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Contessa Giulia Tommasi Baldelli,



“ That the Greylag and the White-fronted Geese are near allies, there can

“ be no doubt, indeed the latter seem positively to have been derived from the

“ former, since it is distinguished therefrom in its exaggeration of features,

“ which in the Greylag might almost escape notice. For it will be remembered

“that the Graylag shows a more or less distinct line of white round the base

“ of the beak, and indistinct black bars on the chest.”


Nothing is really known with regard to the breeding of the White-

fronted Goose in the Arctic regions, although its nest and eggs have been often

taken.


Mr. Pycraft continues :— “ Trevor-Battye, however, lifts the veil, so to

“ speak, for a moment, in his most interesting book, ‘ Icebound on Kolguev,’

‘ ‘ wherein he cites a case where a Snowy Owl attacked the young of a pair of

“ White-fronted Geese. Both birds came to the rescue. The gander flying

“ right up at the Owl, from the water, struck out with its wings, causing the

“ marauder to beat a retreat.”


In the Don steppes, Alpheraky says he has flushed these geese in

swarms of tens of thousands ; but having once risen, the hosts immediately

broke up into comparatively small flocks, and flew off, one after the other,

either to another part of the steppe or to water, uttering all the time their

loud laughing cackle.


It is refreshing to know that one of these little companies has, in the

midst of all the indiscriminate slaughter which takes place, been left in peace

at Miss Dorrien-Smith’s home in the Scilly Isles.—-H. D.A., EDITOR],



THE SYRIAN BULBUL.


Pycnonotus xanthoppgus.


By Contessa Giulia Tommasi Baldelli.


I do not remember having read in our Magazine any account

of this bird, and as our Editor has asked me to send him some notes

for publication, I will begin with some mention of a pair of Bulbuls

which are in my possession, hoping that some other Member may

supply more information about them and especially about the chances

of breeding them.


My Bulbuls were privately imported several years ago from

Syria or Palestine, and were in the possession of Dr. B. who kindly

allowed me to see them. He kept them in his bedroom where they

flew about from one article of furniture to another and seemed

fairly tame. The room was spacious, but neither light nor airy,

and I wondered that they kept in such good condition. After the



