UNCOMMON AND MEMOEABLE 137 



A WHITE WAGTAIL 



For several days past we have seen here, quite close to 

 the house, a perfectly white wagtail, with a yellow bill. 

 It comes with an ordinary pied wagtail. It has no black 

 or grey anywhere on it. 



E. T. 



June 1, 1912. 



NOTE. This bird would, of course, be an albino variety 

 of the pied wagtail. The white wagtail (Motacilla alba), 

 the continental form of our pied, and a frequent victim 

 of the collecting pedant, only differs from the pied by a 

 greater infusion of white and grey into the plumage. 

 Mr. T. A. Coward thinks that the pied wagtail is only an 

 insular variety of the continental form the " white 

 wagtail." 



THE KEDWING IN ENGLAND 



While walking a day or two since on the banks of the 

 Wey in Surrey, I was surprised to hear a song which I 

 did not know. On searching for the songster, I saw in 

 the tree from which the song was proceeding a redwing. 

 The buff line over its eye, and the red on its flank, were 

 quite distinctly visible. I did not actually see the bird 

 singing, but no other bird was to be seen in the tree. The 

 song was a sweet, low song, something remotely like a 

 robin's when on a damp autumnal day a robin sings, as it 

 were, to himself. This was a fine, sunny afternoon, moist 

 and warm. A thrush was singing in a neighbouring tree, 

 and several robins within hearing. Is it not unusual for 

 a redwing as I believe it was to be Heard in England 

 in December? 



W. M. CROOK. 



January 2, 1909. 



NOTE. Mr. Crook, a close observer and true lover of 

 birds, deserved his most exceptional fortune. The red- 



