262 BRITISH BIRDS. 



Of the sub-species L. c. albiventris (Swin.), scotica (Hart.), 

 guillemardi (Mad.), and luzoniensis (Grant). I have only been 

 able to examine a small number, but in these this dimorphic 

 character of the bill was present in about equal numbers, 

 except in guillemardi, where, out of eight specimens, only in 

 one was the upper mandible to the right. 

 Loxia pytyopsittacus (Borkh.). $ $ 



Upper mandible to the right . . 11.. . . 6 



left .. 12 .. 10 



Loxia leucoptera bifasciata (Brehm). 



Loxia leucoptera elegans (Horn.). £ °. 



Upper mandible to the right . . 4 . . 4 



left .. 8 .. 8 



Loxia leucoptera leucoptera (Gmelin). <$ $ 



Upper mandible to the right . . 8 . . 7 



left .. 21 .. 9 



Taking all the sub-species of Loxia curvirostra together I 

 found that : — g <j> 



Upper mandible to the right . . 48 . . 26 



left .. 48 .. 27 



and taking all the sub-species of Loxia leucoptera together 

 that : — c? ? 



Upper mandible to the right . . 12 . . 11 



left .. 29 .. 17 



It would seem that in all the sub-species of Loxia curvi- 

 rostra the upper mandible is as often to the right as to the 

 left of the lower mandible, the apparent discrepancy in the 

 females of the typical form, and in himalayensis being, I 

 think, accidental. In the sub-species of leucoptera it would 

 appear that the upper mandible passes to the left of the 

 lower twice as frequently as it does to the right. If this is so 

 it is very curious, but I should like to have examined a larger 

 amount of material before saying definitely. 



C. B. Ticehurst. 

 SNOW-BUNTING IN DORSET. 

 I was yesterday (December 9th, 1909) visiting a house in 

 Wareham, Dorset, and saw there a stuffed Snow-Bunting 

 (Plectrophenax nivalis). The owner did not know what the 

 bird was, but had shot it on the edge of Poole Harbour, in the 

 first week in October, 1908. I cannot find any record of 

 a Snow-Bunting in Dorset since 1846 (Mansel-Pleydell). 



M. William Portman. 



ROSE-COLOURED STARLING IN 



NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. 



A Rose-Coloured Starling (Pastor roseus) was shot near 



Thrapstone at the end of July, 1908, and is now in my 



possession. W. C. Cattell. 



