Birds. 



7939 



tbe scapulars narrower and much less conspicuous. The bill and the tarsi especially 

 appear very short when compared with the large size of the body. I observed that the 

 second quill-feather of the wing was the longest, which is not the case in the common 

 snipe, the first primary having the advantage almost invariably. This might probably 

 be the result of age, but the wing of the variety mentioned appears altogether short. 

 All sportsmen who have killed the bird remark that it rises without noise. This variety 

 has puzzled me for many years. — John Gatcombe ; Wyndham Place, Plymouth. 



Occurrence of the Green Sandpiper at Leyton. — Specimens of this bird have been 

 observed in this locality almost every autumn, and two have been killed this season. 

 The first was in October, and the second on the 8th inst. It is an extremely good 

 one, and is now in my possession. — W. L. Barclay ; Knott's Green, JLeyton, Essex, 

 February 22, 1862. 



Occurrence of the Egyptian Goose near Dublin. — On the 8th of last December I 

 shot a fine specimen of the Egyptian goose (Anser Mgyptiacus) near Dublin. I men- 

 tioned this to Dr. Carte, Professor of the Dublin Society, who said that it must have 

 been a domesticated bird. When I first observed it, it was flying from the east, straight 

 fur the shore, but as soon as it perceived me it turned for the south-east, in direction 

 of some rocks called the " Muglins," when I fired. It then turned again towards shore, 

 and fell in the sea, when I picked it up. Whether it ever had been domesticated I 

 cannot say, but it appeared decidedly wild when I killed it. — H. Blake Knox ; Bartragh, 

 Dalkey, County Dublin. 



Pochards in the Serpentine. — Yesterday I saw two and to day eleven pochards in 

 the middle of the Serpentine, opposite the boat-house. Whether these were genuine 

 wild birds, or birds bred in the Zoological Gardens or St. James's Park (see Zool. 

 6922), I will not pretend to say, but from their number I think it is most probable 

 they were the furmer. I have seen no pochards on the Serpentine for many years, except 

 two wretched pinioned birds about two or three years ago, which of course disappeared 

 in a very short lime. Putting crippled birds in tbe Serpentine, to be harried to death 

 by the boats, bathers, fishers and dog-swimmers, is a species of cruelty which ignorance 

 alone can justify. — Henry Hussey ; 7, Hyde Park Square, January 23, 1862. 



Occurrence of the Little Gull and Little Auk near Lynn. — A fine specimen of the 

 little gull was shot at St. Germaius, Lincolnshire, in November, 1861 : it is now in 

 the Lynn Museum. A fine specimen of the little auk was also shot at Lynn. — 

 W. Wilson; Lynn, January 13, 1862. 



The Little Gull. — I have been fortunate enough to obtain two specimens of this 

 pretty bird lately ; one a young male, shot off Brighton early last year (see Zool. 

 7387) ; the other a fine adult female, shot at Freshwater, Isle of Wight, by Mr. 

 H. Rogers, on the 21st of January last. The plumage of this specimen differs much 

 from the young bird ; the whole of the upper parts are one uniform pearly gray ; the 

 quill-feathers the same, except the tips, which are white; the back of the head and 

 neck is mottled a good deal with black ; the tail and rest of the plumage pure white ; 

 while in the young bird the shoulders and some of the scapulars are black, forming a 

 broad band ; the quill-feathers black, with the inner margin and the tips white ; the 

 back pearly gray, with a black patch on the hump ; the tail white, broadly tipped with 

 black ; the throat, breast and under parts pure white ; the feet and legs, in the adult, 

 bright red,— beak reddish black; in the young bird the feet and legs dirty cream 

 colour,— beak black. There is a difference in the under parts of the wings in these 

 birds that I do not recollect to have noticed in any other gull ; the quill-feathers in. 



