TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
219 
top of a cabinet, full of valuable china. The pheasant walked backwards and 
forwards for ten minutes, so gently that nothing was broken, then it first nestled 
at my feet, then flew on a chair, then to the ledge of the open window. The 
height from the street seemed to alarm it, and it turned carefully round. It 
looked into the room, its body resting on the ledge outside the window ; my 
maid came in and put out her hand to take the pheasant when off it flew, after 
being in my sitting room exactly forty minutes. It must have come more than a 
mile from Ribbesford. B. 
A Book of Beasts (p. 187). — In the notice of the above book mention is 
made of some superstitious notions respecting the setting of poultry eggs, so it 
may interest your readers to know that like ideas prevail in some parts of Wales 
and in Hants at the present day. If you purchase a sitting of eggs, they always 
give you an odd number, or if you tell your man or woman servant who attends 
to the poultry you wish a “ broody hen ” put to set, they tell you, if the moon 
is on the wane, that the chicken or ducks, as the case may be, will be weakly. 
Helen Watney. 
TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
J. M. V. — Dr. R. B. Sharpe says it would be impossible to name the bird 
from the description given. 
S. S. — Too decomposed to identify. 
V. P. — (i) Mr. Kirby says : — “Such things have been recorded, but no ex- 
planation has been oflered, except that some error must have occurred. Possibly, 
however, a caterpillar, infested by a large parasite, might assume the pupa state, 
and the parasite might emerge from it and form a pupa likewise. Clusters of 
small pupse formed round dead caterpillars are not uncommon. The caterpillar is 
not likely to have been that of the Spurge Hawk moth, which is excessively rare 
in the British Islands.” (2) No, we cannot recommend them. (3) For books on 
Mosses, see Nature Notes, 1892, 207; 1893, 214. Mr. Jameson’s Illustrated 
Guide is out of print, but will, we believe, shortly be re-issued ; his Key to the 
Genera and Species may still be obtained from West, Newman & Co., 54 , Hatton 
Garden, E.C., price is. fid. 
M. C. H. — Dr. Sharpe says ; — “ White martins are not uncommon. As far 
as is known they remain albinos. They are not likely to resume full plumage, but 
sometimes young birds which are white gain ordinary plumage after the moult.” 
W. B. G. — The account is purely mythical, and, if we mistake not, was 
originally published as a burlesque of other marvellous records. 
E. H. — One of the many forms of Quercus Ilex : it is not uncommon. 
L. W. C. — The pamphlet you send was referred toon p. 55 ; we hope shortly 
to publish a longer notice. 
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