62 BRITISH BIRDS. 



however^ does not seem even to have realized the striking' 

 difference between the Snipes and the Woodcock in this 

 particular, or indeed that either presented any noteworthy 

 peculiarities in the position of this apertiu'e ; he, at any 

 rate, makes no mention of the fact. It is, of course, quite 

 j)Ossible that many ornitholog-ists may have known of this 

 curious featm-e, but the credit of bringing- the matter into 

 general notice belongs to Mr. Whymj^er. — Eds.] 



FOUR BIRDS IN A LONG-TAILED TIT'S NEST. 

 To the Editors of British Birds. 



Sirs, — With reference to Mr. Bonhote's communication 

 on this subject [supra, page 32), I beg to draw your atten- 

 tion to the record by Mr. Cerva, who saw on Apiil 17th, 

 1898, in the Tokolo Forest (Hungary), young Long-tailed 

 Tits being fed hy four old bii-ds. 



Mr. Cerva's conclusion is that most of the large clutches 

 of this species are produced by two hens (" Zeitschrift fiir 

 Oologie," VIII., page 25). 



This is in conformitv wdth Mr. R. Kearton's opinion 

 ('^British Birds' Nests,'"' page 310). 



A. A. VAN Pelt Lechner, 



Wageningen, Holland, June 1st, 1907. 



BIRDS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. 



To the Editors of British Birds. 



At the beginning of May, 1903, I was in W. Jutland with 

 Mr. R. B. Lodge. A severe thunderstorm took place on 

 May 4th, and caused the temporary disappearance of a large 

 herd of Brent Geese, some three hundred strong, which 

 had haunted the marshes up to that date. The villagers 

 picked up five or six birds which had apparently been 

 killed by lightning, and on the evening of May 6th I found 

 another which had succumbed to the same cause. 



F. C. R. JOURDAIN. 



" INCUBATION SPOTS." 



To the Editors of British Birds. 



Sirs, — I should like to have some information detailed 

 as to the incubation spots on the vent of a " sitting " bird. 



