102 CORRESPONDENCE. 
white, it had been seen about for some time, and presented a curious 
appearance when flying; it was shot in October, and I had it preserved; 
all three were cocks. On December 6thI wasshown a Tufted Duck anda 
Razorbill, which had been received here that morning by a bird stuffer, 
while they were yet warm; they were probably killed on one of the canal 
reservoirs. This is the first time I have heard of the latter bird being 
obtained in this neighbourhood. During December I saw several Water 
Rails and killed two of them ; they are seldom seen except in very hard 
weather. On the 7th of that month I observed some Wild Geese flying 
over but could not make out the species, and on the 14th February two 
were seen on some floods; several more were observed at different times, 
but I did not hear of any being shot. Greylags are sometimes seen here 
on the stubbles, and Brents and Canada Geese have also occurred. Snipe 
have been very plentiful this season, and Bramblings more so than I ever 
remember. I killed a large specimen of the former earlyin December; it 
weighed a trifle over five ounces, the average weight being about 34. I 
heard Larks and Yellow Ammers singing for the first time this year on 
the 8th and 10th of February respectively. Wild fowl were still plentiful 
with us at the beginning of this month. On the 1st I saw hundreds of 
Wigeon and Wild Duck, also a fewTeal and Snipe. They were still here 
on the 8th, but in less numbers. Rooks began building on the 5th inst., 
in one rookery; they are a little late this year owing, I suppose, to their 
sufferings during the winter. On the 6th I noticed our first summer 
migrant, the Wryneck; I also saw a pair of Stock Doves investigating a 
hollow tree where they generally breed. — O. V. A., Bodicote, Oxon., 
March 11th. 
Brown Owxzs.—The following occurrence may be of interest to some 
readers. At the commencement of the late wiuter the natives of a 
certain village near Ashby-de-la-Zouch were alarmed by hearing what 
sounded to them unearthly cries, disturbing the silence of the night, and 
sallied out with lanterns to investigate the cause. The noises suddenly 
ceased, and the village resumed its quiet, but a month afterwards a fine 
specimen of a brown owl (Strix stridula) was unearthed from the sooty 
recesses of achimney. It was a fine bird, measuring 35in. across the 
wings, and it appears that when it had entered the chimney it had been 
unable to escape. The screech of the white owl (Strix jlammea) is a 
familiar sound about here, but the noise which caused the alarm was a 
decided hoot. Some writers aver that both brown and white owls hoot, 
others that only the white does, but I think this 1s an instance in favour 
of the latter assertion.—L. F. 
ApnormaL Hen’s Eees.—About ten years ago, a very large Dorking 
hen’s egg was given my father by the keeper of Allington Lock, about 17 
miles from here. It was larger even than a turkey’s egg. On accident- 
ally dropping it, I was astonished to discover that it contained two yolks 
and another perfect egg, of the usual size, with a shell of the average 
thickness. It is now preserved in Maidstone Museum, with the outer 
shell partly removed, so as to show the smaller egg inside. There are, I 
believe, similar instances on record of one egg inside another. Small 
fowls’ eggs, too, are not unusual, I have two in my collection not larger than 
magpie’s eggs, and another though of the usual length is not larger round 
than a blackbird’s, and terminates in almost a sharp point, a most singular 
looking thing. These are not the results of domestication, for I have a 
jackdaw’s egg not so large asa thrush’s.—F RED F. Grenstep, Maidstone. 
[A double hen’s egg is reported in ‘‘Science Gossip ” for 1868, p. 117. 
In same Vol., at p. 151, is an interesting article on monstrosities in eggs 
in general, in which the writer says, speaking of the extremes of size in 
hens’ eggs, that he has one little above the size of that of a wren’s, and 
another 440z. in weight.—Eps. M. N.] 
