430 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



AVES. 



Distribution of the Corn-Bunting (Emberiza miliaria) in Wales. — 

 I quite agree with Mr. Swainson (ante, p. 350) that the distribution of 

 the Corn-Bunting in "Wales is very peculiar; but there are parts of 

 Wales where it can be identified at a greater distance than a mile and 

 a half from the sea. In Western Carnarvonshire I think I have seen 

 it nearly twice that distance from the coast, and probably localities for 

 it in Anglesea could be pointed out which are still more distant. — 

 0. V. Aplin. 



Shore-Lark near Heme Bay. — I have much pleasure in recording a 

 male Shore-Lark (Otocorys alpestris), which came into my possession 

 on Oct. 5th last, that being the very day on which it was shot at 

 Swailcliffe, half-way between Heme Bay and Whitstable, by Mr. K. M. 

 Presland, of 59, Harbour Street, Whitstable. According to the Bev. 

 F. 0. Morris, the occurrences of the Shore-Lark in this country are 

 but very few. "One (a male) was shot on the beach at Sherringham, 

 in Norfolk, in March, 1830 ; a second has been recorded by Thomas 

 Eyton, Esq., as having been killed in Lincolnshire ; and Mr. Yarrell 

 mentions two which were obtained on a down in Kent." — J. A. Clark 

 (57, Weston Park, Crouch End, N.). 



[This bird is not so uncommon of recent years. Cf. Howard 

 Saunders, ' Manual,' p. 359. — Ed.] 



A remarkable Cuckoo Clutch. — I have heard of and seen a good 

 many nests containing more than their usual complement of Cuckoo's 

 eggs, but it was not until June 24th of this year that I had the good 

 fortune to witness this in situ. The nest in which two eggs were 

 deposited was that of the Hedge-Accentor (Accentor modularis), was 

 placed in the top of a roundish bush of the wild rose, about three 

 feet high, and was situated in the corner of a field, a few yards only 

 from the hedge ; but the most remarkable thing about this nest was 

 that it contained five eggs of the foster-parent, making a total of seven 

 eggs in all. The eggs were all in the same advanced stage of incuba- 

 tion (which I proved on blowing), and were quite warm, the bird 

 having only just left the nest on my approach, which had become quite 

 flattened out on account of its unusual burden. I am quite certain that 

 the nest had not been tampered with, as I took particular notice of the 

 surroundings ; not a blade of grass or a twig of the bush had been in 

 any way disturbed. The Cuckoo's eggs were of two distinct types, 

 evidently the produce of two separate birds. One has the ground colour 

 white, with well-defined markings of pale brown ; the other is of a 



