. ME. T. E. GUNn's OENITHOLOOICAL NOTES. 331 



of legs and toes does not at all agree with Yarrell (1 ed. vol. ii. 

 p. 474); he says these parts are reddish brown, but he probably 

 gave bis descrij)tion from a dried specimen. The only previous 

 example of the Little Bittern I have ever received in the flesh or 

 fresh state was also an immature female ; this was killed on the 

 Lower Abbey Marshes at Leiston in Sufi'olk, on the 25th of 

 August, 1882. The measurements of this bird corresponded 

 almost exactly with those given above. The weight, however, was 

 5 ouncef!, being | an ounce more ; this can easily be accounted 

 for by the contents of its stomach being of greater bulk ; it con- 

 sisted of aquatic insects, and two small pike, quite entire, each 

 measuring 3| inches in length. The plumage of this bird was 

 somewhat darker than the Suffolk specimen. 



Syhrid hetween a Gtoldjinch and bullfinch. — This interesting 

 hybrid died at a Canary Show in JN'orwich, on the 4th of November 

 last. It had been exhibited by Miss Howison of Cheltenham. It 

 was bred early last season from a cock Groldfinch and hen Bullfinch, 

 and was therefore not quite a year old. It weighed 4 drms. (apothe- 

 caries' weight) ; measured 6| inches in length from tip of beak to 

 end of tail, 9| inches across fully-extended wings to tip of each, 

 and ?,\ inches in the wing from carpal joint to tip of longest 

 primary ; tail 1\ inches. It showed certain characteristics of both 

 parents, and was nearly the size of the Bullfinch, but somewhat 

 slender in build, the back, wings, white rump, and tail resembling 

 that bird ; the tips of the secondaries in the wing were of a yel- 

 lowish buff", instead of a slaty grey ; the tips of the two long 

 feathers of its upper tail-coverts were slaty grey, similar to those 

 in the Groldfinch, and the outside feather of each side of its tail 

 had a patch or blotch of white on the inner web ; the Groldfinch 

 had the two outer feathers similarly marked, the second feather 

 having a much smaller patch or blotch ; all the feathers in the 

 tail of the Bullfinch were quite plain. The crown of its head was 

 black, and the face of the Groldfinch was represented by the red 

 being of a more delicate tint, which colour was sufi'used over 

 its throat and chest, merging into a reddish-orange hue on the 

 latter, also extending in a crescent-form from the lower part of 

 its black crown to side of its throat; the ear-coverts were grey ; 

 abdomen and under tail-coverts white ; flanks ash-grey ; legs and 

 toes pale horn. The beak was a modification of that of both parents, 

 with a fine point to its upper mandible, extending -Jg- of an inch 

 beyond the lower ; colour pale horn, nearly black at tip. 



LISN. JOUEN. — ZOOLOGY, VOL. XTIII. 24 



