VOL. XV. J NOTES. 207 



ABNORMAL CLUTCH OF CHAFFINCH'S EGGS. 



On May i6th, 1921, when staying with Mr. Edgar Chance 

 in Worcestershire, I found a nest of a Chaffinch {Fringilla 

 c. ccelebs) with seven eggs. All these eggs were of the same 

 type of colouring (of the Bullfinch type) and undoubtedly 

 the product of the same female, but three of them, which 

 were smaller than "'the others, were infertile and appeared 

 to have been laid a week or more before the remaining four, 

 which were perfectly fresh. O. R. Owen. 



[See notes on this subject, by A. Mayall and F. C. R. Jourdain, 

 Vol. XHL, pp. 80-81.— Eds.] 



RICHARD'S PIPIT IN CARNARVONSHIRE. 



A LOUD, sparrow-like chirp drew my attention to a bird which 

 rose from the ground when I was near the summit of the 

 Great Orme's Head on the morning of December 26th, 192 1. 

 It alighted a few yards further on, and with the aid of my 

 binoculars I immediately saw from its large size and the jerky 

 motion of its tail that it was a Pipit with which I was not 

 previously familiar. As I approached it it stood erect to 

 watch me, then ran quickly over the grass and heather, rose 

 again, uttered its single note and again alighted. I followed 

 it all over the open slope, concealing myself as best I could. 

 In this way I got excellent views of it, took particular notice 

 of the broad whitish stripe over and behind the eye and under- 

 ear -coverts (giving a very light appearance to the head), the 

 prominent dark chocolate primaries, thinly edged with buff, 

 the dull white chin and upper-throat, the clear line of brownish 

 streaks extending from the corner of the bill down the sides 

 of its neck and joining on the breast, its flesh-coloured legs 

 and brown bill, and saw that the bird was an example of 

 Richard's Pipit [Anthiis r. richardi) — a bird new to Carnarvon- 

 shire. I disturbed it again and again, but the only note it 

 uttered was the chirp after rising. I visited the same place 

 in the afternoon, and finding the bird still there, watched it 

 for upwards of an hour. It was only when it alighted on a 

 cart-track that the length of limb was at all noticeable. It 

 seemed to stand as high as a thrush. Time after time I 

 walked up to it. Upon seeing me approach it would run 

 nimbly along the grass or road, halt suddenly, jerk its tail in 

 true pipit-like fashion and take to its wings, never uttering 

 its loud note more than once whilst flying. Fortunately it 

 never flew far and its large size rendered it noticeable many 

 yards distance away. Rj^ ar d W ,,.>j[ones. 



