8914 The Zoologist— March, 1874. 



specimens are seen is because the great majority wliich visit our coasts are 

 young birds of the year in their plain brownish gray dress. — J. Gatcomhe. 



Dartford Warbler in Suffolk. — Mr. G. T. Rope, in the last number of the 

 ' Zoologist' (S. S. 3865), in announcing that an example of the above species 

 had been picked up dead at Leiston, asks if this is not a new locality for it, 

 as Yarrell makes no mention of its occurrence in Suffolk. I am aware of 

 but one other Suffolk specimen, which was shot by my late friend Mr. 

 Thomas Dix, on Nacton Heath, near Ipswich, and is still preserved in bis 

 collection, with others from the South of England. — Henry Stevenson; 

 Noncich, Fehnianj 17, 1874. 



On the Occurrence of Embcriza nivalis in full Summer Plumage. — I have 

 long been under the impression that the snow bunting breeds in some of the 

 more unfrequented northern parts of the United Kingdom, and I trust that 

 by next autumn I shall be enabled to thoroughly establish that fact. I have 

 met with Emberiza nivalis early in September in Suffolk and Norfolk, and 

 on more than one occasion have observed it in Galloway, in the south-west 

 of Scotland, during July and August. In Oi'kney I have seen it in pairs at 

 the beginning of August ; and from what I have been enabled to learn from 

 the country people there is no doubt but that it breeds in those islands, 

 though I have as yet been unsuccessful in procuring the nest or eggs. 

 I have seen evidently quite young birds about the 2nd of August near 

 Stromness, and undoubtedly bred in Orkney. What I wish to record, 

 however, is the occurrence, early iu July of 1872, of a specimen of 

 Emberiza nivalis in full breeding plumage at Eastbourne, in Sussex. I only 

 knew of this last week, and I believe it to have been unrecorded in any 

 Natural-History periodical. I believe it was shot upon the 2ud of July, but 

 my informant, on whose word I place perfect reliance, is not certain of the 

 exact date. It was shot upon the sea-beach opposite the Cavendish Hotel, 

 and taken by the person who killed it to Bates, the taxidermist, of East- 

 bourne, who sold the skin to a gentleman living in Huntingdon, but whose 

 name he could not remember. It is rather late iu the day to record the 

 occurrence of a bird of 1872 ; but this fact tends to assist my belief that 

 this species does occur iu the British Islands in summer more often than is 

 generally believed to be the case, and ere long I think it will be proved that 

 it breeds with us. — Alexander W. M. Clark-Kenned ij ; Guards' Club, S.IF., 

 January 15, 1874.. 



Buff Variety of the Uouse Sparrow. — A curious variety of the house 

 sparrow was shot in Cambridgeshire last week, and is now in my possession. 

 Its colour is a uniform light buff; the back and wings dark buff, with light 

 brown edgings to the flight feathers. — Walter T. Oyilvy ; British Museum, 

 February 16, 1874. 



Siskins breeding in Ireland. — I am unable to find recorded any actual 

 instance of the siskin breeding iu Ireland. Thompson, indeed, in his 



