3186 Tue ZooLocist—Aveust, 1872. 
entry that in August, 1865, I saw one at Mr. Bilson’s, also in the flesh, 
which was shot at Stowlangtoft, in this county.—J. G. Tuck; Tostock 
House, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. 
White’s Thrush.— Permit me to say a word or two as to your editorial 
remarks appended to my communication on White’s thrush (Zool. 8. 8. 
3148): they are pretty nearly what I expected, but the breeding habits 
were not (as you assume) lost sight of by cither Dr. Tristram or royself. 
When Dr. Tristram first told me, I replied that the skirmishers were no 
doubt all missel thrushes; but after he described to me that the crescentic 
markings were so plain and the bird also much larger, I could not make 
myself believe that a pair of missel thrushes had produced a bird much 
larger and so totally different to themselves, especially by the 10th of April, 
and (as far as I am aware) the adult plumage would be worn at that time 
by a bird hatched the year before. Will you, or any of your readers, 
enlighten me on this point? Some one may have kept them in confine- 
ment and witnessed the changes. Allow me also to inquire if ever an 
adult missel thrush has been obtained that much exceeded eleven inches in 
length, and to ask those who believe that our English White's thrush is the 
immature missel thrush, how it happens they are so rarely obtained, and if 
they know the young of any other species so totally to outstrip their parents 
in size and distinctive markings; and as I do not think they are likely to 
grow less when they put on the adult plumage, what becomes of these 
large birds ?—J. Sclater ; Castle Eden Castle, Juty 2, 1872. 
[I neither expected nor desired that my hasty note on Mr. Sclater’s 
interesting communication should escape challenge. It is most undesirable 
that it should do so: the question of the identity or otherwise of White's 
thrush and the missel thrush cannot be too carefully considered, and 
statements bearing thereon cannot be too rigidly examined. In Mr. 
Sclater’s record of Dr. Tristram’s observation, not a word is said about 
size: this element is invaluable in considering the original question, but is 
rather foreign to the subject when no comparison of size was instituted. 
I hope to hear more on this subject, and shall be obliged to any corre- 
spondent who can throw light on it—Hdward Newman.] 
Sky Larks breeding in an Aviary.—Mr. W. Boots, of Swan-street, Land- 
port, who has exhibited at the Portsmouth Ornithological Show a large cage 
containing about fifty specimens of birds, has now in the same cage a pair 
of common field sky larks, which have built a nest, laid four eggs, and been 
sitting close about ten days.—‘ Field,’ July 20, 1872. 
(I am desirous of collecting, for publication in the ‘ Zoologist," as many 
records as I can of birds successfully breeding in aviaries, and I shall be 
greatly obliged for any information on this subject, with liberty to utilize it. 
—Edward Newman.] 
Hawfinch eating the Kernels of Cherry-stones.— The hawfinches are 
