Correspondence.



263



room has given vent to its feelings by remarking “ To hell with the

Kaiser”; to which the Editor responds “Hear! Hear!” and with

deepest feeling and intention. But for that outrageous and in¬

famous spirit, along with his supporters and satellites, the members

of our Society (not to mention the rest of the world !) would be

peacefully ensuing their usual occupations. The Editor understands

as well as anyone how vastly the mind is nowadays distracted,

even when there is leisure to write, and how difficult it is to keep

up interest in anything which does not immediately concern the

awful horror of the great war; but we, like our soldiers and sailors,

along with our Allies, have kept on ; let us, like them, continue to

do so. So the Editor writes “Please send what you can.”



CORRESPONDENCE, NOTES, ETC.


SNOW GEESE PERCHING IN TREES.


THE DUCHESS OF Bedford sends the following very interesting note,

and one wonders whether it is not an utterly unusual habit on the part of the

geese, which were hatched at Woburn Abbey: —


“ During last month (May) I have on several occasions seen Snow geese

“ perching on a Wych elm. They appear to be attracted by the young winged

“seeds. M. BEDFORD, Woburn Abbey.”


The Duchess added that it was a most curious sight. H. D. A.


‘ BRANDLINGS ’ (WORMS) AS FOOD FOR BIRDS.


DEAR Mr. ASTLEY,—May I make a minor correction on a point in the

June magazine, p. 234, in the monthly notes by ‘ Secretarius ’ ? I would like to

say d propos of worms, that ‘ brandlings ’ are the small red worms striped with

yellow, that are found only in manure heaps. These are very bad either for

birds or reptiles ; in fact, almost poisonous.


The worms referred to are not brandlings proper, though very like them,

except that they are not so striped. Yours very sincerely, TAVISTOCK.


SUPPOSED TROUPIAL.


SIR,—With reference to my supposed troupials (about whichDr. Hopkinson

made the suggestion that they might be bobolinks), Dr. Butler was quite right

when he named them Black tanagers. I recently bought a cock bird, exactly

similar to my male, from Mr. G. E. Rattigan, and he informed me that it is the

Lesser black tanager. It is now mated with one of my hens. I think the white

in the tail of the hen is abnormal, as the second hen bird shows very little.


Yours, etc., WM. SHORE-BAILY.



