Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 1 (1897).djvu/608

574 beech-tree a new boring made by a Green Woodpecker, which had been worked out to a depth of eight or ten inches. I put some green fir-boughs under the hole, and find to-day (November 25th) that the work is still going on.— (Tostock Rectory, Bury St. Edmunds).

Supposed occurrence of a Great Spotted Cuckoo in Co. Kerry.—On April 30th of this year Mr. Thomas King, lightkeeper at Skelligs Rock Lighthouse, reported "a Great Spotted Cuckoo on Rock at 8 a.m., very tired-looking, fresh south-west breeze, blue sky, cloudy." Writing more fully to me, Mr. King says: "This bird was about the size of a Sparrowhawk, but more bulky in body; its feathers were ruffled and loose, and it appeared very much fatigued. Back of bird a dark slate colour; wing same colour as back, but feathers white at the points; throat orange or yellow; breast a light slate colour or grey; under tail white; all tail feathers white at the points; crest of a lighter colour than back and slightly erected; bill of a bluish black; tail about seven or eight inches long and inclined downwards. When first observed was coming from a southwesterly direction and lit on rock, and when approached within twenty yards would fly about the same distance away to another rock, and continued so for about half an hour, flying at short intervals when approached, and seemed very much frightened at the large number of Puffins that were flying about at that time. I had a good opportunity of seeing it as I followed it about from one place to another with the telescope, and lost sight of it at the north-east point of rock amongst the Puffins. I trust this description will give you an opportunity of judging its species; as far as I can see by the books at station, it resembles no other bird but the Great Spotted Cuckoo." Coccystes glandarius (Linn.) has only once been obtained in Ireland. Its occurrence is noted by Thompson ('Natural History of Ireland,' vol. i. p. 364) as follows:—"The Cuckoo pursued by Hawks was taken by two persons on the Island of Omagh" (should be Omey, which is near Clifden, co. Galway). The bird when chased by the Hawks appeared fatigued, weak, and emaciated, as though it had taken a long flight, as Woodcocks and other birds of passage do on first arrival. The 1st of March, 1842, is said to have been the time of its capture." This specimen, which was in the Museum of Trinity College, Dublin, in 1890, was examined by Saunders, who found it to be in immature plumage ('Manual,' p. 279). It is probable that both specimens reached the west coast of Ireland from the north of Spain, and from the description of the plumage the Skelligs bird was most likely an immature male.— (Fassaroe, Bray, Co. Wicklow).

Presumed Summer Appearance of Shore Lark in Devon.—With reference to Mr. C. Dixon's letter on this subject (p. 471), I am anxious to state that I described exactly what I saw; and that to whatever species the