340 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



of having been incubated, although one of the birds — presumably the 

 female — rose from the spot when approached. One of the eggs was 

 of a generally lighter colour, from the fact of the two shades of mark- 

 ings being very much paler than usual, as if the parent had lacked the 

 full amount of colouring pigment. Of course, I am not at all sure 

 that the two young birds and the eggs belonged to the same parents, 

 but I believe it is often observed that, like others of the Swallow kind, 

 this species, if undisturbed, will return more than once to the same 

 nesting-place, and, as the former hatching proved successful, a second 

 brood may have been anticipated from the same quarters ; and, on 

 the other hand, it may have been only a coincidence, in which two 

 pairs of birds chose the same site for their home ; but in either case 

 it seems to me somewhat strange that a bird should attempt to rear a 

 family so near to its departure to a warmer clime, where, if observa- 

 tion is correct, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, a forcible 

 proof that they love the land of their nativity, though they wander 

 far. Prom what I heard, the birds have been seen in some numbers 

 during the past season, and their "gurglings" were very frequent, 

 notwithstanding the chilly evenings. With regard to late broods of 

 migrating species, we know that the instinct of migration is so strong 

 in the House-Martin that a nest of late young is sometimes left to 

 starve, if, indeed, the supposition of neglect is correct. Is it not 

 possible in such a case that the parents themselves have succumbed 

 to starvation, or have been ruthlessly slain ? — G. B. Coebin (Ring- 

 wood, Hants). 



A Variety of the Gannet (Sula bassana). — Upon a recent visit to 

 the Bass Rock, I saw a very interesting and handsome variety of the 

 Gannet. The whole of the head and neck was of a rich dark buff 

 colour, the back thickly mottled with large crescent-shaped markings 

 of the same rich colour, and the wings were mottled with spots, 

 though not so large or so dark as those on the back. The primaries, 

 feet, legs, beak, and eyes were of normal colour. The bird was 

 mature, and had mated with one of the normal colour, and both were 

 mounting guard over their solitary young one. I obtained several 

 photographs of the bird. Out of the many thousands of birds 

 frequenting the Rock, this was the only one I saw which departed 

 in any way from the normal. — R. Fortune (5, Grosvenor Terrace, 

 East Parade, Harrogate). 



Early Building of Herons. — In some seasons Herons begin build- 

 ing very early. In 1896 they began building in a small wood at Moy 

 View, Co. Sligo, on January 15th, several pairs were hatching on 



