22 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
Yarrell, who has given an extract from the very next page of this volume 
of the ‘Gleanings,’ should have omitted to notice this particular passage. 
Since writing this note I have received a confirmatory account from Mr. 
John Tyacke, of Constantine, Cornwall, who writes, ‘‘ For the last two years 
I have noticed what I never saw before, i. e., that the Rooks pitch in great 
numbers on the oak trees, and feed on the acorns, and I have been informed 
by a friend that they do the same on the Ilex.” With regard to walnuts, I 
may add that in Sussex we have two walnut trees close to the house, and in 
the autumn, before the pods get too hard, the Rooks come early in the 
morning and steal quantities of them.—J. E. Harrine. 
Tue Hawrincn (Coccothraustes vulgaris) 1x Scortanp.—I wish to 
correct as soon as possible a somewhat grave error made by me in the last 
part (10) of the revised edition of Yarrell’s ‘ British Birds,’ and in so doing 
I have to thank a correspondent, before unknown to me, who has been kind 
enough to call my attention thereto. In the account of the distribution of 
the Hawfinch in Scotland (op. cit. vol. ii., p. 102, line 4) after the words, 
“ according to Mr. Gray,” the sentence should run “ from Dumfreisshire to 
East Lothian, and thence to Perthshire,” &c., and the foot-note at-the 
bottom should be omitted. I shall endeavour to issue, with the next part 
of the work, a leaf that can be substituted for that which at present con- 
tains the mis-statements I desire now to rectify—ALFrep Nrwron 
(Magdalene College, Cambridge, December 2, 1876). 
On THE OccurRENcE At Matra or tHE Snow Bunrine (Pleetro- 
phanes nivalis)—In what I said (Yarrell, Brit. Birds, Ed. 4, ii., p. 8) as to 
the supposed appearance of the Snow Bunting at Malta in 1840, I am 
still, I believe, so far correct; but Captain Feilden has kindly pointed out 
to me that I overlooked an undoubted instance of the occurrence of this 
species in that island recorded (‘ Ibis,’ 1870, p. 490) by Mr. C. A. Wright, 
who shot a male bird there November 13th, 1869.—In. 
VARIETIES OF STARLING AND Brackpirp.—In ‘The Zoologist’ for 
October (2nd ser. 5120) a white Starling is recorded, and this is followed 
by an editorial note to the effect that this species ‘‘ appears to be more 
subject to albinism than most birds.” I have known three or four such 
examples to have been obtained in this part of Hampshire during my orni- 
thological experience, although I have never had the good fortune to meet 
with one myself. I recollect a few seasons ago seeing a case of stuffed 
Starlings in the possession of the late Mr. J. T. Turner; it contained four 
birds, one white, one pied, one black, and one of the normal type, and, if I 
remember correctly, all were killed in different parts of the New Forest. 
In 1874 I saw a peculiarly marked specimen which had been killed near 
here. Its head and neck were of an uniform pale yellowish gray, whilst 
the rest of the body was of the usual colour and markings, except the legs, 
which were much lighter. I do not know if this specimen was preserved, 
