NOTES AND QUERIES. 



271 



of the Pink-footed Goose, which is without doubt the most plentiful 

 of the Grey Geese frequenting England and Scotland, at all ; and did 

 not the birds he called Bean rather belong to this species ? The 

 flock of Greylag seen on Dec. 7th is also open to some doubt owing 

 to the date, but is possible. If Mr. Nichol is a wildfowler he will 

 know that it is impossible, with any degree of certainty, to identify 

 between the four species when in a skein, if silent, and even when in 

 a gaggle only the White-fronted can be identified with any certainty. 

 No mention is made of any being shot or identified in that way, so I 

 conclude, as the letterpress says, that he only identified them as Bean 

 and Greylag at a distance. Of course, the calls of all the Wild Geese, 

 both Grey and Black, differ, but some of them so little that they must 

 have all been heard again and again, and birds shot out of each par- 

 ticular skein or gaggle heard, before the best observer can be certain 

 of them. With all due respect to the gentlemen concerned, I think 

 that Bean should read Pink-foot, especially as many fowlers do not 

 know the Pink-foot under that name, but class both Bean and Pink- 

 foot under the former head, although, of course, quite a distinct 

 species with characteristics quite its own. — H. W. Eobinson (Lans- 

 downe House, Lancaster). 



Nesting of the Wigeon in Cumberland. — On the short note 

 mentioning Messrs. Thorpe and Hope's record of the breeding of 

 the Wigeon in Cumberland on April 30th, 1908, at Bassenthwaite 

 (ante, p. 191), may I be allowed to make a few comments, and 

 ask incidentally if the small feathers among the down were iden- 

 tified correctly, and, further, whether or no this is meant to be the 

 first record for that county and place ? If the latter is the case, may 

 I quote Mr. W. J. Farrer's note in 'The Field' for Aug. 1st, 1903, as 

 follows: — "In reference to my note on Wigeon nesting in Bassen- 

 thwaite, I may state that I have for some years suspected the bird of 

 breeding in the locality, as I have seen three or four pairs all through 

 the spring and summer months. This year [1903] I kept careful 

 watch on one pair from April 20th, when first seen, until May 10th, 

 when I found a female bird sitting on ten eggs. The nest was 

 situated close to the edge of a small rock on the marshes at the head 

 of Bassenthwaite Lake. I am quite sure as to the identity of the 

 birds, and have seen them many times since up to a month ago (July)." 

 I know myself for a fact that the Wigeon does nest at Bassenthwaite, 

 as on July 13th, 1904, I saw a female followed by a brood of young 

 about the same place where Mr. Farrer found his nest the year before. 

 Great care, of course, must always be taken in identifying the eggs of 



