2184 The Zoologist— June, 1870. 



and feet. Young mergansers and ducks in first winter are very similar to the female, 

 assuming the following spring a dress analogous to the old male, but neither so pale 

 nor so decided ; not so pure for these reasons — it wants lust (I do not think wild ducks, 

 &c., breed their first spring), which deprives it of that lustre and rivalry, — I cannot 

 describe my meaning by any English word, — which I fancy so much helps to beautify 

 the plumage of male birds in spring, more especially those that are polygamous ; also, 

 being new, the fringes are deep and heavy, concealing the body-colours of the feather, 

 which in adult birds are exposed. Is it a fact that domestic drakes assume female 

 dress in autumn ? It does not occur, or rather it has never occurred to my knowledge, 

 in Ireland, certainly it is not a rule. Some say wild drakes are affected the same way, 

 but I see splendid fully-plumaged birds all through the winter. — H. Blake-Knox. 



Correction of Errors. — ' Zoologist,' S. S. 2121, line 21, for "as in each winter," 

 read " as in early winter." Page 2123, line 30, /or " (very true)" read " (very terse)," 

 meaning short and carelessly recorded. — H. Blake-Knox. 



Notes from Denbighshire. — On the 2nd of April two woodcocks were flushed 

 together in the woods near the house : they made a grunting kind of noise, but I have 

 not been able to ascertain whether they are breeding here. On the 28th I shot a pair 

 of ring ouzels: they had a nest containing five eggs; the female sat very close: they 

 are not very uncommon on the hills near here. On the 29lh I observed a number of 

 pied flycatchers, almost all males— I only saw one female: they were not shy. Some 

 short time ago I shot a blackbird, whose prevailing colour was a kind of gray, but the 

 large feathers of the wings were pure white: I had it stuffed. In the winter we were 

 visited by a number of mountain finches: they were in company with a flock of 

 chrtflinches: they continued about the house for some days. — William J. Kerr; 

 Maismer, Denbighshire. 



Ornithological Notes from Taunton. — In December last I obtained a fine male 

 goldeneye, which is uncommon here, and saw two or three tufied ducks. Throughout 

 the winter pochards have been comparatively numerous in the market. I do not 

 remember having seen any last year. On the 9th of March I got a fine male scoter, 

 which had been killed on Curry Moor, some fifteen or sixteen miles from the sea. 

 On the 28th I bought a fine pair of garganeys, in good plumage, and two days after- 

 wards saw a male in the poulterer's shop. On the 9lh of April I saw the swallow and 

 sand martin, and heard first of the cuckoo. On the 15ih I saw the common sand- 

 piper, redstart and a fieldfare — the last I have seen this year. On the 23rd I saw the 

 common sand martin, the least common of the Hiruudinidce here. On the 26th I saw 

 the first swift. — William J. Chalk ; The College School, Taunton. 



Increase of Sea-fowl in the Isle of Wight. — In a row round the Freshwater cliffs 

 on the 22nd of April a good many gulls were seen on and about the face of the 

 precipice : owing to the fog the herring gull only was identified, but I was told by one 

 of the watermen that the lesser blackbacked and other gulls are now assembling here, 

 and that there are more sea and laud birds congregating than bad been known for 

 many years. They seemingly are aware of their security and freedom from molesta- 

 tion, for though we passed close to the cliffs little notice was taken of us, nor did the 

 herring gulls, as is their wont, rise en masse with clamorous and defiant note. The 

 cormorants and guillemots, too, appeared less wild than usual, some coming within 

 shot. A few pufiins were pointed out, but I failed to distinguish or identify them 

 through the mist; but that they, as well as the shag, will now breed here there can be 



