NOTES AND QUERIES. 191 



Grey Lag; but the admixture of the characters of both species is well 

 marked and interesting. The bill of this specimen most nearly resembles 

 that of the Grey Lag, though there is a little black on the unguis and at 

 the base of the bill. The feet, on the other hand, resemble those of the 

 Bean Goose, but the two outer claws of both feet are white. The bird has 

 recalled to mind an interesting hybrid which Mr. Blaavv presented to the 

 Zoological Gardens a year or so ago. That bird had a Grey Lag's bill, 

 but the feet closely resembled those of Anser brachyrynchus in coloration. — 

 H. A. Macpherson (Carlisle). 



Nesting of the Coot. — In his ' Manual of British Birds,' Mr. Howard 

 Saunders states that young Coots are hatched " towards the end of May," 

 and other authorities fix this as the approximate date ; but I have never 

 known this species remarked upon as being a regular early breeder. 

 Mr. J. H. Salter, in • The Field' of April 25th, 1891, reported his having 

 seen a brood of Coots on April 10th on the river Cam, and from this he 

 inferred that the first egg was laid on March 12th. This he evidently 

 regarded as exceptionally early; but in Hampshire we can regularly count 

 on finding Coots' eggs before the end of March. On March 24th, 1890, 

 I found three nests containing eight, seven, and six eggs respectively; the 

 first clutch was considerably incubated. On March 31st, 1891, T found a 

 nest with nine eggs, incubated. On April 1st, 1892, Coots were unusually 

 behindhand with us, but I found a nest with two eggs on that date. This 

 year, on March 21st, two eggs had been laid. So although none of these 

 dates are so early as that mentioned in ' The Field,' it will be seen that 

 the Coot is, here at all events, an early breeder. On April 29th, 1891, 

 I saw a brood of Coots about three weeks old ; the keeper informed me 

 that there was another brood about, of the same age. — Sutton A. Davies 

 (Winchester). 



[We can confirm these remarks from personal observation. In West 

 Sussex, where for many years we had good opportunities of studying the 

 habits of waterfowl on two large pools, surrounded by game coverts and 

 strictly preserved, Coots, Moorhens, Water Rails, Grebes, Ducks, Teal, 

 Snipe, and Peewits used to nest regularly. The Coots were paired in 

 March, and had young hatched by the end of April. We have seen broods 

 on April 29th. The earliest date noted for Coots' eggs was April 5th, on 

 which day we also found eggs of the Teal, Snipe, and Peewit. — Ed.] 



The Nutcracker in Lincolnshire. — With reference to Mr. Fieldsend's 

 note (p. 153) on this bird in Lincolnshire, I may add that a Nutcracker, 

 now in Mr. G. H. Caton Haigh's collection at Grainsby Hall, was obtained 

 on Nov. 6th, 1888, in the parish of Marsh Chapel, near the Lincolnshire 

 coast. This was just previous to the "great flight" of Woodcocks which 

 came with a N.E. wind. It was recorded at the time by Mr. Haigh (Zool. 



