NOTES. 225 



Of course, the history of the specimen is incomplete, but 

 to me, at least, it bears an air of probability, and the likelihood 

 of its being an escape at that date is much less than in the 

 case of an example obtained within recent years. 



I see no reason why this species should not occasionally 

 visit our country, though the validity of any modern record 

 must be tainted by reason of the possibility of the bird having 

 escaped from confinement. L. A. Curtis Edwards. 



A COLONY OF HOUSE-MARTINS BUILDING 

 ONE NEST. 



With reference to the notes which have recently appeared 

 {supra, pp. 136, 190) in regard to a number of House-Martins 

 {Chelidon urhica) feeding the young in one nest, I certainly 

 think that these birds which assisted would not necessarily 

 be the young of a previous brood from that nest. It seems 

 a custom of House-Martins when they begin nest-building, 

 to build the nests as quickly as possible, and I have seen a 

 whole colony of fourteen birds set to work on one nest, and 

 then when this was finished, to help with the others. I have 

 noticed this on several occasions, and I think if naturalists 

 take the trouble to watch the birds carefully when they are 

 nest-building, this will be found to be the usual custom. I 

 see no reason why birds which help one another in this way in 

 constructing the nests, should not help in the same way in 

 feeding the young. During the last four years I have had 

 little opportunity of observing the birds, for the fairly large 

 and increasing colony which was establishing itself on my 

 home failed to return four years ago. It would, however, 

 be interesting to have the notes of other well-favoured 

 observers next spring. Oliver G. Pike. 



MIGRATION OF SLENDER-BILLED NUTCRACKERS. 



In Sussex. 

 In connexion with the migration of these birds already 

 reported {supra, pj). 191-2), I have to record a female shot 

 at Brede, Sussex, on December 2nd. 1911. Upon opening 

 the gizzard I found no trace of insect food, the contents 

 consisting entirely of wheat. It was an example of the 

 slender-billed fonn N . c . macrorhynchus . - 



H. W. Ford-Lindsay. 



In France. 

 A GOOD many Nutcrackers, but of which form is not stated, 

 are reported in the Revue Francaise (VOrnithologie for 

 December, 1911 (pp. 207-8). Most of them are from northern 



