6890 Birds. 



interesting. It has been carefully preserved by Mr. Swaysland, of 4, Queen's Boad, 

 and is now in the possession of Mr. Bond, of 24, Cavendish Koad, St. John's Wood, 

 who will be happy to show it to any gentleman who will call. — Edward Neivman. 



Note on a Variety of the Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), and on a Coot (Fulica atva) 

 found in an odd Situation. — The variety from which I subjoin the following descrip- 

 tion was procured near the town of Kettering, Northamptonshire, on the 3rd ofDecember, 

 1859. This same bird had been observed for some months previous to its capture by 

 various persons, as also by the Rev. F. Tearle ; but all attempts, which were not a few, 

 to shoot it were futile until the time named above. It is the only instance of a pied 

 chaffinch having come under my notice. The pied markings of this bird are as fol- 

 lows : — Bill much paler blue than in an ordinary specimen, slightly tipped with 

 black. Head and neck white, with the exception of a brownish feather or two ; 

 a band of darkish feathers passes round the back part of the head, in the shape of a 

 half-circle, from behind each ear ; ear-coverts huffish orange. Back pied white and 

 brown. Rump green. Tail black, with the two outer feathers on each side edged 

 with white. Breast, belly and vent pinkish bufi". Eyes hazel. Legs and toes light 

 brown. The bird is an adult male. About three weeks since the gardener of 

 Downing College brought me a coot, which he said he had found down his kitchen 

 area, closely snugged up in one corner. The weather at the time was mild ; nor 

 had there been any heavy gales blowing. The bird appeared to be in a perfectly 

 healthy state, and showed no marks of recent confinement. What could have induced 

 it to choose such a strange situation ? — J. P. Saville ; Jesus Terrace, Cambridge, 

 February 7, 1860. 



Occurrence of the Coral Waxhill (Estrella astrild) in the Isle of Wight. — On the 

 Slh of November last no less than three of these little exotic finches were observed in 

 the neighbourhood of Freshwater Bay. One moment they were on the ground 

 feeding, the next hidden in some bush. It was this movement that caused me to notice 

 them. After some trouble I succeeded in shooting one. Its crop was distended with 

 the pupae of a dipterous insect. These birds are said to feed upon millet in their 

 native country ; but here they would be more likely to suflfer from cold than from the 

 want of that food. The specimen alluded to is in the possession of Mr. F. Bond, who 

 informs me that the species inhabits Africa and the Mauritius, and is frequently seen 

 in the shops of the London fanciers, who call it the " coral waxhill," and who do not 

 consider it very hardy. Possibly those I saw had escaped from confinement, or from 

 a ship passing the island or wrecked on its coast : there is no probability of their 

 having voluntarily made so long a pilgrimage from their native country. — Henry 

 Rogers ; Freshwater, Isle of Wight, February 3, 1860. 



Nest of the Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis). — In the ' Zoologist' for 1858 (Zool. 

 6327), 1 gave an account of an examination of the nest of the green woodpecker, and 

 of the actions of the bird after the entrance of the nest had been stopped up with 

 a turf. In the spring of the year 1859 it was observed that this obstruction was 

 removed, probably through the influence of the rain in winter, and consequently that 

 the orifice was now of much larger size than is usual in the nest of this bird. But in 

 April it was further noticed that the cavity in the tree was occupied with materials of 

 some other kind than is usual with the woodpecker, and that, among other things, 

 wool was to be seen. This was soon explained by the discovery that the convenient 

 cavity had been seized by a jackdaw, several of which are in the habit of associating 

 with the rooks of the rookery close by. The unfortunate woodpecker had been antici- 



