Letters, Extracts, Notices, &^c. 677 



the Sudan. I had always regarded it merely as the wintsr 

 condition of tlie white-ruffed type of Ruff, rather than as 

 an albinism, which latter would, I imagine, he m )re 

 uncommon. I venture to send the Editors a shin of one 

 of these white-necked Rufit's, in case it may interest them 

 to examine such a specimen. 



Yours &c., 

 Houxty, Wark-un-Tyue, Nortlmmberland. AbEL ChapjiaN. 



26tli August, 1902. 



Sirs, — Towards the end of March, while spending a few 

 days in Essex, I was particularly struck by the unusual 

 number of Robins, every hundred yards or so of ground 

 being tenanted by a separate pair. The weather being bright 

 and genial, the males were everywhere conspicuous, and in 

 full song. The females, as is usuabat that season, were much 

 more shy and retiring in their habits, but their presence 

 might always be detected in the thick covert and hedge- 

 bottoms by the plaintive, long-drawn 'note, half whistle, 

 half squeak, which they constantly uttered so long as one 

 remained in the proximity of their nesting-site. A beautiful 

 male, in full song, was perched on one of the thick clump!» 

 of hawthorn, briar, and bramble, which formed an interrupted 

 hedge along the sides of a deep ditch. The nature of the 

 ground and the gaps in the hedge afforded excellent oppor- 

 tunities for a close approach, and, while I watched him at a 

 distance of a few yards, the female Robin flew up from the 

 dense undergrowth, and, perching near her mate, com- 

 menced coquetting. The male ceased singing, and, leaving 

 his perch, settled on a branch close to the female. Raising 

 his tail over his back, after the manner of a Wren, he 

 commenced setting and putting himself into attitudes hefore 

 her. As he became more excited he gradually raised his 

 body to its full height in a perfectly erect posirion, with 

 his bill pointing straight into the air and his tail raised to 

 an extraordinary extent. Then, witii throat pulled on!, he 

 uttered a continuous gurgling twitter, swaying his body 

 meanwhile from side to side. The female appeared to be 

 much pleased with the performance of her mate, and half 



