Seligerki tristicha in England. — In the Aug. number of the Natundisty 

 under the heading Another Moss new to Yorkshire," it is said : " The 

 moss {S. tristich-a) is not only new to Yorkshire, but to England as well, 

 the only stations hitherto known for it being in the Blair Athole district 

 of the Scottish Highlands," (where it was found by Miss Mclnroy in 1860). 

 In Schimper's " Synopsis of European Mosses," however, under the 

 heading " New Stations for some of the rarer Mosses," there is given : 

 Seligeria tristicha, on limestone rocks near Castleton, in England. 

 (Whitehead)," Is this the Castleton near the Peak in Derbyshire? — 

 J. S. Wesley. [We should be glad if Mr. Whitehead would reply to 

 this. — Eds. Nat.] 



Stonechat, Yellow Hammer, and Pied Wagtail. — In answer 

 to Mr. Roberts' question {Naturalist Yol. 4, p. 23) as to whether 

 the yellow-hammer and pied wagtail are absent in winter in this 

 district, I may say in reference to my notes on the arrival of spring 

 migrants (vol. 4, p. 10), there is an error — Instead of yellow-hammer 

 which is said to have arrived on the 27th April, it ought to have been 

 yellow woodwren. The pied wagtail unquestionably leaves the neigh- 

 bourhood in winter, neither is this a matter of surprise when the 

 character of the locality is considered ; occasionally a few may stay in 

 exceptionally mild winters, although I have not been so fortunate as to 

 see any. I was surprised, however, to see one in the first or second week 

 in November, 1870, near the station yard, at Sedbergh ; this seemed even 

 a more unfavourable place, as a winter residence, than this locality. 

 Respecting the stonechat I quite reciprocate Mr. Roberts' remarks as to 

 the desirability of more light being thrown on this subject. I have 

 obtained what information I could respecting it, viz : — whether the 

 stonechat habitually breeds in this neighbourhood ; and have investigated 

 during the past season all the most likely places in this district for the 

 purpose of discovering it breeding, but failed to establish its claim. An 

 old naturalist, however, tells me he once found a nest near this village on 

 a heathy waste. My father, who knows the bird well, says he has never 

 met with it here, although he has found it not uncommon near Clapham. 

 My brother never found it during the years he was collecting in this part. 

 So it would appear that if it does breed at all it is a very rare visitor. 

 Tliis conclusion is not based on the phenomena of an exceptional season, 

 but from observations extending over a number of years. This local 

 distribution of the s-tonechat has often puzzled me, especially when taken 

 in. connection with its alleged wide geogTaphical range. It is certain that 

 the species in question is often confounded both with the whinchat and 

 the wlieatear, indeed stonechat is invariably applied as a local name to 

 the wheatear in this district, and also in other parts of England and 

 Scotland. May not this fact, to some extent, account for its being 



