230 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



chesnuts. I am aware that Wild Ducks occasionally nest in trees; but 

 I do not recollect to have read of an instance where the nest chosen was in 

 the midst of a rookery, and I thought you would probably consider it of 

 sufficient interest to chronicle. Stanley mentions an instance of a Wild 

 Duck using a Rooks' nest, at Madeley, in Staffordshire, but does not 

 note the position of the nest. — John H. Willmore (^Queenwood College, 

 near Stockbridge, Hants). 



Wild Duck laying in Rook's Nest. — With reference to Mr. Willmore's 

 note, I have met with several instances in Lincolnshire of Wild Ducks 

 nesting at a considerable height above the ground. Once in an oak in a 

 plantation in the old nest of a Carrion Crow ; in ivy on a ruined wall ; and 

 on the top of a straw-sack. Once also on the roof of an old bean-stack in 

 the marshes. I have known a Wild Duck to nest on the ground amongst 

 brambles and rough grass in the centre of a plantation a mile or more from 

 pond or running stream. — John CoiiDiiAOX (Great Cotes, Ulceby). 



Variety of the Sky Lark. — My neighbour's keeper brought me a 

 variety of this bird in whicli the first seven flight-feathers on the right 

 wing and the coverts above them are pure white, and on the left there are 

 five white flight-feathers, with a few above them the same colour ; the rest 

 of the plumage normal. — J. Whitakeu (Rainworth Lodge, Mansfield). 



Abnormally coloured Sky Lark. — On the 31st March last, on visiting 

 the Valletta market, I noticed in one of the stalls, amongst a number of 

 Larks, one (Alauda arvcttsis) the under parts of which were a brilliant 

 yellow, with the usual markings. I made a skin of it. Twelve hours after 

 I had put it up as a skin, this yellow colour had faded very much, and when 

 I looked at it again, about a month after, it appeared quite gone, leaving 

 the usual yellowisli white coloration. I have noticed this plumage before. 

 The bird was a male. — E. F. Bechkr (Malta). 



The American Kestrel in Yorkshire. — In your last issue Mr. W. E. 

 Clarke, in his supplementary notes on the Yorkshire Fauna, says (p. 176), 

 that he cannot accept this bird as a member of the Yorkshire Fauna. In 

 justice therefore to myself and to those who have so kindly aided me in 

 investigating the matter, I must state that I have gained additional strong 

 evidence in its favour, which is wholly disinterested and independent of 

 either the person by whom the bird was skinned or the stuffer who 

 eventually sold it to me. — J. Backhousk, jun. 



Early nesting of the Goldcrest. — On the 22nd March last we found 

 a ntst of the Goldcrest near Oxford. It was just finished, and I think 

 would have had eggs in two days time. The nest was only four feet nine 

 inches from the ground, while I have found tliein at an elevation of twenty- 

 five feet. — J. R. Eakll (^15, Norliam Road, Oxford). 



