468 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



is also long and narrow, with a sharp ridge along the dorsal line, the head 

 being less than a quarter of the whole length, the skull tapering towards 

 the lower jaw, and the baleen never exceeding two or three feet in the 

 largest species. The general colour of B. borealis is greyish, or bluish 

 black, which becomes darker after death, with lighter spots or patches. 

 Below the margin of the lower jaw the throat is white, which makes the 

 plications well marked, while cloudings of white and grayish white, varying 

 in individuals, extend more or less along the belly. The baleen in adults is 

 always deep black, but some of the smaller blades (and in younger specimens 

 the whole of the wreath) are often clouded or mottled with white. 



BIEDS. 



The Cirl Bunting in Hampshire. — With reference to Mr. J. H. 

 Wilmore's note on this subject, I should fancy that the Cirl Bunting is 

 pretty generally diffused in Hampshire. A few years ago I had no difficulty 

 in obtaining several specimens, in spring plumage, from a correspondent in 

 the neighbourhood of Botley, where they appeared to be quite common. 

 Whilst in the train, close to Basingstoke, early one morning in July, 1887, 

 I saw a fine male sitting on the telegraph-wires, which were very low there ; 

 and I have also met with the Cirl Bunting in the Isle of Wight, near 

 Ryde. — Oliver V. Aplin (Bloxham, Banbury). 



Breeding of Pallas's Sand Grouse in Fifeshire. — Col. H. M. Drum- 

 mond Hay, in a communication written in September last and published in 

 ' The Scottish Naturalist ' for October (p. 349), says : — " It is with much 

 pleasure I have to state, from information received from Mr. Alexander 

 Speedie, of Kinshaldy, on Tents-muir, that from the number of birds on 

 the ground at present there is every reason to believe that the breeding has 

 been successful ; in confirmation of which I may mention that in cutting 

 a field of rye on the above-mentioned property, about the 18th of last 

 month (August, 1888), five young birds were captured. These were strong, 

 well grown, and full-plumaged birds, with the exception of the pointed tail- 

 feathers not yet matured. A pair were sent alive (by Mr. Speedie) to the 

 Zoological Gardens in London, which they reached (August 24th) in 

 safety : the remainder were kept for some time in captivity, but were 

 found to be so impatient of confinement that they were again restored to 

 liberty." 



Sand Grouse in Warwickshire, Berkshire, and Oxfordshire. — A 



female Sand Grouse, which I examined in the flesh, was shot near Radway, 

 Warwickshire, on June 22ud. At a birdstuffer's in Newbury I examined, 

 or heard of, the following Berkshire examples : — One, of a flock of thirty, 

 killed by striking against the telegraph-wires on Compton Downs, early in 

 June ; two shot near Newbury ; one at Clifton, near Hungerford ; and two 



