Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 677 
the Sudan. I had always regarded it merely as the winter 
condition of the white-ruffed type of Euff, rather than as 
an albinisnij which latter would, I imagine, be more 
■uncommon. I venture to send the Editors a skin of one 
of these white-necked Ruft's, in case it may interest them 
to examine such a specimen. 
Yours &c., 
Houxty, Wark-on-Tyne, Nortliiimberland. Abel ChaPMAN. 
26th August, 1902. 
Sirs, — Towards the end of March, while spending a few 
days in Essex, I was particularly struck by the unusual 
number of Robins, every hundred yards or so of ground 
being tenanted by a separate pair. The weather being bright 
and genial, the males were everywhere conspicuous, and in 
full song. The females, as is usuabat that season, were much 
more shy and retiring in their habits, but their presence 
might always be detected in the thick covert and hedge- 
bottoms by the plaintive, long-drawn 'note, half whistle, 
half squeak, which they constantly uttered so long as one 
remained in the proximity oi their nesting-site. A beautiful 
male, in full song, was perched on one of the thick clumps 
of hawthorn, briar, and bramble, which formed an interrupted 
hedge along the sides of a deep ditch. ^ iThe nature of the 
ground and the gaps in the hedge afforded excellent oppor- 
tunities for a close approach, and, while I watched him at a 
distance of a few yards, the female Robin flew up from the 
dense undergrowth, and, perching near her mate, com- 
menced coquetting. The male ceased singing, and, leaving 
his perch, settled on a branch close to the female. Raising 
his tail over his back, after the manner of a Wren, he 
commenced setting and putting himself into attitudes before 
her. As he became more excited he gradually raised his 
body to its full height in a perfectly erect position, with 
his bill pointing straight into the air and his tail raised to 
an extraordinary extent. Then, with throat puffed out, he 
uttered a continuous gurgling twitter, swaying his body 
meanwhile from side to side. The female appeared to be 
much pleased with the performance of her mate, and half 
