604 The Zoologist— February, "1807; 



Moorhen. — This bird is equally numerous with the coot in this 

 neighbourhood. I have found their nests in great numbers this year. 

 Some of them are mere slovenly masses of rushes lying on mud-banks 

 among the reeds; others are neatly constructed columns standing in 

 ■water, and supported by reeds growing round them, in every respect 

 similar to those of the coot. One nest I found was a beautifully con- 

 structed abode, with the green blades of the reeds which supported it 

 bent down and woven together, forming a dome about a foot above 

 the eggs. Had the bird an eye for the beautiful, or did she fondly 

 imagine thus to shield her devoted head from the April showers? I 

 am sure that sometimes the eggs in these nests are the produce of 

 more than one bird, as I have fouud what I am convinced were two 

 distinct clutches in the same nest. In one instance the contents of a 

 nest were as follows: — four eggs, small and of oval form, measuring 

 one inch five lines by one inch one line; ground whitish yellow, 

 spotted sparingly with lilac, lilac-red and brownish red : six eggs, large 

 and of a tapering form ; ground colour reddish yellow, with large 

 irregular blotches of dark brown-red and dark slate-colour ; dimensions 

 one inch nine lines by one inch three lines. These, every one will 

 see, were the produce of two distinct birds. The eggs, however, vary 

 very much in size and number. 1 have fouud twelve in one nest, and 

 four sat upon in another. 



W. Vincent Legge. 



Shoeburyness, December 19, 1866. 



Rabbits breeding in January. — When ferreting rabbits the other day, the ferret got 

 amongst a litter of young rabbits not more than four days old. The nest was placed 

 at a considerable depth in the ground, not as is usual near the surface, and was 

 almost completely composed of rabbits' fur. We had to dig out the ferret, which, 

 after a sumptuous mid-day meal, had lain down beside its victims to indulge in a 

 restorative snooze. The surface of the ground was frozen to the depth of four inches. 

 — Jvhn A. Harvie Brown; Dunipaee House, Falkirk, January 15, 1867. 



Hare feeding on Hawthorn-berries. — Upon examining the contents of the stomach 

 of a hare T shot lately, I found it consisted almost entirely of the berries of the haw- 

 thorn: this, I suppose, must be accounted for by the absence of their usual food, the 

 snow at the lime being six inches in depth. — George Maicson ; Moor Side, January 5, 

 1867. 



Roughlegged Buzzard in Dumfiiesihire. — I was in my birdstuffci's premises in 

 Edinburgh (Mr. Small's, George Street), and saw a most magnificent specimen of the 

 roughlegged buzzard, which struck me as being considerably above the usual size and 

 of unusually dark colour, almost approaching to black. Mr. Small gave me the 



