432 Major W. R. Thompson on the [Ibis, 



neither does he give the year, but it must have been prior to 

 1879, when his book was pubhshed. I have not myself seen 

 it here, nor does an3'one seem to have preserved a specimen ; 

 but I have several notes of its occurrence, and as it is a 

 bird that caunot well be mistaken, and as I obtained the 

 records from good observers, I think they are worth giving. 

 L. has seen two on the island, one in September 1910, and 

 the other about the year 1877. He tells me that the late 

 Mr. R (>. May, of Alderney, once shot one here. 

 Mr. Nicholas Gaudion tells me that he shot one back in the 

 seventies, but he has not the exact date. 



Alcedo ispida. The Kingfisher. 



Before the war the Kingfisher was a not uncommon bird 

 on the island, and one or two could always be seen in winter 

 around the cliffs or fishing from the rocks. It was also 

 present during the summer months, though less numerous, 

 and I have little doubt it occasionally nested here. During 

 the last two years, however, I have not seen a single specimen, 

 nor do I know of anyone who has, and it seems to have quite 

 disappeared ; it is hoped not permanently. 



Mr. Eagle Olarke found it not uncommon during his visit 

 in September 1898. 



Flammea flammea. The Barn-Owl. 



A resident, but by no means common. L, has two in his 

 collection, and tells me he has shot four in all, and has 

 observed it on several other occasions. I had noticed one of 

 these birds about all last summer and located the hole occupied 

 by* it, but it was not easy of access and I did not visit it, 

 although I felt pretty certain it was breeding there. This 

 year, however, seeing it in the same vicinity, I determined to 

 clear up the question, and, with the aid of a rope, descended 

 to the hole. No sooner had my feet come opposite the hole 

 than a barn-owl left it and disappeared round a corner, and 

 on looking into the hole I saw three young ones, two nearly 

 fledged and the other much younger and about half the size 

 of the other two. This, I think, is the first record of the 

 Barn-Owl breeding in Alderney. Dat(^ of visiting nest, 

 18 July, 1920. 



