142 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
Falconida@, it was very fat when the skin was taken off for preservation. 
It weighed exactly three pounds two ounces, which to me is an extra- 
ordinary weight; and the bulk of its body generally, and especially about 
the breast, indicated that it had been in good quarters of late, and must 
have been a most powerful enemy amongst its feathered kin, upon which it 
throve so well. It measured twenty inches and a half from beak to tail ; 
I did not measure its expanse of wing, but that undoubtedly was in 
proportion to the length of the bird. Altogether it seemed to me the 
muscular and stout-limbed creature, especially in the legs and claws, must 
have been a giantess among her race, and if tamed and well trained 
would have been the pride of a falconer’s heart.—G. B. Corry (Ringwood, 
Hants). 
PerecRrinE Fatcon anp Curtew 1x OxrorpsHire.—On January 17th 
I purchased a male Peregrine Falcon, which had been shot that morning 
close to Banbury. As far as I could see, the bird showed no sign of con- 
finement, except that it was very fat—this being very unusual in the 
generality of the Falconida@ killed round here. A Curlew was shot, a few 
miles off, in the autumn. Fieldfares have been very scarce, but Redwings 
fairly numerous.—O. V. Apcin (Bodicote, near Banbury). 
Supposep Breepine or THE Scaup tx IreLanp.—In October last 
I received the following from my friend, the Rev. George Robinson, 
residing near Lough Neagh;—‘ My sons were out on the lake the other 
day, and had excellent sport. Among other birds they got a Scaup in 
immature plumage, without quill-feathers in the wings, and which must 
have been bred on the lake.” ‘Thompson, in his ‘ Birds of Ireland,’ makes 
the following remark :—“ Montagu’s remark (in his Supplement) that the 
Scaup is rarely observed upon fresh-water is applicable to the North of 
Treland. It has not been brought to me from Lough Neagh, nor have 
1 known it to be killed on any inland localities, though no doubt such 
rarely does occur. A small flock, among which were several adult males, 
was observed in Ballydrain Lake on the 2nd of April, 1848. It is said 
occasionally to visit Lough Beg, in Kerry, as well as the Pochard. I was 
told by the chief hawker of wildfowl in Dublin, in December, 1849, that 
he never received it from inland waters, though nearly all the wildfowl he 
disposes of are sent thence.”—J. Garcomser (Durnford Street, Stonehouse). 
On THE Nestino or THe Common Wren.—Peculiar as are many of © 
the situations in which the nest of this species is placed, the birds here last 
year (May) seem to have struck out a fresh line for themselves altogether— 
two nests being built in old nests of the Chimney Swallow. One Swallow's 
nest was in the apex of the roof of an outhouse used as kennels, and the 
Wren built up the Swallow’s nest with green moss right to the top, leaving 
the hole just above the edge of the latter’s old nest. This the Wren 
