154 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Plumage of the Kestrel. — The sex of the Kestrel mentioned by me 

 (Zool. 1886, p. 180) was not tested by dissection, which I now regret, 

 though at the time I did not think it necessary. I may add, how'ever, that 

 it was its small size, combined with its female plumage, which induced me 

 to examine it closely ; that I took it to Mr. John Sayer, the well-known 

 birdstuffer, of Norwich, who confirmed my opinion ; and that a hawk, male 

 or female, kept flying about and caUing- near the place whence the nest 

 was taken for some time afterwards, making the third which seemed to 

 belong to the nest. — H. T. Feere (Burston Kectory, Diss). 



Great Grey Shrike in Kent. — A male specimen of Lanius excuhitor 

 was shot near Maidstone on January 19th, and was preserved by Mr. S. 

 Brent, of this town. Two others were seen here last winter. — Henry 

 Lamb (Maidstone). 



[This bird is a pretty regular winter visitor, and in the eastern and 

 south-eastern counties of England is by no means so uncommon as many 

 suppose. — Ed.] 



REPTILES. 

 Adders in Winter. — One day early in January last a friend of mine 

 killed an Adder in Parson's Copse at Rowner. I made him promise to give 

 it me, as the occurrence of reptile life in the winter is at least unusual; 

 so last week it came into my possession. It is a small specimen, normally 

 colouied, with very numerous confluent spots. The mossy oak stump 

 whereon we found it was not particularly sheltered, and I feel sure that the 

 viper was not dug up or brought there. The creature was very sluggish, 

 and permitted its finder to cut the stick leisurely, with which a very slight 

 blow despatched it. The parish of Rowner abounds with Adders, and they 

 have their favourite basking.places. For several weeks I used to look for 

 one very handsome light grey, or almost white specimen, with black 

 markings, and it was almost always on the same little heap of dry fern 

 beneath a wild apple tree. Once while sitting sketching I heard a rustle 

 beneath the camp-stool, and looked down to see a fine brown Adder very 

 slowly passing between my feet; it went at the same pace straight ahead 

 until it disappeared beneath the ferns. All creatures apparently get 

 accustomed to a motionless figure, and treat it with indifference. Among 

 birds I found Jays and Chaf&nches, es[ ecially young Chaffinches, the 

 boldest ; the first would come very close indeed, attracted, I suppose, by 

 curiosity, while the second would pick up the crumbs from my frugal 

 lunch, \Yhich had fallen beneath the easel. The colour-box serves occasionally 

 for collecting purposes. A Piinged Snake, unfortunately slain in my clumsy 

 attempts at capture, was put amongst the colonr-tubes, and attracted in 

 half an hour an extraordinary number of flies. A specimen of Triton 

 cristatus, consigned to the same receptacle on account of its size and beauty, 



