496 Mr. Fox on some rare English Bird<^» 



The Ruddy Goose (Lath.), or Kasarka Duck. 

 Anas rutila. (Pallas) Temm. 

 Greyheaded Duck. Brown 111. of Zool. pi. 41. and 4^, 



A specimen o^ this bird was found in the Allan museum, when 

 it came to Newcastle. After much conjecture respecting its 

 history and synonymy, the evidence of its capture in England 

 was satisfactorily established by the discovery of Mr. Allan's 

 MS. catalogue, where it is recorded as having been shot at Mr, 

 Portman's seat at Bryanston in Dorsetshire, in the severe frost of 

 1776. Two birds of this species had evidently been once in the 

 possession of Mr. Pennant, as Brown's figures were made from 

 them. I may however venture to say, that the specimen belong- 

 ing to the Newcastle Museum, and which has lately been exhi- 

 bited to the Linnean Society, is unique as a British killed one. 

 Mr. Bewick has engraved a figure of it in his new edition, under 

 the name of Ferruginous Duck, conceiving from its colour, that 

 it might be the bird described by Pennant under that name, but 

 ■which is now generally admitted to have been the Anas Nyroca 

 or Castaneous Duck of Montagu. 



Vulture. 



I have only seen the wood-cut made by Mr. Bewick, from 

 a drawing by Miss Trevelyan, of the bird which was killed at 

 Bridgewater, in 1826, out of two which were seen there. The pre- 

 served bird is stated to be in the possession of the Rev. J. Matthew, 

 jun. of Kelve. I take the present opportunity of mentioning this 

 uncommon occurrence of a Vulture being seen in this country,* to 

 excite the attention of some member of our Society to its inspection 

 and description. It is probably the Vultur fulvus of Temminck. 



• In a letter received from Mr. Selby I find that the Neophron percnopterus 

 has been shot in Somersetshire, and has been figured in a forthcoming number 

 of the " Illustrations of British Ornithology." I can not say whether this is 

 the bird alluded to in the text by Mr. Fox, or whether both species have been 

 found in Engtand. 



N. A. V. 



