Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 3 (1899).djvu/347

Rh traces of pink. The nest is described by the lady who sent it to me as having been a very beautiful object, and it was difficult to believe that the berries had not been stuffed into the structure of the nest for purposes of ornamentation. They turned out to be ivy-berries which had been passed through the body of the bird, the seeds, as Mr. Aplin has pointed out, being voided with the membrane containing them, while the soft parts of the berries were absorbed. It seems to be the membrane which takes the pink hue after extrusion. Mr. Aplin, who has seen the nest, thinks that the seeds were dropped upon it without definite purpose; Mr. Lewis, who does not mention the red colour, seems to be clear that the male bird brought them as food for the female. I should like to ask him whether the female consumed the berries, and whether he noticed any seeds of a red or pink hue. I have given up the idea of ornamentation, which was tempting at first sight; if the incubating female was fed by the male, and then extruded the seeds in a gelatinous state, they would easily have got fixed into the structure of the nest in such a way as to hold there firmly even after they had dried up.— (Kingham, Chipping Norton).

[Many of the seeds forwarded by Mr. Stanley Lewis were of a red or pink hue.—]

Large Clutch of Wheatear's Eggs.—Mr. Davenport states (ante, p. 203) that he has never known of a clutch of eggs of the Wheatear (Saxicola œnanthe) to number eight. It may interest him to learn that a nest containing that number was found in a hole in the walls of an old ruined castle in North Lancashire on May 11th, 1888. I saw the eggs immediately after they were discovered, and seven of them are now in my collection; the eighth was unfortunately broken by the finder to ascertain "if it was fresh." Excepting in this instance, six is the largest number I have taken; but I believe a seven or eight clutch is in the possession of my friend Mr. R.W. Calvertt.— (The Cliffe, Redcar).

Hawfinches near Bradford.—On the 20th May last, whilst watching from behind a tree a Goldcrest feeding in a larch in Bingley Wood, a Hawfinch (Coccothraustes vulgaris) flew just past, alighting at some distance on an oak tree, but flew off again, immediately on my attempt to approach, along with another bird which I took to be of the same species. Formerly the Hawfinch was quite unknown in this district, but scarcely a year now passes but it is to be seen, or its nest found, and is undoubtedly extending its range in a northward direction. Recently a friend of mine, who had had his pea-crop attacked, was for some time quite ignorant of the cause of destruction; but early one morning he accidentally discovered that this species was the culprit.— (Wilsden, near Bradford). Zool. 4th Ser. vol. III., July, 1899.