NOTES AND QUERIES. 269 



for birds to nest in. Swallows, uncommon. Martin, local and fairly 

 numerous. Sand Martin, uncommon. House Sparrow, generally distributed. 

 Chaffinch. Brambling, fairly numerous. Bullfinch, seen by my brother. 

 Yellow Bunting, fairly numerous. Starling. Common Jay, seen by my 

 brother. Magpie, common. Hooded Crow, with young, flying. Swift, 

 a few pairs. Green Woodpecker, common, making the holes for their 

 nest in the tall straight stem of the poplar mentioned above. Cuckoo, not 

 common. Ked-breasted Merganser, a few pairs by the river. Snipe, one 

 near the summit at Biserkaker. Common Sandpiper, not numerous. Green- 

 shank, heard at Biaerkaker. Black-throated Diver, one pair on the lake at 

 Biaerkaker. 



Additional birds noticed at Griidt were the Long-tailed Tit (the northern 

 form, with a very white head), Coal Tit, Blue Tit (often nesting in the old 

 nest of Woodpecker), Tree Pipit, Spotted Flycatcher (nesting in the crevices 

 of rocks near the river), Siskin (fairly common), Tawny Owl, Rough-legged 

 Buzzard (trapped higher up the Orkla), Merlin and Kestrel (not common), 

 Mallard (one duck on the river), CapercailJie, Willow Grouse. I also 

 found the nest of what I believe to be the Mealy Redpoll, but did not 

 identify the bird. 



This is not supposed to be anything like a complete list, my time having 

 been much taken up with fishing, in which we had good sport. It is 

 therefore only those birds which presented themselves to me that are 

 recorded. The first part of the list includes the birds I saw during 

 our drive over, the second to the additional ones seen at Griidt, 

 with the exception of Bullfinch, Common Jay, Snipe, Greenshank, 

 and Black-throated Diver. — F. P. Johnson (Castleheads, Brampton, Cum- 

 berland). 



Variety of the King Duck. — I have recently received from Mr. 

 Marsden, of Bath, a skin of a female King Duck, Somateria spectabilis, 

 labelled " Iceland, 1885." On relaxing and mounting it, I find that in 

 one wing the first two — and in the other wing the first four — primaries are 

 white. — Wm. Fakren (9, Union Road, Cambridge). 



Golden Oriole in Richmond Park.— On April 25th, while riding in 

 Richmond Park, my attention was attracted by the appearance of a yellow 

 bird with dark wings and tail flying close to me. I presume it was a 

 Golden Oriole. I do not think any of these birds have been seen about 

 here before. — M. Burr (Richmond). 



[The Golden Oriole, arriving in April, is an annual summer visitor, 

 chiefly to the south-eastern and southern counties of England, and in many 

 instances has been known to breed here. Doubtless this would happen 

 oftener if the birds were not thoughtlessly shot on their arrival. — Ed.] 



Hoopoe in Surrey. — On June 26th, near the village of Oxted, I saw 

 a strange bird flying over the road which I did not recognise. A friend 



