NOTES AND QtJEtllES. 23 



carmine-red of the breast of the male Bullfinch, and I venture to say that 

 if one of these birds were exhibited in any village school in Norfolk or 

 Suffolk, it would be recognised as a " Blood-Olph." A friend, who has for 

 many years taken much interest in the Suffolk dialect, has appealed in vain 

 in the local press for information as to the origin of the name " Olph." 

 Montagu and St. John, in their respective works on British Birds, give the 

 name " Alp," the latter adding in his index, " Bloodulf, a name for the 

 Bullfinch." It may be of interest to add that in May last I had a nest of 

 the Bullfinch brought me, with three eggs of the Bullfinch and one of the 

 Cuckoo, which I believe to be thoroughly genuine, — Julian G. Tuck 

 (Tostock Bectory, Bury St. Edmunds). 



Ring Dove pairing with Domestic Pigeon. — During the past summer 

 a Ring Dove, Columba palumbus, paired with a House Pigeon at Rusland, 

 and two, if not three, clutches of eggs were laid during the course of the 

 summer in the buildings. Though both the parent birds attended zealously 

 to the task of incubation, I am sorry to say the eggs proved unfertile. The 

 birds were much attached to each other, and the tame bird seemed proud 

 of the alliance. The cushat, a hen bird, was quite tame, and fed fearlessly 

 on the lawn and in the yard. — Charles F. Archibald (Rusland Hall, 

 Ulverston). 



[Several cases are on record of the Wood Pigeon breeding in captivity, 

 but instances of its interbreeding or pairing with other species are rare. 

 In * The Field' of July 22nd, 1876, Mr. Tomalin, of Northampton, reported 

 that a male Stock Dove paired with a hen Wood Pigeon in his aviary, and 

 two eggs were laid, but were unfortunately broken, having been evidently 

 pecked by one of the birds. The late Mr. Robert Gray, of Glasgow, several 

 times succeeded in rearing young Wood Pigeons from eggs placed under a 

 House Pigeon, but in only one instance did he know of a Wood Pigeon 

 breeding in captivity. This was a hen bird which was taken young and 

 restored to liberty when full grown ; but instead of flying away she paired 

 with a House Pigeon in a dovecote at Cummock. The pair had eggs 

 three times, but only one young bird was reared. This was larger than 

 the domestic Pigeon, and resembled the female parent in its general 

 markings. — Ed.] 



Swimming Powers of the Water Ouzel.— The question has often 

 been asked whether the Water Ouzel can swim. I have myself, in the 

 course of an experience of nearly half a century as a fisherman, very often 

 seen this bird dip into shallow water running quickly over gravel, and 

 disappear for a short time. I believe that it can run on the bottom. But 

 on the 19th October last I was fishing for salmon in the River Usk at 

 Llanguttor, Monmouthshire, in a part where the stream was wide, very 

 strong, and certainly five feet deep. I was accompanied by a friend, 



