132 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



specimens at the South Kensington Museum. It turns out to be, as I had 

 suspected, that of the Great Grey Seal. Mr. Lydekker writes : — " The 

 specimen you have sent is Halichcerus gryphus, and agrees exactly with one 

 of our examples." Mr. P. M. C. Kermode, of Ramsey, informs me that it 

 has not been hitherto recorded for the Isle of Man. — Lionel E. Adams 

 (68, Wolverhampton Road, Stafford). 



RODENTIA. 



Albino Squirrel in Wiltshire. — On Nov. 28th I happened to enter the 

 shop of a north-country taxidermist to enquire whether he had had anything 

 interesting in lately, when he produced the most beautiful Squirrel (Sciurus 

 vulgaris) I have ever seen. It was pure white, without a dark hair any- 

 where, very long ear-tufts, and pink eyes. I should have very much liked 

 to have secured it, but he told me that the owuer would not part with it ; 

 and, on enquiring for data, all I could obtain was that it had been shot in 

 Wiltshire, and the reason he gave for not telling me more, was that it had 

 been shot by a keeper without his master's knowledge, and the man was 

 afraid of getting into trouble. — Oxley Grabham (Heworth, York). 



AVES. 



Winter Occurrence of Wheatear. — Having had occasion to visit the 

 Nover's Hill Fever Hospital for the last four Wednesdays, beginning from 

 the 1st of February, I have at each visit had the pleasure of observing a 

 Wheatear (Saxicola cenanthe) haunting the newly laid-out grounds of that 

 institution. I should imagine it to be a hen bird, as the mantle is still of 

 a very sombre hue. On each occasion its movements have been such as 

 denote complete satisfaction with its surroundings, and a very high distaste 

 for man's proximity. The first time I saw it I made enquiries among the 

 men at work on the grounds as to whether they had noticed the bird at all, 

 but with no result. One man was interested, however, and, on being shown 

 the bird alluded to, expressed his opinion that it was what he called " a 

 Redsturt."— David T. Price (2, Upper Byron Place, Clifton, Bristol). 



Early Appearance of Chiffchaffin Warwickshire and late Stay of 

 Whitethroat. — The district around the great city of Birmingham is not one 

 which the average ornithologist would look to for unusual migratory move- 

 ments on the part of birds, but when the fullness of time arrives, I shall, I 

 think, have a tale to unfold which will surprise not a few. Two instances it 

 may be of interest to the readers of ' The Zoologist ' to relate now. The season 

 of 1897 was marked in this district for the early disappearance of summer 

 migrants, and long after the last straggler had left I was astonished, during 

 one of my long rambles on the 14th November, to meet with a solitary 



