NOTES AND QUERIES. 317 



adult Whooper Swans in market on Jan. 12th, and Red-necked Grebe on 

 the 20th : another soon after. Bean Goose, weighing 7 lbs., in market on 

 the 24th. Three or four Sclavonian Grebes shot early in January. A flock 

 of about ninety Swans seen on the marshes on the 20th. Montagu's Harrier 

 in market on the 31st. Smew (adult males in particular) were exceptionally 

 numerous in January and February. — A. Patterson & B. Dye (Great 

 Yarmouth). 



Albino Twites in Ireland. — Early last year Mr. Robert A. Simms, of 

 Ballymena, Co. Antrim, told me that a shepherd named Arthur M'Allister 

 had a white bird alive, which he obtained under the following circum- 

 stances : — In the summer of 1887, while his children were playing on a 

 mountain near Newtown Crommelin, North Antrim, they flushed from the 

 ground three white fledgling birds, all of which they caught. Two died 

 within a day or two, and were thrown away ; but the third, which is the 

 subject of this note, attracted the attention of Mr. Simms, who fortunately 

 happened to be in the district about the time. It lived, as he has since 

 told me, in the possession of the shepherd until the middle of December, 

 1890. On the 16th December Mr. Simms obtained the dead bird, and sent 

 it to Mr. Robert Patterson, of Belfast, who had it stuffed, and at the 

 request of Mr. Simms, very kindly sent it to me. The bird is a Twite, 

 Linota flavirostris, and, with the exception of a small rust-coloured patch 

 on the rump (characteristic of the male bird), is perfectly white ; the legs 

 and claws are also nearly white, and the bill is pinky, rather than yellow ; 

 in the living bird the eyes were pink, as in all albinos. It is worthy of note 

 that three albino birds were produced from one nest. — Edgar R. Waite 

 (The Museum, Leeds). 



Egyptian Goose in Devon. — An adult male of this species was shot 

 on the river Exe on May 9th. It was in good plumage, and not the 

 slightest trace of its ever having been in captivity was visible. The 

 probable cause of its appearance at that time of the year is that possibly 

 during the past severe winter a pair of these birds wandered from their 

 home, wherever that might be ; one no doubt fell to the gun of a wildfowler, 

 whilst the survivor has wandered about in search of its companion up to 

 the time of its destruction in May last. From enquiries made, I find that 

 no Egyptian Geese are kept within several miles of the place where this 

 bird was shot ; in fact, I think I am right in saying that none are kept in 

 this county. Like the Canada Goose, it is an introduced species, and has 

 never been known to cross the Mediterranean in a wild state, hence my 

 reason for not including it in my ' Birds of Devonshire.' The bird in 

 question is now being preserved for my collection. — Wm. E. H. Pidsley 

 (Blue Hayes House, Broadclyst, Devon). 



Dipper nesting in March. — While fishing on the North Esk, Forfar- 

 shire, on March 28th, I found the nest of a Water Ouzel, containing young 



