70 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



species could be immediately recognised by its bill and feet, and the feathers 

 being slightly elevated on its head. It has since been preserved for the 

 Museum.— J. R. Earle (15, Norham Road, Oxford). 



The Plumage of the young Kestrel.— Having had ten or twelve young 

 Kestrels, mostly from different districts, within the last four years, I am 

 pleased to be able to corroborate the fact, mentioned by Mr. F. C. Aplin in 

 your December issue, that the young males have the blue tail, and are thus 

 in the nest distinguishable from the females. Besides the authors men- 

 tioned by Mr. Aplin, the Rev. F. 0. Morris, in his ' British Birds,' falls 

 into the same error in stating that until after the first moult there is no 

 difference in the plumage of the sexes. — Hugh Turner (Ipswich). 



Scaup Duck in Notts. — On December 1st I shot a female Scaup on 

 Mansfield Reservoir ; it was quite alone, and, as this piece of water is about 

 forty miles from the sea, I think its occurrence worth recording. This is 

 only the third or fourth instance in which the Scaup has been killed in this 

 county. — J. WHiTAKEK(Rainworth Lodge, Mansfield). 



Strange behaviour of Starlings. — On November 7th I shot at three 

 Starlings feeding close together, but separated by a few feet from the flock 

 to which they belonged. I should think I was distant from them about 

 thirty yards. Of course at the report of my gun every bird, with the 

 exception of the two I killed, took wing. To my surprise, however, three 

 birds turned back, and then the whole flock returned, and for about a minute 

 hovered over the dead ones. They seemed anxious to settle, but did not 

 do so, the nearest birds being about two feet above their dead companions ; 

 they then took flight to return no more, though I waited to see what would 

 be the result. Was it curiosity or compassion which impelled their return ? 

 — W. Becheu (Hill House, Southwell, Notts). 



Hybrid Pheasants. — Early in December last a Mr. Smith, of Croydon, 

 shot, near Woking, three hybrid Pheasants, a cross with the common fowl, 

 which were sent for preservation to Charles Thorpe, of South Croydon, in 

 whose shop I saw them in the flesh ; two were males, nearly black in 

 colour, and much larger than either parent, one weighing 4 lb. 9 oz., the 

 other over 4 lb. ; the third, a hen, resembled the Pheasants, and weighed 

 2 lb. 14 oz.— Philip Crowley (Croydon). 



Rare Birds in Lincolnshire. — Allow me to record the occurrence in 

 Lincolnshire during the past year of the following birds, which have passed 

 through my hands between January 1st and March 31st, 1883, and which 

 have been preserved by ]\Ir. Barber, taxidermist, of this city : — A male 

 Osprey was killed at Hartsholme ; it was in splendid plumage and 

 condition, and had frequented the lake for several days previously. An 

 adult female Kite was shot at Croft Bank, near Skegness ; the stomach 



