278 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. vi. 



with the bare fact — perhaps the most startling fact that 

 the ringing of birds has as yet produced. 



We are most thankful to Mr. Ruddock for reporting this 

 extremely interesting recovery and we hope that the details 

 of it will become widelj^ known in South Africa and thus 

 produce further results. H. F. Witherby. 



SLENDER-BILLED NUTCRACKERS IN SUSSEX. 



Two examples of the Slender-billed Nutcracker [Nucifraga 

 c. macrorhynchus) have recently been obtained at Wartling, 

 Sussex, the first a male, on December 26th, 1912, and the 

 second a female, on December 28th. I saw both birds in the 

 flesh. A third has been seen in Brickwall Park, Northiam, 

 Sussex, which so far has escaped capture. 



H. W. Ford-Lindsay. 



[Concerning the last bird mentioned above, Mr. T. Parldn 

 writes to us under date January 8th as follows : — 



" A few days ago I received a letter from Colonel Edward 

 Frewen, C.B., of Brickwall, Northiam, informing me that 

 when shooting in Alder Wood on his property at Brede, 

 on November 16th, 1912, a Nutcracker Avas seen. I am 

 pleased to be able to state that Colonel Frewen Avrites that 

 none of the ' guns ' shot it. 



" It is curious that there are records of two other birds of 

 this species having been obtained in the last few years in the 

 same neighbourhood, viz. one (Avest European or Thick-billed 

 form) at Broad Oak, Brede, on February 12th, 1907 {British 

 Birds, I., p. 105), the other (also of the west European form) 

 at Three Oaks, Guestling, on March 4th. 1907 {f.c, IV., p. 23). 

 Both these birds are, I believe, now in the fine collection of 

 Mr. J. B. Nichols. 



" All good ornithologists will thank Colonel FrcAven for 

 kindly preserving this bird from destruction when it appeared 

 in the deep woodlands on his property at Brede and 

 Northiam."] 



SKY-LARK AS FOSTER-PARENT OF CUCKOO. 



There appear to be very few authenticated instances of the 

 Cuckoo {Ciiculns c. canorus) selecting the Sky-Lark {Alauda 

 a. arvensis) as a foster-parent, and I therefore record that in 

 June, 1912, I was shown a Sky-Lark's nest at Aldringham, 

 Suffolk, containing a Cuckoo's egg of a purplish-broAni type. 

 The nest contained only one Lark's egg, so tliat possibly 

 at least two had been ejected by the Cuckoo when depositing 

 her own egg. The young Lark emerged from the shell fully 



