BIRDS CLAIMING TO BE ACCOUNTED BRITISH. 26 1 



than once been confounded. This is beheved to be the 

 individual alluded to by Shearer and Osborne in the Trans, 

 of the Phys. Soc. of Edinburgh. Again I should say that 

 the example referred to by the late Professor Macgillivray, 

 as "observed near Montrose," (B. B., IV., p. 358) was the 

 same which I learn from Mr. Gray is mentioned by Messrs. 

 Molison and Brewster in their list of the Birds of Craig in 

 Forfarshire. I have no evidence about it, but Mr. Gray 

 thinks that a mistake may have been made. Mr. Molison 

 was a collector and birdstufifer, and I have ascertained that 

 he possessed " Bewick," the picture in which may have led 

 him into error. 



Ireland may be dismissed with a very few words. 

 Dr. J. D. Marshall, at p. 395 of the 2nd vol. of the Mag. of 

 Nat. Hist, says : " One specimen was shot near Belfast in 

 July, 1828, and another in September." I have no doubt 

 they were among the instances investigated by Thompson, 

 who, though a discursive writer, was a most conscientious 

 naturalist (N. H. of Ireland, II., p. 216). 



And now to conclude, after having mentioned so many 

 other people's Spotted Sandpipers, let me mention my own. 

 In the course of my enquiries I learnt that Mr. B. Bates, 

 the birdstufifer at Eastbourne, was in possession of a pair 

 which he received in the flesh from a gasfitter named Lee 

 some day in the beginning of October, 1866; and as 

 Mr. Borrer and others were kind enough to make enquiries 

 for me with a satisfactory result, and as I found that 

 Mr. Lee remembered the afternoon when he shot them at 

 what is called the Crumble pond, about a quarter of a mile 

 from Eastbourne, a place where a good many rare birds 

 have been killed, I bought one of them, and have since 

 seen the other, I carefully examined both and made 

 further enquiries without shaking the testimony of any one 

 concerned in the matter, and I can only say that I now 



