Letters, Extracts, Notices, fyc. 307 



I freely admit that one or more of these characters might 

 break down if applied to particular individuals. These forms 

 of Certhia well illustrate a remark in Dr. J. A. Allen's 

 paper " So-called Species and Subspecies " (' Science/ N.S., 

 xvi. pp. 383-386; 5th September, 1902) :— " They present 

 to the eye differences that are sufficiently impressive, but 

 which, owing to the imperfection of descriptive terms, can- 

 not be adequately expressed in keys or diagnoses." 



Yours &c, 

 4 Stanhope Place, \Y. RuSKIN BuTTERFIELD. 



St. Leonard's-on-Sea, 

 30th January, 1904. 



Sirs, — A short time ago Mr. Clement J. Carroll sent me 

 for identification the skin of a small bird, which proved to 

 be that of a Little Bunting, Emberiza pusilla, Pallas, in 

 winter dress. Mr. A. Holt Macpherson, to whom I shewed 

 the skin, agreed with my identification of it. It had been 

 caught alive with bird-lime, in the beginning of October 1902, 

 at Pailton, near Rugby, and since then, down to the present 

 winter, it had lived in a cage. It was sold to Mr. Carroll at 

 the end. of last year, but died soon afterwards, when it was 

 skinned by Miss Williams of Dublin, who ascertained that 

 it was a male. This is the fourth (the third in point of date) 

 occurrence of the Little Bunting in Great Britain. Three 

 out of the four examples occurred in the month of October, 

 and the fourth was brought alive to the late Mr. Swaysland 

 on the 2nd of November. Gatke gives the dates of the oc- 

 currences of about thirty-five examples of this Bunting on 

 Heligoland; and almost all these were in October or the 

 last week in September. 



Yours &c, 

 Bloxham, Oxon, O. A r . Aplin. 



23rd Feb., 1904. 



Sirs, — Permit me to draw attention to the exceptional 

 migration of Waxwings (Ampelis garrulus) to Ireland — 

 chiefly the north — in the latter part of 1903. The numbers 

 have apparently never been surpassed, as may be seen on 



