ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES. H^ 



No dalc and locality oii ticket, but iMr. I. Minotto told 

 me that it was killed by tbe punt-gunner Ossi noar tlie 

 port of Lido, ncar Venice. 



N" 10:{G of my Gollection. — Adult male. — Melanistic 

 variety. 



Tbis beantiful specimen ditfers IVoni tbe normal ones 

 by Ibe absence of tbe large cbcstnut space on neck 

 and breast, whicb is snbstituted with numerous zig-zags 

 very approached amongst tbemselves ; tbe wbite collar is 

 very narrow ; besides all tbe general colonr is darker tban 

 tbe nsiial and (be nnderparts present very nnmerons zig- 

 zag lines witb a sligbtly reddish sbade, wiiicli is more 

 visible towards tbe abdomen; under tail-coverts notqnite 

 black, bnt mixed witb wbite tint; wing and tail of normal 

 design, bnt ratber darker. 



Tbis specimen was caught by tbe punt-gnnner 1. Minotlo 

 in tbe Val/e Dor/ä, not far from Venice, in tbe winter 1888. 



N° 929 of my Gollection. — Yonng of a few days in 

 down. — jMelanistic variety. 



Bill black, in Ibe lower mandible yellowisb ; upper parls 

 smoke-black; under parts of tbe same colonr, witb tbe 

 middle of abdomen a litlle greyisb coloured ; under tail- 

 coverts smoke-black ; toes black, yellowisb-orange towards 

 tbe top of interdigital membranes in tbe larger portion. 



Tbis young in down was snared in tbe marsbes of Mon- 

 selice on July tbe 18"' 1892. It is sure tbat its dress is tbe 

 same of tbat of tbe Tufted Duck and Mr. Minotto, a very 

 keen observer of /l/i«//r/ci% was immediately of Ibis opinion. 



But lirst of all, tbe Tufted Duck breeds rarely, perbaps 

 <loubtfully, in Italy, M. Naccari assured tbat tbis succeeds 

 commonly, but it is an erroneus asserlion ; I have never 

 seen Tufted Ducks during summer in Italy, from wliere it 

 departs in tbe lirst fortnigbt of April at tbe tatest. In tbe 

 second place, at tbe same time that tbis was caugbt, seven 

 othcr youngs in down, perfectly like lo tbe ordinary ones 

 of /l. boscas^ and tbe female was seen not very far from 



