May 14—1 am always grateful for the fact that so many friends of both sexes take the trouble to tell me about the birds they e seen: is way I believe that everything whi is brought to my matico at some time or another: the only trouble is that people often see things which do not my powers of credulity have t elastic. For example, a charming lady me the other day, "You know what a Blue Jay ly don't you?" so, knowing that what she meant was an Azure-winged Magpie, I "yes." "Well" she said, "I saw a pure white one today with a black cap." Now. I cannot go round this town calling pretty ladies liars, but I can think a lot: the extent of anyone's credulity comparative ith sting circumstances: mer comes home and Nazi leader has just landed in our ud later proves it to be true—I say that must be prepared to believe anything: if somebody had come to me a week ago and said "We've got Abcu H our coal-cellar," I would have called him a liar, but if he Said that to me today I would merely take another sip of beer and s: -Where d d him?" So when this lady said to me that she had seen a pure white Azure-wing 1 merely said, "Oh," (once more)—and burbled something about w specimens, such as a white Blackbird, arising from a case of albinism. But this morning, as I walked my early rounds, the graceful long, white body of a Paradise Flycatcher (in the white phase) came gliding through the trees: the "black cap" described by the lady was obviously the deep bronze helmet worn by these beautiful birds: the bird she had seen, being some! over three years of age, had ent the "white phase"—dropping his deep red trimmings and adopting the pure white plumage of dignified old age. Lady! You a liar; what you saw was an Ince's Flycaicher—nót at all unlike a white (Note: I am prepared ring that
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