NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 
243 
others came and picked up crumbs which we scattered at our feet at teatime, and 
very soon I induced him to take crumbs from my hand, and at last from my lips. 
In a few days he would fly down from the trees directly I arrived at the spot, and 
expect to be fed always from my mouth, and in time got so brave that he would 
do so with several other persons close by, if they kept quiet. He had no red in 
his breast when he first began to come, but in a short time the colour began to 
show, and sometimes he would sing a few clear notes, and then the sweet “ whis- 
pered ” song, which I am inclined to think only young robins sing. 
I was grieved when in about a month from the time he had begun his visits, 
he ceased to care for crumbs, for he began to enjoy large earthworms, which, 
I suppose, satisfied his hungry young appetite better, but he still hopped about 
and looked at me, and one day came and sat on a twig, when I was alone, close 
to me, and sang in a low, confidential tone, as if explaining himself. He had 
not ceased coming to be fed for a week before another, also without any colour 
in his breast, and which he had driven away one day, came and behaved in exactly 
the same friendly way, grew a beautiful red breast — which the young people attri- 
buted to the cake he had eaten ! — and then departed exactly as the others had 
done, to my great disappointment. 
North Moreton, Wallingford. M. S. Y. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Miss B. — Yes, it is the grey phalarope. 
E. V. T. — We can hardly undertake to enter upon so extensive a subject. 
B. C. A. —Consult a bird-fancier. 
J. L. B. — (i) Yes. (2) Rabenhorst gives these measurements: — Diam. 
trich. — -fsT' — 0,00025—0,0003"; cellul. perdur. — tI 7”' = — 
0,0005", '^^g. ad N" — 0,0010". 
C. G. — Trichocolea tomentella. 
H. H. S. — I. We cannot advise ; choose one in which you feel special 
interest, and we will then recommend books, &c. (2) Yes. (3) Subscriptions 
begin with the New Year ; send 2s. 6d. to publishers. 
D. E. M. — Read our first Rule, below. 
The Editor has once more to claim the indulgence of numerous contributors 
whose communications are unavoidably held over, although four extra pages of 
matter are given in the present issue. The constant succession of interesting 
papers is extremely gratifying, but at the same time very embarrassing. It would 
be easy to fill a magazine twice the size, but at present there seems no possibility 
of increasing our number of pages. We must, therefore, beg our many friends 
to be patient. Mr. Carruthers’s article on “The Vitality of Seeds” will appear 
in our January number. 
We must request those who favour us with their communications to observe 
the following rules. We cannot undertake to notice the contributions of any who 
fail to comply with them. 
I. All communications for Nature Notes to be authenticated with name 
and address, not necessarily for publication. 
2. The return of an unaccepted contribution can only be guaranteed when it is 
accompanied by a stamped and addressed envelope. 
3. All communications for any number must be in the Editor’s hands by the 
15th of the preceding month. 
4. Communications for Nature Notes should be addressed to the Editor, 
James Britten, F.L.S., 18, West Square, London, S.E., as should specimens 
for naming, books for review, &c. 
5. Letters connected with the Selborne Society, as well as all enquiries as 
to the supply of Nature Notes, and subscriptions, should be addressed to the 
Secretary of the Selborne Society, A. J. Western, Esq. , 20, Hanover Square, W. 
6. The Editor is not responsible for the contents of the last page of each 
number: communications respecting this page must be addressed to Mr. Western, 
as above. 
