NOTES AND QUERIES.
MAMMALIA.
Black Variety of Water-Vole.—On May 16th I saw in this neighbourhood a specimen of the black variety of the Water-Vole (Arvicola amphibius). It was swimming a short way off when I first saw it, and dived on catching sight of me. The water was clear, and I was able to follow its course until it came to the surface. After swimming a yard or two it dived again, and I saw it no more. I have seen the animal in Scotland, and do not think I could possibly have been mistaken in the identity.—T. Vaughan Roberts (Nutfield, Watford).
AVES.
Motacilla beema in Sussex.—In this Journal for 1901, p. 389, I recorded an instance of the breeding of the Blue-headed Wagtail near Winchelsea, in this county, and stated, on the authority of Mr. H.E. Dresser, that the birds came nearest to the form described by Sykes as Motacilla beema. Shortly afterwards Mr. Ernst Hartert informed me that there was a Wagtail in the Tring Museum which from the first he had assigned to Sykes's subspecies. I have had the privilege of examining this specimen (a male, shot near Rottingdean, April 20th, 1898), and after carefully comparing it with the original description, and with skins of allied forms, I fully agree with Mr. Hartert's identification.—W. Ruskin Butterfield (St. Leonards-on-Sea).
White Rook at Aberdeen.—A White Rook (Corvus frugilegus) was shot in the Whitehaugh Woods, Alford, Aberdeenshire, on May 21st. This occurred during a raid among the Rooks, which was made in order to keep them within what is believed to be suitable numbers for the district. It is reported that they were not so numerous as in former years, so that it may be assumed that the severe onslaughts which have been made upon them for the last few years have resulted in diminishing their number. It would be well that this were so, and that the annual raids upon them were curtailed, because when the latter were continued for some days and nights in continuation the Rooks took to the surrounding moors, and were eating the eggs of Grouse. Referring to the subject of White Crows, I once saw one which I imagine to have been a Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix), as it came from a plantation during a hunt, where in some years these
