106 BRITISH BIRDS. 



Golden Oriole (Oriolus galbula). — One shot near Great 

 Barr in April, 1908, in the possession of Mr. R. W. Chase. 

 The thu'd occurrence in the county. 



Rose-coloured Stahling {Pastor roseus). — One immature 

 female shot on November 10th, 1890, at the Streetly end of 

 Sutton Park on the border of Warwick and Stafford. Only 

 one previous record for Stafford and two for War\\'ick. 



Roller {Coracias garrulus). — One shot by a keeper in 

 June, 1908, at Patshull (Hon. G. Legge). The first authentic 

 record, though an example is said to have been seen at 

 Berkeley. 



Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo). — A frequent visitor to 

 Norton Pool, and also recorded from Warwickshire. 



Shag (P. graculus). — One captured on August 28tli, 1908, 

 at Saltley, War\\ickshire. 



Gannet {Sula bassana). — Two caught in Worcestershire 

 (no dates given). 



[Flamingo {Phoenicopterus roseus). — One shot during a fog 

 on December 22nd, 1909, at the Smethwick end of Warley, 

 close to the Worcestershire boundary. Mr. Coburn devotes 

 a couple of pages to trying to prove that this bird was a genuine 

 migrant. One of his arguments is, that the Duchess of Bedford 

 informed him that in her opinion, if the bird had escaped 

 from Woburn (whence none had been lost for some months), 

 its fate would have been sealed much nearer home than 

 Staffordshire. With this Mr. Coburn agrees, and thinks that 

 the birds from the London Zoological Gardens (which had 

 escaped recently) would also have been shot. He proceeds 

 to argue that the escaped birds, whose death has not been 

 reported, must have got safely out of the country, and that 

 if they can find their way out, they can also find their way in ! 

 Mr. Seth-Smith writes to us : "I have no doubt that the 

 Flamingo shot on December 22nd, 1909, in Staffordshire 

 was one of those which escaped from here [London Zoological 

 Gardens] about that time. They were in first-rate plumage 

 and condition, and I doubt if anyone could have told for 

 certain that they were not wild birds." We quite agree 

 with Mr. Coburn that such birds kept in captivity should be 

 marked ; we suggest with rings. WTiile on this subject we 

 should like to remark that we are of opinion that the previous 

 Staffordshire record of a bird captured alive in September, 

 1881, although accepted by the late Howard Saunders, is 

 open to similar objection.] 



Grey Lag-Goose {Anser cinereus). — One at PatshuU, 

 January 26th, 1904 (Hon. G. Legge). 



White-fronted Goose {A. albifrons). — One shot by 



