a very fine specimen of Bewick's Swan, which had been shot in the Tees, in the hands of a Middlesborough taxidermist. On February 6th I saw four Swans, three white and one grey, on the north side of the estuary; the example which had been obtained on February 5th was shot from this herd. Several Glaucous and Iceland Gulls were shot during the winter, but chiefly immature birds. I have seen one of the Glaucous and two of the Iceland species (old birds) which were obtained near Redcar; one of the latter was shot by a friend of mine east of Redcar on December 19th. On November 21st, while off in a boat near Redcar with a friend, we shot a Black-throated Diver, a female bird, in the plumage of the second year. Several Puffins and a great many Little Auks were washed ashore during the heavy gales from the sea, killed by the violence of the waves or by starvation. I have seen at least a dozen of the latter species which were picked up dead on the beach. On the 14th and 15th November I picked up each day a Puffin and Little Auk. On the 16th I found a Puffin on Coatham sands, and on the 18th a Little Auk on the sands east of Redcar. I picked up a Little Auk on Coatham sands on the 28th, and on the same day a Puffin near Redcar. On the 23rd January a Little Auk found near Redcar, and another on the 25th. I shot two while in a boat off Tees Bay on the 27th, and saw one flying about the same time. Picked up two east of Redcar on February 5th. These little northern visitors seem to have been plentiful on the north-east coast, as reports from different places testify. Several were found in the fields near Redcar, and one in a yard near, Middlesborough. The Razorbills also suffered very much from the severe weather, numbers having been found dead on the beach. During December immense flocks of Fieldfares, Redwings, and other small birds passed, flying towards the Tees. From the 9th to the 12th the flocks chiefly consisted of Redwings with a few Fieldfares, but from the 17th to the 21st the Fieldfares predominated and Redwings were comparatively few. Altogether I should say that several thousands of these two species must have passed Redcar during the fortnight they were observed. On the 12th December the sands and mudflats at the Tees-mouth were covered with Golden Plover; the next day they had almost disappeared, only a few small flocks remaining. Snipe were fairly plentiful in the water-courses and small pools of open water; they were for the most part, however, in poor condition. Woodcocks and Short-eared Owls seem to have missed us in their migration, probably crossing farther south. An Owl was shot on the South Gare Breakwater on August 31st; five more were obtained at the same place during November. I shot one on January 14th. About a dozen Woodcocks were observed. In a general way both these species visit us in considerable numbers during October and November. On the 6th February I shot a Great Northern Diver, a second year's female, near the mouth of the River Tees. An old male bird of this species was reported to

have been obtained near Redcar in October last, but not having seen the example I cannot be certain of the truth of the statement. Amongst other birds reported to have been shot, and which I have not mentioned before for the same reason, are two Red-throated Divers in summer plumage, which I am told were shot off Redcar early in September; also a Manx Shearwater on October 12th. Respecting the latter, I am pretty certain that several Shearwaters were seen by the fishermen in the offing during the summer, but I did not myself see a specimen. As an instance of the severity of the winter, I may mention that five Grouse were shot on the sand-hills near here. A curious circumstance occurred a few weeks ago. The sea rising suddenly during the night surprised a flock of ducks sitting on the water near the shore up Coatham sands; a heavy wave falling amongst the flock stunned and washed ashore several birds, which were found exhausted on the sands. I am informed that about fifteen years ago a similar incident happened, but on a much larger scale, about a hundred or more ducks being captured. In Mr. Cordeaux's notes (p. 89), he quotes from a correspondent's letter from the Fifth Buoy-light-at least I presume it is so-"A punt-shooter killed at one shot fifty Dunlius, twelve Stints (?)," &c. If Mr. Cordeaux will pardon the suggestion, I think the note of interrogation should come after the word "Dunlins," the river-shooters generally giving this name to the Knot, but a "Stint" is a Stint (Tringa alpina) all the year round; thus the punt-shooter's bag would be "fifty Knots, twelve Stints," &c.-J. H. NELSON (Coatham, Redcar).

