202 president's ADDRESS. 



Ornithological. 



One of the most interesting occurrences of the year has been 

 the addition of Baer's Pochard ( Nyroca baeri) to the list of 

 British birds. 



At the meeting of the British Ornithologists' Club held on 

 November 20th, 1901, the Hon. N. Charles Rothschild ex- 

 hibited a specimen of this Asiatic duck which had been shot 

 on the Tring Reservoirs, Hertfordshire, on November 5th, 

 1901. This duck had never before been obtained in the 

 British Islands, and the only question was whether Mr. 

 Rothschild's specimen was a truly wild bird or an escape. 

 The specimen had no appearance of having been in captivity, 

 and Mr. Rothschild had satisfied himself that it had not 

 escaped from the Zoological Gardens, where there are four 

 pinioned birds of this species. The Duke of Bedford and 

 Mr. J. G. Millais, in reply to enquiries, stated that they were 

 not aware of any of these birds having been turned out on 

 artificial waters in this country, so that the evidence so far 

 points to the fact that Mr. Rothschild's specimen is a truly 

 wild bird, which doubtless lost its way and wandered to this 

 country in the same way that other Asiatic birds have done, 

 e.g.^ MacQueen's Bustard and Radde's Bush Warbler. 



It is also a matter of interest to record the laying of an ^gg 

 by the Condor in the grounds of the Museum on the loth of 

 April last. This bird was taken in the Andes of Chili, South 

 America, 16 years ago, and was presented to the Museum as 

 a nestling by Dr. H, S. Pattinson and Mr. W. C. Tripler. Mr. 

 Wright gives me the size of the &gg as 4-^ by 2\ inches. It is 

 a pure white without markings. Its surface is very rough, 

 and the shell light and thin. I am unacquainted with the 

 eggs of this bird, though most of Vultures are well known to 

 me. I should have expected a broader Q,gg with a smoother 

 surface, and a much heavier shell. Without more information 

 I should be slow in accepting this &gg as a typical example. 

 In its wild state I believe the bird frequently has two eggs, 

 and that it is almost a year before the young birds leave the 

 nest, 



