J 14 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Hybrid Finches at the Crystal Palace Bird Show.— At the recent 

 Bird Show at the Crystal Palace there were not quite so many hybrid finches 

 as usual. Only a dozen specimens were exhibited, the most interesting 

 being crosses between the Bullfinch and Redpoll, the Siskin and Goldfinch, 

 and a bird numbered 1559, but undescribed in the catalogue, which, in my 

 opinion, was a Linnet and Goldfinch hybrid. The specimen awarded first 

 prize was entered as " Linnet and Bullfinch," although this was apparently 

 a mistake, for the bird appeared to be a cross between the Bullfinch and 

 Goldfinch, of which some other fine examples were, as usual, on view. The 

 entries in the classes reserved for Canary mules numbered 138, including 

 crosses with the Goldfinch, Linnet, Siskin, Bullfinch, Redpoll, and Green- 

 finch. Of the other birds, in the British classes, the most interesting were 

 some Kingfishers, a Tree Creeper, a Redstart, and two fine Cornish 

 Choughs. — A. Holte Macpherson (51, Gloucester Place, Hyde Park). 



Pink-footed Goose in Dumfriesshire. — In former days the Bean 

 Goose was the most common grey goose on the Solway Firth. Of late years 

 it has, in ray experience, been replaced to some extent by Anser brachy- 

 rhynchus. I lately identified the remains of a Pink-footed Goose, which 

 had been shot out of a flock on the Scottish side of the estuary, between 

 Annan and Gretna.— H. A. Macpherson (Carlisle). 



Short-eared Owls in Northumberland. — Mr. R. Service's description 

 of the extraordinary destruction of young Short-eared Owls by Foxes 

 (Zool. p. 57) must, I think, have caused no little amazement amongst your 

 ornithological readers. During the whole of the spring, summer, and 

 autumn of 1893 we had these Owls constantly on the grouse moors adjoining 

 Cheviot and Hedgehope, in Northumberland. When shooting at Ilderton 

 last week (Jan. 31) I still noticed them hunting about as usual, but I had 

 not heard that any special mortality exists here amongst them. Though 

 without actual proof, I have little doubt that these birds bred on the 

 Northumberland moors during the spring of 1893. — Alfred C. Chapman 

 (Moor House, Leamside, Durham). 



Snow Buntings in Co. Kildare. — During the winters of 1891-92 and 

 1892-93 a great number of Snow Buntings (Plectrophanus nivalis) visited 

 the Curragh of Kildare. During the winter of 1891-92 I was in England 

 from Oct. 15th to Dec. 30th ; previous to the first of these dates no Snow 

 Buntings had arrived ; after my return to the Curragh I first noticed them 

 on Jan. 7th, 1892, from which date I frequently saw them until Feb. 25th, 

 after which day I saw no more. During the winter of 1892-93 I was away 

 from the Curragh from Oct. 1st to Dec. 14th, and had not seen a Snow 

 Bunting before I left; but on Dec. 15th I saw a large flock of about thirty 

 birds, and continued to corao across them almost daily until March 10th, 

 which was the last day I saw any. This winter the flocks were larger than 

 the last, and there were certainly more of these birds about. Although I 



