xNOTES. 189 



WILLOW-TIT IN WORCESTERSHIRE AND 

 HEREEORDSHIRE. 



During the spring and early summer of 1911, I met with 

 Willow-Tits (P. atricwpillus kleinschmidti) in the parishes of 

 Suckley (Worcestershire), and Acton Beauchamp and Cradley 

 (Herefordshire). They were about as uncommon as they are 

 near Reading. 



These observations depend on the note of the bird. I 

 may, however, add that the difference in the head is quite 

 obvious with the aid of binoculars at close range. Further, 

 since my note on this subject (Vol. IV., pp. 146-7), I have 

 read the account of the notes of P. folustris communis and 

 P. atricapillus salicarius given by Dr. Hartert in his Die 

 Vdgel der paldarktischen Fauna, and find that they agree 

 precisely with those of the corresponding British forms. 



C. J. Alexander. 



WHITE WAGTAILS IN AUTUMN IN IRELAND. 



In the spring of 1910 I noticed some White Wagtails {Mota- 

 cilla alba) on the coast of Wexford (Vol. IV., p. 18). This 

 autumn, being in the same place, I saw^ two small parties of 

 White Wagtails on September 13th (1911), and on the next 

 day either the same or other small flocks. On the same days 

 I saw several flocks of Pied Wagtails, but the White Wagtails 

 kept apart from them. Throughout the rest of September 

 and early October, there were considerable numbers of Pied 

 Wagtails passing through almost every day, in small parties 

 or flocks up to fifty individuals each. All these parties and 

 flocks contained old as well as young birds, and although I 

 will not vouch for the latter, all the old birds I saw were Pied, 

 and I detected no more White Wagtails. 



The White Wagtail has very seldom been noticed in Ireland 

 in autumn, but curiously enough Mr. R. Warren has just 

 recorded {Zool., 1911, p. 385) a pair as seen in the last week of 

 August, 1911, by Captain Kirkwood at Bartragh, co. Mayo, 

 where they have been observed every spring for some years, 

 but never before in the autumn. H. F. Witherby. 



ALBINISM AND XANTHOCROISM IN THE 

 PIED WAGTAIL. 



On October 19th, 1911, Messrs. Spicer and Sons of Birmingham, 

 received for preservation a variety of the Pied Wagtail 

 {Motacilla luguhris). Mr. Spicer, junr., informs me that it 

 proved, on dissection, to be a male, and through his kindness 

 I was able to examine it when freshly set up, the following 



