REPORT ON SCOTTISH ORNITHOLOGY IN I915 161 



to these there are records of birds being recovered at, or near, 

 the place where they were ringed, in some cases as much as 

 three or four years, in one case five years, after ringing. 

 Thus a Chaffinch marked at Torrance, Stirlingshire, as 

 an adult on 30th March 191 2, was recovered there in 

 December 191 5 (3. ix. 266). A British Song Thrush marked 

 at Torrance as a nestling on 6th June 1911 was recovered at 

 Cadder on i6th January 191 5 (3. ix. 22). Another, marked 

 at the same place in June 1914, was found there in July 

 191 5 (3. ix. 266), while two nestlings marked in Ayrshire on 

 1 2th and 25th May 191 3 were recovered at the same place in 

 June and November 1915 (3. ix. 267). There are also 

 records of a Blackbird recovered at the place of ringing 

 three years later (3. ix. 267), a House-martin retaken two 

 years after ringing (3. ix. 268), a Lapwing five years after 

 (3. ix. 45), another four years after (3. ix. 270), and lastly a 

 Woodcock recovered within a mile of the place it was 

 marked three years before (3. ix. 270). 



Plumage. 



A Rook with some white feathers in its wings is recorded 

 from Beith, and a " Crow " with a lot of white on its wings 

 was seen on Fair Isle all summer. Our observer there says, 

 "I think it was brought out on the cliffs"; the only Crovv' 

 which breeds on Fair Isle is the Grey Crow, so it probably 

 belonged to this species. At Pentland Skerries, a buff 

 or cream-coloured Starling, which had been bred on the 

 island, was still there on 17th July; and during November 

 " an almost white Starling " was several times observed at 

 Darvel, while an albino Twite was seen among a large flock 

 at North Unst on 5th November. A female Chaffinch 

 with a white head was seen near Largo on 8th February, 

 and a pure white Sparrow at Penninghame on 20th Novem- 

 ber, while from Darvel, on 7th January, we have a record 

 of a melanic variety of a male Sparrow. Blackbirds having 

 some white feathers in their plumage are recorded from 

 Beith, Pentland Skerries, Melrose and Largo, and white or 

 almost white birds of this species occurred at Craignish, 

 55 AND 56 U 



