Notes on Some Birds. 115 



numerous Redshanks and Lapwings, but on a five hours 

 journey, during which we passed innumerable ponds and canals, 

 I only saw one Coot and two Moorhens. In England, in similar 

 country, you see hundreds. This lack of water-fowl seems 

 extraordinary. The only other bird noted was an occasional 

 Heron. The scarcity of this latter bird is, I suppose, due to 

 the lack of suitable breeding quarters in Holland. 



June i^ih: In Amsterdam. Visited the Zoo. They 

 have a very fine collection of Parrots. The Water-fowl also 

 were good. I noticed particularly a large flock of Barnacle 

 Ceese, which were very tame. I was too late to see much of 

 tha- small birds, as their houses are closed to the public at 5 p.m. 



June i6ih : A trip to the Island of Marken in the Zuyder 

 Zee. A few Herring Gulls. Black-headed Gulls and Cormorants 

 were the only birds seen on the outward journey. The Island 

 of Marken is about three or four miles square and has a popula- 

 tion of about T.400. It is below sea level — is a most 

 unattractive spot. It has apparently no bird life, and, of course, 

 no trees or bushes. On the return journey I noticed both 

 Common and Little Terns, also a flock of five Spoonbills, which 

 crossed the stern of the vessel as we were running up the 

 Amsterdam river. I could also hear Curlews on the river banks. 



Jwie i8th : Left for Belgium. Saw a good many Wild 

 Ducks, mostly Mallards. Noticed the same lack of Dabchicks, 

 Coots and Moorhens as on the journey up. Just after passing 

 the river Maas — a fine river over a mile wide with a wide belt of 

 reeds on either bank — ^I saw a Black Stork rise from a meadow 

 within one hundred yards of the railway. This, I should think, 

 was a rare bird in the country. Strange to say, T saw no White 

 Storks except in the Amsterdam Zoo. 



A Few Experiments with Foreign Birds at Liberty. 



By Capt. G. E. Rattigan, F.Z.S. 



As a preface, I regret to have to confess that my attempts 

 at establishing foreign birds at liberty have been rather 

 monotonously unsuccessful, and will, I fear, afford small 

 encouragement in themselves to those who may be inclined to 



