1476 The Zoologist — December, 1868. 



interesting to naturalists, and the question, how it came there, highly 

 interesting. 



I think I have now told you all I know in reply to your inquiry 

 about the birds of St. Helena. If there are any points on which you 

 wish further information I will try ray best to get it; but I fear there 

 is nothing of very great interest in the subject. Of the other branches 

 of the Natural History of the island the only one that offers much 

 field to the naturalist is the Flora : there are some few pecular indi- 

 genous plants, and others that, having already been noted, are now 

 extinct. But you asked about birds, not plants. 



Eden Baker. 



St. Helena. 



[Interesting as this communication certainly is, it would have been infinitely more 

 so had the names of the birds been given. No. 2, the little " White Bird" completely 

 puzzles me: the colour of the beak and legs indicale the genus Sterna, but I know of 

 no species of tern that builds in holes in the perpendicular face of a rock. No. 3, the 

 "Black Bird," may be either the noddy, as suggested, or the sooty tern. No. 4, the 

 " Egg Bird," is unknown to me entirely.. Tbe pheasant is without doubt the species, 

 variety or race, generally known as the Ringed Pheasant (Phasianus torquatus). It is 

 observable this year that a very large proportion of the adult cock pheasants offered for 

 sale in Leadenhall Market have this white ring more or less conspicuously developed. 

 — Edward Newman.] 



Ornithological Notes from North Lincolnshire. 

 By John Cordeaux, Esq. 



(Continued from Zool. S. S. 1413.) 



September and October, 1S68. 



Wild Ducks. — September 7. All our common wild ducks are this 

 season much earlier in their arrival, and from all appearances are 

 likely to be plentiful in the Humber district. To-day, when partridge 

 shooting in the marshes, my dog put up from a drain three ducks — 

 all three fell to my two barrels ; two were teal, the other a widgeon. 

 Three hours afterwards, at the same spot, a fourth duck rose, which I 

 also shot : it was a tufted duck [Fuligula cristata) in immature 

 plumage, the tuft only partly developed. 



Larks. — September 12. Large flocks have within the last few days 

 arrived in the marshes. I have on several occasions during the month 

 seen the isabelline-coloured lark mentioned in a previous paper; also 

 another variety with white wings. 



