184 THE ORNITHOLOGIST. 



OBSERVATIONS AND QUERIES. 



Strange Freak of Captive Bullfinches.— For the last two or three 

 years I have kept hullfioches in a small aviary ; last spring I had four 

 altogether, two cocks and two hens. About the beginning of April I 

 noticed that one pair had paired, so I took the others out, and placed a bush 

 of gorse in the aviary, hanging it up in one of the corners, and placed 

 plenty of building material about the aviary. After a few days the hen 

 commenced to build, and in two days constructed a nest chiefly out of dried 

 roots, without the cock's aid at all. Three eggs were laid, but on the 

 fourth day, on going to feed them, I discovered only one egg in the nest. 

 Thinking this rather curious, I went in on the following day and found 

 that there was nothing in the nest. At the time I thought the eggs had been 

 destroyed by the cock bird. After three or four days, again going in, I 

 found a new nest containing seven eggs in a different part of the gorse. This 

 nest was extremely well hidden. The hen bird then began to sit, only 

 leaving the nest to feed now and again. After about ten days I was sur- 

 prised to see her about the aviary, not feeding as usual, so I entered the 

 aviary, and looking into the nest saw part of it had been torn away, and 

 the eggs had rolled on to the ground, all being smashed, and each containing 

 a young bird about three parts formed ; whether this was done by the cock 

 bird I do not know. This pair laid about sixteen or eighteen eggs 

 altogether, some light and some fertile. Is not it rather unusual for bull- 

 finches to lay fertile eggs in captivity ? Also the hen bird must have con- 

 veyed the three eggs from one nest to the other. These bullfinches were 

 captured young, before they had obtained any plumage. — A. C. Norman 

 (Bank House, Oakham). 



Supposed Occurrence of Turdus Migratorius. — Early in the 

 spring this year, while dressing one morning, I saw on the "gutter" 

 outside my dormer-window a bird, its back being turned to me, which 

 appeared like a large thrush. Whilst looking, it turned its breast to me, and 

 what was my amazement to see that it had a ruddy breast, for all the 

 world like an overgrown robin, except the red was ruddier. On going down 

 to breakfast I mentioned to my housekeeper that I had seen a most rare 

 bird, and before I could describe it she said, ' ' Was it like a big thrush with 

 a red breast ? — for I have just seen one fly into the chestnut tree." I made 

 enquiries of all my naturalist friends, but could not find any who could 

 name it. Since I have met two amateur ornithologists, who both declare it 

 was the American robin, or Turdus migratorius, and that I have seen a sight 

 rarely vouchsafed to naturalists in this country, it generally being supposed 

 that it exists here only as a cage bird, and those which have been seen are 

 escaped ones. But I do not think that anyone in this neighbourhood is likely 



