4382 THE ZooLtocistT—Marcu, 1875. 
neighbourhood, and I have found its nest dozens of times. This is generally 
less artfully concealed than is that of its congener, the willow wren. It is 
sometimes built in a bush, mostly one of bramble or furze, occasionally two 
or more feet above the ground, but often with the lower part of the nest touch- 
ing it, though rarely or never with the cavity sunk so as to leave the hole in 
the side level with the ground, as is the case not unfrequently with that of 
the willow wren. I have never seen more than six eggs in any nest of the 
chiffchaff, whereas that of the willow wren will sometimes contain seven.— 
T. R. Archer Briggs; 4, Portland Villas, Plymouth, February 18, 1872. 
Siskin, Lesser Redpoll, &c., near Ringwood.—I observed the siskin and 
lesser redpoll about the 20th of October, though, as the latter is said to 
breed occasionally in the Isle of Wight, its occurrence here is not very 
remarkable. Both species usually leave this neighbourhood at the end of 
March or beginning of April, and I do not see them again till the cold 
misty days of November. On the 25th of October I saw four bramblings, 
and had a specimen sent me the following day.—G. B. Corbin. 
Capereaillie in Nottinghamshire.—Since last month I have heard that 
the supposed capercaillie has turned out to be a hybrid between a pheasant 
and a black grouse. I am sorry that I did not write to Mr. Walter (to 
whom the bird has been sent) before sending the account of it to the 
‘ Zoologist,’ but the gentleman who shot it being an old sportsman and a 
fair naturalist assuring me that he was positive as to the bird’s identity, I 
wrote without getting further information. Mr. Webb told me the other 
day that he had also shot a hybrid at Newstead Abbey this year, probably 
one of the same brood.—J. Whitaker ; Rainworth Lodge, Mansfield. 
Curlew in Nottinghamshire.—When snipe shooting up the brook here 
during the frost, a curlew rose from the side of the stream: it remained 
about for several days, but was much too wary to be shot. Considering the 
long frost we have had, there have been very few rare birds about here.—ZId. 
Variety of the Razorbill—On the 30th of January last a very curious 
variety of the razorbill (which has subsequently been added to the collection 
of my son, Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun.) was shot by Mr. Matthew Bailey on the 
North Smithie Sandbank, about three miles off Flamborough Head. Mr, 
Bailey informs me that when first shot the bill, legs, and feet of this speci- 
men were “a perfect yellow.” When the bird reached here on the 3rd of 
February, the bill had acquired a pink hue, but the legs and feet were still 
yellow, especially the webs, which were a bright lemon-colour. ,The bird 
was in the ordinary winter dress of this species, except that the dark portions 
of the plumage, especially on the head and neck, were somewhat paler than 
in normal specimens. The bill had not attained its full dimensions, and 
I think indicates a bird of the second year. On dissection I found it to be 
a male bird, and very fat. No similar variety of this species ever came 
under my notice.—J. H. Gurney ; February 17, 1875. 
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