MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES AND OBSEKVATIONS. 337 



having a well-known tendency to fly great distances, they are 

 the most indolent birds possible, seemingly never caring to move 

 more than a few yards from the spot to which they are familia- 

 rized. Of a very courageous nature, I have seen a wild male, 

 when wounded by a gun-shot, instead of running away like a 

 Pheasant, walk defiantly up to the sportsman, in spite of the 

 natural shyness which makes them so very difficult of approach 

 in their native forests. And this fact is worth notice, that their 

 colour assimilates so closely with the tone of the foliage of the 

 Scotch Fir, that few could conceive the difficulty of distinguish- 

 ing the male bird (of the magnitude of a Turkey) when seated 

 on the branch of a Fir even at a moderate distance. Lastly must 

 be noticed the extreme ferocity of the male and his extraordinary 

 gesticulations during the season of courtship, which makes him 

 a dangerous neighbour to females and children who may be ex- 

 posed to his attacks. 



As the flesh of this species is bad food except perhaps in 

 youth, it may well be asked whether the possession of this spe- 

 cies be worth the great care and trouble of rearing them to ma- 

 turity. Yet every lover of nature will readily sympathize with 

 such efforts, where the local peculiarities may seem to give a fair 

 promise of success. 



XXII. — Miscellaneous Notices and Observations. 



On the Occurrence of the Passenger Pigeon, Columba ( Octopistes) 

 migratoria, Linn., in Yorkshire. — On the 13th of October, 1876, 

 I received a specimen of this North American bird from the 

 Dowager Marchioness of Normanby, who stated in her letter 

 which accompanied the bird, "that it was shot here to-day by 

 Lord Harry Phipps." The bird must therefore have been killed 

 on the 12th, and as her Ladyship's letter is headed Mulgrave 

 Castle, it is clear also that the bird was obtained at Mulgrave, 

 the seat of the Marquis of JSTormanby. This is the only specimen 

 killed in England that I have seen. 



