9052 Birds. 
From this list, and the former one in the ‘ Zoologist’ (Zool. 6922), 
it will be seen that the London waters have been visited by wild-fowl 
of no less than eight species, without reckoning the hybrids, namely; 
gadwall, wigeon, teal, shoveller, pochard, tufted duck, ferruginous duck 
and goldeneye. My theory that these birds were bred in the Zoological 
Gardens or the Regent’s Park, and that they were only waiting in 
town until their migrating time arrived, is not, I am afraid, a sound 
one, and will not bear investigation. Very many, 1 think most, of 
these birds are old birds, males chiefly. They are too numerous to 
have escaped from the Zoological Gardens, and the facilities for 
breeding in the other London waters are very small indeed, unless 
in Her Majesty’s garden and water at Buckingham Palace, the birds 
meet with an asylum and the quiet they require. Perhaps some of 
the correspondents of the ‘ Zoologist’? may know whether or not this 
is so, and, if it is, be kind enough to insert such information in the 
‘ Zoologist.’ If the birds always find a place of refuge in Buckingham 
Palace Gardens, most of the difficulties as to their appearance in the 
parks vanish. 
Besides the birds I have mentioned as frequenting the Serpentine, 
a coot, with perfect wings, haunted that water for about five weeks, in 
January and February. I never but once before saw a coot in the 
Serpentine, and that was on the 11th of February, 1863, on which day, 
and in the same water, I also saw a little grebe (dabchick), in its clove- 
brown winter plumage. On the 1]th of this month I saw a little grebe , 
in the Round Pond, Kensington Gardens; it kept well out in the 
middle of the pond, but, by means of a glass, | could distinguish its 
size, shape and action, and satisfy myself that it was not a young 
duck, of which indeed there was not one in the pond, It seems to me 
very extraordinary that a bird whose powers of flight are supposed to 
be very small, should make its appearance in a pond without an atom 
of cover in or near it, and surrounded.by many miles of brick and 
mortar. On Christmas Day | saw a kingfisher flying over the Ser- 
pentine in Kensington Gardens. In December last four mute swans, 
with perfect wings, visited the Round Pond: they did not stay long, 
but I had the pleasure of seeing them on the wing twice before they 
went to the Serpentine; they stayed but a short time at the latter 
‘water, and when I saw the last of them, on. the 21st of January, they 
were on the wing, rising in the air, as if for a long flight: they flew 
perfectly well, rising from the water without the preliminary flapping 
along the surface described by the late Mr. St. John in the case of 
wild swans. Where did these birds come from? and how happened 
