100 NoTES ON THE Birps OF DUMFRIESSHIRE. 
In 1912 a Pheasant had her nest, close to Drumlanrig 
Castle (Durisdeer), ten feet from the ground in a lime tree. 
I was told of a Pheasant’s nest, near Tynron, with three 
eggs, on 27th February, 1919, but I was not able to inspect 
it personally and I wonder if this may not have been a Wood- 
cock’s nest. 
Females assuming the plumage of the male occur far 
more often than is generally supposed. In the autumn and 
winter of 1910 I obtained specimens from Capenoch (Keiz) 
and Auchenhessnane (Tynron): a remarkably fine example 
was trapped at Newtonairds (Holywood) in February, 1921, 
as they are called, near 
(a3 99 
and I saw one of these ‘‘ mules, 
Penfillan (Keir) on 27th October, 1921, and shot one at 
Lann (Tynron) on 8th November, 1922. A very curious 
specimen of the common hybrid Pheasant (Phasianus 
Colchicus x torquatus) was caught at Springkell (Kirkpat- 
rick-Fleming) in December, 1912, the bird was a female and 
its extraordinary plumage, which showed a remarkable com- 
bination of melanism, erythism and albinism, is thought to 
have been an instance of discontinuous variation or 
mutation.!7? In October, 1920, I saw a white, or partially 
white, Cock Pheasant not far from Thornhill (Morton) and 1 
heard of its being seen near there again about Christmas 
day and also in the spring of 1921. A hybrid between a 
common and a Golden Pheasant was shot near Craigs (Dum- 
fries) in January, 1912. 
Pheasants are well known to stray widely from where 
they are reared. Birds which were hand-reared and ringed 
at Capenoch were shot, within four months, three and four 
miles from where they were turned down. 
On 3rd December, 1910, I shot and winged a hen 
Pheasant which took refuge in a rabbit hole; it was neces- 
sary to dig down three feet before recovering it. 
The PARTRIDGE (p. 341). A pale variety was shot 
near Courance (Lockerbie) in October, 1906; and a male, 
which has a cream-coloured head and is generally of an 
170 British Birds Magazine, Vol. VII., p. 25. 
