MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 83 



all unfruitful, although she had paired several weeks before. On the other hand, we had, I 

 believe, two instances of a bird laying but one egg at a nesting. From this it would appear 

 that two is the usual number, and that it very seldom varies either way. This, however, does 

 not seem to be the case every wliere ; for I well remember going with my brother to buy some 

 young Pigeons of an old man who lived a little way off, and finding that the case with his 

 birds was very different. My brother, who went up to the Dove-cot for the young ones, 

 remarked to me, as we were returning home, that many of the nests he looked into contained 

 three eggs. Now it is worthy of remark that our Pigeon-house was a spacious garret^ and 

 his a mere Bove-cot nailed against the house side; and, while ours looked to the north-east, 

 his, if I remember rightly, faced the south-west; but whether either of these circumstances 

 had anything to do with the matter, or whether it was owing to some peculiarity in the food 

 of the birds, I am not able to say ; I can only vouch for the fact. — Henry Ferris, Kingsdown, 

 Bristol, December 27th., 1852. 



Curious capture of Partridges, (Perdix cinerea.) — At the last Newmarket Houghton meeting, 

 on Friday, the 29th. of October, and during the racing, a covey of seven Partridges flew across 

 the Heath to the poles near the betting-stand. When they found they could not alight in 

 consequence of the number of carriages and spectators, they continued their course, and alighted 

 within two hundred yards of the stand, and on the bare course. One of the birds, separating 

 from the rest, wheeled back over the heads of the mob, and by one of them was ultimately 

 caught. Encouraged by this strange capture, many ran to the spot where the remainder had 

 been marked, and after a series of running chases, the whole number were secured. Only 

 one bird attempted a flight, but, alarmed at its pursuers, it dropped after rising about two 

 yards, and in this manner the whole covey were secured. — JoH>f Williamson, Jun., Emmanuel 

 College, Cambridge, December 9th., 1852. 



The Snow Bunting, (Plectrophanes nivalis.) — I shot a bird this morning in Tottenham 

 marshes, that is seldom found so far south: it was the Snow Bunting, a male bird in its 

 winter plumage. Although I have never met with a specimen before, I knew it directly from 

 the illustration in "Morris's British Birds," which is most accurate. — S. H. Carter, Tottenham, 

 November 16th., 1852. 



The Mountain Finch at Looe. — We have been visited during the last week by great numbers 

 of Mountain Finches, {Fringilla montifringilla.) They are to be found daily in company with 

 Chaffinches, in the grounds attached to Polvellan, where there is a large number of beech 

 trees, and on the nuts of which I find them feeding. I have shot five, all of which turn out 

 to be males. Do the sexes separate during winter, as the F. ccelebsf I have resided in this 

 place upwards of twelve years, but have never observed a specimen during that time until 

 this week. I think I am safe in saying I have seen as many as a score together. — Stephen 

 Clogg, Looe, December 4th., 1852. 



The Mountain Finch, (Fringilla montifringilla.) — A fine male specimen of the Mountain 

 Finch was shot in a garden in Macduff, near Banff, on the 1st. of November, 1852, — W. 

 Macduff, Banff, November 23rd., 1852. 



Blue Tit, (Parus cisruleus.) — In reply to Mr. Mc'Intosh's inquiry at page 267, vol. ii., I 

 beg to state that I spoke to Mr. Calleuder's family concerning the statements made by the 

 newspapers about the Blue-caps breeding in the stone bottle. These statements they say are 

 quite correct. The birds have, with the one exception mentioned by Mr. Mc'Intosh, bred in 

 the bottle every year since 1799. There is a pair of Blue-caps which breed in Mr. Eobson's 

 ticket box, at the northern junction on the Clarence line of railway, near Stockton. They 

 had twelve young ones this last year. — W. Martin, Stockton-on-Tees, December 7th., 1852. 



Mr. Martin kindly sent us with the above an interesting account of the whole occurrence, 

 from the "Gateshead Observer," which we regret our space will not allow us to reprint. — 

 B. E. M. 



t Tlie Surf Scoter, (Oidemia perspicillata.) — Oliver Colt, Esq., of Kownhams, Hants., whilst 

 shooting on the Frith of Forth, had the good fortune to bag, with various other wild fowl, a 

 fine adult male specimen of the Surf Scoter, this last spring. It was shot in Musselburgh Bay. 

 (Illustrated London News.) — W, Martin, Stockton-on-Tees, December 7th., 1852, 



