348 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. vi. 



is a broad green stripe in the Teal, but perhaps this ferrugin- 

 ous spot should have been more towards the throat. The 

 spotting of the breast is distinctive of the Teal, though a 

 Mallard x Wigeon hybrid in Mr. Rothschild's collection 

 at Tring has a few spots on the upper-breast. The " lower " 

 (i.e. greater) wing-coverts, he says, are streaked with rust- 

 colour and if he means the tips of the feathers this is also 

 distinctive of the Teal. 



Yarrell's Bimaculated Duck was thus a hybrid between 

 Mallard and Teal, while Pennant's specimen was probably 

 the same hybrid though possibly a Mallard x Wigeon. 



H. F. WlJHERBV. 



GREAT MORTALITY AMONG SHAGS IN ORKNEY. 



It may be of interest to state that during the past winter 

 there has been a great mortality among the Shags (Phala- 

 crocorax g. graculus) in Orkney, owing to starvation, due to 

 the stormy Aveather having driven the shoals of fish away 

 from the coast-line into deep Avater ; but the recent mortality 

 is not as great as that of the winter of 1893-4, Avhen thousands 

 died of starvation. 



The birds in their stress for food lost all fear of man and 

 came to die in poultry- and cow-houses, even entering dwelling- 

 houses, and some old sheds situated near high-water mark 

 had their floors covered with dead and dying Shags. Rats 

 made short work of them, attacking many even before they 

 were dead. H. W. Robinsont. 



CREAM-COLOURED COURSERS IN KENT. 



On February 21st, 1913, a fine pair of Cream-coloured 

 Coursers [Cursorius gallicus) were obtained at Jury Gap. 

 I examined them in the flesh on February 22nd, and found 

 them in perfect condition, having the full spring-plumage. 

 Like many of the wanderers obtained on our shores, these 

 birds owe their fate to the fact that probably from an adverse 

 wind they have been driven out of their course and arrive 

 in a more or less exhausted condition, which accounts for the 

 so-called " tameness " which makes them an easy prey to 

 the collector. 



The protective colouring in this species is most marked, 

 the black effectively breaking up the outline of the general 

 colour, and when one sees the bird running on the sands, it 

 must indeed be a difficult task to keep it in view. 



H. W. Ford-Lindsay. 



