Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 4 (1900).djvu/109

Rh (Upupa epops) in a keeper's cottage at Carden, which had been shot by the gamekeeper at Bodyor, near Holyhead, "about twenty-two years ago." — (Bowdon, Cheshire).

Peregrine in Suffolk.—On Jan. 17th I saw in the flesh, at Bury St. Edmunds, one of the finest adult female Peregrines (Falco peregrinus) which has ever come under my notice, shot by a keeper within an hour's walk of Bury Station. Females of this species very much outnumber males, both in the adult and immature plumage, and I only know of two adult male Peregrines obtained in Suffolk—one shot at Ickworth about 1860, which my father purchased at the time; and one (now in the Hele Collection in the Ipswich Museum), which struck the telegraph-wires near Aldeburgh in March, 1865.— (Tostock Rectory, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk).

Bittern near Scarborough.—Last Friday (Dec. 29th) Mr. Challinor, farmer, Scalby Lodge, noticed and shot a rare bird in one of his fields which was flooded with water. The bird proved to be a beautiful specimen of the Common Bittern (Botaurus stellaris), or rather it should be called uncommon, seeing that it is about fifteen years since the last one was captured on Scalby Road, and which is now in the possession of Sir Wm. Fielding, Bart., South Cliff. It was brought to me to be preserved. The Osprey which was shot near here a few weeks ago, and which was recorded in the papers, also goes into Mr. Challinor's collection.— (King Street, Scarborough).

Little Gull (Larus minutus) on the Thames.—I have recently added to my collection a female example of L. minutus in immature plumage. It was shot by Mr. E. Goodman, of Southend, who kindly gave it me shortly after securing it, and informed me its flight exactly resembled that of a small Tern. I found its gizzard contained some very small fishes' bones. The occurrence of this species at the end of December is, I believe, very unusual, as the majority of specimens that have been observed off the British coasts have been in the autumn and spring migrations. As I have often found that the lengths of birds given in various works on ornithology are not very reliable—due, I fancy, to the measurements being taken from skins and not from birds in the flesh—it may therefore be interesting to note that this bird in the flesh measured in length, from tip of bill to end of tail, 10¼ in.; wing, from carpal joint to end of longest primary, 8½ in.; expanse of wings, 25 in.; and weight only 3⅓ oz., although the bird was in excellent condition.—

Winter Notes from Haddiscoe.—During the past few months sportsmen have had little to complain of in the way of sport on the Norfolk