NOTES AND QUERIES. 387 



extended down the neck and was lost on the back, and the same 

 shade of brown formed V-shaped markings on the back ; this was 

 most marked nearest the tail, which was, however, pure white, show- 

 ing that it must have been an adult bird. The bill, I thought, was 

 lighter in colour than normal, but the eyes and feet were to all 

 appearances normal. On telling Campbell, he said it was one he had 

 painted to see whether both birds took part in incubation. I was 

 inclined to believe this, but the regular V markings and the non- 

 patchy look about the colour made it more like a variety than a 

 marked bird. I saw one of his marked birds the next day, and it was 

 quite easy to tell the difference between the two. I certainly think 

 that the bird was a distinct variety, as the painted birds soon lose 

 their colour, and they are irregularly marked." Atkinson and I 

 spent quite an hour watching the bird one day, both with field- 

 glasses and otherwise. It was, however, quite near enough for us to 

 examine all details without the glasses, so there was no possibility of 

 mistake. I may say here that I have not been observing birds for 

 nearly thirty years without being able to tell the difference between 

 a painted bird and one coloured by nature. The fact therefore 

 remains that the only four people who have seen the bird are per- 

 fectly certain that it was not a painted specimen, therefore other 

 surmises, to my mind, are of no value against this evidence. It 

 seems nowadays to be perfectly useless recording any occurrence rare 

 or differing from the normal unless one is prepared to exhibit the 

 specimen "in the flesh," and, although this course may be considered 

 correct by " scientific " naturalists, to me, as a "field " observer pure 

 and simple, it does not appeal. Otherwise it would have been an easy 

 matter to have secured the bird. — E. Foktune (5, Grosvenor Terrace, 

 East Parade, Harrogate). 



Former Occurrence of Black Grouse in Wyre Forest, Shropshire, 

 and Worcestershire. — In ' Berrow's Worcester Journal,' August 14th, 

 1817, appears an advertisement of property for sale, of which the 

 following is an extract : — " Upwards 1100 acres of land, Brand Wood, 

 Wimper Hill, Lower Longdon, Upper Longdon, Withy Bed, and 

 Great Chamberlaine. All in the parish of Stottesdon, generally 

 knoY/n as Vallet Woods, Bewdley Eorest. Abounding with Grouse 

 and Pheasants." From these particulars we can gather that Black 

 Grouse were at least fairly abundant in that particular part of Wyre 

 Eorest. When I first visited this district in 1888 I found Black 

 Game still here, but evidently in very reduced numbers to those of 

 former times. I should think their numbers would not have exceeded 



