Yarrell, who has given an extract from the very next page of this volume of the 'Gleanings,' should have omitted to notice this particular passage. Since writing this note I have received a confirmatory account from Mr. John Tyacke, of Constantine, Cornwall, who writes, "For the last two years I have noticed what I never saw before, i.e., that the Rooks pitch in great numbers on the oak trees, and feed on the acorns, and I have been informed by a friend that they do the same on the Ilex." With regard to walnuts, I may add that in Sussex we have two walnut trees close to the house, and in the autumn, before the pods get too hard, the Rooks come early in the morning and steal quantities of them.—J.E. Harting.
The Hawfinch (Coccothraustes vulgaris) in Scotland.—I wish to correct as soon as possible a somewhat grave error made by me in the last part (10) of the revised edition of Yarrell's 'British Birds,' and in so doing I have to thank a correspondent, before unknown to me, who has been kind enough to call my attention thereto. In the account of the distribution of the Hawfinch in Scotland (op. cit. vol. ii., p. 102, line 4) after the words, "according to Mr. Gray," the sentence should run "from Dumfreisshire to East Lothian, and thence to Perthshire," &c., and the foot-note at the bottom should be omitted. I shall endeavour to issue, with the next part of the work, a leaf that can be substituted for that which at present contains the mis-statements I desire now to rectify.—Alfred Newton (Magdalene College, Cambridge, December 2, 1876).
On the Occurrence at Malta of the Snow Bunting (Plectrophanes nivalis).—In what I said (Yarrell, Brit. Birds, Ed. 4, ii., p. 8) as to the supposed appearance of the Snow Bunting at Malta in 1840, I am still, I believe, so far correct; but Captain Feilden has kindly pointed out to me that I overlooked an undoubted instance of the occurrence of this species in that island recorded ('Ibis,' 1870, p. 490) by Mr. C.A. Wright, who shot a male bird there November 13th, 1869.—Id.
Varieties of Starling and Blackbird.—In 'The Zoologist' for October (2nd ser. 5120) a white Starling is recorded, and this is followed by an editorial note to the effect that this species "appears to be more subject to albinism than most birds." I have known three or four such examples to have been obtained in this part of Hampshire during my ornithological experience, although I have never had the good fortune to meet with one myself. I recollect a few seasons ago seeing a case of stuffed Starllngs in the possession of the late Mr. J.T. Turner; it contained four birds, one white, one pied, one black, and one of the normal type, and, if I remember correctly, all were killed in different parts of the New Forest. In 1874 I saw a peculiarly marked specimen which had been killed near here. Its head and neck were of an uniform pale yellowish gray, whilst the rest of the body was of the usual colour and markings, except the legs, which were much lighter. I do not know if this specimen was preserved,
