816 BRITISH BIRDS. 



GADWALL IN SURREY. 



On August 14th, 1910, and again on the 28th, I noticed four 

 Gadwall {Anas strepera) amongst a large flock of ]\Iallard 

 frequenting a pond in the neighbourhood of Lingficld. The 

 two species, although consorting with one another when on 

 the water, usually kept strictly apart whilst circling rajDidly 

 overhead, the actions of the Gadwall on the wing very closely 

 resembhng those of the Mallard. 



Although hable to be overlooked, unless seen in flight, 

 when the white wing-spot is a prominent feature, the Gadwall 

 is certainly a very infrequent visitor to Surrey at the present 

 day. HowAED Bentham. 



RED-CRESTED POCHARDS IN SUSSEX. 



TowAEDS the end of January, 1911, a flock of Red-crested 

 Pochards {Netta rufina), consisting of fourteen or sixteen 

 birds, settled on the Marsh near Boreham Bridge, Sussex. 

 A duck and drake were shot on Januarj^ 17th, and another 

 drake on February 5th. As far as I know at present these 

 are the only three that have been shot, and they ^\•ere preserved 

 by Mr. Bristow, who kindly gave me an opportunity of seeing 

 them. H. W. Ford-Lindsay. 



THREE EGGS IN A WOOD-PIGEON'S NEST. 



At Brighton, Sussex, on May 13th, 1909, I flushed a Wood- 

 Pigeon {Columba palumbus) off a nest containing three eggs 

 shghtly incubated. C W. Colthrup. 



[Records of three and four eggs in the nests of Wood-Pigeons 

 were given on p. 155 of this volume. — Eds.] 



STOCK-DOVE CHASING A JACKDAW. 



On April 21st, 1904, when visiting some rocks in which both 

 Stock-Doves (C. ceiias) and Jackdaws (C. monedula) breed, I 

 was witness of rather an unusual incident. 



One of the Stock-Doves was seen to chase a Jackdaw for 

 some distance ; another Jackdaw joined the birds, and subse- 

 quently several more. A Jackdaw struck the Stock-Dove, 

 knocking a number of feathers out of it ; the latter bird then 

 flew off. Whether the Jackdaw Avhich Avas pursued had 

 made an attempt upon the Stock-Dove's eggs, I am unable to 

 ssi-y, but it seems probable that the Stock-Dove acted in this 

 unusual manner in defence of its nest. 



A somewhat similar case of a Wood-Pigeon swooping at a 

 Peregrine is recorded by Mr. G. F. Mathew in the Zoologist 

 for 1876. Eric B. Dunlop. 



