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 BIRDS state of captivity.* 1 Another, an immature bird, killed near Hinckley in the autumn of 1879 and secured for the collection of Mr. R. W. Chase, of Birmingham, has since been presented by him to the museum, for which also has been purchased an immature speci- men (mounted) almost identical in plumage with that last mentioned, said to have been shot at Somerby m November, 1 88 1. I saw at Pinchen's on z Feb., 1891, a specimen which had been picked up by Mr. Sharp at Bradgate Reservoir, in October or No- vember, 1 890, and which, until I saw it, Mr. Pinchen had believed to be the great skua and had sold as such, at a high price to the late Dr. Macaulay, in whose possession it was, and who considered it to be the common skua. A bird of this species was found exhausted in a pigstye, at Wigston, after a great storm (area 1 900) ; and though slightly injured, was kept alive by three different persons until 1906. It would come for food if called by its name ' Jacob,' but was rather timid and afraid of dogs and fowls. zoo. Arctic or Richardson's Skua. Stercoraritu crept- datus (F. Gmelin). Also a rare straggler from the coast. In the autumn of 1880 I saw in the possession of a man named Donnell a nearly adult specimen said to have been shot at Enderby. zoi. Razorbill. Aka torda, Linn. Of very unusual occurrence inland. I saw an adult specimen in 1888 in the collection of Mr. H. C. Woodcock, who assures me that it was shot on the Wreak, at Rearsby, many years ago by his keeper. zoz. Common Guillemot. Uria troile (Linn.). Locally, Willock. A very rare and accidental straggler from the coast. The late Dr. Macaulay stated (Mid. Nat. p. 79) that he had a specimen shot many years since on the River Soar, at Cossington, by the miller who then re- sided there. This specimen I have seen. Elkington showed me one in the skin said to have been killed at Husbands Bosworth, 1883. One was reported to have been shot at Belgrave, Leicester, on the water, 21 July, 1893. 203. Little Auk. Mergulus alle (Linn.). Locally, Rotche. A rare straggler from the coast, driven inland by severe weather. According to Mr. Babington (Potter, op. cit. App.) a pair of these sea-birds were taken alive at Nanpantan, 6 Nov., 1837, in a turnip field, by Mr. J. Cartwright, of Loughborough, who endeavoured, without success, to keep them alive on fish and insects. Writing, probably, of the same pair, Harley stated that during the autumn of 1838 a pair in a semi-exhausted state was picked up among the hills of Charnwood Forest ; and further that in the autumn of 1 840 this species again occurred in the county and adjoining districts. The late Mr. Widdowson wrote to me, circa 1885, from Melton : ' Several have been picked up at different times near here.' The late Dr. Macaulay presented to the museum a specimen in the flesh which had been found alive at Smeeton Westerby 18 Nov., 1893, and Pinchen 21 Mentioned also in the late Rev. A. Evans's Miscellaneous Bird Notes, in the possession of Mr. S. Evans. received one in the flesh which had been shot near Belgrave, Leicester, 20 Oct., 1894. One was picked up alive by either Mr. B. or Mr. W. L. Fosse in the former's garden at Barkby, 4 June, 1903 (an unusual date), and I saw the specimen. [Great Northern Diver. Colymbus glatialis, Linn. The only authority I have for including this species in the present list is a statement by the late Mr. Widdowson that it ' has been killed here in im- mature plumage ' ; but as both of the following species, especially C. seftentrionaRs, so often do duty for this much rarer bird, I am inclined to think that, in this case as in many others, the species have become con- fused one with another.] 204. Black-throated Diver. Colymbus arctkus, Linn. A rare straggler from the coast, and seldom found inland in mature plumage. Mr. Babington (Potter, op. cit. App.) reported its occurrence at Donington Park, communicated by the Rev. Thomas Gisborne. Upon this Harley remarked that a second was re- ported to have been killed at Mountsorrel ; " that another a male in mature plumage was procured in a meadow below Leicester Castle on 4 Jan., 1854, but although shot was alive when seen by Harley ; and another ' a female in the plumage of the lesser imber of Bewick ' was shot in the Abbey Meadow on the same day ; the two last examples, he considered, being probably driven inland by the gale which pre- vailed on 4 January, and the severity of the north- east wind, whith brought a hurricane of snow. The museum donation-book contains an entry under date 4 Jan., 1854, to the effect that an immature male was shot at a mill near the Abbey Meadow ; and that another also immature (sex not stated) was shot at Aylestone on 10 Jan., 1854, and presented by Mr. N. C. Stone. The late Dr. Macaulay stated (Mid. Nat. 1 882, p. 7z) that one was shot at Sadding- ton Reservoir in February, 1874. 205. Red-throated Diver. Colymbus septentnonaRs, Linn. A straggler inland, chiefly in winter, and nearly always in immature plumage, According to Mr. Babington (Potter, op. cit. App.), one in immature plumage was killed at Groby, by the keeper of the Earl of Stamford. Harley wrote : ' Captured dur- ing the storm which prevailed on 4 Jan., 1854, in several parts of the county ; but in no instance, I believe, in its perfect state of plumage." It has been frequently met with on the Soar, about Lough- borough, and also on the Trent. It has likewise been shot on the Wreake, and on such pools as those of Groby, Saddington, and Dishley.' T. Freer, of Aylestone, showed me a fully adult specimen (red- throated) which he shot in 1869 (10 Sept.) in the canal between the 'West' and 'Mill Lane' Bridges, Leicester. In October, 1885, at Carlton Curlieu Hall, I saw an immature specimen obtained at Saddington Reservoir 1 6 Dec., 1840, shot by Mr. Hayes Marriott. Mr. G. H. Storer informs me that two (probably a pair) in winter plumage, shot w Harley's informant appears to have been the late Rev. A. Evans, in whose Miscellaneous Bird Notei the date 1850 is given. 23 Probably Harley did not know that in winter its plumage is similar to that of the immature bird, the ted throat persisting only in rare cases. 155