LEireRS 



ALBINISTIC ROOKS FOUND TO CONTAIN PARASITES. 

 To the Editors of British Birds, 



Sirs, — As albinistic varieties of birds are so seldom examined as to 

 their condition, it may be worth while to record that some years ago, 

 when shooting young Rooks in Denbighshire, I found that all, or very 

 nearly all, of those shot had the feathers rovmd the base of the beaks 

 white. These birds (thirty-one in number) proved so full of tapeM oims, 

 that the keeper buried them all. I was inclined to infer that the 

 white facial feathers were co-related with the weakening cavised by the 

 parasites. 



The rookery is the largest I ever remember to have met with. 



Alfred H. Cocks. 



THE MOVEMENTS OF YOUNG ROOKS. 



To the Editors of British Birds. 



Sirs, — Mr. Eric B. Dunlop records (Vol. iv.,p. 370) the disappearance 

 of immature Rooks from the Windermere district during October, 

 and the reappearance of a small percentage of them about the beginning 

 of April. That is exactly what has taken place in the Blantyre district. 

 During September last, after the autumn moult had taken place, lots 

 of feathered-faced birds were to be seen, but before the end of October 

 they were all gone, and only some half a dozen — the first on March 

 29th — have returned. They are not breeding, but are to be seen in 

 the fields all day consorting with flocks of Jackdaws. 



Regarding Her Grace the Dvichess of Bedford's behef , that only in 

 very exceptional cases do Rooks retain their bill-feathers after the first 

 autumn moult, I had always believed that only in exceptional cases 

 did they lose them before the second autumn movilt, and I have always 

 found semi-captives to retain the bill-feathers until the latter date. 

 A bird which I have had since May 10th, 1910, has its nostrils com- 

 pletely covered yet. Walter Stewart. 



