VOL. VI.] NOTES. 123 



very rare in the western midlands ; the only previous occur 

 rence in Shropshire being an immature bird shot at Wroxeter . 

 about 1836. " H. E. Forrest. 



LITTLE BITTERN IN SOMERSET. 



A FEMALE Little Bittern {Ixobrychus minidns) was captured 

 by a dog m one of the water-courses of the North Marsh 

 between Puxton and Banwell, in north Somersetshire, 

 on May 20th, 1912. It was identified by the Rev. C. R. 

 Blathwayt, who has had it preserved, and it is now on 

 view in the Exeter Museum. F. H. L. WmsH. 



BRENT GOOSE LN ANGLESEY. 



I RECENTLY examined a female Brent Goose {Branta bernida) 

 which had been obtained at Valley, Anglesey, on August 3rd, 

 1912. The species is not uncommon on the west coast of 

 north Wales as a winter visitor, but its occurrence in summer 

 is very remarkable. H. E. Forrest. 



SCAUP IN CHESHIRE IN SUMMER. 



On July 19th, 1912, I watched an adult drake Scaup, Nyroca 

 m. marila, which was swimming with a drake Tufted Duck on 

 Oakmere, Delamere. Its large size, compared with the Tufted 

 drake, as well as its grey back and absence of crest, at once 

 attracted my attention. I did not see anything of it when 

 I visited the mere three days before. On the 21st Messrs. 

 A. W. Boyd and Urquhart saw a drake Scaup in Marbury 

 Mere, near Northv/ich ; possibly it was the same bird, for 

 the two meres are only a little over seven miles apart. Ten 

 days later, on the 31st, Mr. Boyd and I saw one on 

 Rostherne Mere. 



The Scaup is a fairly regular visitor to the Cheshire estuaries 

 in spring and autumn, but the only birds which we have 

 observed at rare intervals on the inland waters have been 

 seen during winter. T. A. Coward. 



SOOTY SHEARWATER IN ORKNEY. 



On October 18th, 1911, 1 received, in the flesh, an adult female 

 Sooty Shearwater, killed by Dan Sutherland off the Island of 

 Graemsay, Orkney. This makes the second recoi'd of Puffinus 

 griseus in Orkney waters (c/. Hand-List of British Birds, 

 pp. 152-3). The bird A\as exceedinslv fat. F. W. Smalley. 



