NOTES AND QUERIES. 189 
birds were so described in the show in question, but the male parent in each 
case was probably the Goldfinch. A correspondent, who has had long 
experience as a breeder, judge, and exhibitor, assures me that he has never 
known an authentic case of any cross bred from a cock Bullfinch. I have 
seen a large number of hybrid Finches, and have on many occasions 
examined birds described as crosses between “* Bullfinch and Goldfinch,” 
* Bullfinch and Linnet,” and (occasionally) “ Bullfinch and Redpoll” and 
“‘ Bullfinch and Greenfinch”; but it is just possible that in each of these 
cases the order in which the parents’ names were given should have been 
reversed. If it be the fact that no hybrids have been raised from the cock 
Bullfinch, it is very curious. Further information would be interesting.— 
A. Hoxtte MacpHerson (51, Gloucester Terrace, Hyde Park). 
Chickens reared by Partridges.—On a farm in this parish two chickens 
were last summer hatched by Partridges, a hen from the farmyard having 
no doubt laid in their nest. The chickens, which were both pullets, throve 
well, and were reared to maturity, growing into big lusty birds; but, as 
might be expected, were as wild as the Partridges with which they lived. 
This interesting family were in the habit of frequenting some low-lying 
meadows adjoining a piece of barley. On the first occasion of my meeting 
with them I was much puzzled by seeing out in the middle of the meadow, 
which was at some distance from the house, two big dark-looking birds, 
which from their actions were evidently neither Rooks nor Waterhens. 
From the length of the grass little else could be seen of them but their 
heads and necks, and their little foster-parents were at first entirely con- 
cealed. On seeing me, however, the two big. black pullets at once started 
off running, accompanied by one of the Partridges, which soon outran 
them, got up, and flew off, the other Partridge having squatted in the 
grass. The fowls ran at full speed towards a broad ditch full of water, but 
choked with sedge and other plants, where I lost sight of them. On 
atriving at the place where they had disappeared, I distinctly heard them 
in the ditch, apparently about the middle, but could do nothing towards 
rescuing them. The broken-down sedges, however, afforded them, no doubt, 
sufficient support to prevent their drowning. Usually, when disturbed on 
the open meadows, the whole family would get up and fly into the middle 
of the barley. These wild-reared pullets seemed to be decidedly stronger 
on the wing, and able to take longer flights than would have been the case 
if reared in the ordinary way.—G. T. Roprx (Blaxhall, Suffolk). 
Birds which nest in London.—With reference to the article in the 
January number of the ‘ Edinburgh Review,’ mentioned in ‘ The Zoologist ’ 
(ante, p. 91), I observe the writer divides London birds into three classes : 
(1) casual stragglers, (2) regular birds of passage, (3) birds nesting in 
