106 



of M. Temminck, entirely white, including the plumage, beiik, kgs, 

 and feet,) was discovered in June, 1832, near a farmhouse in the 

 occupation of Mr. Owkam at Bilsthorpe, Nottinghamshire. There 

 were two other young ones in the nest, the plumage of which, as 

 well as that of the parent birds, was of the ordinarj'- caste. The old 

 birds made a second nest in the following month, near to the first 

 one, in which four eggs were deposited ; one of these was entirely 

 different from the rest, resembling in colour the egg of the common 

 Duck ; this nest was unfortunately taken by some boys in the vil- 

 lage ; it is probable if this had not been the case, that there would 

 have been produced a second extraordinary freak of nature. 



" There is at the present time in the possession of the Rev. Joshua 

 GreviUe at Weston Pavell, near Northampton, a pyebaUed male bird 

 of this species, the white preponderating ; it is now six years old and 

 an excellent songster. It was originally black, and when about two 

 years old its plumage changed and became spotted black and white. 



" It is said that these birds have been occasionally found white on 

 the Alps and other high mountains, which alteration in colour is 

 ascribed to the continued cold in those places, an effect which it is 

 known is produced in the case of the Ptarmigan, he. Albin men- 

 tions having had a bird of tliis species " finely mottled," sent to him 

 by Sir Robert Abdy out of Essex. BufFon makes mention of a white 

 Nightingale, and in the Museum at Oxford, there is a Chaffinch com- 

 pletely white. Many other instances of white varieties are furnished 

 by authors and by collections. 



" The present is a male bird, but though he has the quickly re- 

 peated chirp and all the habits of his kind, nature, when she altered 

 her regular course and presented him with his snovs^y costume, seems 

 therefore to have denied to him the usual vocal powers of his tribe : 

 he is no warbler, but from his frequent fruitless attempts, it may be 

 inferred, that he feels the dear price at wliich he has been permitted 

 to wear his novel and attractive plumage." 



With reference to an observation in the preceding note, Mr. Yar- 

 rell remarked that no inference could safely be drawn from the co- 

 lour of the egg as to that of the bird to be produced from it : a de- 

 ficiency of the superadded colouring, reducing the egg to its ground 

 colour alone, being by no means an uncommon occurrence, and the 

 product in such cases not deviating from the usual appearance of 

 the race. 



Mr. Cox added that he had at present under his care a nest of 

 the domestic Sparrow, Passer domesiicus, Briss., all of which, with one 

 exception, exhibited the usual characters of their race : one, how- 

 ever, was entirely white. He stated his intention of presenting to 

 the Society this variety, as soon as the young bird was sufiiciently 

 reared. 



The following note by Sir Robert Heron, Bart., M.P., Vice-Pre- 

 sident, was read. 



