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THE ZOOLOGIST. 



make them take the wing, and it was new to dogs. Last year I again shot 

 in the island, and I observed the same tameness in one part of the island, 

 but in another district I observed the Grouse were larger, darker, and much 

 wilder. I was puzzled with this until I found out that the late tenant had 

 three years before turned down some English Grouse, and in the district 

 where they were so turned down the Grouse were very wild. — Duncan 

 Stewart (Knochrioch). 



Mr. Graves says, " As to the Magpies or any other bird being able to fix 

 dates exactly to the day, it is unproved and incredible." I do not know 

 what may be the case in regard to birds' nest-building, but I can give two 

 instances of the regularity with which birds arrive at certain localities 

 en route northward, whatever may be the state of the weather. During a 

 ten years' residence on the shores of Hudson's Bay the first Canada goose 

 of the spring migration was seen and generally sliot on April 23rd. At 

 Toronto, on Lake Ontario, large flocks of a pretty little Plover called the 

 " Black-heart," from a black patch on its breast, pass along the islands, 

 flying northward, on St. George's Day (April ^Srd), and are seldom or 

 never seen even a day before or a day after that date. The poor little birds 

 have a sad time of it for six or eight hours, as a number of sportsmen go 

 out for the occasion and knock them down by the half-dozen or more at 

 every shot. In this case, as in the other, wind and weather appear to 

 cause no difference.— John Rak (4, Addison Gardens).— Frotn ' Nature.' 



Golden Plover with white Primaries.— On the evening of June 28th, 

 while searching for young Golden Plovers in some rough ground towards 

 the base of one of " Macleod's Tables," in Skye, it struck me that one of 

 the old birds seemed unusually light in colour. On shooting it I found 

 that the greater part of the primaries were white. It proved to be a male 

 in good condition. — H. A. Macpheuson (Carlisle). 



International Ornithological Congress at Vienna. — After a long 

 delay we have at length received a copy of the resolutions which were 

 passed at the First International Ornithological Congress at Vienna (see 

 pp. 139, 188J, of which the following is a translation : — 



" The First International Ornithological Congress assembled at Vienna 

 resolves : — 



" 1. To elect a standing international committee for the appointment of 

 bird-observing stations, of which the Crown Prince is asked to take the 

 protectorate. 



" 2. To ask the Austro-Hungarian Government to make representations 

 to all those countries not represented in this Congress with a view to their 

 arranging for ornithological observation stations, and to their notifying the 

 president of this committee of proper persons interested in the matter. 



"3. To request the delegates of the different States here represented 



