224 



NOTES on LINCOLNSHIRE BIRDS. 



Variety of Coal Tit at Gainsborough.— In the June 1901 number of 

 * The Naturalist,' p. 191, I recorded two specimens of this bird (Panes 

 hritannicus) and alluded to another in the museum at the Rev. W. Earle's 

 School at Bilton Grange. The two birds returned to the ' bones ' this year 

 on the nth January and are still here. One of them on careful inspection 

 is not so distinctly marked as the other, the grey patch at the back of its 

 head, though abnormal in shape, being - more like that usually seen on an 

 ordinary Coal Tit. Last summer I had another opportunity of seeing the 

 Bilton specimen, and I find it is not so like the birds here as I supposed. 

 It is, I think, a Coal Tit with a siig'ht variation in the shape of the patch. 

 A good ornithologist, who was lately staying- with me, says he never saw 

 any iike these two Tits before, but thinks from their small size and uniform 

 dark colour that they resemble the Marsh Tit (Panis palustris) more than 

 the Coal Tit. If so, the difficulty of identification becomes greater (a cross 

 between the two is, I suppose, quite inadmissible). Another winter I should 

 be very glad if any skilled ornithologist would pay me a visit by arrange- 

 ment and report on the birds. — F. M. Burton, Highfield, Gainsborough, 

 14th April 1902. 



Ruff and Reeves, and late Fieldfares, at Lea, near Gainsborough. 



— While walking - in Lea Marshes, on the afternoon of Thursday, 24th April, 

 I observed three birds which I have very little reason to doubt were a Ruff 

 and two Reeves (Pavoncella pagnax L.), standing in the middle of a grass 

 field, at some distance from me. One, probably the male bird, was con- 

 siderably larg-er than a Redshank ; the other two, which I took to be 

 females, were about the same size, or a very little larg-er, than that bird. 

 The apparent male, observed through my field-glasses, had a black head 

 and chest, with a curious square look about the former before the eyes, just 

 about the base of the beak ; the back was dark reddish-brown ; the sides 

 grayer, and the belly white, or at anyrate lightish. The two smaller birds 

 were much grayer, also dark about the head, with lighter backs and whitish 

 bellies. They would not allow me to get any nearer, and flew away w r hen 

 I approached, but still remained in company and pitched in the Great 

 Marsh, two or three fields away, where I afterwards fancied I saw them 

 through the glasses, dancing and jumping upon the ground. Of this last 

 circumstance, however, I cannot be certain. 



In flight the larger size of the one bird was very apparent. The wings 

 were carried much like those of a Redshank, and showed a good deal 

 of white, as a Redshank's wings do, but it was not nearly so bright a white, 

 and the whole plumage was conspicuously darker than that of a Redshank. 



I mentioned the circumstance of my having seen such birds to Mr. 

 Burton, of Highfield, Gainsborough, who passed on my note to Mr. Caton 

 Haigh. I felt a certain amount of doubt as to the correctness of my theory 

 owing to the apparent absence of any ruff or collar from the neck of the 

 male bird. Mr. Caton Haigh's reply, however, served to dissipate my last 

 hesitation, and determined me in my resolution to send a record of such 

 interest to ' The Naturalist.' He wrote : ' I think Miss Anderson is un- 

 doubtedly right in her surmise as to the identity of the birds seen by her. 

 The male bird had probably not completed his ruff at the time.' He added : 

 ' Mr. Peacock informs me that they still attempt to breed on Scotter 

 Common.' 



I may add that on Tuesday, 29th April, I ag-ain walked down into the 

 Marshes with Mr. Burton, but did not again see our visitants, a fact which 

 seems to be still further in favour of the correctness of my theory. On the 

 way back to the house on this latter occasion we noticed a party of eight 

 Fieldfares. This is the latest date on which I have recorded the appearance 

 of these birds, with the exception of a note which I have recording their 

 stay so late as the 2nd May 1899. — Margaret L. Anderson, Lea Hall, 

 Gainsborough, 5th May 1902. 



Naturalist, 



