4704 Birds. 



rating principle remains to be proved, as it has been preserved entire, I believe, for 

 the purpose of incubation : the outer egg contained no yolk. I trust that if such an 

 instance has ever before occurred within the knowledge of any of your readers or cor- 

 respondents they will make it known. 1 have every reason to believe the accuracy of 

 the facts as related, which, though perhaps not inexplicable, still appear to me unpre- 

 cedented. — O.Pickard- Cambridge ; Durham, April 17, 1855. 



Supposed neiv Snipe. — For some years past I have occasionally met with a snipe 

 in this neighbourhood, which I strongly suspect to be distinct from the common 

 snipe, and not hitherto described. I think the first I observed was in 1834: it was 

 sent to me by a gentleman who devoted himself at that time to snipe shooting, and 

 who thought, from its superior size and its general dark tone of colour, that it was a 

 different bird from the common snipe. Some little time afterwards I submitted my 

 bird to Mr. Yarrell, and that gentleman informed me he had consulted some scientific 

 ornithologists, and he believed, as well as themselves, that the bird was referrible to the 

 common species, and that the greater depth of colouring might be attributed to summer 

 plumage. I omitted to tell him when the bird was killed (about Christmas), but if I 

 had done so he would not have suggested this cause for the variation of the plumage. 

 Some five or six examples have since come to my notice, and I may remark that the 

 size of the new bird is longer and more bulky than the common snipe. The whole of 

 the tints of the upper plumage, both as to rufous and buff markings, are darker, and the 

 longitudinal dorsal stripes are much narrower and appear altogether more obscure than 

 in the Scolopax gallinago. There is also more rufous about the neck and shoulders, 

 and the under parts are more darkly clouded, with the flanks much more striated and 

 the belly less silvery white. Mr. Vingoe has been looking out for specimens during 

 this hard winter, and succeeded in shooting one, which he says rose without any nole 

 and without any companions. All the specimens that I have seen correspond with 

 each other: they all appear larger than the common snipe, but, like that bird, have 

 fourteen tail feathers. — Edward Hearle Rodd; Penzance, March 24, 1855. 



Curious Act of Auto-surgery in a Teal — Under this title a fact will be found recorded 

 at p. 4661, by Mr. Preston (who, I learn, has no claim to the title of "Reverend"). 

 When I read this I felt inclined to suppress it, having frequently observed a similar 

 occurrence, and having always given it an entirely different explanation, believing that 

 the curious juxtaposition of feather and bone was produced by the shot, without any 

 contrivance on the part of the bird, and indeed much against its will and convenience. 

 Still I felt reluctant to take a step that could have the appearance of discourtesy to a 

 correspondent and observer of nature. I therefore printed the note, and now add my 

 own theory on the subject. — Edward Newman. 



Occurrence of the Smew near London. — On the 26lh of February I shot a very fine 

 specimen of the smew, at a distance of about seventy yards, between the White House 

 and Temple Mills, near Lea Bridge. — George Beresford; Lea Bridge, Clapton, 

 March 13, 1855. 



Wild Fowl on the Norfolk Coast. — In my notice of winter visitors to this locality 

 (Zool. 4660) I omitted to mention Smews, of which several have been shot; amongst 

 them four males in perfect plumage. Within the last fortnight we have had in our 

 market two adult Bewick's swans and two young ones, and four fine specimens of the 

 castaneous duck have been lately obtained at Yarmouth. — IJ. Stevenson ; Norwich, 

 April 13, 1855. 



PS. The word " scarce," in my last note, should certainly have been " some."—//. S. 



