NOtES ANl) QUERIES. 4&7 



three-parts grown, which had died after having been kept in a cage for 

 some weeks, and its eyes were of the pale, semi-transparent pink such as 

 I had previously observed in other specimens. Its legs and claws were 

 almost white, its beak of a pale lemon-yellow, and the circle round the eyes 

 a much deeper colour. On dissection this proved to be a male. Of other 

 albino birds, I may mention Robin, Starling, and Sand Martin, all of which 

 had pink eyes ; but there is one peculiarity about such specimens as have 

 come under my observation, viz. that they were for the most part immature ; 

 this, however, is not to be wondered at, for a white individual is sure to be 

 singled out and sought after before its dusky relatives. I have from time 

 to time seen many pied, and otherwise abnormally coloured, specimens of 

 various species of birds ; but in no case have I observed the pink eyes, unless 

 the plumage was wholly white. — G. B. Coebin (Ringwood, Hants). 



American Red-breasted Snipe in Argyleshire.— On the 2nd Sept. 

 last I shot a North American Red-breasted Snipe, Meter or hamphus griseus, 

 near Crinan, Argyleshire. The bird was sent to Edinburgh to be identified, 

 as I could not be sure from illustrations what it was. If you could find 

 room for this notice, it might be of interest to your readers. — G. H. Malcolm 

 (1, Albert Road, Clifton, Bristol). 



Blue Eggs of the Nightingale.— On May 22nd, after half an hour's 

 careful stalking and searching, I was fortunate enough to find in a wood near 

 Willesborough, about a mile and a half from Ashford, a Nightingale's nest 

 containing five eggs, which were of a beautiful greenish blue, the same 

 colour as those of the Whinchat, and minutely spotted and speckled in a 

 zone at the larger end, in the same manner as those of the bird just named. 

 On the 29th my brother discovered a second clutch of four eggs of the same 

 bird, within thirty feet of the first nest, the eggs being of the same colour 

 and marking. I find that Mr. Miller Christy mentions this variety in his 

 • Birdsnesting and Birdskinning,' but I believe they are anything but 

 common, for although I have found numbers of Nightingale's eggs, this is 

 the first instance in which I have obtained the blue variety.— Pekcy F. 

 Bunyard (3, Wellington Road, Ashford, Kent). 



Wilson's Petrel in Co. Down.— On Oct. 3rd, Mr. Sheals, of Corpora- 

 tion Street, Belfast, sent for me to see a bird he had just received from 

 Mr. A. F. Charley, of Seymour Hill, Dunmurry, Co. Antrim. I recog- 

 nised it as Wilson's Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus), the first Irish specimen I 

 then knew of. I wrote to Mr. Charley for particulars, and quote from his 

 reply : — " The Petrel was found in an oat-stubble field belonging to Seymour 

 Hill Farm. The field is situated in the Co. Down, about a quarter of a 

 mile from the canal at Mossvale. The bird was found by one of our farm 

 hands called John Dunnoody, who had gone to catch a horse, and the bird 

 was then brought to me. It was alive at the time, but seemed weak and 



