i3 6 
NATURE NOTES 
The Alpine species is a nice bird, but is not so striking in appearance as our 
splendid Red-billed Chough. 
Captive specimens are not infrequently brought to this country. 
26, Cromwell Grove , Reginald Phillipps. 
London , IV. Hon. Sec. Avicultural Society. 
Dropt Eggs. — Will you kindly throw some light on the following: On 
the closely cut lawn in front of my house, the haunt of many blackbirds, thrushes 
and starlings, &c., &c. , we have during the last few days found eight or nine 
starling’s eggs quite fresh and uninjured. Is there anything in this cold season 
which causes them to lay on the ground ? I have lived here eighteen years and 
never saw the like. 
May 9. Zeno. 
Unusual Nesting Places. — The following instances of unusual nesting 
places have just come under my notice. On the 29th ult. my brother noticed in 
the top of an ash tree a nest which appeared to him likely to be a crow’s. When 
he had climbed the tree he found instead that the nest contained two young owls. 
The nest was open : which species of owl would this be likely to be ? 
On the same day he discovered in the hollowed arm of an old oak, and about 
ten feet from the ground, a wild duck’s nest full of eggs. This was situated about 
four hundred yards from any water. It would be interesting to know how in cases 
of this sort the young birds reach the ground ; for it is not to be supposed that 
they remain in those cramped quarters until they are large enough to use their 
wings. 
Loyaton Hall, Newport, S. A. II. Burne. 
Salop, May 7. 
Pike and Geese. — On Sunday, the loth of this month, I was sitting on 
the bank of the lower of the Penn Ponds, Richmond Park, watching the few birds 
which were there. Amongst others, there was a little flock of Canadian geese. 
They were very lazy, and some half-dozen of them w'ere practically asleep in the 
middle of the pond. Suddenly a great splashing and cackling attracted my 
attention. One of the birds seemed as if he were attacking another one, but to 
my astonishment the next instant a pike, I should say of some ten pounds in 
weight, jumped out of the water in their midst. He seemed to have bitten in the 
leg the one that had attracted my notice, as the bird at once made for the nearest 
island, his neck outstretched and trumpeting in the most alarming way. Can any 
of your readers relate a similar experience? 
May, 1903. A. S. Godfree. 
Rare Plants. — I see that your correspondent, the Rev. J. E. Kelsall, 
mentions the mouse-tail ( Myosurus minimus ) and the American Claytonia as 
rarities near Lymington. It may be interesting to him and others to know that 
both of these have been observed this year for the first time at Oxshott, Surrey, 
by the members of the Epsom College Natural History Society. 
Wilson House, Epsom College, G. R. Ward. 
May 3, 1903. 
Smoke and Vegetation.— The effect on vegetation of the smoke of 
London and other great cities is but too painfully evident ; nevertheless our 
knowledge on the subject greatly lacks precision. It has occurred to me that the 
Selborne Society might inaugurate a very interesting and valuable research some- 
what on the following lines. The members of the Society (and all Field Clubs 
or like associations might be invited to help) should record the nearest points to 
London at w'hich certain common plants, known to be highly susceptible to smoke, 
now exist. These should be marked upon a map and each record dated. The 
survey should be completed within two or three years, and then repeated after the 
lapse of ten or twenty years. I should anticipate that the limiting ring round the 
city would not take the form of a circle, but rather of an ellipse, since the 
prevalent winds E.N.E. and W.S.W. draw the smoke further in the W.S. W. and 
E.N.E. directions respectively than into the other quadrants. I am disposed to 
