THE ZooLocist—OcToB_er, 1875. 4665 
pheenicoptera as a British visitant. Mr. Marsham was an acute and 
accurate observer of Nature, and the author of some interesting papers on 
trees in the ‘ Philosophical Transactions.—Thomas Bell; The Wakes, Sel- 
borne, Alton, Hants, September 24, 1875. 
Gigantic Puffballs pecked by Rooks,—I saw on the 22nd of August what 
“appeared to me such a yery unusually large growth of Fungi, that I am 
prompted to send you this note. In a hayfield bordering the Deue is a 
well-defined “ fairy-ring,” about twenty yards in diameter, and on this ring 
grew nineteen of the largest “ puffballs” I ever saw. By bringing home 
one of medium size I found the average size would be—circumference three 
feet two inches; height seven inches and a half; weight five pounds. 
I know nothing of their scientific name. They were snow-white; skin as 
smooth as polished marble; the colour of the interior being, next the skin, 
nearly white, gradually deepening into brimstone-yellow, towards the root. 
I found several of them were pierced, evidently by the rooks, which frequent 
the field; but they do not seem to eat them, for their mandibles appear to 
have been driven in apart, as if to bite, and straight withdrawn, leaving two 
-bayonet-shaped holes about an inch deep—John Sclater; Castle Eden, 
Durham, August 24, 1875. 
[I am only acquainted with one species of puffball so large as that 
mentioned by Mr. Sclater, and that has been found measuring forty-nine 
inches in circumference; the name is Lycoperdon giganteum. It is new to 
me that this species, like Agaricus orcades, should cause fairy-rings or be 
associated with fairy-rings ; and I also suppose it new that they should form 
any part of the rook’s very miscellaneous and diversified bill of fare.— 
Edward Newman.] 
Albino Swallow near Norwich.—On the 11th of September a pure white 
swallow, minus the head, was brought to me. The bird had lost its head 
in the following peculiar manner :—On the previous day a gentleman saw 
a hawk chasing a small bird, which it eventually captured; he succeeded 
in frightening the hawk, causing it to drop its prey, which was found to be 
still alive, whilst its head was, no doubt, undergoing the process of digestion. 
The swallow is a young bird, and of a pure white, with faint water-markings 
indicating the spots of its tail-feathers—T7. EL. Gunn. 
Malformation in the Head of a Chick.—A few weeks since I examined 
a rather remarkable chick, which had no upper mandible to its bill, but the 
lower one was quite perfect, and in the centre of the forehead there was 
a rather large single eye. In every other respect the little thing was just 
as it should be.—John Gatcombe ; 8, Lower Durnford Street, Stonehouse, 
Plymouth, September 6, 1875. 
Solitary Snipe in Norfolk.—On the 3rd of September a solitary snipe 
was killed at East Ruston, and on the 7th two other fine specimens, killed 
in the same locality, were sent to me for preservation; both these latter 
