316 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. vi. 



From the foregoing it Mould seem that at the period of 

 the south-east gale these birds Mere not on the move near 

 this point, and that their movements took place in the 

 the late autumn. This is the earliest date for a big migration 

 that I knoM' of for this coast. Compared M'ith last year of 

 course their numbers were very small. J. M. Charlton. 



[Mr. J. Beddall Smith informs us that there were numbers 

 of Little Auks at Wells, Norfolk, on November 15th, 1912, 

 and others were recorded elsewhere at the end of October 

 and beginning of November {supra, p. 226). — Eds.] 



Eakly nests. — In the Field of January 25th, 1913, Mr. H. 

 H. Wardle gives an interesting list which he has compiled 

 of cases of early nesting in the last three winters. Those for 

 1912-13 include : Yellow Bunting, October 28th, two eggs. 

 Great Horkesley, Essex. House-Sparrow, November 15th, 

 one egg, Netherby, Yorks. ; December 4th, one egg, Poulton- 

 le-Fylde, Lancashire. Blackbird, December 25th, four eggs, 

 near Horsham, 1913. — January 2nd, tliree eggs, Kirkby 

 Overblow, Yorks. Starling, January 4th, four young, near 

 Kincardine. Song-Thrush, January 6th, two eggs, NeAv 

 Leake, Lines., January 8th, three eggs, Neston, Cheshire, 

 January 12th, four eggs, Alfreston, Sussex, January 14th, 

 two fledged, St. Neots. 



In the same journal (18.1.13, p. 140) Mr. A. Bird records 

 that a Wood-Pigeon was found sitting on t^o eggs on 

 January 11th, at Horsley. 



Scarlet Grosbeak in Ross-shire. — Miss A. C. Jackson 

 records [Scot. Nat., 1913, p. 42) that a female Carpodacus 

 erythrinus was captured on September 8th, 1912, at the 

 Tarbatness Lighthouse by Mr. Allan, the lightkeeper, and 

 sent to her. This is the first record of the species for the 

 mainland of Scotland. 



Female Greenland Wheatear in male-plumage. — ^In 

 our last number (p. 283) it was suggested that a mistake might 

 have been made in the case of a Greenland Wheatear in the 

 plumage of an adult male and Anth a Mang of 106 mm. Mhich 

 Mas sexed as a female. The Duchess of Bedford, M-ho 

 reported the bird to the Scottish Naturalist, very kindly 

 sends me the following particulars provided by Mr. C. Kirk, 

 of Glasgow : 



The specimen Mas skinned by George Stout avIio, on 

 discovering it Mas a female, brought it to Mr. Kirk for con- 

 firmation, and it Mas further examined by a third qualified 

 party. The ovaries, Mhich Mere examined under a lens, Mere 



