The Zoologist— April, 1870. 2101 



olive-green below, vvilh dark spots? In fact, the bird is an abuormily; but, in my 

 hinnble opinion, it resembles A. liidovicianus more iban any other pipit. T shall not 

 prieve or be disappointed should it turn out anything else. — C. R. Bree ; Colchester, 

 March 19, 1870. 



Bvjf Variety of Sky Lark. — A buff variety of ihe sky lark was sent me for slufBng 

 on the last day of December, 1869: it was shot at Beeslon Regis, and proved on 

 dissection to be a female. I have previously preserved two other examples of this 

 variety, both of which were also females. — T. E. Gunn ; 5, Upper St. Giles, Norwich. 



Shore Lark near Weymoulh. — I saw two male shore larks at Weymouth, Dorset- 

 shire, on ihe 25th of November last: tliey had been shot a few days before by a man 

 who was afier wild fowl oa Lodimoor, a wild place close to the sea, about a mile from 

 Weymouth, and were set up for a gentleman in thai town. They were in very hand- 

 some plumage, but had been much damaged by large shot. — William Borrer ; 

 Cowfold, Horsham, Sussex, February 24, 1870. 



Shore Larks in East Yorkshire. — Perhaps some of your ornithological readers may 

 be interested to hear that three shore larks (Alauda alpestris) were shot on the east 

 coast on the lyih inst. They were not associating with any other species, and were all 

 male birds. — F. Boyes ; Beverley. — '■Field'' of February bth. 



Shore Larks near Dunbar. — Two specimens of the shore lark were shot out of a 

 small flock, near the Tyne Estuary, by a boy, on the 23rd of January last. Both 

 specimens (adult males) are now in the possession of Mr. Francis Balfour, of Whit- 

 tinghame. — K. G. Wardlaio Ramsay ; Whitehill, Lasswade, N.B. 



Rnck Doves at Salisbury — Some unusually large flights of pigeons have been 

 passing over this city during the last few days: they were first observed on Saturday, 

 March 12th, about 8.30 a.m.; their course was from south-east to north-west. They 

 appeared in such imineiise numbers as occasionally to darken the air, ?nd were noticed 

 up to the 17lh, but the flocks gradually diminished in numbers from the 15ih. The 

 amateur sportsmen of the district were afforded quite a pastime, and I am told that 

 upwards of a hundred fell to their guns; but owing to the height and rapidity with 

 which they flew many escaped the onslaught that was made on them. An examina- 

 tion of some of those that were killed proved them to be the blue rock dove {Columha 

 livia). Mr. Wheaton, who shot several, told me that on opening their crops he found 

 in some beech-mast and turnip-green, whilst others had nothing whatever in them ; 

 they were nevertheless all fat and in good condition. These large flights of pigeons 

 are the more worthy of notice, since the rock dove is quite a rare visitor in this 

 district, although stragglers are occasionally shot here during the winter months. — 

 Henry Blackmore ; Salisbury, February 18, 1870. 



The Case of Bustards at Sivaffham. — In reference to my notice in the February 

 number of the 'Zoologist,' touching bustards in Suffolk and Norfolk, Captain Feilden, 

 in this month's .number, writes, "I should much like to know whether the case of 

 bustaids Mr. Moor refers to, then in the possession of the Rev. R. Hamond, of Swaif- 

 ham, Norfolk, is still in existence." I have written to an old sclioolfellow of mine, 

 now in France, with whose brother (now dead) I visited Mr. Hamond's collection at 

 Swaffham. I have just received the following answer: — " The particulars you slate 

 of the case are quite correct. On the death of the Rev. Robert Hamond, the original 

 possessor, all his stuffed birds devolved upon his sister, Miss Hamond, and remained 

 in ihe same house until her death, which took place some four or five years since, 



