420 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
August 28rd, 1871, and figured in the 1st edition of Yarrell’s 
‘ British Birds’ as the American Scaup, Fuligula mariloides. In 
1872 the following remarks on this identical specimen appeared 
in the ‘ Handbook of British Birds,’ p. 64 :-— 
«The specimen figured by Yarrell belonged to Doubleday, and at 
the sale of that gentleman’s collection, in August, 1871, it was 
purchased by Mr. Bond, in whose possession it now remains. From 
an examination of this specimen I have little doubt that it is a hybrid 
between the Pochard and Scaup, although it is but fair to add that 
this view is not shared by Mr. Bond, who considers it a hybrid between 
F. ferina and F’. ferruginea. The broad bill, however, and dark colour 
of the head and dorsal plumage are points which seem to me to 
indicate a relationship to the Scaup.” 
One of the most singular birds in the collection is that in 
Case 84, a supposed hybrid between a Baldpate Pigeon and a 
Silver Bantam. It was stuffed by Sayer, of Norwich, in April, 
1864, and was presented by Mr. J. H. Gurney, who saw it before 
it was skinned. Its history will be found in an article by the late 
well-known artist, Mr. T. W. Wood, who has also furnished a 
very good engraving of the bird in ‘ The Country’ for July 24th, 
1873. Mr. Wood says :—‘ After carefully examining the speci- 
men, which is stuffed, I told Mr. Bond that I guessed it to be a 
hybrid bald-headed Pigeon and Bantam. Mr. Bond then said 
I had guessed rightly, and added that Mr. J. H. Gurney, Sen., 
the well-known ornithologist, had seen the bird when in the flesh 
dead.” As Mr. Wood characterizes it as ‘probably the only 
example known of such an extraordinary hybrid,” we may 
assume that he believed in the possibility of such a cross, though 
admitting that others dissented from him. We confess our 
inability to share his opinion, for the fact that chickens when 
hatched are clothed with down and able to run, while Pigeons 
at birth are naked and helpless, and require to be fed by 
the parent, seems at once to create an insuperable difficulty 
in the production of such a hybrid. For this reason, and 
having regard to the structure and shape of the legs, feet, 
and tail, which are essentially of the Columbine type, we are 
disposed to consider the bird an abnormal Pigeon of the 
colour of a Bantam. It is asserted, in the account given by 
Mr. Wood, that the bird in question was reared by a game-dealer 
at Norwich named Engall, in an aviary which contained both 
