NOTES AND QUERIES. 489 
record: one shot at Maisemore several years ago, one picked up dead 
under the telegraph wires after a heavy gale in January, I881, and a third 
shot on the canal in December, 1881.—H. W. Marspen (Gloucester). 
The Plumage of the Red-crested Pochard.—The appearance of the 
young in down of Fuligula rufina is not described in the last edition of 
Yarrell’s ‘ British Birds.’ Mr. Seebohm also was apparently unacquainted 
with it in this stage of plumage, as he cites a description, at second-hand, 
from Baldamus, which, if not actually incorrect, is at any rate decidedly 
misleading. Many readers of ‘ The Zoologist’ have probably seen the fine 
pair of Red-crested Pochards at present living in the Zoological Society's 
Gardens, Regent's Park. These birds nested there during the past summer, 
and a single duckling was hatched on or about the 5th of June. The 
writer watched its growth for a fortnight, and admired the grace with which 
it captured midges, swimming rapidly to and fro in pursuit of them. The 
female displayed great jealousy of the drake, snapping her bill at him and 
driving him away from the young bird. The appended description of its 
appearance was taken from this young bird on June 12th :—Crown dark 
brown, this colour being continued in a narrow tapering band along the 
hind-neck; upper parts dark brown, a white spot on the pinion, another 
behind the pinion, and a third white spot on the thigh; a slight dark 
stripe extends through the eye; throat and sides of the neck yellowish, 
under parts apparently buffy white, probably purest on the abdomen. It 
will thus be seen that Mr. Seebohm’s assumption (‘ British Birds,’ vol. iii. 
p. 570), that the young has only two pale spots above, is inconsistent with 
the phase exhibited by this living specimen. It may be interesting to add, 
that the sex of the downy young of this bird is evidenced even when very 
young, by the colour of the bill. This bird, a male, had a reddish bill like 
its male parent, even when in down, contrasting with the brown bill of the 
old duck.—H. A. Macpurrson (3, Kensington Gardens Square). 
Tree Sparrow and Starling in Arran More.—During last May I saw 
a colony of Starlings breeding in one spot among the cliffs at Arran More. 
I noticed no birds of this species elsewhere for many miles, and they were 
strange birds to the natives of the island to whom I referred; they knew 
them only as “ Blackbirds.” The Tree Sparrow I remarked repeatedly, 
always near the same spot. I doubt if I saw more than one pair, which 
frequented the roof of a cabin and the adjoining fields. The House 
Sparrow is abundant on the island, and was the only Sparrow seen in 
County Donegal between Strabane and the sea. I found the Red-throated 
Diver breeding on the mainland (Co. Donegal), but this I think you 
recorded last year.—H. M. Watuis (The Lawn, Reading). 
The Siskin a Resident in Co. Wicklow.—I have observed that the 
Siskin (Carduelis spinus) remains throughout the year in this county in 
