NOTES—ORIGINAL AND SELECTED.
97
[Mr. Dent secured another specimen, a fine one, which he
has kindly presented to the Museum, and it has been set up by
Mr. Sherrin. Mr. Dent's observations tend to show that the
Serotine is not so rare in our county as had hitherto been
supposed. The previous records are very few; see Essex
Naturalist, vol. xiv., p. 272 ; Proc. E.F.C, vol. iv., p. iv., and
Laver's Mammals, etc., of Essex.— Ed.]
BIRDS.
Occurrence of the Fieldfare in August.—On August
14th last Mr. E. Offin handed to me an example of the Fieldfare
(Turdus pilaris) which his brother shot the previous morning
(13th) in his garden at Hockley, Essex. After taking its
measurements and weight, I at once skinned it. It was a large
male in partial moult, with an expanse of 171/2 inches, length 10 3/4
inches, wings 6 inches, and weight 31/2 ounces. Its gizzard
contained the skins of six gooseberries and remains of the skins of
others, together with the pips and pulp. I found no insect
remains or any other substance in it. The only tawny colouring
on the undersurface is a pectoral band, the throat and foreneck
being milky-white.—F. W. Frohawk, in "British Birds,"
September, 1907.
White-fronted Geese at Manningtree, Essex.—I had
yesterday (March 12th, 1907) the opportunity of examining two
White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) shot here out of a flock of
nine on March 11th. They agreed with the description given
in Dresser's Alpherahy, etc., with the exception that one, an old
bird, judging by the black bars on its breast, had the beak pale
pink a shell pink in colour, with white nail. The bill is short—
1.66in.—conical in shape looked at from above.
Total length of bird : 28 ins.
Wing length : l61/2ins.
Weight : 4lbs. 33/4ozs.
The wings closed extend some two inches beyond the tail.
The date is, I think, rather a late one, and perhaps worth
recording.—Walter B. Nichols, M.B.O.U., Stour Lodge,
Bradfield, Manningtree.
The Food of Birds.—In the Journal of the Board of Agriculture
for October, 1907, there is an interesting article on the above
subject by Cecil H. Hooper, who states that
" The following observations, which are based on some seventy replies from