VOL. VI.] NOTES. 225 



the case of the Redshank and many other small waders, 

 the feeding action is one of "picking up" rather than 

 " probing " as in the case of CurlcAAS and Oyster-catchers, 

 so that the time the bill is actually in the mud is often 

 momentary. A somewhat similar experience befell me on 

 October 22nd, 1910. I was watching a group of several 



dozen Redshanks tlii'ough a telescope (x 60). One had a- 

 cockle attached to its left foot. One toe could be seen to 

 be free in front of the cockle. Occasionally the Redshank 

 pecked at it in a sort of half-hearted waj^ but made no serious 

 effort to remove it. Perhaps the readers of British Birds 

 have similar experiences to relate. 



J. W. W. Stephens. 



LONG-TAILED SKUA IN NORFOLK. 

 On September 7th, 1912, my brother, G. F. Arnold, shot an 

 immature Long-tailed Skua {Stercorarius longicaudus) at 

 Blakeney. The wand was north-west at the time. 



E. C. Arnold. 



LITTLE BUSTARD IN DEVON. 



On January 11th, 1912, a Little Bustard {Otis tetrax) was 

 captured by a farmer at Braimton, and taken by him to Mr. 

 James Rowe, the taxidermist of Barnstaple. Its head had 

 been injured, probably thi'ough coming in contact with 

 telegraph wires. It proved to be a female, like nearly all 

 the recorded specimens from this district, though possibly 

 some may have been immature birds. Mr. J. Henderson 



