species; one, too, which most field-naturalists will ever sentimentally associate with Selborne Hanger and Gilbert White.—H.S. Davenport (Ormandyne, Melton Mowbray).
Little Owl near Newark-on-Trent.—A bird of this species was shot at the above locality in September, 1896. The late Lord Lilford turned out a number of these birds in Northamptonshire, but this, the first recorded occurrence in Notts, is worthy of mention.—F. Whitaker[1] (Rainsworth, Notts).
Hybrids in St. Stephen's Green Park, Dublin.—We have at present a brood of hybrids between a male Ruddy Sheldrake, Tadorna casarca, and a female Egyptian Goose, Chenalopex ægyptiaca. In shape they are decidedly like the Goose, having long legs and depth of bill, but in colour the Sheldrake shows out unmistakably. Some years since a brood of hybrids between the Paradise Sheldrake of Australia (male) and a Ruddy Sheldrake (female) were hatched out, producing a lot of exceedingly handsome birds, in which a rich mahogany-brown was the predominant colour; the top of the head being pure white. This year one of these birds, a male, has bred with a female Ruddy Sheldrake, having a brood of six. At present they are not old enough to exhibit the colours distinctly. There is another curious cross—Bar-headed Goose and White-faced Bernacle; but both birds are so mixed up in the plumage that they are certainly anything but handsome. The White-faced Bernacle bred two years ago, but from some cause forsook the nest. The eggs were then placed in a Sevastopoll Goose's nest, and were hatched out and reared successfully. Ever since they have been inseparable companions of their foster-parents.—E. Williams (2, Dame Street, Dublin).
Scaup inland in Lancashire.—Late in November or early in December, about five years ago, Mr. George Parker shot a Scaup on the reservoir near Hyde Road Station, on the outskirts of Manchester. The bird, which Mr. Parker has kindly allowed me to examine, is a female or an immature male.—Chas. Oldham (Sale).
Night Heron in Derbyshire.—I have recently had an opportunity of examining a Night Heron in adult plumage, which was shot by the late Mr. William Jackson at Coombs Reservoir, a large sheet of water near Chapel-en-le-Frith, some time in the early sixties. This species has not, I believe, been previously recorded for Derbyshire.— Chas. Oldham (Sale).
Black Tern in Anglesea.—On June 10th, Mr. T.A. Coward and myself watched a Black Tern for some time on one of the lakes near Valley. The bird flew leisurely to and fro at a slight elevation, making frequent stoops to take food from the surface of the water, on which it once alighted for an
- ↑ We suppose F. Whitaker in this volume to be Joseph Whitaker (Wikisource-Ed.).
