182 A. p. GROSSMAN — NOTES ON BIRDS 



Crossoaks, Berkhamsted, wlaich, from its flight and appearance, 

 was presumably a hobby, but I was unable to identify it positively 

 on account of the light. It was chasing some house -martins. 

 This beautiful little hawk has now become practically extinct so 

 far as Hertfordshire is concerned, although at one time it was a not 

 uncommon nesting species. 



Cormorant {Phalacrocorax carlo). — On November 4th Mr. M. R. 

 Pryor, while covert-shooting at Weston Manor, near Stevenage, 

 saw three cormorants fly over, and on December 31st or the 

 following day he observed another pass over within gunshot. The 

 last record I have of this species in Hertfordshire was of one seen 

 at the Tring Eeservoirs on 31st October, 1895. 



Ringed Plover {^gialitis hiaticula). — This bird, which is an 

 occasional visitor to the Reservoirs, was seen there by Street at 

 various times in 1899. 



Grey Plover (Squatarola helvetica). — A male, in very good 

 condition, was shot at the Tring Reservoirs by Mr. Hartert on 

 December 12th, while he was duck-shooting. There have been 

 only two previous records of this species in Herts. 



Otster-catcher [Hcemato^ms osiralegus). — Two oyster - catchers 

 were seen at Elstree Reservoir on 10th April, 1899. The first 

 recorded specimen of this bird in the county was obtained at 

 Elstree in 1866. 



Grey Phalarope {Phalaropiis fuh'carhis). — Up to 1899 seven 

 birds of this species had been obtained in Hertfordshire. In that 

 year an adult male was picked up dead in December in a wood at 

 Tring Park, called Stubbings. The bird was fresh, but very lean, 

 as if starved. 



Dunlin [Tringa alpina). — On May 6th I saw a dunlin at Tring 

 in full breeding-plumage, and two were shot by Street at the 

 Resei'voirs on September 27th. This small wader occurs there in 

 vaiying numbers eveiy year. 



Redshank {Totanus calidris). — This bird occurred at Tring in 

 small parties on three occasions. 



Greenshank {^Totanus canescens). — Although usually seen at 

 Tring frequently during the spring and autumn migration, the 

 greenshank was only once identified by Street in 1899. 



Curlew [Niimeniun arquatus). — This bird occurs more frequently 

 at Tring nowadays than formerly, when it was considered quite an 

 unusual visitor. Street saw it there on five occasions, in parties 

 varj'ing from two to nine. It was also identified near Royston on 

 August 7th. 



Black Tern {HydrocheUdon nigra). — This handsome bird was 

 seen in some numbers at times at Tring in 1899. 



Common Tern {Sterna Jiuviatilis). — The common tern occurred at 

 Tring frequently in 1899, at times accompanying the last species. 



Little Tern {Sterna minnta). — As in former j-ears, small parties 

 of this little V)ird were seen at the Reservoirs during last year. 



Brown-headed Gull {Larus ridibundus). — This species was also 

 frequently recognized by Street in 1899. 



