Notes from an 
Old Diary. 
THE BIRD WORLD. 
( 90 ) 
markings, but I am still giving it my 
closest study. 
This is not the only instance I have 
noticed in wild birds’ eggs. I have 
often thought that possibly—but, of 
course, cannot prove it—that such an 
egg would turn out an Albino. The 
young I was not able to see, * as the nest - 
got destroyed. Two years ago .1 found 
in my garden a Hedge Sparrow’s nest with 
four eggs. One of these was most pecu¬ 
liar. This egg had spots on it. I saw 
the young raised,. and feeding in my 
garden, one turned out to be a cinna¬ 
mon—quite a rara avis, this bird. I 
pointed it out to several friends, who 
tried to catch it for me. Now did that 
peculiarly-marked egg bring forth that 
cinnamon Hedge Sparrow ? I must say 
that I could not solve the question. I 
do sometimes think it might be so. 
Whence Come the Albino’s ? 
Are these Albino’s produced from 
natural-coloured eggs? If not, it is still 
a problem to be solved respecting the 
natural markings on the various eggs. 
Inbreeding may be the cause, which I 
do think is more than possible in 
these unusual markings and unnatural 
eggs. I am sorry that I have not as yet 
been able to solve the question to my 
satisfaction, and I am quite afraid that 
I shall not be able now, as my health 
will not allow me; but I still should 
like some naturalist to take this up and 
settle the question. 
Canaries’ eggs vary very much in 
marking, but does a heavy marked egg. 
produce a heavy marked bird, or a 
slightly marked egg a clear or ticked 
bird? Several times have I marked 
eggs to test this problem, but cannot as- 
yet speak positively. This article is- 
only- dealing with wild birds. The 
Canaries I will leave for the present.. 
Scarcity of Albino's. 
In this district (Ramsey) I have 
neither noticed nor heard of any good 
specimens of the Albino. The cinna¬ 
mon Hedge Sparrow I saw myself, and 
can vouch for it. I have heard this year 
of a black-and-white Blackbird. These 
are the only two instances which I have 
heard of in over 20 years. There may 
have been more; if so I did not hear of 
them. But I daresay I should have 
done,, or my friend, who is a naturalist, 
would have had some knowledge of 
them, for every one takes rarities to him, 
and I then see them. This friend had 
this year a collection of 20 little Owls 
at one time, and it was he who identified 
them, and has done all he could since 
he found them out to preserve them. 
Many a boy he has bought them from, 
giving a few pence for them, and then 
liberating them. It is only this year, 
that they have been identified for cer¬ 
tain, thanks to recent works published 
(To be continued .) 
