144 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
bright red, the head chestnut, breast black, and flanks white, it may 
be imagined how attractive must be the appearance of a flock when seen in 
undisturbed enjoyment of their natural haunts.—Eb.] ’ 
Witprowt in Leapennatt Marxert.— Thinking that the Arctic 
weather of January would probably bring some rare birds to Leadenhall 
Market, I took the opportunity while in London to pay several visits to 
that emporium of wildfowl; nor was I altogether disappointed, for I 
counted sixteen kinds of Wild Ducks, and an unusual number of 
Geese, of six species. Two, the White-fronted and the Bean, were 
particularly numerous. The White-fronted is always common, but I 
have, in a previous winter, found the Bean very scarce, and almost 
impossible to get. On January 26th a curious variety of the immature 
White-fronted Goose was hanging up. In this species the under surface is 
white or greyish without any bars, in its first winter, but when adult it is 
crossed with deep black bars. In my bird it is neither one thing nor the 
other, the whole of the under surface being grey, profusely, but regularly, 
mottled with spots of very dark brown, showing no tendency to bars. There 
is a good deal of white round the base of the beak, which, together with the 
legs, is the usual yellow colour. The nail of the beak is half black, half 
white, but this is nothing unusual in this species. On the Ist of February 
there was a curious under-sized Sheldrake, dwarfed, it may have been, 
by some early wound; but it certainly was not more than half as big 
as some of the grand old males I saw hanging up a few days afterwards. 
About this time there were a great many Goosanders and Smews, many of 
them splendid old males, but very few Mergansers. I do not think all 
these Smews were of Dutch origin, as I heard of a good many being killed 
in England. On February 3rd a Blue Thrush (Petrocincla cyanea), turned 
up; it was a male, and is now in the possession of Mr. Brazener, of 
Brighton. On the 16th I spied out, among the Capercaillies, a male hybrid 
between this species and the Black Grouse. It was smaller than a Caper- 
caillie, had a black beak, plum-coloured breast, and a tail which in shape was 
intermediate between the males of the two species.—J. H. Gurney, JUN. 
(Northrepps, Norwich). 
Witprow.t 1x Co. Waterrord.— During the frost of January, and up 
to the end of that month, numerous flocks of the White-fronted Goose 
(Anser albifrons) frequented this part of the country, both near the coast 
and inland, settling in the open fields. One that passed into my hands 
measured 28% inches from tip of bill to tip of tail, and weighed 5} tbs. 
Another, as stated to me, measured 293 inches from bill to tail. The 
following birds have also been obtained in this neighbourhood :—A 
Goosander (eight seen), Shovellers, Tufted Ducks, Sheldrake, Pochards, 
Great Crested Grebe (immature). Sheldrakes breed in Dungarvon Bay, 
