170



Correspondence, Notes, etc.



In looking through Ridgway’s splendid work 011 the “Birds of North

and Middle America” recently, I came across the following remarks: —

“ The group most closely related to the Fringillidce is, of course, that called

Tanagridce, or at least certain members of the latter,” and he proposes to

transfer certain genera, including Saltator, to the Fringillidce, •»as having un¬

questionably fringilline relationships.


It will be remembered that Dr. Sclater speaks of the Tanagers as

“ dentirostral finches” in which the beak is modified to enable the owner to

feed upon fruit; and, though we are well aware that some Tanagers will

eat and are able to husk seeds, while some Finches eat a good deal of fruit,

it is rather a shock to be asked to call some of the tooth-billed groups true

finches.


I note that in the work above referred to the family Fringillidce is

again characterized as “ nine-primaried ” ; yet, unless I am very much mis¬

taken, Dr. Baird was the first to record the fact that the so-called “ bastard¬

primary ” is not absent in these birds. Later it was again called attention

to by Dr. Hartert, and still later by myself (Zoologist 1S9S, pp. 241-4).


Possibly it may be incorrect to speak of the tenth primary in the

Fringillidce as a primary, because it is shorter than its coverts (see Pycraft

“ Topography of a Bird ” Avic. Mag., New Series, Vol. I., p. 161); but surely

in that case the family should be characterized as having “nine primaries

and a remicle,” which—to all intents and purposes — is equivalent to ten :

the fact is that this “remicle” iu some Fringillidce. is larger than the

bastard-primary in some Ploceidce, in which however the coverts are pro-

portionably smaller. A. G. Bu'i'per.



THE EGGS OF THE SMEW AND MISTLE THRUSH.


Sir, —In the last number of the Avicultural Magazine iu the article

on the Smew, by your esteemed correspondent Mr. J. Lewis Bonliote, the eggs

of the Smew are described as being very like those of the Golden-eye.

This is inaccurate. The eggs of the Smew are very like those of the Wigeou

(vide Yarrell and Howard Saunders). They are not at all like those of the

Golden-eye, which are bright green, whereas those of the Smew are cream-

coloured like Wigeons’, only with more gloss and smoother surface; they

are also heavier when weighed with Wigeons’ eggs.


I11 the article by Mr. W. E. Reliant I can bear him out iu his state¬

ment that the Missel Thrush lays five eggs sometimes, having found

clutches of five on two occasions, though four is much more general.


Perhaps this statement about the Smew’s eggs will be corrected in a

future number.* F. W. PROCTOR.



* I am much indebted to Major Proctor for pointing' out my careless slip. Of course

he is quite right.—the eggs of the Smew resemble those of the Wigeou.—J. L. B.



