Note on the Young of Fregilus graculus. 



37 



(2.) Note on the Bed Bill and Legs of the Young of the Fregilus gra 

 cuius, the Chough or Red-legged Crow. By John Alex. Smith, M.D. 



Some time ago I read a communication from the Eev. 

 Thomas B. Bell of Leswalt, entitled, " Notes from the neigh- 

 bourhood of Stranraer/'* in which he gave details of the 

 habits of this locally distributed bird, which occurs rather 

 abundantly in his neighbourhood. The bird breeds there 

 in considerable numbers in the cliffs of the sea coast ; and 

 at my request Mr Bell kindly undertook to settle the appa- 

 rently doubtful question as to the colour of the beak and 

 legs of the young birds, whether they were red or black — a 

 matter of fact which appeared to be still undecided among 

 ornithologists. 



Macgillivray, in his " British Birds," states that — " The 

 young are said to have their first plumage black, but without 

 the gloss and purple tints of the adult birds. The bill and 

 feet are stated by M. Temminck to be at first black, but 

 Montagu affirms that they are red from the commencement. 

 I have not seen a bird in its first feathers, and it does not 

 appear that any recent British writer has had an opportunity 

 of deciding the question/' 



Yarrell mentions that the bird of the first year has the legs 

 orange red, but says nothing about the colour of the bill. 



Mr Bell informs me, as the result of his examination — 

 what indeed might have been expected — that both the bill 

 and feet are red in the young birds in the nest, the colour 

 not being perhaps quite so bright as it afterwards becomes. 



Through his kindness I exhibit a specimen of the bird, 

 taken at Larbrax, in the parish of Leswalt, Wigtonshire. 



Thursday, February 26, 1863.— James M'Bain, M.D., R.N., 

 President, in the Chair. 



Alfred Brett, Esq., Lecturer on Materia Medica, New Veterinary 

 College, Edinburgh, was elected a member of the Society. 



The following donations to the library were laid on the table, and 

 thanks voted to the Donors : — 



1. Annals of the Botanical Society of Canada, Vol. I., Part 3, 1862. — 

 * Proceedings, vol. ii. p. 143. 