WILDFOWL IN THE POOLE DISTRICT.-Although I have not been able to do much personally in the way of observation this year, the gunners have kept me pretty well informed of what has been going on. A male Ferruginous Duck was killed in Wareham Bay, just after Christmas, by Charles Orchard, one of our most successful puntsmen. [See p. 182.] It was in company with a lot of Redheads or Pochards, and was brought up to me to be identified, but, being from home, I missed the chance. Mr. Hart, of Christchurch, who preserved it, informed me that it was in very fine plumage. I have not heard of any great rarities being obtained during the severe weather of the late winter. There were not so many wildfowl in the early part of the season as one would have expected, but after Christmas a good many of the ordinary Duck, Widgeon, and Curres were killed, but no Geese. In the early part of February a number of Brent or "Bran " Geese, as we call them, came in during the prevalence of a strong east wind. They were very tame; I heard of sixty or seventy being shot by three gunners in "Son Deeps" at the mouth of the harbour. Mr. Hart has sent me a pretty good list of wildfowl which passed through his hands during the winter, including Pintail, Gadwall, Shoveller, Tufted Duck, Ferruginous Duck, Goldeneye, Merganser, Goosander, Hooper and

Bewick's Swan, White-fronted, Brent, Bernicle, and Egyptian Geese. I have not enquired into the history of the Egyptian species, but no doubt it was some escaped bird. Two winters ago we had a pair at Wareham, but their wings showed their origin at once. Last winter we had a visit from a party of Canada Geese: about twenty in number made their appearance on the low land by the river-side, in front of our window at Westport. Two of them were speedily shot, and a third fell wounded in a field and was secured after an exciting chase. I examined these birds and saw nothing in their appearance to show that they had been domesticated, but this species of goose is so often kept in a semi-wild state on private ponds and lakes that one can tell nothing from that. In the spring and early summer there were a nice lot of Curlews and Sheldrakes about the different bays and gravelly points with which our large harbour abounds; a good many nests, too, were hatched out in due season: the young "Burrow Ducks," as they are called, are, I am sorry to say, often wantonly destroyed, but a good number pull through and soon get wild enough to take care of themselves; these, curiously enough, leave us in autumn, and we see no more of them until the winter arrivals in November. Ring Plovers abound on several beaches, especially on the long low point running out from the Arne peninsula, yclept "Patchins," "nota quæ sedes," for the waders, from the Dunlin to the Heron. Many a prize has alighted there, and five or six Spoonbills were once obtained there at one shot. Herons are almost becoming a nuisance from the number that annually come forth from the heronry among the fir trees on Arne Hill, the eelpickers holding them in as bad repute almost as Shags, Gulls seem to have increased a good deal since the passing of the Act, 1. e. the Herring Gull, which has a large breeding station between Old Harry and Swanage. In August, when the young brown ones come into the harbour, large numbers frequent the muds, especially Bran Bay at the mouth of the harbour. Besides these Herring Gulls we see only a few Black-headed ones. I have discovered two nesting haunts of this species in Dorsetshire, but only a few pairs bred in each, although large numbers frequent the harbour. There must be a large gullery somewhere near, if one knew where to look for it. Several Peregrines breed in the coast line between Old Harry and Lulworth; and the Red-legged Chough, I am happy to say, may still be seen in one or two favoured localities. The Green Cormorant, formerly quite a rare bird on our cliff, has now several stations on the same wild piece of coast line, and seems likely to become as familiar as his larger brother the Shag; a curious thing about this bird is, that it hardly ever is seen inside the harbour--it seems to prefer the open sea. I once got one inside, and that was at Stoney Island close to the mouth-a young bird in the immature plumage. The nature of our coast renders it a capital harbour of refuge to the birds; its strong tides, fierce races, and inaccessible

frontage render shooting from open boats a difficult matter.-T. M. PIKE [We reserve a note on the Cormorants of the

(Westport, Wareham). Dorsetshire coast.-ED.]

