NOTES AND QUERIES. 10l 



the body. The second time I had a better view of it, and specially noticed 

 that it had a long and slightly-curved bill, and a good deal of greenish blue 

 about the chest, &c. ; also a yellow throat divided from the breast by a 

 black line, and wings somewhat like a Swallow's. Of course it may not have 

 been the same bird each time ; the second time I am sure it was a male, 

 the throat being of a darker yellow than that of the female seems, by the 

 accounts in books to be ; but the first time I did not see it long enough 

 to determine its sex. I should think that it was the same male each time; 

 but the birds might possibly have been a pair, the first one being the female 

 and the second the male. — Leonard M. Kennaway (Homefield, Exeter). 



Goosander near Cardiff. — A female Goosander was shot on the Ely 

 River, near Cardiff, on Dec. 30th, and was examined in the flesh by 

 Mr. Robert Drane, of Queen Street, Cardiff. — Digby S. W. Nicholl 

 (Cowbridge, Glamorganshire). 



Sabine's Snipe. — I have no doubt Mr. Gurney refers (p. 56) to a 

 conversation we had in November last. Speaking then of the dark variety 

 of Snipe known as " Sabine's," I stated that one season I saw four that 

 had been killed in one small district, the dates on which they were shot 

 being July 29th, Aug. 19th, Sept. 28th, and Nov. 15th, 1869. They were 

 all birds of the year, and, from the limited area in which they were found, 

 I consider it more likely that they belonged to one brood than to several. — 

 Edward Hart (Christchurch, Hants). 



Merlin with feathered Feet. — Two years ago Dr. Turnbull, of this 

 town, brought to me, for preservation, a female Merlin which had been 

 shot on the beach here. I observed at the time some minute feathers on 

 its feet, but thinking that this might be not uncommon I omitted to record 

 the fact at the time. Having enquired of several naturalists, and closely 

 examined every specimen of this bird which has since come in my way, 

 I find that this appears to be an uncommon occurrence. The bird referred 

 to is now before me. Three patches of feathers of a brown colour, and about 

 an eighth of an inch in length, occur on the inner edge of the membrane 

 between the third and fourth toes, similar to the feathers about the middle 

 of the tarsus of the common Barn Owl. — George Pow (57, High Street, 

 Dunbar, N.B.). 



[Is our correspondent quite sure that the feathers in question are not 

 the feathers of some small bird which have become attached to the hawk's 

 feet, as they often do after feeding?— Ed.] 



Sand Grouse in Staffordshire. — As I have not seen any record of 

 the Sand Grouse having been observed in Staffordshire during the recent 

 visit of this bird to England, I venture to send the following particulars : — 

 I was told recently by a farmer that he possessed a bird which he thought 

 was a Sand Grouse. A few days afterwards T went to see it, and found it 



