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SOME UNPUBLISHED LETTERS ON ORNITHOLOGY, 



Addressed to Mr. John Cordea.ux, by the late Col. Russell, 



of Stubbers, near Romford, Essex. 



Stubbers, Romford, 19th June, 1880. 



Since writing to you the other day I found some notes which 

 I had forgotten. 



Feb. 16th, 1880. Heard that there had been thousands of 

 Wigeon on that day on the coast. They were yellow-bellied. 

 I have heard the fen people attribute the yellow colour often 

 seen on the under parts of Teal and Wigeon to their having been 

 on the coast ; the coast people think they have been on the fens. 

 I think the latter more likely to be right, as nothing seems so 

 likely to give the colour as peat-stained water. I was not on the 

 coast then, but on my return saw a very few Wigeon on Feb. 21st. 

 I was on the coast great part of the time till March 15th, and, 

 as I said before, saw only four Wigeon. Those seen on the 21st 

 were probably the last of the flight which came (or began to come) 

 on Feb. 16th. 



March 1st. Saw two flocks of Lapwings on the Blackwater 

 river (many had passed southward Dec. 2nd). 13th. A Starling 

 came on board at sunset. 15th. Saw many Loons (Red-throated 

 Divers), — more than at any time in winter, — Oxbirds, a few Grey 

 Plover, but no Knots about ; we had very few of these last through 

 the season. I do not know whether the question has ever been 

 decided whether the red throat of the Diver is seasonal or mature 

 plumage (Yarrell seemed uncertain). I have never seen a trace 

 of the red colour in winter, but have seen it in spring : this would 

 suit either opinion. But I shot one last autumn (I think in 

 October) which showed some red, and it seemed to me evidently 

 in the course of disappearing. I sent it to a friend who had it 

 skinned, I believe. Should you like to see the skin ? 



I now send you the proportion of young and old Brent 

 Geese killed at different times last winter, 1879-1880. I shot 

 113, my man 51. Of the whole 164, 45 were old, 119 young. Except 

 in one case, I only made a note at the end of the time of getting 

 them. In October, November, and December, up to Dec. 6th, 

 one old, ten young ; to Dec. 18th, twenty old, fifty-five young ; 

 to end of December, six old, twenty-four young ; Jan. 10th to 



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