MS Birds in Plumage of an unusual Colour. 



and faithfully recorded, thus putting in practice the maxim of 

 that distinguished naturalist, Le Vaillant : — " The principal 

 aim of a naturalist ought to be to multiply observations." I 

 am persuaded that in this way we shall be in a more likely 

 way for obtaining a clew, to enable us to understand and 

 explain the apparent inconsistencies of nature, than by fram- 

 ing the most plausible ingenious theories. — S. D. W. Near 

 Derby, Oct. 10. 1834. 



Species of Larks in White Plumage : see VII. 597. and 

 VIII. 43., and, in the present page, below. 



The Robin in White Plumage: see VII. 598., VIII. 43. 



The Blackbird in Anomalous Plumage : see VII. 596. and 

 VIII. 43. 



[Notices, by J. D. Salmon, Esq. of additional Instances.] — 

 The Common Pheasant (VII. 595.), female, in White Plumage, 

 is by no means uncommon : it appears that male pheasants 

 are but rarely perfectly white, as those in which a tendency 

 to whiteness is apparent have, in most instances, more of a 

 pied character. Three pheasants, females, in white plumage, 

 have been sent, within the last twelve months, to two young 

 men, brothers, of the name of Reynolds, residing in this town 

 [Thetford, Norfolk], for them to preserve : one of them was 

 perfectly white, without a spot ; the other two were nearly so, 

 each having only here and there a single brown feather in the 

 scapulars : the legs and bills in all three were quite white. 



An Individual of the Green Grosbeak (Coccothraustes Chlbris), 

 in nestling Feathers of a very pale Yellow, very similar to a ca- 

 nary finch, for which it had been mistaken by the person who 

 had shot it, has also been sent to Messrs. Reynolds : the 

 colour of the legs and bill was a delicate white. The person 

 to whom it belonged informed them that there were three or 

 four more of the same colour : the whole were, in all pro- 

 bability, of one brood. 



{The Nuthatch (Sittaeurop^a) in unusual Colours."] — Messrs. 

 Reynolds received, on Aug. 21., from Thomas Thornhill, Esq., 

 Riddlesworth Park, Suffolk, an individual of the nuthatch 

 which exhibited an unusual variation in the colours. It was 

 almost white, having only a few light chocolate feathers at the 

 vent, and here and there a dark feather intermixed with the 

 rest of the plumage ; the legs and bill were quite white. 



Of the Skylark, I have had a specimen, in Plumage of a 

 dirty White or Stone Colour, with the usual Markings clearly 

 depicted by Light and Dark Shades. 



Of the Blue Tit (Pdrus cderideus), I have had a specimen 

 of a very light Yellow Colour, through which were clearly 

 defined the dark markings of the head, throat, back, fyc, these 



