Birds, 7049 



at Berne did so often, and instances in this country are common enough, but what 

 appears so strange in the present case is the fact that the parents are of entirely dif- 

 ferent species, the male being the American black bear (Ursus americanus) and the 

 female the brown bear of Europe (Ursus arctos), there being also other circumstances 

 known to naturalists which make the present case still more strange and uncommon. 

 Green, the head-keeper, with his lung-life experience of animals in menageries, has 

 never known or heard of a case of the kind occurring elsewhere. It will be curious 

 to see what the hybrid little beasts will be like when full grown. At present two seem 

 to take after the mother, and the third has the black coat of the sire ; but, according to 

 Green, it is impossible to say what colour they may take hereafter. The cubs at their 

 birth, in January last, were no larger than pointer puppies, and even now at six weeks' 

 old, are not so large as a Newfoundland puppy of the same age. They are like 

 almost all young things, prelty and playful, and full of uncouth little antics ; they 

 are, loo, by no means shy, and will follow Green's little boy like dogs. Madame 

 Bruin and her infant family will doubtless be a great attraction to the young people 

 during the coming summer. — The ' Western Daily Press,' March 29, 1860. 



Wild Fowl in the Ornamental Waters of London. — Mr. Hussey is in error in sup- 

 posing that no real wild fowl visit the ornamental water in the London parks. Some 

 little time since I resided in London several years during the winter and spring, and 

 have not unfrequenlly seen a small flock of perfectly wild pochards {Anas ferina) 

 swim on the water in the Regent's Park ; they sometimes remained for at least a fort- 

 night: when they first arrived they were very wild, but soon got quite tame, and 

 would occasionally take bread with the other ducks. One of the park-keepers told me 

 that small flocks of wild fowl passing over frequently descended, and remained for a 

 time on the water. A male wild wigeon {Anas Penelope, Linn.) for several succes- 

 sive seasons remained on the water in the Regent's Park, and paired with a female of 

 the common wild duck {Anas Boschas, Linn.). When I lived in London some of 

 their progeny used to fly backwards and forwards from the lake in the Park to the 

 pond in the Botanic Gardens. — H. Harpur Crewe; Wickham Market, Suffolk, 

 March 30, 1860. 



What is the use of the Oil-gland at the base of the Tail of Birds P — In his ' Essays 

 on Natural History' (pp. 60—64), Mr. Waterton is very severe on those who maintain 

 that birds " use oil from glands for the purpose of lubricating the surface of their 

 plumage," particularly objecting the impossibility of doing this to the head and neck. 

 I possess no means of referring to the ' Essays,' but will give the substance of notes 

 made (as specially therein), just after I had read the work, in August, 1841. It would 

 be somewhat diflBcult for any one to prove the actual fact that a bird " procures oil 

 from the gland with its bill," &c. (p. 61), since that perhaps could not be decided even 

 by shooting the bird in the very act of pressing the gland ; but it is surprising that so 

 close an observer of the actions and habits of animals should not have noticed pro- 

 ceedings which, at the very least, strongly countenance the opinion Mr. Waterton so 

 positively impugns. Few persons comparatively enjoy the opportunity of making 

 very near and accurate remarks upon birds in a state of nature, and I profess to have 



XVIII. 2 



