5988 



Birds. 



A word, before I conclude, on the much vexed question of the 

 gular pouch. In compliance with the wishes of an English gentleman 

 who felt great interest in the subject, I made many inquiries amongst 

 persons likely to be well informed, two of them in fact professional 

 taxidermists, and the almost universal opinion was that the pouch in- 

 variably exists in the adult male bustard, but never in the female of 

 any age : the matter, I think, can only be finally decided when some 

 good anatomist examines an extensive series of old males ; and as 

 these are at all times difficult to procure, the question must, I fear, 

 remain unsolved. 



Henry Smurthw^aite. 



Leipzic, Rossplatz, 

 February 8, 1858. 



Occurrence of Tengmalm's Owl (Strix Tengmalmi) in Sussex. — On the 27tb of 

 March, 1857, a labouring man, of the name of Day, saw a bird fly into a rabbits' 

 burrow, in Holmbush Park, near Horsham. He dug the bird out and sold it, alive, 

 to a bird-stuffer, of the name of Weller, in Rowghy Street. This bird was afterwards 

 shown to me, and it proved to be Strix Tengmalmi. The sex was unfortunately not 

 ascertained. It is now in my possession. — W, Borrer, jun. ; Coivfold, Sussex, 

 February 15, 1858. 



Occurrence of the Barheaded Goose (Anser Indica) near Chester. — I have been in- 

 formed, by Capt. E. H. Mostyu, that a specimen of the barheaded goose, a native of 

 India, was shot in the spring of 1848, during a hard frost, whilst in company with a 

 flock of bernicle geese, by — Congreve, Esq., of Berton Hall, Cheshire, on the shore 

 of the Dee, about eight miles below Chester. The specimen is still in his possession: 

 it had probably escaped from some aviary. The following is a description of the 

 bird. Length about 27 or 28 inches : bill yellow, with a reddish tinge at the base ; 

 head, upper part of neck and a stroke down each side of the neck white ; a bar of 

 black at the back of the head reaching to each eye ; below this a second bar of black, 

 not extending so far ; rest of the neck dark gray ; the feathers of the belly above the 

 legs and thighs brown ; the whole of the rest of the plumage French gray, darkest on 

 the wings, the primary feathers of which are dark gray or black ; tail tipped with 

 white; legs orange-red, — T, Mather ; Glyn Abbot ^ Holywell^ Flintshire, February 9, 

 1858. 



Black Swans nesting at Carshalton. — My black swans hatched off" a brood of eight 

 young ones on Friday last, all strong and healthy. This is the fifth time they have 

 bred at this season of the year. Their nest was entirely exposed to the weather, and 

 the most intense cold does not aff'ect them. — S. Gurney ; Carshalton, February 1, 

 1858. 



Occurrence of the Fulmar Petrel (Procellaria glacialis) at Brighton. — On the 30th 

 of January, 1858, a specimen of Procellaria glacialis was picked up, dead, on the 

 beach, at BLack Rock, Brighton. It was quite fresh, and appeared to have been 



