210 J. E. LITTLEBOY — NOTES ON BIRDS 



been taken from it, which, I heard, readily ate chopped egg, and 

 soon leamt to feed themselves. This was in West I^orfolk, where 

 the bird is also common. Common as white, pied, bufF, and even 

 black house-sparrows are, I do not remember more than about 

 two varieties of the tree- sparrow. One of these is in my col- 

 lection ; it was killed in Warwickshire, and shows all the natural 

 markings, only of a very pale delicate tint." 



2. The Wood-laek {Alaucla arhorea). — Mr. A. F. Griffith reports 

 the occurrence of the wood-lark during the month of March, both 

 in 1878 and 1879. It was observed in a field close to Symond's 

 Hyde Wood, in the parish of Sandridge. Mr. Griffith writes as 

 follows : — " It was, I have no doubt, about to breed, as it is a very 

 early nester, but I left too early each year to find the nest." 



The wood-lark is semi-migrant in its habits : it is comparatively 

 a rare bird, and when met with is, without doubt, fi'equently mis- 

 taken for its congener the sky-lark. It may readily be dis- 

 tinguished, writes Professor NeAvton,*" from the sky-lark "by its 

 smaller size, its shorter tail, its more distinctly-marked breast, 

 and by a conspicuous light-coloured streak over the eye and ear- 

 coverts." It appears to prefer rich woodland districts, but fre- 

 quents both heaths and downs when bordered by woods or copses. 



3. The Pied Flycatcher {Muscicapa atricapiUa). — During the 

 summer of 1879 a pied flycatcher was shot near Royston ; it was 

 mounted by Mr. William Norman of that town, and is still in his 

 possession. Although more or less common in some of our northern 

 counties, the pied flycatcher is a rare bird in Herts, Beds, and Oxon. 

 It is a summer migrant, and generally arrives in England during 

 the month of April. " In many of its movements," writes Mr. H. 

 Seebohm,f " the pied flycatcher resembles its dingy congener. 

 It may frequently be seen hovering, in butterfly-like flight, in the 

 air. Sometimes it sits quietly on some decayed limb, ever and anon 

 uttering its call-notes, and incessantly jerking its tail and half 

 opening its wings, as though anxious to sally into the air." 



4. The Rustic Bunting [JEmheriza rustica). — A rustic bunting 

 was taken on the 20th of November, near Elstree Reservoir, in the 

 nets of a bird-^catcher. It was sold to a dealer in Wardour Street, 

 and from him purchased, in the flesh, by Lord LiKord. It is now 

 ('Zoologist,' January, 1883) in his Lordship's possession. The 

 bird captured near Elstree is only the third specimen known to 

 have occurred in the British Isles. The first was taken in October, 

 1867, near Brighton, and is now in the collection of Mr. Monk, of 

 Lewes; the second occurred in September, 1881, in Yorkshire, and 

 is reported in the 'Ibis' (1882, p. 182), by Mr. W. E. Clarke. 



Mr. Sharpe, of the British Museum, informs me that the rustic 

 bunting inhabits north-eastern Europe and northern Siberia, stray- 

 ing as far as northern Italy and Japan. There is no British 

 specimen in the collection under his care. In general appearance 



* Tarrell's ' British Birds,' 4th edition, vol. i, p. 625. 

 t ' British Birds,' vol. i, p. 329. 



