1. p. 425. Mésange charbonnier, French; Kohl-Meise, German; Quive-vive, Carpintero, Carbonero, Guerrero, Spanish. This bird is so widely distributed throughout the British Islands, so conspicuous in plumage, so noisy, and so generally well known under various nicknames, that I feel it almost unnecessary to go into details concerning it. I have met with it in every part of England, Scotland, and Ireland that I have visited, but in many of these localities it would not be recognized by its legitimate name. In our district of Northamptonshire it is generally known as “ Blackcap ” or “Tom Tit,” and I have heard the names “ Ox-eye,” “Sawyer,” “Saw-bird,” and “ Billy-biter” applied to it elsewhere. It is a lively, restless bird, very quarrel- some and bold. I know of many instances of its killing and picking out the brains of small birds, and 2S < | i in captivity it cannot be trusted with any bird less powerful than itself. I know of one instance in which the evidence was all but conclusive of a Great Tit’s having killed a Long-eared Bat, upon whose brain it was seen to be busily engaged whilst the body of the little beast was still warm. The sites selected by this bird for nesting are sometimes very remarkable. At Lilford a pair took possession of a disused iron hand-pump in our kitchen- garden, and reared a brood in the space between the junction of the handle with the piston and the top of the pump, in spite of the constant inspection of visitors, who removed the said top to look in. On such occa- sions the sitting bird only retired into the spout—the only means of ingress and egress, and would sit therein hissing and chattering till the top of the apparatus was replaced. Another pair of this species in 1895 reared a brood in a large circular Indian leather-bottle, sus- pended at about 34 feet from the ground in a coniferous tree in our flower-garden; the orifice of this vessel is only just large enough to allow the birds to enter. A brood of Redstarts were reared in this curious. vessel in the summer of 1894. This bird may fairly be called omnivorous, for although its staple diet consists of insects in all stages of their existence, it is very fond of seeds of many kinds, and is sure to be amongst the first visitors to kitchen-scraps thrown down for the birds in severe weather. I believe that the Great Tit frequently rears two broods in the year, but in my experience it does not often use the same nest twice. ‘The nest is com- posed of moss, dry grass, wool, hairs, and dead leaves. I should fix the average number of eggs at from 7 to 10. Ihave met with the present species in almost every locality suited to its habits that I have visited in Europe, and, although not abundant, it frequents the gardens in the suburbs of Algiers during the winter months. We also met with it in Cyprus. BLUE TITMOUSE. PARUS CAERULEUS, Linn. Parus ceruleus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 341 (1766) ; Hewitson, 1. p- 151; Yarr. ed. 4, i. p. 483; Dresser, iii. p. 131. Parus ceruleus, Naum. iv. p. 62; Macg. ii. p. 431. Mésange bleue, French; Blaumeise, German; Herrerillo, Spanish. More or less abundant, and resident throughout Great Britain and Ireland. BLUE TITMOUSE. Parus cxruleus, Linn. 4 a West, Newman & Co., Chromo-lith. COAL TITMOUSE. PARUS ATER, Linn. Parus ater, Linn. 8S. N. 1. p. 841 (1766) ; Naum. iv. p. 34; Dresser, iii. p. 87. Mésange noire, French; Kohlmeise, German. This race of Coal-Titmouse is common on many parts of the continent of Europe, but apparently scarce in our islands, in which the Parus britannicus of Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser is the common representative form of the species. I give figures of both races; the latter is locally common and resident in the British Islands. CO Laon) TNO SE: Parus ater, Linn. Not Si ze BRITISH COAL TITMOUSE. Parus britannicus. Sharpe & Dresser. Hanhart { hromo 7 th MARSH-TITMOUSE. PARUS PALUSTRIS, Linn. Parus palustris, Linn. S. N. i. p. 341 (1766); Naum. iv. p- 50; Macg. ii. p. 445; Hewitson, i. p. 157; Yarr. ed, 4, i. p. 495; Dresser, iii. p. 99. Meésange nonnette, French; Sumpfmeise, German. This bird, though known as the Marsh-Titmouse, is by no means exclusively, or indeed especially, addicted to marshy districts, but may be found in the same varied localities as the other British species of the genus Parus ; it is locally common throughout