Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 5 (1901).djvu/132

108 Hairy-plumaged Moor-hens.—During the last three years I have seen and examined five specimens of a singular variety of the Moor-hen (Gallinula chloropus). Two were caught on night-lines in the Severn, close to Shrewsbury; one shot at Wem, ten miles north of Shrewsbury; a fourth at Onslow, six miles west; the fifth in February last, at Plowden, twelve miles south. These localities are so far apart that the birds could hardly belong to one family; their exact similarity is therefore all the more remarkable. The back and all the upper parts are of a light yellowish brown, the under parts of a very light grey; the beak and legs of the normal colours, but slightly paler than usual. They are ugly birds—not nearly so pretty as ordinary Moor-hens. The most curious feature of the plumage is, however, the texture of the feathers. These, instead of having the pinnæ united into a compact web, have them all separate, especially on the exposed portion of each feather. The effect of this is that the bird looks as though it were clothed with hair rather than with feathers, just as in such flightless birds as the Emu and Apteryx. This defect—for it is a defect—extends even to the flight-feathers, so that the birds could not fly; the air would pass through the feathers as through a sieve. On examining the feathers by the microscope, I found that the barbs and booklets which in ordinary feathers cause the pinnæ to cling together into a compact web are almost entirely absent on the body feathers; whilst in the quill-feathers many of the pinnæ have barbs on one side, but no booklets to hold them together. The light colour of the birds is probably owing to the absence of the dark parts of the webs of the feathers—only the light-coloured shafts are present. The entire phenomenon strikes me as morbid and retrograde, yet all the specimens seemed healthy and in good condition. I had no opportunity of examining the viscera.— (Shrewsbury).

Early Jack-Snipe (Gallinago gallinula).—In support of Mr. H.S. Davenport's statement (ante, p. 31) that the Jack-Snipe, on first arriving, may be found in unlikely places, I write to say that towards the end of September or beginning of October, 1896 (I think), I flushed two birds of this species on the links here, and about that time I saw another which a local gunner had shot near the same place. I regret the present inaccessibility of my notes prevents me from giving the exact dates, but on my return to Kent these will be forthcoming if necessary.— (Kinloch House, St. Andrews).

Notes on Bird-Life from Redcar and District.—On Jan. 10th, 1901, a fine adult female example of the Stone Curlew (Œdicnemus crepitans) was shot on the beach here. On the 12th of the same month I procured an adult female Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) in winter dress on the river Tees. In January I had an adult male Bittern (Botaurus stellaris)