Ii8 
NATURE NOTES 
aViout four yards from the car-way leading thereto, an old tin vessel, i8 inches by 
inches, with one end open, lay on its side in the grass. In this vessel a pair of 
robins built their nest, and though the roadway is much frequented, they 
successfully reared a brood of two. 
The site chosen by the other pair was still more singular. This was at the top 
of the reredos of St. Joseph’s altar in one of the chapels — in a small cavity 
between the reredos and the wall. This chapel is used as an oratory by the 
students of St. Joseph’s division, numbering about 200, who visit it almost 
every hour in the day, and two masses are celebrated at the altar in question 
every day in the week. I think it showed very great trustfulness on the part 
of the robins to set about making a nest in such a place and under such conditions. 
But they not only made the nest, but brought out three young ones and took 
them away, full-fledged, on one of the last days of April. 
St. Patrick's College, Mayjiooth, May 6, 1899. J. G. 
A Humane Drake. — Yesterday one of our little chicks fell into the ducks’ 
tub of water, before my little girl who was standing near could reach it. The drake 
rushed to the rescue, seized the little thing by its wing and flung it safe and sound 
to land. I must also record the strange conduct of a sparrow. A friend of mine 
saw three or four starlings’ eggs on her lawn. On going later to remove them 
she saw a sparrow busy eating the contents, having neatly pecked off the end of 
the shell. 
The Firs, Northwood, May 9. C. Schultz. 
Albinism in Birds. — I have collected some cases of partial or total 
albinism in birds which seem to show that this abnormality is quite common 
in this part of the country. These are (i) blackbird, nearly all white, seen to 
enter fir wood near Wythenshawe Hall, Cheshire, in 1898 ; (2) blackbird 
with white collar right round neck, about a mile from the place where the 
other was seen, also in 1898 ; (3) blackbird with white upper tail-coverts, seen by 
myself in Baguley, Cheshire, in April of this year ; (4) white sparrow, flying 
repeatedly with flock of normal birds, at Baguley Hall ; (5) a few years ago a 
white swallow was seen all one .summer in a field about a mile from here. 
Sale, Manchester. Graham Renshaw. 
Albinism in the House-sparrow. — I was recently shown a white house- 
sparrow by some friends. The bird frequents their garden and is soinetiines 
accompanied by a pied relative. The one I saw appeared, from the view I had of 
it, to be entirely white, except at the tips of the wings and tail, which were of the 
ordinary colour. It has been seen in the same spot for several seasons, and is on 
amicable terms with the other members of the same species. Is albinism common 
in the house-sparrow? 
Sydenham, May 15, 1899. W. F. Gardener. 
Pied Rooks. — In reference to the frequency with which pied rooks occur, I 
have not in my experience found them to be rare birds. I saw one only a few 
months ago in a field at Stretford, in Lancashire, and also another at I’lumbley, 
Cheshire, on April 4, 1896. A third specimen, the wings of which I have in my 
possession, had some of the primary quills and upper wing-coverts partly while 
and others wholly so, thus agreeing with the distribution of white feathers in the 
rook seen by your correspondent “ H.” 
Sale Bridge House, Sale, Manchester. Graham Renshaw. 
Dropped Starlings’ Eggs. — Can any reader explain why a certain 
number of starlings’ eggs are always to be found on the ground during the 
nesting season ? For manyjyears I have always picked up one or two either 
whole or broken, and yesterday found one t|uite sound in the middle of a freshly- 
mown lawn, and about ten yards from a nesting-box in a beech tree, now occupied 
by a couple of starlings. 
May 3, 1897. W. 
Tits versus Nuthatches. — Ten days ago I inspected a number of boxes 
placed in trees by a friend for birds to nest in. Every box save one was occupied — 