England and im some parts of Scotland, but appears to be rarely met with in Ireland. Resident in all the localities in which it is found, West, Newman & Co., Chromo-lith. \ MARSH TITMOUSE. . Parus palustris, Linn. 4 J G Keulemans del. et lith. : Miritern Bros . imp CRESTED TITMOUSE. Parus cristatus, Linn. CRESTED TITMOUSE. PARUS CRISTATUS, Linn. Parus cristatus, Linn. 8S. N. i. p. 340 (1766) ; Naum. iv. p. 42; Macg. ii. p. 450; Hewitson, i. p. 154; Yarr. ed. 4, i. p. 499. Lophophanes cristatus, Dresser, iii. p. 151. Mésange huppée, French; Hauben-Meise, German ; Capu- chino, Spanish. Although there are several records of the occurrence of this pretty and remarkable little bird in England and Ireland, some at least are not clearly or satisfac- torily proven, and from a British point of view we may fairly consider it to be virtually restricted to certain districts in the Highlands of Scotland. My friend Lieut.-Colonel Irby, who has very recently visited a breeding-locality of this species, has furnished me with the following remarks :—“ The Crested Titmouse is common in the Spey district, where there are old and decayed pine-trees, but is very local—found in one small valley and absent in the next. A hole about eight inches deep and enlarged at the bottom is exca- vated vertically in a rotten fir-stump or decayed alder, and the nest, which is very scant, consists of moss lined with hair or felt; the usual complement of eggs is four.” I have never been in any of the Highland breeding- localities of this bird at the nesting-season, but I may here mention that a nest now in my possession, sent to me from Scotland many years ago, tallies exactly with Col. Irby’s description, being decidedly scanty in material as compared with nests of other species of the family, composed of fine green moss and lined with hairs of the Squirrel. I found this Titmouse in con- siderable abundance during the winter months in the fir-woods of the Canton de Vaud, near Lausanne; it certainly breeds there, but was comparatively scarce in April and May, probably retirmg as a rule to higher ground for nesting purposes. I met with this species on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees in Aragon and Navarre, and Col. Irby informs me that it is common in the cork- and pine-woods in the neighbourhood of Gibraltar and Algeciras. The Crested Titmouse in habits resembles the other members of the Tit family, being an active restless bird, constantly on the move in search of food; the ordinary call is a jarring monosyllable, followed by three or four prolonged ringing notes. ‘This bird, in my experience, does not long support confinement in a cage. LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE. ACREDULA CAUDATA (Linn.). Parus caudatus, Linn. S. N. i. p. 342 (1766); Naum. iv. p. 82. Acredula caudata, Dresser, iii. p. 67. Meésange a longue queue, French; Schwanz-Meise, Ger- man. Very common throughout the British Islands, except in the extreme north. ‘The form with the dark head- streak is the most common in our country, and has been treated as a distinct species by several ornithologists, under the name of Acredula rosea. ‘Tlie White-headed is the prevailing form in Northern and Central Europe. Nat Size LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE Acredula caudata (Linn) Hanhart Chromo lith NUTHATCH. SITTA CASIA, Wolf. Sitta caesia, Wolf, Taschenb. deutsch. Vog. i. p. 128 (1810). Sitta europza, Naum. v. p. 377; Macg. ii. p. 48; Hewitson, i. p. 247. Sitta cesia, Yarr. ed. 4, i. p. 473; Dresser, iii. p. 175. Torche-pot, French ; Spechtmeise, German ; Trepatroncos, Spanish. This lively and most amusing little bird is well known in most parts of England; but, according to Yarrell, is not found in Ireland, and uncommon in Scotland. In its habits of climbing and hammering with its beak it resembles the Woodpeckers, but in structure is much more closely allied to the Tree-Creeper and Tits. Our English Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch has been separated by modern naturalists from the race prevalent in N. Europe (Sv¢ta europea of Linneus), in which the underparts of the body are pure white. NUTHATCH. Sitla ce sia Wolf’. Sim st | TREE-CREEPER. CERTHIA FAMILIARIS, Linn. Certhia familiaris, Linn. S. N. i. p. 184 (1766) ; Naum. v. p- 898; Macg. ii. p. 33; Hewitson, i. p. 243; Yarr. ed. 4,1. p. 468; Dresser, iii. p. 195. Grimpereau