100 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



having been shot by Dr. Hewetson and party. This I examined as a skin 

 in October, and entered from oral evidence in my note-book as obtained on 

 Sept. 19th, which is doubtless an error. — John Cordeaux (Eaton Hall, 

 Retford). 



Former abundance of the Kite in London. — In « A Relation of the 

 Islaud of England,' written about 1500 by an Italian, name unknown, but 

 possibly the Secretary of Francesco Capello, and printed in this country 

 by the Camden Society, mention is made of " Kites which are so tame that 

 they often take out of the hands of little children the bread smeared with 

 butter." This no doubt refers to London, for in a previous paragraph the 

 writer observes, " It is truly a beautiful thing to behold one or two thousand 

 tame Swans (cigni mansueti e domestici) upon the River Thames." This 

 testimony to the former abundance of the Kite, which acted as a scavenger 

 in our great cities, is interesting. The writer also mentions Pea-fowl, 

 Partridges, and Pheasauts, and states there was a penalty for destroying 

 Ravens, which also helped to keep the streets of the towns free from filth. 

 Prof. Newton states (Encycl. Brit. — Birds) that in 1555 there was a penalty 

 for destroying Kites. In 1562 laws were made for keeping the streets 

 clean, and the throwing out of offal from butchers' shops was forbidden. 

 After that there was probably less need of Kites and Ravens, and doubtless 

 not so many of them in consequence.— J. H. Gurney. (Keswick, Norwich). 



[The protection formerly afforded to Kites in London is mentioned by 

 the old naturalist, Charles Clusius, in a note to the observations on this 

 bird by the French ornithologist, Pierre Belon. He expressly says, " Cum 

 eos enim interjicere vetltum sit." The whole passage is cited in the ' Birds 

 of Middlesex,' 1866, p. 10.— Ed.] 



Ferruginous Duck in Ireland. — A specimen of this duck was shot on 

 the Shannon, near Athlone, on 21st January last, by Mr. R. Surtington, 

 of Athlone. In the description of the adult male in Yarrell's ' Birds,' I do 

 not see any mention of the white margin round the fore part of the wing, 

 or the minute dappling all over the back, similar to those on the back of 

 the adult Tufted Duck, the female of which it resembles very much in 

 shape and distribution of colour. — E. Williams (2, Dame Street, Dublin). 



Lesser Whitethroat in the North of England.— It was with interest 

 that 1 read, in « The Zoologist ' for February (p. 74), Mr. Alfred C. Chapman's 

 account of the occurrence of the Lesser Whitethroat at Moss House, 

 Co. Durham, and the resume by Mr. Saunders on the distribution of the 

 species which follows; but as the statement that it "is not authenticated 

 in Northumberland" is rather misleading, perhaps you may consider the 

 following worth insertion. So long ago as 1831 Selby wrote of this bird, 

 " it is rare in the north of England," but added, " specimens have been 

 killed in the neighbourhood of Newcastle, and Mr. Win. Procter, of Durham, 

 has also found it iu the vicinity of that city " ; while Hancock (' Birds of 



