350 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
(Zool. 1909, p. 469), and this spring another has been killed at 
Middleton Cheney, in Northamptonshire, about four miles over our 
borders. In the example, the subject of the present notice, the dark 
colour of the chin and throat is more extensive than in the first- 
named specimen, %.e. it extends further laterally. The colour is 
darker also, the middle of the throat is black, or almost so, and this 
shades off into rich chestnut-brown at the sides. This bird is no 
doubt a hybrid between the typical Cotwrnex commums and the 
chestnut-throated subspecies (or resident local race), C. c. capensis. 
Mr. Grant says (‘ Handbook to the Game Birds,’ vol. i. p. 181) that 
the results of the interbreeding of these two forms are to be seen in 
the many male birds from South Africa and South Europe, &c., in 
which the white parts on the sides of the head and throat are more 
or less suffused with the bright rufous-chestnut characteristic of the 
resident bird. I have seen these chestnut-throated birds among the 
cages full of Quails to be seen in the markets in May, sent from the 
Mediterranean countries. But it is evident that the hybrids also 
reach our shores, and probably (to judge from two occurring—or 
rather being identified—in the neighbourhood within three years) 
not uncommonly. If only the people on the shores of Italy, &c., 
would let a few Quails through sometimes at the time of the spring 
migration, I feel sure we might once more have this grand little bird 
among our list of regular game-birds; and its pretty call, ‘“ twit- 
middick,’ might be a familiar summer sound. I have heard one 
Quail calling here this summer (1912).—O. V. Apuin (Bloxham, 
Oxon). 
Three Nests of Crex pratensis in the same Field.—In 1910 I saw 
three nests of Land-Rails in one small field of about two acres. They 
were in a field on the Corporation’s Sewage Farm at Spofforth. When 
the grass was being cut two were destroyed, but the third was observed 
in time to save it, and a tuft of grass was left to protect the nest. The 
bird did not desert, but continued to incubate her eggs. The care- 
taker called to inform me, in case I would like to photograph her, as 
she was exceedingly tame. When I went over the bird was absent, 
and upon another visit in about an hour or so she was still absent, 
and the eggs quite cold. It looked as if she had deserted, but it 
turned out she was the victim of a most unfortunate accident. Quite 
close to the nest was a large septic tank, and the bird had somehow 
managed to get into this, and was drowned ; her dead body, perfectly 
fresh, was floating on the top—R. Fortune (Harrogate). 
