to his edition of White's 'Selborne' (London, 1836, pp. 280, 281, note). It may be here transcribed:—"The changes of appearance which the Common Squirrel undergoes have not been noticed in any work that I have met with. They shed their covering twice in the year, and in summer the ornamental ear-tufts are entirely wanting; the whole fur also is then much coarser, more shiny, and redder; and it is a curious fact that those young ones born in early spring are first clad in the winter livery (which, I believe, they do not the first summer exchange), while the second litters, which are produced about midsummer, are decked in the summer coat, and have no ear-pencils." On comparison it will at once be remarked that some of the conclusions arrived at by Mr. Thomas are not quite so novel as their accomplished author at the time supposed. It would be of interest to have further light cast upon the "curious fad" with which Blyth concludes his note, and it is to be hoped some reader will be able to do this.—W. Ruskin-Butterfield (St. Leonards).
AVES.
Honey Buzzard in Suffolk.—A remarkably fine specimen of the Honey Buzzard, Pernis apivorus, was shot in Bull's Cross Wood, on the Edwardstone Hall Estate, about four and a half miles south-east of Lavenham, in Suffolk, on or about July 1st, by a gamekeeper, who mistook it, in thick covert, for a Wood Pigeon. It is in perfect adult plumage, having the lower parts almost entirely white, and has been preserved by Mr. Travis, taxidermist, Bury St. Edmunds, in whose shop Mr. J.H. Gurney and I had the pleasure of examining it shortly after it was mounted.—E.A. Butler (Brettenham Park, Ipswich).
Golden Eagle in Ross-shire.—A fine specimen of the Golden Eagle, two years old, and measuring 36 in. in length, and over 7 ft. in expanse of wings, and weighing 11 lb., was caught a few days ago in Ross-shire, and has been sent to me to be preserved.—John Morley (King Street, Scarborough).
Nesting of the Great Northern and Black-throated Divers in Shetland.—The August number of 'The Zoologist' contains two very important statements by Mr. Bernard A.E. Buttress. The first occurs in his "List of Birds observed in Shetland, May and June, 1897" (p. 362), and is in these words: "Colymbus glacialis. One pair near Clonstel. Eggs found." As the Great Northern Diver has not, up to the present time, been satisfactorily proved to breed in any part of the British Islands (although strongly suspected of doing so), I hope Mr. Buttress will not withhold further particulars of this interesting and important occurrence. The second statement (p. 364) is to the effect that eggs of the Black-throated Diver have been taken several times in Shetland by a resident, and that an undoubted
