350 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
legs normal or perhaps a shade paler than in the adult, which may be the 
case with young birds generally. It was one of a brood hatched at 
Shotswell, Warwickshire, and was caught, soon after leaving the nest, on or 
about Midsummer-day. Varieties of the Magpie seem to be decidedly rare. 
I have only seen three others, besides this one, viz., (1) the normal black 
everywhere replaced by cinnamon-brown ; (2) somewhat similar, but with 
the brown much paler; and (3) a white bird sold by auction at Stevens’s 
Sale Rooms in March last—Oniver V. APLIN (Great Bourton, Oxon). 
Hybrid Wildfowl. — Calling on my correspondent, Mr. Verrall, of 
Lewes, on July 31st, he showed me three fine well-feathered hybrids, bred 
this summer from a drake Pintail and female Wild Duck. In shape and 
colour they bore a strong resemblance to the Pintail, which was of course 
in “eclipse”; but the warmth of tint about the breast suggested the 
Mallard cross. Other fine hybrids were there also, bred from a female 
Canada Goose and a Chinese gander; these in plumage bore a close 
resemblance to the Canada Goose, but their cravats were broader than hers 
and less pure in tint. In their legs and feet the mixed blood showed 
itself; these parts should probably be termed flesh-coloured. Upon the 
same water we observed a charming group of three Tufted Ducklings in 
dark brown down. ‘The trio were resting indolently on the broad leaves 
of a water-lily, at no great distance from the old duck. A pair of Pochards 
were there also, but had lost their young. Mr. Verrall, whose experience 
in hybridising is very remarkable, reared a number of hybrids on these 
small waters, between the Pochard and Tufted Duck, some years ago.— 
H. A. Macpuerson (Carlisle). 
Late Stay in Spring of the Shore Lark.—In April last I received, as 
an unknown bird, a male Shore Lark (Otocorys alpestris) in the flesh. It 
was shot, on the 22nd of the month, ou the Sussex coast, east of Hastings. 
Its stomach contained the remains of numerous small white worms and 
small green coleopterous larva, also a quantity of grit. — Oxiver V. APLIN 
(Gt. Bourton, Oxon). 
Redstart and Great Titmouse using the same Nest. — In May last, 
Mr. John Gurney was kind enough to show me one of his nesting-boxes at 
Sprowston Hall, near Norwich, which at that time contained four eggs of 
the Great Tit and two of the Redstart, on which the Tit was then sitting. 
Both the Redstart and the Great Tit were seen to visit the nest, but after 
laying two eggs the Redstart appears to have vacated in favour of the ‘Tit, 
which in due course hatched and reared the mixed brood, the young 
Redstarts leaving the nesting-box one day before the Tits. There were also 
two pure white eggs in the nest, but by what bird they were laid it is now 
impossible to say with certainty; uufortunately they were taken, instead of 
being allowed to hatch off—T. Sournwe tu (Norwich). 
Pie thca ny 
