NOTES AND QUERIES. ^^^9 



young in the nest at the end of this month (September), but I never heard 

 of Redpolls nesting after July. In Switzerland all birds breed late on the 

 high stations, but your date for the Linota is very remarkable." I may 

 add that I have seen Lesser Redpolls at Highgate every year throughout 

 the summer, and they probably breed here regularly. In 1884 a pair built 

 a nest among the upper twigs of an arbutus tree, from which I obtained 

 four eggs.— Joseph Vine (11, Chester Road, South Highgate). 



Late nesting of the Greenfinch.— On the 16th September I took a 

 nest of three young Greenfinches, apparently about five days old, out of 

 a plum tree in an orchard near Sittingbourne, Kent. One of the birds was 

 delicate, and died on the 29th ; the other two (a pair) are vigorous at the 

 present time (October 1 st). As the parents must have been in moult when 

 the nest was discovered, it is highly improbable that they would have 

 continued to feed the young until able to shift for themselves. — A. G. 

 Butler (Natural History Museum). 



Missel Thrush feeding on Pieris rapae.— While staying at Winder- 

 mere, during the first week in August, 1 was astonished to see a Missel 

 Thrush capture three specimens of Pieris rapa on the wing in succession 

 and devour them.— W. Haroourt Bath (Ladywood, Birmingham). 



Nidification of the Noddy and Sooty Terns in the West Indies.— 

 From a long letter lately received from a friend at Kingstown, Jamaica, 

 I gather the following facts, which I think may be of interest to ornitholo- 

 gists especially as so much doubt remains as to the number of eggs these 

 birds lay. The egg of the Noddy [Anous stoUdm) is more chalky than 

 that of the Sooty Tern {Sterna fuliginosa) and is also distinguished, after 

 boiling, by the peculiar consistency of the albuminous portion, which, 

 instead of turning white, has an opalescent appearance that my friend 

 "can only compare in colour to that of soapy water." The Noddy 

 rarely, if ever, nests on the sand, but heaps up a mass of sea-weed on 

 the low bushes or clumps of prickly-pear growing on the " Cays." On 

 the other hand, the Sooty Tern (more generally known in the West Indies 

 as the " Egg-bird") invariably nests on the ground on a few weeds only. 

 My correspondent's further notes I copy verbatim;-"! am not able to 

 state positively as vet whether the Noddy lays one or more eggs. [Auduban, 

 who visited a famous breeding-place of the Noddy on one of the Tortugas, 

 called Noddy Key, off the coast of Florida, states that this bird, like the 

 Sooty Tern, lays three eggs.— Ed.] The eggs are gathered by the crews 

 of two or three small schooners that leave here for the Cays in March or 

 April, timing their departure so as to arrive just as the birds begin to lay. 

 It often happens, however, that they find the birds in possession and sitting. 

 The only way therefore to ensure getting fresh eggs is to break all they 

 ■ can see or even reach. After this they are taken as soon as laid. The 



