214 



White Wagtail {MotacUla alha). — A fine male at Tees-mouth 

 on April 9th, according to Mr. C. Braithwaite, of Seaton Carew. 



Blue Headed Wagtail {MotacUla flava). — With regard to an 

 editorial wish for confirmation of my 1900 record, in which I 

 mentioned that on May 6th, 1900, I saw three blue headed 

 wagtails in company with newly-arrived yellow wagtails at 

 Tees-mouth, I may be allowed to state that I am positive that 

 the birds I saw were the blue headed wagtail, and not the 

 common yellow wagtail, and, in my opinion, few ornithologists 

 could confuse the two species when seen just as these birds 

 were, in the full summer dress, as the bluish-grey head and 

 olive mantle, and other distinctions, are easily recognisable when 

 compared with the general yellow hue of the common yellow 

 wagtail. 



Eock Pipit {Anfhus ohscums). — Arrived at Tees-mouth on 

 Sei)tember 10th, and up to the end of October the light 

 coloured form, rtipestris, were equally as common along the 

 sea walls, etc , as the dark, spotted, resident race, ohscums, 

 after which, up to the time of the rock pipits' departure, only 

 dark birds were noticed. It is, perhaps, not generally known that 

 the " Scandinavian Eock Pipit," as the light race is called by 

 some authors, is a regular autumn immigrant to the Tees-mouth in 

 September and October, when the birds are in winter dress. 



Great Grey Shrike {Lanius excubitor). — A splendid example 

 shot near the "Erimus " houses, between Newport and Thornaby, 

 on October 31st (G. Mussell). A pair were observed for over 

 half an hour by Mr. F. Elgee and the writer on December 10th 

 near Acklam, as they flew in and out of a hawthorn hedge. 



Ked Backed Shrike {Lanius coHurio). — With regard to the 

 editorial comment under the heading of this bird in the '99-1900 

 Transactions (p. 115), I may state that, although I did not see the 

 birds personally, I came across several beetles, etc., impaled upon 

 the spikes of barbed wire not far from where the nest I recorded 

 was found, which gave me the impression that the impaled insects 

 were the result of a shrike's work. Consequently when I was 

 informed where the egg (of Avhich the owner was ignorant as to 

 the species to which it belonged) Avas taken, I was quite satisfied 

 as to the authenticity of the shrikes' breeding. 



Waxwing {Ampelis garndvs). — About a dozen of these birds 

 were shot between October (1901) and the following February 

 (1902), examples being obtained at Tees-mouth (3), Stockton, 

 Eston, Greatham, and Lazeuby, while a few were seen and not 

 obtained. 



