A HISTORY OF LEICESTERSHIRE 



the eaves of a cottage in the village. The young and 

 the male bird were of the normal type, but the female 

 was a curious variety. The wings and tail were of a 

 light brownish-drab, showing in certain lights some- 

 what of an isabelline tint but all the head, breast, and 

 back were of a dusky greyish-brown, the ochreous 

 tips of the mantle and wing-covert feathers showing 

 dimly through the all-pervading grey not at all a 

 pretty bird, and irresistibly reminding one of an 

 ancient and faded stuffed specimen, one which had 

 been exposed for a number of years to a strong light. 

 I saw the birds when alive, and the contrast between 

 the almost black male and the female, which looked 

 nearly white or cream-coloured when flying to and 

 from the nest, was very marked. Pinchen told me 

 that a cream-coloured starling had been repeatedly 

 observed close to the Spinney Hill Park during the 

 summer of 1887. It had also been noticed in a flock 

 the previous autumn. 



In The Zoo/ogist for December, 1846, Mr. Wm. 

 Turner, of Uppingham, reports the occurrence of a 

 white starling at Blaby. It was found in a nest con- 

 taining other young ones of the ordinary colour. 

 Mr. H. S. Davenport saw a cinnamon-coloured 

 variety at Potter's of Billesdon in 1 888. Dr. 

 Macaulay reported four starling's eggs taken from 

 a disused magpie's nest on 5 May, 1892, at 

 Carlton Curlieu. Three eggs of different types 

 from the same nest from Stoughton were presented 

 to the museum by Mr. B. Turner, on 8 May, 1896. 

 Mr. G. Frisby writes, 3 I May, 1 906 : ' I saw a flight 

 of young starlings, and this before some of the old 

 birds had mated and were still in flock." Mr. W. J. 

 Horn writing in 1907 says that the strangest place he 

 has known for a nest was a disused pump. The bird 

 entered where the spout used to be, and the nest was 

 not more than a foot from the ground. 



70. Rose-coloured Pastor. Pastor roseus (Linn.). 

 This species is inserted on the authority of the late 



Dr. Macaulay, who stated {Mid. Nat. 1882, p. 63) 

 that one was seen near Foxton, about 1870, by the 

 late Rev. H. Matthews. It was in the company of a 

 flock of starlings. Since then Turner has told me 

 that a man named Collins, now deceased, received a 

 specimen in the flesh from Enderby, about 1870-5. 

 Mr. G. Pullen ls records a specimen as occurring near 

 Castle Donington. 



71. Jay. Garruhs glandarius (Linn.). 



Resident and generally distributed. Mr. Daven- 

 port finds their nests and eggs every year, and on 

 27 May, 1887, he found a nest containing four eggs of 

 a beautiful pink variety, which he considers a great 

 rarity. 



Mr. W. J. Horn writes in 1907 : ' I have taken 

 the nest and eggs in Burbage Woods." 



72. Magpie. Pica rustica (Scopoli). 



Resident and generally distributed. A snuff- 

 coloured variety, purchased by Mr. J. W. Whitaker in 

 1882, was said by the man who sold it to have been 

 taken at Stoughton. Mr. Davenport reports that a 

 pure white magpie frequented the neighbourhood of 

 Shearsby for a long time in the winter of 1881-2. 



Mr. W. J. Horn writes in 1 907 : ' On an 

 average three pairs breed in the town of Market 

 Harborough. In this immediate neighbourhood there 



" r.C.H. Dtrb. i, 132. 



are just about as many. Early one morning last May 

 I was aroused by the alarm notes of a pair of black- 

 birds. Looking from my bedroom window I found 

 a magpie was the cause of the excitement, and no 

 wonder, for he was hopping backwards and forwards 

 from a tree to their nest, and at every visit he brought 

 out a nestling, which he gobbled up as one would an 

 oyster.' 



73. Jackdaw. Corvus moneJula, Linn. 



Resident and common, breeding in old steeples, &c., 

 in Leicester. I have especially noticed them at 

 St. Margaret's Church, where the sexton informed me 

 that they deposited their sticks in such numbers upon 

 the upper steps of the belfry as to completely block up 

 the passage and necessitate their being carted away. 

 Mr. Davenport reports a variety of the eggs taken by 

 him in Launde Wood in 1 88 1. 



The late Dr. Macaulay brought me a curious variety, 

 shot by the keeper at Bradgate Park on 25 May, 

 1888. The lower parts of the primaries of each 

 wing were umber-brown, becoming lighter, or more 

 drab-like, towards the tips. The lower parts of the 

 secondaries were similar, as also that part which 

 corresponds with the alar bar in most birds. Five, 

 possibly six feathers one being shot away in the 

 tail were deep umber-brown. The outer edges of 

 each feather were in every case the lightest, the re- 

 mainder being of the normal type. The scheme was, 

 however, by no means regular in either wings or tail, 

 although the pattern of each wing was almost exactly 

 like its fellow, and it was rather oddly than well or 

 regularly marked. The gradual fading off from the 

 glossy greenish-blue tint to brown was curious, and 

 gave to the brown somewhat of a purple hue. Mr. W. 

 J. Horn, writing in 1907, says that ' Many pairs breed 

 in the steeple of Market Harborough Church.' He 

 states that a pair of rooks began to build in a large 

 plane tree in the bank garden (quite in the centre of 

 the town), but this tree being the favourite perching 

 place of the jackdaws nesting in the church spire, they 

 promptly pulled the rooks' nest to pieces and carried 

 the sticks away. 



74. Raven. Corvus corax, Linn. 



Has not occurred for years. Mr. Babington, writ- 

 ing in 1842 (Potter, op. cit. App. p. 67), said: 

 ' Generally to be seen on Sharpley a few years since, 

 still in Bradgate Park, as I learn from Mr. Bloxham,' 

 but Harley stated that the late Mr. Adams assured 

 him that the raven had entirely deserted Bradgate Park, 

 and that the last date of its occurrence at Sharpley 

 Rocks was 26 Oct., 1848. The late Dr. Macaulay 

 reported one (Mid. Nat. 1882, p. 64) shot at Sadding- 

 ton, many years since, by Mr. Johnson, whilst it was 

 feeding on a portion of a sheep that had been hung 

 up in a plantation. C. and T. Adcock informed me 

 in 1888 that their grandfather, George Evans, told 

 them that this bird used to breed regularly in Brad- 

 gate Park and that when he was a boy (sixty-five 

 years ago) he took the young and reared them and on 

 one occasion sold one to the old Three Crowns 

 Inn at the corner of Horsefair Street. Harley stated 

 that a raven reared its young at Garendon in 1825, 

 which would be about the same date. 



75. Carrion-crow. Corvus coront, Linn. 



Resident, generally distributed, but not so common 

 as formerly. Harley stated that, on the large grass- 



