128 CORRESPONDENCE. 
PouLeN or THE Hazen.—Examining the pollen from the cultivated 
hazel in my nuttery (the Fill-basket variety) with a magnifying power of 
about 400 diameters, I find that although when dry the grains look 
nearly all alike, when moistened with water they vary greatly. Three 
distinct forms are distinguishable, two of which (I will call them A and B) 
are triangular in shape and show three projections of the intine ; but while 
A is of equal transparency throughout, B has only the projections trans- 
parent. The third form (C) is slightly larger than the others, the 
triangular shape of A and B is but faintly indicated, the projections of 
the intine are not developed, but there is a distinct granular opaque 
nucleus in a transparent sac. I conclude that these variations are due 
to differences of ripeness in the pollen-grains; that in C, the growth of 
the intine being less advanced, the absorption of water has swelled the 
extine and caused a separation between the two tissues, leaving the intine 
as a central nucleus ; while in A and B, the extine being already broken 
through at the three angles, it is the intine which has absorbed the water 
and so increased the prominence of the projections. The difference 
between A and B consists probably in this, that A being a little riper the 
intine has burst at the three projections and discharged the granular 
fovilla, leaving only the transparent sac. On close examination a slight 
raggedness may be seen at the apex of each projection in A.—F. T. 
Mort, Birstal Hill, Leicester. 
Notres on OrnnitHotocy.—During the past severe winter our usual 
winter visitors disappeared in a very marked way. At the commence- 
ment of the frost, on the 7th December, Fieldfares and Redwings were 
unusually abundant, Starlings also were as numerous as usual. After 
the frost had lasted a fortnight, all three disappeared entirely and were 
no more seen until the frost fairly broke up. This did not take place 
until the 2nd February, so that during eight weeks I did not see a single 
specimen of either genus. As soon as the frost broke up, and they 
could hunt for their food on the grass, the starlings returned at once, 
but the fieldfares were not seen again till the 15th February, and since 
that time have only been occasionally observed, and in very small flocks. 
The same may be remarked of the redwings. There is no one of our 
migrants which remains with us so long as the fieldfare; arriving about 
the third week in October, I have observed it passing on its return 
journey as late as May 10th, (1877,) a period of nearly seven months. 
On 29th March I heard the welcome voice of our first arrival, the Chiff- 
chaff. This was followed on the 4th April by the Blackeap. On the same 
date (4th April) I saw a Wheatear, and on the 7th I heard the Wryneck. 
I see in the last number of the ‘“‘ Midland Naturalist ” a report of the Wry- 
neck being heard in Oxfordshire on the 6th March. Without for one moment 
suggesting a doubt of the accuracy of the observation, it would be inter- 
esting to know whether the bird was seen as well as heard, as the date is 
at least three weeks earlier than usual. In this county it never appears 
earlier than the first week in April, and generally later, preceding the 
Cuckoo, whose ‘‘mate” it is, only by a few days. In the ‘ Birds of 
Oxfordshire,” published about thirty years ago by the Brothers Matthews, 
in the “‘ Zoologist,” they give the date of the arrival of the Wryneck in that 
county as from the last week in March to the third week in April. If 
the bird were not seen, but only heard, I might suggest the possibility of 
mistaking the call-note of the Kestrel during the pairing time, (which 
would correspond to the date mentioned,) for the note of the Wryneck, 
from which it would be very difficult indeed to distinguish it. On the 
29th March I observed three Dotterel on a newly-turned fallow near 
Kibworth. These birds are rarely seen here.—T. Macaunay, M.R.C.S.L., 
Kibworth. 
Buzzarp 1x Nortu Norrs.—It may interest some of your readers to 
know that a common Buzzard (Buteo vulgaris) was killed near here on 
