April, 1905.' 



KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



87 



which they contain, and collections brought therefrom hav 

 for many years enriched museums all over the world; Con- 

 sidering the barrenness of our own country as regards this 

 formation, it is interesting to note that the Maryland Miocene 

 shows a greater diversity of species than does the Eocene. The 

 former are known as the Chesapeake group, from the superb 

 sections seen on the shores of Chesapeake Bay. The group 

 is divided into three well-defined formations, called Calvert, 

 Choptank, and St. Mary's. They lie uncomfortably upon the 

 Eocene, overlapping them along their western border. Beds 

 of nearly pure diatomaceous earth, of between 30 and 40 feet 

 thick, are met with in the lower portions of the Calvert forma- 

 tion ; whilst the Chesapeake group, as a whole, is characterised 

 by the great masses of molluscan shells which it contains, these 

 forming sometimes so large a proportion as to produce nearly 

 pure calcareous strata. The State Geologist (Mr. William 

 Bullock Clark) and his assistants are to be congratulated upon 

 the thoroughness and excellence of their work. 



ORNITHOLOGICAL. 



By W. P. PvcRAi-T, A.L.S., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U., &c. 

 Ivory Gull in Fife. 



An Ivory Gull {Pdi;opliila ebnrnca) is reported, by the 

 " Annals of Scottish Natural History," to have been seen in 

 Largo Bay on Sept. 15. It Hew past the observers so closely 

 that '-an excellent view of the pure white plumage, black eye, 

 and yellow bill " was obtained. 



* * * 



Pied Flycatcher in Fife. 



Two examples of this rare visitor to Scotland are reported in 

 the "Annals of Scottish Natural History," as having been 

 seen in Fife during May, 1904 — one at Gilston on the Sth 

 and one at Largo on the 12th. Both left on the 14th of this 

 month. 



* ■» * 



Nutcracker in Kent. 



At the meeting of the British Ornithologists' Ckib held on 

 January 18, Dr. N. F.Ticehurst exhibited a nutcracker (Niicifraga 

 caryocatactcs), which had been killed on the 14th of that 

 month by a gamekeeper at Benenden, in Kent. It proved, 

 on dissection to be a male. This makes the fourth occur- 

 rence of this bird in Kent. 



* * » 



Sa-bine's Snipe in Anglesey. 



A melanistic variety of the common snipe, known generally 

 as " Sabine's snipe," was killed in a turnip-field in Anglesey 

 on January 21. 



* * * 



A White Water Rail. 



Mr. R. Patterson, in the Irish yattintlist for February, 

 records the fact that a pure white water rail has just been shot 

 at Seaforde, Co. Down. While the beak retained its normal 

 colour, the legs and feet were of a pale pink orange. The bird 

 was in splendid condition, and weighed 55 02s. 



* * ♦ 



Little Auk at PortmoLrnock. 



Mr. J. Turubull, in the Irisli A'(7<»r((/;i/ for February, reports 

 the fact that a little auk (Mcrgiilus allc) was picked up in an 

 exhausted condition in a lield at Portmarnock on November 27. 

 This makes the sixth occurrence of this bird in Co. Dublin. 



Th3 Pacific Eider. 



In our notice in February of the occurrence of the Pacific 

 Eider (Somatcria V-nigra), we inadvertently described it as 

 having been shot at Scarborough. We learned, too late, that as 

 a matter of fact it was killed at Graemsay, Orkney, in the 

 early morning of December 14, by a wildfowler named George 

 Sutherland, and was sent, with some common eiders, to a 

 dealer at Scarborough. 



The Migration of Birds. 



We are glad to say that the British Ornithologists' Club has 

 just appointed a Committee to inquire into the " migration of 

 birds within these islands." The need for such an in(iuiry is 

 now most necessary since this work has been relinquished by 

 the British Association. 



For the present observations are to be confined to the 

 " arrival in England and dispersal through England and Wales 

 of the thirty or so strictly migratory species which winter 

 abroad and nest fairly commonly in England and Wales." 

 Later, it is proposed to considerably extend the range of these 

 observations. 



Thus it is suggested that the services of lighthouse keepers 

 should be enlisted, subject to the permission of the Master and 

 Elder Brethren of the Trinity House. The keepers in ques- 

 tion are to be asked to fill up schedules containing informa- 

 tion as to the birds observed or captured at the lighthouses, 

 and to forward the wings and feet of birds killed at the lamps. 

 In short, they are to continue the work which has been so 

 successfully carried on during the last few years by the Com- 

 mittee of the British Association. 



Besides these helpers, other observers from a large 

 number of centres in England and Wales are to be asked to 

 co-operate, and to fill up similar schedules. 



The fact that Mr. Eagle Clarke has promised to give his 

 advice and help should go far to ensure success for this most 

 valuable work. 



* * * 



The Study of Hybrids. 



Hitherto the value of hybrid birds, from a scientific point of 

 view, has been open to question, inasmuch as the parentage 

 of the particular hybrids can never be positively demonstrated. 

 Even when this parentage is known no great value can be 

 attached to the fact. This is by no means the case, however, 

 with the experiments now being carried out by Mr. J. L. Bon- 

 hote in his aviaries at Ditton Hall, Cambridge. 



As a basis of operations he selected the Mallard, Pintail. 

 Spotted-bill (anas pa-cilorliyiicha) and New Zealand Duck (anas 

 suiurciliosus). The most interesting of the results so far 

 obtained are those of the hybrids Mallard x Spotbill x 

 Pintail. The offspring of this complex mixture of blood were 

 divisible into two races — a light and a dark race. Of these 

 the drakes in full plumage favoured the Mallard and Pintail 

 about equally, whereas in eclipse plumage they resembled the 

 Spotbill. The dark females have so far proved infertile, but 

 this is not the case with the dark drakes when mated with 

 pure bred birds of either species. 



Though neither the Spotbill nor New Zealand Ducks have 

 an eclipse plumage, when crossed with other species this 

 peculiar phase is always assumed. Another interesting point 

 which Mr. Bonhote's experiments have brought out is the fact 

 that while some of these hybrids resemble the parent forms, 

 others assume characters belonging to species which have 

 had no part in their ancestry ; or they develop features 

 entirely new, that is to say, which can be referred to no 

 known wild species. 



The ofl'spring of the light forms prove either as hght as, or 

 lighter than, their parents. As these experiments are still in 

 progress it is probable that very substantial additions to our 

 knowledge of hybridization will result. 

 » * * 



A Neu' British Bird. 



At the meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club held on 

 March 15 an adult male of the Snowfinch (Moittifringilla 

 nivalis) was exhibited by Mr. M. Nicholl. This bird was shot 

 at Kye Harbour, Sussex, on February 22, and is the first 

 recorded occurrence of this species in these islands. The 

 Snowfinch bears a very striking resemblance to the Snow- 

 bunting, and is a native of the mountains of Southern Europe 

 extending eastwards to Palestine. 



* * # 



An Albino Shag in Orkney. 



The Fiehl, March 4, contains an account of a true albino of 

 the Shag (Phalacrocoi-a.x gmcutus), which was obtained towards 

 the end of December last near Stromness, Orkney. A similar 

 example, according to the same authority, was obtained at 

 Mid Yell, Shetland, on February 27, 1884. 



