NOTES AND QUERIES. 233 



ultimately lay down. Now the pairing of Peafowl is very rarely 

 observed ; I have only once seen it even with the common or Indian 

 species (P. cristatus). In this case, also, the cock was displaying, 

 and uttered a peculiar call (but not exactly like the Javan bird's) 

 before the act, but there was no obvious attention to the display or 

 invitation on the part of the female. — F. Finn. 



Use of Muscovy Ducks and Guinea-fowls. — In times like the 

 present, when expenses are being cut down everywhere, there is a 

 danger that the above birds may be killed down as not worth their 

 corn. I should, therefore, like to put in a plea for the Muscovy 

 Duck as the most easily bred and reared of all poultry ; the females 

 are as motherly as any hen, and the birds will thrive away from 

 water better than common Ducks. I recently bought, and tried the 

 flesh of, a bird of this species — a male of about 9 lb. weight — bred 

 two years ago at the Zoo from an imported wild male ; though not 

 of quite so fine a flavour as a good common Duck, it was not tough, 

 as I have found adult Muscovys which I have had to eat on board 

 ship, and had no objectionable taste, nor was it grossly fat, though 

 it had passed its life in an enclosure about six yards square. 

 With regard to the Guinea-fowl, its table excellence is well known, 

 but it is not much kept ; what I should like to draw attention to is 

 its extreme watchfulness, which might render it a useful sentinel 

 against air attacks. Last summer an aeroplane-shaped kite was 

 flown over the Zoo, and of all the birds a common Guinea-fowl (of 

 the wild race) was the most loudly and persistently clamorous. Of 

 course, such birds would only be useful where air-craft are but 

 rarely seen. — F. Finn. 



A Correction. — " Ornithological Eeport for Norfolk." — On p. 123 

 of this " Eeport " the names Zwanen water and Naardermeer have 

 been accidentally transposed. Mr. Jac. P. Thijsse, of Binnenduin, is 

 pretty sure that the Spoonbills which come to Breydon Broad are 

 non-breeding birds from these two Dutch resorts, the more so because 

 in July and August Spoonbills are to be seen in Holland flying about 

 the country miles beyond their breeding-places. As Secretary to 

 the Dutch Bird Protection Society, Mr. Thijsse naturally takes great 

 nterest in the welfare of these Spoonbills, and it was with his 

 assistance that the excellent map of their breeding-places by Mr. C. 

 Candler was prepared for the Norwich Naturalists' ' Transactions ' 

 (vol. v. p. 166). On p. 138, line 34, Tawny Owls should read Barn- 

 Owls. Page 126 : Dr. C. B. Ticehurst questions the Eooks and 

 Hooded Grows which have been seen arriving at Yarmouth in 



Zool. 4th set. vol. XIX., June, 1915. T 



