The Zoologist— May, 1867. 737 



Slonecliat, dc.—A white stonechat, but with black quills and tail- 

 feathers, was shot near Newport during the month of October ; also a 

 white robin : the latter is wholly of a dull white, and is evidently a 

 bird of the season. I have also lately seen another pied blackbird, 

 which is perhaps more subject to these variations of plumage than any 

 other species. In a former note on a pied blackbird I expressed my 

 belief that the white would gradually disappear, and subsequent 

 observation verified my conjecture, confirming that of Buffon, too, 

 with regard to white swallows; but I observe that a writer in the 

 ' Zoologist' (S. S. 454) holds a contrary opinion, saying that " white 

 feathers caused by disease will assume the true colours, but natural 

 white feathers never change." Again, " real albinos invariably remain 

 while." If so, they must be barren, or albino and pied individuals 

 would be more numerous. Disease or wound may possibly turn black 

 feathers white, as they cause the hair of animals to turn gray, but the 

 plumage of the pied birds that have come under my observation could 

 not have been thus transformed, as I have found it regularly and 

 evenly marked ; for instance, that of this stonechat is entirely white, 

 with the exception of the quills and tail-feathers, which are black. 

 The pied blackbird's wings were both similarly marked, and the tail- 

 feathers equally spotted or barred. If albinos — the swallow, for 

 instance — permanently retain the white colour, is it not strange that a 

 close observer of the swallow tribe should never have seen but one 

 white swallow in thirty years ? As a rule, we shall I believe find that 

 Nature resumes her course or sway ; were it not so we should be 

 meeting with monstrosities at every turn. 



Redwing. — First seen on the 14th. On the 20th a very large flock 

 was observed flying over the Downs in a north-westerly direction ; 

 they passed overhead, almost within gun-shot. A constant chatter- 

 ing or call-note was heard as they performed their aerial evolutions, 

 at one time flying in open order, at another with closed ranks, and 

 occasionally in divisions. When first seen they must have been some 

 six or seven hundred feet above the level of the sea, but on reaching 

 the Downs they suddenly dropped, as if about to alight. 



Wafer Rail. — Having heard, early in the month, that a reeve had 

 been killed by a cat on the cliffs, two miles from here, I walked over to 

 see the bird, which proved to be a handsome male water rail, a rare 

 species in the Undercliff. 



Hoopoe. — A handsome bird of this species was killed at Blackgang, 

 near Niton, early in October. 



SECOND SEBIES — VOL. II. 2 E 