familier, French; Baumldufer,German; Barba- jelena, Trepa-troncas, Spanish. Resident and abundant in suitably wooded localities throughout the United Kingdom. TREE-CREEPER, Certhia familiaris, Zzvm. ————=_ si ROCK-CREEPER. TICHODROMA MURARIA (Linn.). Certhia muraria, Linn. S. N. i. p. 184 (1766). Tichodroma muraria, Nawm. v. p. 421; Yarr. ed. 4, iii. p. ix; Dresser, iii. p. 207. Tichodrome échelette, Grimpereau de murailles, Pic @’araignées, French; Mauerliufer,German ; Arafero, Pela rocas, Spanish. Two instances only of the occurrence of this remark- able and very beautiful bird in our country have hitherto been recorded; with regard to the first of these I quote from a most interesting correspondence between Robert Marsham of Stratton-Strawless in Norfolk and Gilbert White of Selborne, communicated to the Transactions of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists’ Society by the Rev. H. P. Marsham and Professor Bell, and published in the Journal of that Society, vol. 1. pp. 133-195: at p. 180 of the volume to which I refer, under the date of October 30, 1792, Marsham writes to White as follows :—‘ My man has just now shot me a bird, which was flying about my house: I am confident I have never seen its likeness before. But, on application to Wilughby, I conclude it is the Wall-Creeper, or Spider- Litho. W Greve, Berlin, ROCK-CREEPER, Tichodroma muraria /Linn.). catcher. I find he had not seen it in England. It is very beautifully coloured, though the chief is cimereous ; but the shades of red on the wings, and the large spots of white and yellow on the quill-feathers, are uncommonly pleasmg. You see Wilughby does not mention them.” With reference to the second occurrence, I quote from ‘The Birds of Lancashire’ by Mr. F. S. Mitchell, who, at p. 56 of his work, informs us that one of this species was shot at Sabden, a village at the foot of Pendle Hill, on May 8, 1872; it was too much mangled to allow of the determination of its sex, but was preserved by Mr. W. Naylor of Whalley, and is now in Mr. Mitchell’s possession. To make the acquaintance of this species in its native haunts during the summer months, we must visit limestone-cliffs at a considerable height above the sea. My own acquaintance with the Wall-Creeper was first formed high up inthe Italian Alps during the month of August; I found it in small family-parties, generally frequenting precipitous faces of rock ; the birds examine every nook and crevice, not, as in the case of the Woodpeckers, by continuous climbing, but by a series of short hops in some degrees resembling the method of progression of the Nuthatch: the birds thus observed by me appeared to be perfectly fearless of man, probably from their small acquaintance with him, and permitted of a very close observation of their habits ; they seemed to find abundant food in the crannies and small fissures of the limestone upon which I could hardly bear my hand in the full blaze of noon; after carefully examining one of these localities the bird would flit with a very peculiar butterfly-like flight to the lower end of another crevice in the rock. I never saw one of them progress head downwards or sideways, and the only sound that I heard from them was a rapidly repeated single note somewhat resembling that of the Wryneck. In the winter months the Wall-Creeper may often be met with on old buildings and in gorges near the sea in Southern France and along the Italian Riviera; I have known of its occurrence at that season within a very short distance of Toulon, in the towns of Nice, Mentone, Albenga, and Genoa. I once had the offer of one of these birds alive from a London dealer, but, as the price was excessive and the bird in Switzerland, I declined to run the risk. With regard to the occurrence of this species in England, I consider that the chances of escape from captivity are in these instances so infini- tesimal that the bird is fairly entitled to rank in our British list. WREN. TROGLODYTES PARVULUS, Koch. Troglodytes parvulus, Koch, Syst. d. baier. Zool. p. 161 (1816) ; Naum. iil. p. 725; Yarr. ed. 4, i. p. 460; Dresser, iii. p. 219. Anorthura troglodytes, Macg. iui. p. 15. Troglodytes vulgaris, Hewitson, i. p. 244. Roitelet, Troglodyte mignon, French; Zaun-Schliipfer, Ger- man; Cucito, Ratilla, Spanish. Very common and resident throughout the British Islands. WREN., Troglodytes parvulus, Koch.