268 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. vii. 



WOOD-PIGEOX SWALLOWING POTATOES. 



The potatoes shown in the accom]Danying illustration were 

 found in the crop of a Wood-Pigeon {Columba p. palumhus) 

 shot at Crosby, near Liverpool. From the size of the 



^^ g^ 



POTATOES FROM CROP OF WOOD-PIGEOX (mi. size). 



potatoes it Avould seem almost impossible for a pigeon to 

 swallow them. I have shot a great number of these birds 

 and have never before found their crojDS to contain potatoes. 



A. W. Marriage. 



[Almost anything is credible of a bird which can hold 

 1,020 grains of corn in its crop or 144 field-peas and 7 

 large beans (c/. Yarrell, 4tli ed., Vol. III., p. 4). CoUinge 

 {Food of Birds, p. 67) quotes potatoes as liaving occurred on 

 27 occasions, 94 specimens liaving been identified. — Eds.] 



BAER'S POCHARD IN NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. 



About the middle of April, 1911, a man saw three ducks 

 on the Trent, and killed them all with one shot. He took 

 them to Rose, taxidermist of Nottingham, mIio gave him 

 sixpence eacli for them. Taking one to be a variety of the 

 Tufted Duck he preserved it for me, and ate the others, 

 which were Tufted Ducks. When I saw this bird I said it 

 was not a Tufted Duck but a Ferruginous Pochard. It 

 was cased and placed in my collection, AAhere many saw 

 it, but it was not until one day in July. 1913, that the 

 Honourable Gerald Legge saw it and informed me that it 

 A\as a Baer's Pochard {Xyroca haeri), a very rare bird, only 

 one other liaving been killed in England, and that at Tring. 



J. Whitaker. 



[The fact that ducks of many kinds are nowadays con- 

 stantly put do^^■n on ornamental waters unpinioned. with 



