MISCELLANIES. 
So 
struck by the flocks that remained about us in winter, and the havoc made 
amongst them by the' pseudo-sportsmen of Doncaster. I fear Larks are held 
delicacies further north than Dunstable.—W. R. S. Doncaster^ March 7y 1837 
Notes on the Duck Family (Anatidse). —Some years ago I had the plea¬ 
sure of keeping a great variety of wild fowl. I found I could not long preserve the 
Shoveller in good health, and even the Redheaded Pochards f Fuligula ferina) 
did not survive a second summer, although they had a beautiful stream of water 
constantly running through their inclosure. At the time of moulting there is 
great danger of losing the birds if they happen to be suddenly disturbed, for at 
this period they are able to fly^ notwithstanding their being pinioned. One of my male 
Teals escaped from the inclosure in the moulting season, when it had lost the quill 
feathers from the wing not pinioned. After being absent during the summer, 
nearly six months, it returned, and remained with me through the winter. In 
the spring I was obliged to shorten its pinion.—When the birds are just caught, 
it is astonishing what a small piece cut off from one wing will effectually prevent 
their flying; but after they had once moulted, I always found it necessary again 
to shorten the pinion.—With the exception of a pair of Shieldrakes—which one 
season brought forth four young ones, and these all died in a fortnight—none of 
my Ducks ever laid an egg, which was the principal object of my keeping them. 
The Wigeons, Teals, Garganys, Gadwalls, and wild Common Ducks, always 
paired at the approach of spring, and continued so through the summer; still 
they never offered to make any nests, although there were plenty of materials for 
the purpose, and the spot was perfectly retired.—A pair of tame Common Ducks, 
which I kept with the wild fowl, hatched a lot of half-bred wild Ducks, with, 
apparently, no admixture of any other species.—J. D. Salmon, Tketford^ Nor¬ 
folk^ March 10, 1837* [^We thank our correspondents for the above communica¬ 
tions ; and shall be happy to receive contributions of a similar character, on the 
other departments of Zoology.— Ed.] 
BOTANY. 
' Rare Flowering Plants found near Doncaster. —The following are 
some of the rarer early flowering plants found near Doncaster :—Yellow Figwort, 
Scrophularia vernalis, April and May; Yellow Star-of-Bethlehem, Ornithogalum 
luteum^ April; Wild Tulip, Tidipa sghestris^ April; Green Hellebore, Melle- 
horus viridis, April and May; Stinking Hellebore, H./cetidus, March, and April.— 
W. R. S. March 7, 1837- 
