194 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



1 must say 1 was ignorant of the fact of Pigeons ejecting castings such as 

 1 found composed of husks of bailey and beech-nuts, grass, or clover, and 

 small stones. — T. J. Mann (The Grange, Bishop's Stortford). 



Blackbird laying in Thrush's Nest. — Whilst rambling over the 

 Sewage Farm, during April last, I observed a Blackbird fly from a holly- 

 bush, and, thinking it might have a nest, I went to see, and to my great 

 surprise found that the Blackbird had laid four eggs in a Thrush's nest, 

 which I suppose the Thrush must have deserted. On my telling Mr. 

 Thomas, who owns the adjoining land, of the occurrence, he said that a 

 similar case was observed by one of his sons near the same place during 

 the previous year. Mr. Wm. Storey tells me that an instance of the above 

 has come under his notice in Nidderdale. — F. R,. Fitzgerald (Harrogate). 



The Ptarmigan in South-West Scotland.— The remarks of Mr. 

 Service regarding local specimens of Laijopus iinitus in the Museum at 

 Dumfries remind me that one or more specimens exist in the Carlisle 

 Museum. 1 therefore wrote to Mr. W. Duckworth, suggesting that the 

 Carlisle birds were probably from Dumfriesshire, and asking him to refer 

 to the old Museum Catalogue, with a view, if possible, to trace their history. 

 This he has kindly done, and finds that three specimens of L. mutus (two in 

 summer and one in winter dress) were included in a series of birds presented 

 many years ago by Mr. J. D. Murray, of Murray tliwaite, Dumfriessh re. 

 In all probability these were local birds : at least the presumption is favoured 

 by the facts which Mr. Service has recently set forth in connection with his 

 own district. — H. A. Macpherson. 



Woodcock and Pheasant laying in the same Nest. — 'Hi the 12th 

 April last I was taken to see a Woodcock's nest, about two miles from my 

 house. Tiiere had been four ejjgs, but one was broken to pieces, and 

 another had a hole in i*. In the same nest with these were two Pheasant's 

 eggs. The Woodcock's eggs had been laid some time, but were only 

 slightly incubated. I suppose the Pheasant had turned the Woodcock out, 

 but the keeper stated that two days afterwaids he saw the Woodcock silting 

 on tlie two Pheasant's eggs. From this it would seem that the Pheasant 

 had deserted and the Woodcock had gone back to the nest. On April 

 16th the two eggs were found to iiave been sucked by a Jay. — F. H. Birley 

 (Doi man's Land, East Grinsteadj. 



House Martins nesting in October.— A pair of Martins, Chelidon 

 urbica, built their nest at the Harrogate Hotel, Starbeck, and successfully 

 reared their young, in the latter end of October, 1884. The old birds were 

 observed feeding their young during a blinding snow-storm. Last year 

 Mr. William Storey, of Pateley, observed on October 8lh a nest of the 

 House Martin containing four young. The last Swallows observed in 



