Vol. xxxix. | 58 
in that neighbourhood had burnt the heather very late in. 
April, and thus destroyed an enormous number of Grouse’s 
nests. He was told that the farmers up there have a great: 
animosity against the people who rent the moors, whom they 
call “ foreigners” ; and they think that by destroying the 
Grouse they will prevent the moors being let, and subse- 
quently be able to get the shooting for themselves. 
Mr. P. F. Bunyarp exhibited mounted specimens of the 
nest-feathers and down of the Goosander (Mergus merganser), 
which he described as having the basal or downy portion 
greyish, the remaining portion—~. e. from immediately above 
the downy portion to the terminal end—creamy buff, whitish 
on either side of the downy portion, very distinct. Length 
44 mm. | 
Dresser had described these feathers as white (‘ Eggs of 
the Birds of Europe,’ p. 586), and Mr. Heatley Noble as 
white with a tinge of yellow (‘ British Birds,’ vol. xi. p. 40). 
Nest-feathers and down of the Red-breasted Merganser 
(Mergus serrator) were exhibited for comparison. 
Mr. Bunyarp also exhibited the following eggs :— 
A clutch of four Chaffinch’s eggs from Herefordshire, 
which were creamy white without markings, but otherwise 
normal. : 
A clutch of four eges of the House-Martin from Hereford- 
shire, two of which were well marked with reddish surface- 
markings and a few minute underlying markings of reddish 
grey, the third being only very slightly marked and the fourth 
quite normal. These markings were genuine pigment, and 
had not been caused by contact-stains or parasite excreta. 
“‘ Marked ” eggs had been previously recorded, but many of 
these had on a closer examination proved. to be only stained. 
These eges were taken by Henry Maddox at Kentchurch, 
Herefordshire, on June 28, 1909, for Dr. Williams, of 
Kingsland, Herefordshire. 
Two clutches of four eggs of the Dunlin, exceptionally 
beautiful and heavily pigmented, with markings forming 
