Ornithological Notes. 



393 



on dissection, some of the eggs were found considerably 

 enlarged. No male was seen in the neighbourhood. The 

 bird is an occasional straggler in Britain. Only a few 

 instances of its occurrence in Scotland have been recorded. 



This bird has the immature plumage of the young bird. 

 Upper parts light brown ; some of the feathers a little 

 darker in the centre ; wings and tail darker brown, feathers 

 all edged with grey or whitish, especially outer edges of 

 wing feathers ; eyelids whitish. Below, dirty white. Bill 

 rounded above ; upper mandible dark brown, lower mandible 

 lighter and yellow at base. Feet yellowish brown. Claws 

 brown. Wing — first primary very short and pointed ; second 

 primary longest in wing, and rest diminish gradually in 

 length. 



The following are the measurements of this young speci- 

 men, as compared with that of the adult female : — 



Young Bird. Adult Female. 



Length from point of bill to extremity of tail, 

 Length from tip to tip of extended wings, 



8H 



7f 





14f 



Length of wing from flexure, 



n 



4f 



Length of bill along upper mandible, 



7 

 8 



6 

 F 



Length of tarsus, ... 



1 8 



n 



Length of middle or third toe. 



x 8 



if 



Length of claw of third toe, . 



"5 

 1 6 



7 



8 



This young bird w r as carefully examined by Sir William 



Jardine, Bart., and he states, " It is a rose-coloured pastor ; 

 and I have one in nearly the same state, but with some 

 black feathers appearing." 



(3.) There was sent for exhibition an almost pure white 

 finch, a so-called Japanese sparrow, recently brought to this 

 country; — the bird closely resembled the well-known "Java 

 sparrow," of which, indeed, the specimen seemed merely to 

 be a white or perhaps albino variety. A nearly pure white 

 common sparrow — the primaries and tail feathers alone re- 

 taining the usual colour ; and a specimen of the male black- 

 bird, Turdus merula, the greater part of the head and throat 

 being pure white. Both these birds were recently shot in the 

 neighbourhood of Edinburgh. 



VOL. in. 



