NOTES AND QUERIES, 479 



Belon ; but his seventh figure does not represent the Bearded Tit, as Mr. 

 Ridsdale gives us to suppose. It represents one of two things — either his 

 Parus sylvaticus, which was possibly a Fire-crest (from his description of the 

 red colour of its crown, and its other tints), or else the bird with a black 

 head reported to him from France as the Mounier. Aldrovandus refers to 

 the Penduline Tit, if I understand him rightly ; but I cannot make out that 

 even Aldrovandus, with all his knowledge of European birds, had ever come 

 across the Bearded Tit. For my part, I see no reason to doubt the correct- 

 ness of Mr. Gurney's original statement ; nor will anyone, I believe, who 

 studies the text of Belon, Gesner, and Aldrovandus with sufficient care. — 

 H. A. Macpherson (The Rectory, Pitlochry, Perthshire). 



[Mr. Ridsdale's correction (?) was submitted to Mr. Gurney before publi- 

 cation for any comment he might care to make, but he naturally assumed 

 that his critic must be correct. — Ed.] 



Movements of Starlings. — As an appendix to my paper on this subject 

 (ante, p. 131), I should like to add that since writing it I have been told of 

 another " roost " at Petton Park, between Shrewsbury and Wem. The 

 roost consists of large clumps of laurels, rhododendrons, and other evergreen 

 shrubs. The gardener, Mr. Tatton, states that the Starlings resort there 

 in enormous numbers from December to March ! This is most interesting, 

 as at that period the other roosts in the county are nearly deserted. It 

 would appear that the Petton roost is the last resort of the Starlings, 

 because in these evergreens they find warmth and shelter when the trees in 

 the other roosts are bare. The roost described by Mr. Corbin (Zool. 1879, 

 p. 215) is of a similar character. He speaks of it as being still used at the 

 end of March. During the present season I have not found a single case 

 of the Starling rearing two broods. — H. E. Forrest (Shrewsbury). 



Some Notes on the Swift (Cypselus apus). — May 5th. First Swift 

 appeared. 6th. Four together on the wing this evening. 7th. The full 

 complement of our Swifts for this village seem to be already with us. I 

 believe there is generally little delay after the appearance of the first 

 arrivals before the complete number are with us. 15th. With the cold east 

 winds we had about this date Swifts seemed entirely absent upon the wing, 

 remaining in their nesting-holes and other accommodation, evidently pre- 

 ferring warmth with starvation to facing the uninviting elements. 3 1st. 

 Windy ; very few Swifts upon the wing. 7 p.m., a Swift in the previous 

 year's nesting-hole on the roof of my house. No eggs at present. 



June 8th. — Having been from home since previous note, I have been 

 unable to visit the nest before to-night at 9 p.m., when I found the Swift 

 sitting on three eggs,* little doubt the laying of one female, as I have never 



:|c The eggs are two in number, — Howard Saunders, • Manual of British 

 Birds,' 



