282 TBE ZOOLOGIST. 



reared) has been mated this season to a Turtle-Dove, but as yet the eggs 

 have proved infertile. According to Count Salvadori ('Cat. of Birds,' xxi. 

 p. 414), T. risorius is a domestic race of uncertain origin. It is not, 

 however, probable that there is anything " composite " about its pedigree. 

 Long domesticity would seem to have developed some tendency to hybridity 

 when opportunity offers. Some instances are noted (loc. cit.) with the 

 Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius), and with the male Fantail 

 Pigeon, a whole series of specimens being obtained in the latter instance. 

 Mr. Blagg has recorded (Zool. 1891, p. 113) a cross with T. communis, and 

 Mr. W. Williams has also described a similar case (Zool. 1894, p. 64). 



Domestic Pigeon X Columba cenas. — Several years ago my friend Mr. 

 James Blacklock, of Southwick, in my own neighbourhood, obtained eggs 

 of the Stock-Dove from the ivy-covered sea-cliffs near his place, and had 

 them hatched under Common Pigeons. The young Stock-Doves were 

 reared successfully, and last year paired with Pigeons. Eggs were laid and 

 successfully hatched, but all the hybrid young produced in successive 

 broods have invariably died when a few days old. This present season the 

 same thing has happened, and no hybrids have lived more than a week or 

 so. I applied in the columns of a fanciers' paper to see if any Pigeon 

 rearer could suggest a remedy, but so far none has been suggested to obviate 

 this aggravating result. — Robert Service (Maxwelltown, Dumfries). 



PISCES. 

 The Pike and its Prey.— The voracity and cannibalism of this " fresh- 

 water Shark " is so well known as to need no comment here, and the fact of 

 my present note may be superfluous for the readers of ' The Zoologist ' ; but 

 until recently I had an idea, from my own small experience in the matter, 

 and information from various anglers, that the Pike invariably swallowed its 

 finny prey head foremost ; if so, I have an exception which proves the rule. 

 At the end of January a friend of mine caught a female Pike weighing 

 18 lb., and, on opening it, a fish of the same species was found in the 

 stomach, weighing originally, I should suppose, from eight to ten ounces ; 

 but the flesh of the tail portion of the body was partly digested, as it had 

 been swallowed tail first, which I supposed was somewhat remarkable, as in 

 my limited experience I had not met with a fish in a like position in stomach 

 of either bird or fish, and I have dissected some numbers for the sake of 

 ascertaining their usual food. I can well understand that a comparatively 

 small fish once within the grip of such a tooth-arrayed and ponderous jawed 

 monster had a very remote chance of escape, whether taken head or tail 

 first ; and I had been led to believe that if a fish was taken crosswise it was 

 worked in the jaws of its captor until the head of the victim pointed throat- 

 ward. Of course it is well known that the murderous pointed hooks are 

 directed towards the head of the " bait," which seem to upset the theory of 

 head first. — G. B. Corbin (Ringwood, Hants). 



