$236 THE ZooLoGIsT—SEPTEMBER, 1872. 
Woodcock breeding in the New Forest.—Some days ago I received a nest 
of four fine woodcock’s eggs, which had been taken this year in the New 
Forest; in what part of the Forest I was unfortunately not able to 
ascertain.—A. von Hiigel ; Stonyhurst, July 23, 1872. 
Tufted Ducks near Garstang in July: Redbreasted Goose. — Twice last 
week I saw four tufted ducks on the flooded Sowerby meadows. I watched 
them for some time through a telescope, and could distinguish the crest 
very plainly on one of them, but on the other three it was invisible, owing 
to the distance I was off, though from the plumage I think there is no 
doubt they are of the same species. Is it not unusual to see them at this 
time of the year? It appears from the works of the best ornithologists that 
they very rarely breed in England. Some fifteen or twenty years ago, a 
keeper in the neighbourhood tells me, two specimens of the redbreasted, or, 
as he called them, “Siberian goose,” were killed on the same meadows: he 
described the plumage to me, and from his description they were 
undoubtedly Anser ruficollis. — Hugh P. Hornby ; St. Michaels-on-Wyre, 
Garstang. 
Blackfish on the Coast of Cornwall. — The following I copied from the 
‘ Western Morning News’ for July 25th. — “ A beautiful specimen of that 
rare visitor to the British Islands, the Pompilus (Centrolophus Pompilus, 
Cuvier; ‘blackfish,’ Johnson), has been taken in a mackerel-net off the 
Deadman. The Pompilus is said to act the part of the ‘ pilot-fish ’ to other 
large fish, and has been known to accompany ships at sea through a great 
extent of ocean. An individual of the species (according to Couch) once 
followed a ship into the harbour of St. Ives, and was captured. The greatest 
size they have been known to attain is thirty-two inches long, weight 
fifteen pounds. The specimen recently caught was twelve inches and a 
half long by three inches and a half deep. It appeared to have followed a 
large porbeagle shark, which was captured in the same net at a few feet 
distance. They are natives of the Mediterranean, and abound near Nice in 
spring and autumn. The present specimen has been procured by Mr. 
Matthias Dunn, of Mevagissey, and preserved in spirits as an icthyological 
curiosity.” — J. Gatcombe ; Lower Durnford Street, Stonehouse, Devon, 
August 2, 1872. 
Vanessa Antiopa—An unusual number of this beautiful butterfly have 
been taken during the present August, especially in the South of England. 
—Edward Newman. 
