VOL. VII.] . NOTES. 85 



and collect round a single female, and there would be 

 no inducement for her to extend her wanderings beyond 

 a comparatively small area of ground ; and if on the 

 other hand monogamy prevailed, her sphere of influence 

 would again be limited since, according to the law which 

 obtains amongst other species, she would confine herself 

 strictly to the territory of her mate, a forty odd acres or so 

 of land. If anyone can supply me with information bearing 

 directly upon this aspect of Cuckoo-behaviour, or upon the 

 question of breeding-territory generally in any direction in 

 animal-life, I shall be grateful. H. Eliot Howard. 



[Mr. Howard's suggestion that the female Cuckoos are 

 " nomads wandering from territory to territory, though 

 perhaps only mthin a certain radius," does not seem to derive 

 support from the series of facts recorded by Dr. Rey. 

 Unfortunately he does not appear to have published details 

 Avith regard to the extent of range of each female, or how 

 far their territories overlap. It is, however, clear from 

 a study of his catalogue that complete series of eggs from 

 several hens can be obtained from a very limited district. 

 According to these tables as many as three or four hens 

 may lay in one district, but it does not follow that their 

 boundaries overlap, and the fact that it is unusual to find 

 more than one Cuckoo's egg in a nest tends to prove the 

 contrary, while instances of three Cuckoos depositing eggs 

 in the same nest are extremely rare. 



As an example of Dr. Rey's work we may extract the 

 following : District III. comprised only 28 hectares, yet in 

 1891 series of 8 and 7 eggs from two different hens were 

 obtained Avithin these limits, and in no case did the two hens 

 make use of the same foster-parents. — F. C. R. JorRDAiK.] 



LITTLE OWL BREEDING IN ESSEX. 



While staying at Finchingfield in Essex on June 25th, 1913, 

 I saw a pair of Little Owls {Athene n. noctvu) and one young 

 one. The old birds fed the young one, which Avas sitting 

 on some iron railings and appeared to be full grown. It 

 flew easily when disturbed. Cecily J. Gtjeney. 



[The Little Owl was first recorded as breeding in Essex 

 by Mr. J. H. Owen, in Volume VI., p. 63, but it had been 

 observed in the county even as far back as 1903. — ^Eds.] 



FERRUGINOUS DUCK IN KENT. 



On May 21st, 1913, Miss Turner and I had a good opportunity 

 of watching a Ferruginous Duck {Nyroca nyroca) on a " fleet " 



