OBSERVED IN HERTFORDSHIRE IN 1904. 
229 
swarming bees, in the hollow trunk of a cherry-tree: how far 
the story was mythical I will not venture to say.” 
It is an ornithological puzzle, too, in another way. There are 
only two redstarts known in central and western Europe—the 
redstart and this black redstart. Being so nearly related, we 
should naturally expect their haunts, their habits, and their re¬ 
spective ranges to correspond. Yet the one, the ordinary redstart, 
is one of our best known and commonest summer visitors, coming 
here to breed in fairly large numbers (I may say in passing that 
during the summer of 1903 I found two nests within 100 yards of 
the entrance gates to Cassiobury Park, one of them being within 
ten yards of the footpath), and disappearing entirely in September; 
while the other, the black redstart, is only known as an autumn 
and winter straggler, and has never been known to breed in 
England. Yet in other countries in the summer-time it will 
breed in some climates that are warmer, as also in others that 
are cooler than our own. 
I have said that this bird has only been once previously recorded 
for Hertfordshire. This was in March, 1893, when a specimen 
was seen by Mr. S. Yerey at Heronsgate, near Bickmansworth. 
Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa belgica). —A. specimen of this bird 
was obtained at Tring in 1886. This is the only previous record in 
our ‘ Transactions ’ of this bird having been seen in Hertfordshire. 
The Hon. Walter Bothschild, M.P., informs me that two birds of 
this species were seen at the Wilstone Beservoir on 15th September, 
1904, and that one of these was taken. 
This is another bird belonging to the great Plover and Sandpiper 
family (Charadriidse), which now only passes through the British 
Isles in spring and autumn when on its way to its summer and 
winter haunts respectively. Formerly, however, it nested in our 
eastern counties, especially in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Cambridge¬ 
shire, and Norfolk, eggs being taken in the last-named county 
until the year 1847. It is by no means numerous at either time of 
passage. It nests sparingly in Scandinavia and Bussia, up to 
lat. 64° or 65°, plentifully in Poland, and in suitable localities in 
North Germany, Denmark, Holland, and Belgium. On migration 
it visits the Canary Islands and Madeira, and its winter quarters 
extend from the basin of the Mediterranean to as far south as 
Abyssinia. 
Before passing to my general notes, I should like to refer to an 
interesting point noticed by several of my correspondents. This 
refers to the increase of albinism among birds during recent years, 
and especially during last year. Thus Mr. G. E. Bullen, Curator 
of the County Museum at St. Albans, reports :— 
“ Variety colouration appears greatly on the increase. Beports 
of albino varieties of finches, etc., having been noticed frequently, 
are to hand from many parts of the county. The Hertfordshire 
Museum has recently acquired a pale variety of chaffinch, shot last 
year, and other specimens, viz., pale variety yellow bunting and 
partial albino varieties of common sparrow and hedge-sparrow, 
