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OCCASIONAL NOTES. 



Choughs breeding in Domestication. — For years when I lived at 

 Dangstein I kept Choughs (P. graculus), able to fly where they liked. 

 They once attempted to make a nest in a stoke-hole, but were disturbed, 

 and never did so again. On my removal to East Sussex I brought the 

 Choughs (two pairs) with me, and the next year one pair made their nest in 

 a tower attached to the house, and laid three eggs ; but they did not sit 

 well, and the eggs were not hatched ; two of them were pulled out of the 

 nest. The one pair drove the others away, for when they first came they 

 all roosted in the tower. I hope next spring we may be more fortunate. 

 I believe this is the first instance of Choughs breeding under domestic 

 conditions. We feed them on raw meat and Huntley and Palmer's 

 biscuits.— Dorothy Nevill (Stillyans, Horeham Road, Sussex). 



The Gadwall in Radnorshire. — In Mr. E. Cambridge Phillips's 

 accouut of the "Birds of Breconshire," recently published iu 'The 

 Zoologist,' I find no mention of the occurrence of the Gadwall, Anas 

 strepera. Iu August, 1880, I was fortunate enough to come upon half-a- 

 dozen of these birds on a little pool on Llandeilo Hill, near Aberedw. As 

 there was no cover in which they could hide, they rose on seeing me and 

 flew round the pond, on which they resettled ; eventually I was enabled to 

 approach within a few yards, when they rose again and flew off in the 

 direction of the Wye. I have little doubt but that they had come from the 

 large pool of Llanbyellyn, which I was unable from lack of time to visit, 

 since the piece of water on which they were was far too small to afford 

 them food, it being only a few feet in extent and very shallow. I may here 

 add a few remarks which Mr. Phillips's notes have suggested to me. He 

 mentions the Hawfinch as very rare in Breconshire. This is somewhat 

 surprising to me, as it is abundant in the neighbouring county of Hereford. 

 At Bishopstowe one was so bold as to come for some time, almost regularly, 

 to eat the berries fallen from a holly tree, not a dozen yards from the windows 

 of the house. Perhaps the reason for its rarity in Breconshire is due to the 

 more open and bleak character of the country, as it prefers a well-wooded 

 district, and suffers much from cold in the winter. With respect to the 

 Tufted Duck, Fuligula cristata, a small flock appeared on the Wye at 

 Bridge Sollers, iu Herefordshire, a few winters ago. I expect that it is 

 more abundant lower down the river, but it is everywhere, except near the 

 sea, a very irregular visitant. — H. N. Ridley (British Museum). 



Alpine Chough in Oxfordshire. — I purchased last month a specimen 

 of this bird, which was shot by a keeper at Broughton Castle, Banbury, 

 Oxon, on the 8th April, 1881. it was seen in the flesh by Mr. Aplin, of 