ROOSTING HABITS OF THE STARLING. I have been much interested in observing the habits of Starlings at one of their favoured roosting-places. The spot chosen is a large bed of very thick laurel and rhododendron bushes situated upon a hill, and consequently in an exposed situation, yet in close proximity to plantations of larch and fir, and I may safely say thousands of birds resorted thither for the purpose of roosting, and even up to the present date (28th March) their numbers seem little decreased, perhaps on account of the cold and changeable weather. Why such a site was chosen in preference to similar equally dense shrubberies in much more sheltered situations it is somewhat difficult to say, except that the favoured spot is more suitable for a "look out," having command of the views for miles around on every hand. During the daytime not a starling is to be seen in the neighbourhood, but as soon as evening approaches all is life and activity. First a few scattered individuals make their appearance, flying about in a leisurely manner high in the air; these are soon joined by others, some of the birds arriving by twos or threes, others in greater force, and coming from all points of the compass. Sometimes a small detached flock, on their first arrival, separates for a time from the main body; following the example of their more numerous friends, by soaring high in the air; others, again, arrive and settle upon some tall tree, as if waiting for absent members of their community; indeed the entire number seem to have but one object in view, viz., the collecting of all stragglers. This eventually is accomplished by the amalgamation of each separate group into one immense flock, which is celebrated with a great amount of twittering, and apparently very joyous behaviour on the part of the whole company. They then fly about in a rapid manner, the whole flock actuated as it were by one impulse, turning and twisting with great regularity and precision, sometimes separating for a few moments into two or three portions, only to join again and soar into the air, rising sometimes to a great height, and chasing each other in a most amusing manner. Thus the whole flock continue their flight, sometimes describing a circle of considerable dimensions, but always returning to the favoured bushes; in fact it is questionable if they ever lose sight of them, all the time uttering their peculiar note, something resembling that of the Mallard. As the darkness increases they fly more frequently over or near the bushes, when suddenly the whole flock drop like stones into the midst of them, the sound of the descent amongst the foliage being audible at a considerable distance. After some twittering and confusion, during which many apparently have to "fight for a place," the community settle

down to rest. One evening I hid myself near the spot, but the birds seemed quite aware of my presence in the neighbourhood, as that evening it was a long time before they made up their minds to settle, though they eventually did so. Almost every evening the performance I have attempted to describe was gone through, but on one occasion I noticed that each separate flock as it arrived went direct to the bushes in question, though why it was so on this particular occasion I am unable to say, except that the majority of the birds arrived later, and consequently had not sufficient light for their customary evolutions. Vast numbers of small birds roosted in the large thick rhododendron bushes in the vicinity, but in no instance did I see them join the starlings, either before or at roosting-time; in fact the behaviour of these smaller birds was different altogether. One or two would arrive and settle upon some tall tree-a poplar and a fir tree standing near each other, in a very exposed place, were always chosen; there the birds would perch in a quiet manner, waiting for their friends and relations, and seldom shifting quarters unless disturbed; in fact I have walked almost to the foot of the trees without their flying off, so listless did they seem to sit. As the shades of night closed in, they one by one flew quietly down into the bushes at no great distance; and I have been astonished at the immense number of birds which sought and found repose in the limit of a few hundred square yards.-G. B. CORBIN (Ringwood, Hants).

LITTLE STINT AND OTHER BIRDS IN SHEPPY.-In September last a friend shot a Little Stint on the muds" near Leysdown, in Sheppy. It was not preserved, but I obtained the wings for identification. In examining a number of small birds feeding during the frost in a stack-yard I was surprised to detect a Tree Sparrow among them. In order that there should be no mistake I shot it. I mention the fact as I think it is a rare species in Kent. Grey Crows were abundant, as also were Rooks, but I saw no signs of a Black Crow. Wishing to get some of the grey ones, I procured a sheep, and, placing it a convenient distance from the sea-wall, soon saw them pulling it about. The terror of the Crows when I appeared over the wall about twenty-five yards off may be well imagined. I shot a solitary Rook also on the sheep, off which it had made a good meal. The Ringed Plovers were all gone, but there were a few Gray Plovers on the flats. I noticed four species of Gull, viz., the Great Black-backed, Herring, Blackheaded and Kittiwake. There were vast flocks of Curlews and Redshanks, and clouds of Dunlins; these latter looked very pretty when flying in the sun. Snipe were often to be met with; I put up a few from the "saltings," not a common place, I believe, to find them; they prefer running dykes. There were both Moorhens and Dabchicks on the island. I came across most of our common birds. Larks were in thousands, and I shot one of a pale buff colour.-C. MATTHEW PRIOR (Bedford).