NOTES AND QUERIES. 263 



examining the splendid series of Italian birds which he has set 

 up, and which is by far the best collection of the kind in the 

 country. 



As to the live birds in the various dealers' shops, they were 

 mostly Siskins, Serins, and Sparrows, but there were also a good 

 many Bullfinches, Goldfinches, Tree Sparrows, and Linnets. 

 Before starting for England I procured two Blue Thrushes, 

 M. cyanus, and a fine male Passer italics, which latter has 

 remained throughout the winter in full summer plumage. The 

 journey home through Mt. Cenis was terribly cold, and the 

 Thrushes would probably not have survived had they not been 

 dosed with Marsala in the middle of the night. Luckily they 

 eventually arrived alive, although one succumbed shortly after- 

 wards to the London fog at Christmas. 



The winter is not a good time for birds in Italy, and even 

 waders and ducks were almost entirely absent from the markets 

 and shops ; but these rough notes, which are mostly copied from 

 my journal, may serve to give some idea of the species to be 

 seen by the ordinary sight-seer at that season. 



In all, I either saw alive or handled in the flesh nearly a 

 hundred species, including about a dozen which I would not have 

 come across in England. 



NOTES AND QUERIES, 



MAMMALIA. 



Deer in Snowdrifts. — To give some idea of the depth of snow and 

 drift in the north of Scotland last winter, in the parish of Lairg, a month 

 or two after the first thaw set in, two full-grown Stags were found dead in 

 a hollow in one of the burns there, being smothered by the drifting snow. 

 The first thing one of the keepers saw was the Stag's antlers above the 

 snow, which he took at first for the branch of a tree ; but when he went 

 near he found that it was a Stag that had been smothered standing on his 

 feet. A week or so after this, when more of the snow was melted, the 

 other Stag was found ; but this one had been smothered while lying down. 

 He was close beside his comrade. 



Marten in Co. Wexford. — I write to record the capture, on May 1st, 

 at Coolbawn, Co. Wexford, by my friend Mr. Arthur Kuttledge, of a young 



