Miscellaneous Ornithological Notes. 333 



ture two clays, and so far recovered its strength and activity, 

 that had it not been killed for the purpose of mounting, it 

 would probably have flown off. This bird is now in my pos- 

 session, and is the smallest of the species I ever saw, though 

 in perfect plumage. Preston Moor, where this bird was tak- 

 en, is a low, marshy piece of ground, close to the town, re- 

 cently enclosed and drained, and is hardly entitled to the name 

 of ' Moor,' as with that term is usually associated the idea of 

 a wild, mountainous and desert country. 



The Pomarine Gull ; [Lestris Pomarinus). The same 

 storm which drove the poor petrel to such an uncongenial lo- 

 cality, sent to the moor above-mentioned two pomarine gulls 

 in youthful plumage, both of which were captured. I obtain- 

 ed one of them. In some places these birds are considered, 

 and probably are, anything but rarities ; but I assure you, in 

 this part of the kingdom* they are so seldom seen, as to be 

 considered great curiosities. 



The Red-breasted Merganser ; {Mergus serrator). A 

 most splendid male specimen of this bird was shot at * * * 

 * * #fnear Southport, on Saturday, February 10th, 1838. — 

 So rare is this bird in these parts, that none of the bird-stuff- 

 ers, nor the oldest sportsmen and fishermen, ever remember 

 to have seen one of this species before. Southport is a fa- 

 shionable bathing-place, on the west coast of Lancashire, a 

 few miles below the estuary of the Bibble. 



The Wild Swan; {Cygnus ferus). The present dreadful- 

 ly severe weather has driven to the estuary of, and even high 

 up, the river Kibble, a flock of wild swans, originally twenty- 

 seven in number. The capture of four of these has come 

 within my own observation ; the first was shot in the neigh- 

 bourhood of # * * t upwards of twenty miles from the mouth 

 of the river, on Wednesday, February 7th. This bird I did 

 not see myself, but from the description I obtained of it, 

 should judge it must be a young bird, similar to the one 

 shortly to be described. The second was shot near Walton- 

 le-Dale, about two miles up the Ribble, above Preston ; this 

 being shot by a farmer, the Goth actually had it plucked and 

 roasted. The third was shot near Clitheroe, still higher up 



* When I say ' this part of the kingdom,' and am alluding to waterfowl, 

 I do not mean the town or immediate neighbourhood of Blackburn, where 

 I reside, near which, being an inland town, there can be little probability of 

 gulls being seen; but I mean the sea-coast of Lancashire, where I have ob- 

 tained most of my specimens of waterfowl. 



f Our correspondent must have forgotten the request which has so fre- 

 quently appeared on the wrapper, respecting the writing of proper names in 

 legible characters. — Ed. 



