MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 1^1 



alhellus,) along the sea coast between Cuchmere Haven and Seaford, on 

 Friday last. — G. Grantham, Barcome Place, Lewes, February 19tli, 1855. 



Birds near Oxford. — The following birds have lately been obtained near 

 this city. The Hawfinch, {Coccothraustes vulgaris,) near Eusham. The Bit- 

 tern, (Ardea stellaris,) shot near Iffley. And the Goosander, {Mergus mergan- 

 ser,) shot on Pork meadow, near Oxford. — J. F. Whiteaves, Oxford, February 

 28th, 1855. 



A fine specimen of the Bittern {Botaurus stellaris) was shot at Earith, 

 Huntingdonshire, on the 18th of January last. It measured forty-three 

 inches from the tip of the beak to the extremity of the claws, and forty-one 

 inches from wing to wing. It was stufi'ed by Mr, Baker, naturalist, Cam- 

 bridge, in whose possession I saw three other specimens of the same bird, 

 shot about the. same time at Dersingham Heath, near Lynn, Norfolk — 

 Thomas George Bonney, St. John's Coll., Cambridge. 



Note on the Canada Goose, (Anser Canadensis.) — In the month of Septem- 

 ber, a few years since, when with a friend on the banks of the Laira, in pur- 

 suit of Yellow Wagtails, our attention was attracted to a large bird, at an 

 immense height in the air ; and which I suspected, from its manner of flight, 

 to be a goose of some kind. After making several extensive circles, it came 

 down and settled on the river. We immediately hired a boat, to go in pur- 

 suit ; but, before putting off, I reminded my friend that he had only very 

 small shot in his gun. However, not having any other with him, he was 

 obliged to go afloat, charged as he was. On approaching the bird, we found 

 it to be a " Cravat, or Canada Goose ;" and when at the distance of about 

 eighty yards, it got up and flew towards the head of the river, then turned 

 and came down within forty yards of the boat. My friend took a deliberate 

 aim and fired ; but the Goose did not even flinch, or seem to take the slight- 

 est notice of the discharge. But after having proceeded about half a mile, 

 it appeared to fly rather on one side, and soon dropped into the water. We 

 again gave chase ; and, on nearing the bird, instead of its attempting to 

 rise, it made the best of its way towards the shore by swimming ; and, on 

 reaching the bank, we were astonished to find, that its wing was broken short 

 off close to the body. On observing this, my friend jumped on shore, seized 

 the Goose by the neck, and thus secured his prize, without having occasion 

 to fire a second shot. From the great height the bird flew, and the perfect 

 state of its plumage and feet, I feel confident that it had never been in con- 

 finement. — J. Gatcombe, Plymouth, Dec. 29th, 1854. 



Sirex Oigas at Luton. — I beg to inform you of my recent capture of a good 

 specimen of the injurious insect, Sirex Gigas, of which I saw a short account 

 in The Naturalist for July, 1854. I took the insect in the yard adjoining 

 our house ; it measured two inches from head to tail, and about two inches 

 and a half across the wings. I can now give Luton as a new locality for this 

 insect. — Park-Street, Luton, June 26th, 1855. 



