nOTES 



RED-BACKED SHRIKE IN WIGTOWNSHIRE. 



On August 14th, 1912, on the edge of a moor near Leswalt, 

 seven miles from Portpatrick in Wigtownshire, I saw an adult 

 male Red-backed Shrike (Lanius c. collurio). When I first 

 saw the bird, it was within twenty yards of me in a black- 

 thorn bush, the grey of the head, with a black stripe across 

 the eye and the chestnut-brown of the back, showed up most 

 distinctly. The bird was fairly tame, and finally flew across 

 to some other thorn trees. I watched it for some minutes 

 but failed to see a hen bird. M. Portal. 



BRITISH REDBREAST IN ITALY. 



It may be worth recording that on January 24th, 1910, I 

 obtained from Castiglion del Lago (Central Italy) a Redbreast 

 which in every character, colour and measurements was 

 indistinguishable from the British form ; but before labelling it 

 Dandalvs rnbecula melophilus I submitted it to Dr. E. Hartert 

 to whom I am indebted for confirming my identification. He 

 wrote me that in the Museum of Tring there was a similar 

 specimen from Rome, October, 1899. As far as I am aware 

 these are the only authentic specimens recorded from Italy 

 till now, but it is not improbable that other unidentified 

 specimens have occurred. I have examined the specimen 

 in the Florence Museum that Prof. E. H. Giglioli supposed 

 was a Biitish Redbreast (c/. Avifauna Ilalica, p. 159, 1907), 

 but this is undoubtedly a typical D. rubecula rubecula. In 

 my collection I have Italian specimens much darker than that 

 mentioned by Prof. Giglioli. Cecilia Picchi. 



CONTINENTAL HEDGE-SPARROW IN YORKSHIRE. 



On October 9th, 1911, I shot a Hedge-Sparrow at Spurn, 

 and as I did not feel satisfied about it, I submitted it to Mr. 

 Witherby, who showed it to Dr. Hartert. Mr. Witherby 

 considers that it is the Continental form. Prunella m. modularis. 

 He says : " The wing formula is right, the seventh primary 

 being 5 mm. shorter than the second, which equals the 

 sixth. The bill is less wide at the base than in occidentalis.'' 

 Dr. Hartert confirms his identification. During my stay at 



