VOL. vn.] NOTES. 117 



was successfully brought off, for on June 7th the two old 

 birds were in the bushes near the nesting -tree unaccompanied 

 by any young. I did not see them again near the tree, but 

 on July 17th I saw a pair of Willow-Tits with two or three 

 young birds, feeding in the alders and reeds in another part 

 of the wood. These may or may not have been the same 

 birds. A pair of Marsh-Tits nested in the same wood this 

 spring. Messrs. A. W. Boyd, T. Hadfield, and C. Oldham, 

 also saw the Willow-Tits. T. A. Cowaed. 



ALPINE RING-OUZEL IN SUSSEX. 



On March 29th, 1913, a female Ring-Ouzel was shot at 

 Warren Farm near Brighton, Sussex, and was sent to me 

 as a light-coloured specimen. As I have the male Alpine 

 Ring-Ouzel, killed on May 23rd, 1911, in my collection, I 

 recognized this bird as a female Alpine Ring-Ouzel (Turdus 

 torquatus alpestris). Mr. H. F. Witherby has kindly examined 

 it, and confirms my identification. J. B. Nichols. 



EASTERN DESERT- WHEATEAR IN KENT. 



On May 21st, 1913, a fine male specimen of the Desert- 

 Wheatear was obtained at Scotney, in Kent. It was shown 

 to me in the flesh on May 22nd. This is the first record for 

 the county, although there have been five previous records 

 for the British Isles — ^three in Scotland, and two in England. 



H. W. Ford-Lindsay. 



[By the kindness of Mr. J. B. Nichols, in whose possession 

 it is, I have examined this specimen carefully in company 

 with Dr. E. Hartert, and find it to be an example of the 

 Eastern Desert- Wheatear {(Enanthe deserti alhifrons). Only 

 one identified specimen of this form of the Desert- Wheatear 

 has previously been recorded for the British Isles. — ^H.F.W.] 



FOOD OF A YOUNG CUCKOO. 



On skinning a young Cuckoo {Cuculus c. canorus) recently, 

 which had left the nest, I was greatly suprised to find the 

 stomach full of grains and husks of wheat, some small 

 round seeds like dock, and one small land-snail ; but the 

 wheat constituted by far the greater proportion. The 

 Cuckoo was being followed by a Willow- Wren, and it is 

 possible that this was the foster-parent ; but it must be 

 remembered that it has been recorded that Cuckoos are 

 sometimes fed by birds other than their real foster-parents. 



R. B. Lodge. 



