OTES 



SISKINS IN DEVON. 

 With regard to the interesting notes on the Siskin {Carduelis 

 spinus) in Devon (Vol. XIII., p. 313, and Vol. XIV., p. 38), 

 I might perhaps mention that I have notes of a female seen 

 between Budleigh Salterton and Exmouth on December i8th, 

 1916 ; of two birds observed by a friend at Exmouth at the 

 end of December 1919 ; and of a fine male on the Otter 

 estuary on April 3rd, 1920. This last bird was in full breeding 

 plumage, and picked up seeds quite unconcernedly within a 

 couple of yards while I watched it. Presently it flew up to 

 a bush close by, and burst into song — a low, sweet warble, 

 varied by a periodic indrawing of breath, resulting in a 

 curious note rather like the " tweee " of a Greenfinch on a 

 small scale. W. Walmesley White. 



NUMBER OF EGGS IN CLUTCH OF TREE-SPARROW. 

 During the last two or three years the Tree-Sparrow {Passer 

 m. montamis) appeared at Rosehill, Cheadle, Staffordshire, in 

 diminished numbers, but this year (1920) it has once again 

 taken possession of all my available nesting-boxes. The eggs 

 have generally been the normal number of five or six, but this 

 year in one nest seven young ones were successfully reared, 

 and they flew a few days ago. I have never before found so 

 large a number in one clutch. 



In one clutch of six all the eggs were of a uniform light 

 greenish-cream colour mottled thickly with grey, which is 

 very unusual here, as most clutches contain only one light 

 egg. J. R. B. Masefield. 



[The clutch of the Tree-Sparrow seldom exceeds six, but 

 Mr. A. H. Williams took a nest at Kingsland, Herefordshire, 

 which contained the quite exceptional number of eight eggs. 

 -F.C.R.J.] 



SHORE-LARKS IN SUSSEX. 

 One of the least regular of autumn and winter visitors to the 

 coast of Sussex, the Shore-Lark {Ereniophila a.flava), occurred 

 in unusual numbers during the past winter. Two were shot 

 at Rye Harbour on October 25th and four more on November 

 17th, 1919. On the same day two others were obtained at 

 Winchelsea, where a male was also killed on February 2nd, 

 1920. On March 27th two more were procured at Rye Har- 

 bour and two at Pevensey, while others were seen at Cooden, 



