THE ZooLoGisT—FEBRUARY, 1876. 4799 
Wood Pigeon attacking Peregrine.—On Thursday afternoon, the 28th 
of October, 1875, I pulled up the Dart to see if the recent heavy gales had 
brought any wild-fowl into the river; but, with the exception of a few herons, 
cormorants, gulls, ringed plovers and dunlins, nothing was to be seen. 
However, to make up for the absence of anything worth shooting at, 
I witnessed an occurrence which perhaps is unusual, and therefore worth 
recording. On the side of the river opposite the village of Stoke Gabriel 
stands an old barn surrounded by several large and ancient elm trees, 
and, while slowly paddling by this spot, a fine and very dark-coloured female 
peregrine flew from a neighbouring orchard and settled in one of these trees. 
Pulling leisurely on, and keeping an eye occasionally in the direction of 
the barn, I presently noticed about a dozen wood pigeons fly over the brow 
of an adjacent hill and proceed in the direction of the elm trees, which 
they wheeled over with the evident intention of alighting in, or else in the 
orchard close by. ‘They continued their manceuvres for a few moments, 
when all at once, like an arrow from a bow, out dashed the peregrine into 
the midst of them; but the pigeons, with equal swiftness, swooped down 
until they almost touched the earth, when, shooting up just as rapidly, they 
(with the exception of one) flew off to the woods on the other side of the 
river, and the peregrine—who did not appear to be at all anxious to secure 
a pigeon, and who doubtless merely chased them for sport—wheeled round 
and was sailing off in the direction of the elms, when the solitary pigeon 
which had left its companions turned back and actually made two swoops 
at her, endeavouring, as far as I could see, to strike her with its wings, but 
which attempt the peregrine was easily able to avoid, and, continuing her 
flight, resumed her perch amongst the branches of the tallest elm, the bold 
pigeon flying off in another direction.—Gervase F’. Mathew; Instow, 
November 18, 1875. 
English and Egyptian Pigeons—Mr. Newman concludes his observations 
on the pigeons of Egypt (S. 8. 3385) with four questions, to which—having 
lately studied the Natural History of that country a great deal—I will essay 
to give answers. Question ]. Are there one or two species of rock dove 
in Britain and Egypt?—I should say one in Britain; two in Egypt. 
Question 2. Is the domesticated species in Britain identical with the domes- 
ticated pigeons in Egypt?—TI should say not. Question 38. Are the wild 
rock doves of Britain identical with the domesticated rock doves of Britain ?— 
This must be answered in the affirmative. Question 4. Are the wild rock 
doves of Egypt identical with the semi-domesticated rock doves of Egypt ?— 
And this also in the affirmative-—J. H. Gurney, jun. 
Malformed Pheasant.—There is a malformed nestling pheasant (recorded 
Zool. 9792), exactly similar to Mr. Gatcombe’s chick, in my collection.—Jd. 
On Fowl and Pheasant Hybrids.—In the summer of 1868 a common 
barn-door fowl strayed into the fir-woods at Trimingham, near Cromer, 
