90 BRITISH BIRDS. 



which was buff^ and forming a conspicuous dark mark on 

 the upper part of the breast, the underparts buff with a 

 pinkish tinge, the wings and tail the same as in the adults 

 but slightly browner, the legs pinkish brown, beak brown. 



A few days before they were able to fly, the young, 

 when approached, would scramble out of the nest, and, 

 running off, would hide among the long grass. 



The old birds were very tame, and ran about close by 

 over the weeds on the surface of the river, which is at this 

 part covered with a thick mat of ranunculus. Their call 

 note is rather louder and sharper than that of the Yellow 

 Wagtail, and is more often repeated. When the young 

 were in the nest the old birds took them large insects and 

 caterpillars about every three or four minutes. 



G. Dent. 



[Mr. Dent is to be congratulated not only on his powers 

 of discrimination but upon the very thorough way in 

 which he has carried out his observations. The details he 

 gives are so full and accurate that his record of the 

 breeding of the Blue-headed Wagtail in Wiltshire can be, 

 in our opinion, unreservedly accepted. During the last 

 few years it has become known that this bird is a regular 

 spring visitor to the south-eastern corner of England, and 

 that a few pairs remain to breed. We hope shortly to 

 publish an article on the "Yellow Wagtails and their 

 position in the British Avifauna," by Dr. N. F. Ticehurst, 

 and our readers will then be in j)ossession of full details 

 of recent discoveries concerning these interesting birds. 

 —Eds.] 



CANADIAN CRANE IN IRELAND. 



In the " Irish Naturalist " for July, 1907 (p. 209), Mr. 

 A. R. Nichols records that a specimen of the Canadian 

 Crane {Grus canadensis) was shot on September 14th, 1905, 

 near the sea-shore at Galley Head, near Clonakiltv, Co. 

 Cork. The taxidermists who moimted the bird said that 

 it was in a "very spent condition." It showed no signs of 

 having been kept in confinement, and Mr. Nichols claims 

 for it that it was a genuine wild bird. 



This view I cannot endorse. The probabilities are much 

 greater in favour of its being an escape from captivity 

 than a wanderer from America. 



The bird ranges across North America, from Alaska to 



