r 7 2 



Grosbeak. The same demeanour and deportment as the two 

 preceding species ; handsome but not so brilliant as melanocc- 

 fihala. My birds, one male and two females, are all abnormal in 

 plumage, having their wings and tails much pied with white. 

 They have finished the moult, but with this species there is but 

 little difference between the winter and summer plumage. 



Description : Adult male. Upper surface olive-yellow, 

 streaked with black on the mantle and upper back ; lower back 

 and rump yellow, washed with pale chestnut ; lesser wing-coverts 

 olive-yellow ; median and greater coverts and secondaries dark 

 brown, broadly margined with pale brown, median coverts edged 

 with white ; bastard wing, primary coverts and primaries dark 

 brown, narrowly margined with pale-brown ; upper tail coverts 

 dark brown, washed with yellow; tail feathers dark brown, edged 

 with lighter brown on both webs, white along margin of outer 

 feathers, these latter having pale brown centres ; top of head 

 golden-orange ; lores, eye region, ear-coverts and foreneck ruddy- 

 chestnut ; sides of neck pale yellowish-chestnut ; remainder of 

 under surface yellow, washed with chestnut on the vent ; beak 

 bluish-grey, tip of upper mandible dusky ; legs and feet brownish 

 flesh-colour. Total length 6J- inches, tail 2-J. 



Adult female : Very dissimilar to the male; general body 

 colouring olive-brown, lightly washed with ashy on the upper 

 surface and yellow on the lower surface. Total length 6f inches, 

 tail 2\. [To be continued J. 



Crestefc HHicKs.* 



By \V, E. TksCHEMakkr, B.A. 



These are either the scattered survivors of an old breed or else a 

 "sport," occasionally bred from the ordinary domestic duck. I raised the 

 question a good man}' years since in The Field, on which occasion Mr. 

 W. B. Tegetmeier expressed the latter opinion. 



Nevertheless there is evidence to support the former theory in the 

 fact that these ducks are now only found in some parts of Ireland and 

 Wales, in the Isle of Man and in Anglesea, whereas I have it on the 

 authority of several old fanciers that they were once commonly seen in the 

 Midlands and South of England. Further, I believe I am right in saying 

 that the "sport" (if it is a "sport") never occurs in the pure Aylesbury, 

 Runner and Rouen breeds. 



