296 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. x. 



[We think fllr Meade-Waldo over-estimates the danger of men- 

 tioning the "New Forest" as a breeding area. It has been known 

 for inany years as a haimt of the Common Buzzard and in 1900 

 Mr Meade- Waldo himself ( Victoria History of Hampshire ) went so far 

 as to publish the name of the enclosure near which a pair nested in 

 1896. Although we think it inadvisable to mention such exact 

 breeding localities iii the case of rare breeding birds, Me consider it 

 equally inadvisable not to record the area. Apart from the great 

 extent of nesting ground in the New Forest, it is improbable that 

 anyone would risk detection bj^ taking an efficiently protected nest in 

 Hampshire when the bird is so common in some parts of Wales. — Eds.] 



THE DEVONPORT CALANDRA LARK. 



To the Editors of British Birds. 



Sirs, — The Calandra Lark obtained near Devonport, which is 

 referred to in the last issue {antea, pp. 254, 261) is, I submit, well 

 entitled to some consideration. 



From my correspondence with the late. Mr. J. Gatcombe about 

 this bird, I am led to believe that the only doubt which that naturalist 

 had about it was the question whether it had escaped from confinement. 

 That it was killed by St. John's Lake, received in the flesh by 

 Abraham Pincombe, the Plymouth bird-stirffer, and mounted at the 

 time by him, was accepted, and a note in Pincombe's hand, now 

 before me, which was forwarded by Mr. Gatcombe, confirms all this. 



The Calandra is pretty common in summer in the south of France, 

 so its occasional presence in England ig to be expected. 



J. H. GURNEY 



Keswick Hall, Norwich, April, 1917. 



[As will be seen by consulting the references given in our last number, 

 this bird was found amongst some skins belonging to a taxidermist, 

 and although he " certified " that the bird was killed by St. John's 

 Lake, and that he received it in the flesh, there is no corroborative 

 evidence. We are strongly of opinion that such a record should not 

 be accepted. Moreover, it is stated in The Birds of Devon, on the 

 authority of Mr. Brooking Rowe.. that " no reliance is to be placed on 

 anything Pincombe says"! — Eds.] 



POROUSNESS OF EGG SHELL OF THE TAWNY OWL. 



To the Editors of British Birds, 



Sirs, — On April 2nd I found a nest of the Tawny Owl (Strix a. aluco) 

 with three eggs in it. I took one of the eggs and found it was fairly- 

 hard-set. When I blew the egg, little drops of blood oozed out at 

 both ends of it. I looked very carefully to see if there were any 

 cracks, but the egg was quite sound. I do not know if this is a common 

 occurrence, but it seems worthy of notice, as it shows how very porous 

 the shells of some eggs are. J. G. RIaynard. 



BovEY Trace Y, April 12th, 1917. 



[During the process of blowing some blood evidently penetrated 

 between the internal membrane and the shell. I ha\e offen noticed 

 drop? of water oozing tlirough the pores of the shell of this species 

 while blowing the eggs. — F.C.R. J.] 



