NOTES AND QUERIES. 157 



In 1910, from a large Chinese consignment, I secured beautiful 

 specimens of the Baikal Teal (Nettion formosa) and the Falcate Duck 

 (Eunetta falcata), both of which were very numerous ; and with them 

 I noticed dozens of the small eastern Bustard, Otis dyboioskii, Tacz., 

 Gallinago stenura, and one or two other Asiatic species, together with 

 the usual Palsearctic Anatidas. 



Perhaps the most curious find was that of the West Australian 



Anthoccera (or Acanthoccsra) carunculata — one of the " Wattle Birds " 



picked from amongst frozen rabbits by Mr. Horn, and mounted for 

 our museum ; and in December, 1909, a magnificent example of a 

 large Albatross (Diomeda exulans, I judged it to be ; it had little or 

 no buff about the head) hung for some days amongst the Turkeys 

 before a Leadenhall game-dealer's shop front. When I saw it the 

 bird appeared quite fresh, and bright red blood was dripping from 

 its beak. 



In past years large quantities of American game-birds and wild- 

 fowl were sold fresh in the Manchester Market, and many of these 

 passed through the accomplished hands of the Messrs. J. Holland, 

 Wright Johnson, and J. Barlow. This note may perhaps be useful 

 in connection with the mystery of admirably mounted Prairie Hens 

 or Hooded Mergansers found in collections of Lancashire birds ; but 

 it is now a long time since I saw an American complexion on a 

 game-dealer's stock-in-trade, and perhaps this Transatlantic traffic 

 has ceased. I have seen Waxwings, Pine Grosbeaks, Scarlet Bull- 

 finches, Crossbills, and other northern forms in great quantities in 

 the Manchester Market. This wholesale slaughter of bright-plumaged 

 Continental birds for mere vulgar display is not so common as 

 formerly, but occasional Eagle and Snowy Owls, Avocets, Bitterns, 

 Spoonbills, and similar creatures are still used as ornaments at 

 Leadenhall, and sometimes one notices less striking but more 

 interesting examples of "rare" birds. Some of these, one cannot 

 help suspecting, travel by sinister courses to unquestioning hands, 



for frozen birds stand transport and handling remarkably well. 



Frederick J. Stubbs (Stepney Borough Museums). 



P.S. — Since the above note was written I have received from a 

 Leadenhall dealer a bird picked out of a lot of Black Grouse. It is 

 an immature Little Bustard {Tetrax tetrax), with a culmen of no 

 more than - 9 of an inch. I am assured that it is from Northern 

 Europe, but of course the species is best known as a southern 

 bird.— F. J. S. 



