NOTES AND QUERIES. 335 
steps to determine what he may be by shooting so sweet a songster who 
has been charming us all with his clear and tuneful notes. The other side 
of his hedge is a swampy cover, a regular jungle of furze, willow bushes, 
and young spruces, where I have searched several times unsuccessfully for 
the nest which, no doubt, is there. In my opinion our little warbler is no 
other than Hypolais icterina. My groom, who is a bird fancier, declares 
that he once heard a little bird singing a similar song in Somersetshire.— 
Morray A. Maruew (Stone Hall, Wolfscastle, R.S.O., Pembrokeshire). 
Ruddy Sheldrake near Limerick.—We have received for preservation 
aspecimen of the Ruddy Sheldrake (Tadorna rutila) shot on the River 
Shannon, at Birdhill, about nine miles from Limerick. It is a female bird, 
one of a pair shot at the same time by Mr. Swiss, of Birdhill, and bears every 
appearance of being a wild bird. On making enquiries I am informed that 
both birds were very shy and difficult to approach. This is the second 
time that this species has come under our observation, having set up a 
specimen obtained near Tralee some years ago, which is now in the collec- 
tion of Mr. J. C. Neligan of that place—Wutiriams & Son (Dublin). 
[The Ruddy Sheldrake is so frequently kept amongst other ornamental 
water-fowl, and may so easily recover the use of clipped wings after moult- 
ing, that it is probable that most, if not all, of the specimens found at large 
are escaped birds. The fact of their being found in perfect plumage affords 
no proof of their being truly wild, for birds which have regained their 
liberty very soon get into good order, and ornamental-water fowl are 
generally in good condition.—Eb. ] 
British Examples of the King Duck and Hooded Merganser at 
Oxford.—In the University Museum at Oxford there are examples of two 
rare British Birds, of which I can find no mention in the ‘ Handbook of 
British Birds’ or the last edition of Yarrell’s ‘ British Birds’; it may 
therefore be worth while to place them on record in the pages of ‘ The 
Zoologist.. An adult male King Duck is labelled “ Erith Reach, Kent. 
Presented by Lord Saye and Sele.” This specimen formed part of a 
collection of British birds bequeathed by the late Lord Saye and Sele to 
the Ashmolean Museum in 1487, and was labelled in that collection 
“Shot in Erith Reaches, Kent.” An old male Hooded Merganser, 
placed on a stand with two females, has a label at the foot, “ Adult 
male. Bristol, 1845. Rev. S. A. Pears.” ‘This bird also came from 
the Ashmolean Museum (where it was labelled as at present), and it 
seems that nothing more is known of it. The Rev. Stuart Adolphus 
Pears was, at the date of the donation, a fellow of Corpus Christi College. 
To the keeper of the museum I am indebted for these particulars, which have 
been kindly communicated by Mr. G. A. Rowell, who remarks in reference 
to the Merganser, ‘‘ Probably no one now living has the least knowledge 
on the subject."—Oxiver V. Apxin (Great Bourton). 
