NOTES AND QUERIES. 353 



I have had a pair of these birds in a large aviary for two years, I am in a 

 position to state positively that those he heard were "recording," not 

 actually singing. The full song of the Redwing commences with a scale, 

 and is not unlike the song of a Chaffinch ; then come one or two Thrush- 

 like notes, and the song finishes up with the chuckling sounds of a Starling's 

 song. In the early spring the Chaffinch-like portion of the Redwing's song, 

 which is the best part of it, is wholly omitted. — A. G. Butler (Beckenham), 



Unusual Nesting-place for a Magpie.— The site described by Mr. 

 Whitaker (p. 309) is not such an unusual one as he seems to think. I 

 lived in the neighbouring county of Rutland for four years, and during that 

 time found at least a dozen Magpies' nests in hedgerows, some of which 

 were by the roadside; high trees were abundant. — W. J. Horn (Kings- 

 thorpe, Northampton). 



Cirl Bunting in Cardiganshire. — On July 23rd last, whilst trying for 

 some Stonechats, which were wanted for a museum, I heard the song of the 

 Cirl Bunting in two separate places within half a mile of Aberystwith. On 

 the same day I shot one of these birds, an adult male Cirl Bunting in good 

 plumage. Mr. Hutchings, taxidermist, of Aberystwith, to whom I took 

 this bird to be preserved, told me that this is the first Cirl Bunting from 

 Cardiganshire he has seen or heard of, though he has been an observer of 

 birds in the county for twenty-eight years. This species, which has in the 

 last two years become rather common in parts of the adjoining county of 

 Brecon, where it was previously very rare, appears to be gradually extending 

 its range westwards. — E. A. Swainson (Brecon). 



Hybrid Finches at the Crystal Palace Bird Show. — I examined 

 these finches, referred to by Mr. Weir (p. 274), on the first day of the show, 

 and there seemed to be no reason for doubting the statement of the breeder 

 as to their having been bred from mules paired with birds of the parent 

 stocks. This did not surprise me, for I had frequently heard of the Green- 

 finch being crossed with a breed of Canaries, with the view of strengthening 

 the stock. Two old ladies at Penge used at one time to rear a number of 

 Canaries, and when I wanted an odd bird for breeding purposes I used to 

 purchase one from them. On one of these occasions I saw a cock Green- 

 finch in one of their breeding-cages paired with a hen Canary, and upon my 

 remarking that the resulting mules would be ugly and of little value, they 

 explained that they were only breeding them to strengthen their stock, which 

 had begun to deteriorate in vigour.— A. G. Butler (Beckenham). 



Measurements of a Golden Eagle's Nest.— A friend in Inverness- 

 shire has sent me the following measurements of a Golden Eagle's nest 

 he has found : — Height, 9 ft. ; by breadth across the top, 5 ft. ; breadth 

 across the bottom, 20 ft.; a sort of rim ran round the bottom 4 ft. high, 

 ZOOLOGIST. — SEPT. 1891. 2 F 



