29(5 BRITISH BIRDS. 



records will show. Barred Warbler {Sylvia nisoria) — A 

 female was obtained on September 25th. Yellow-browed 

 Warbler (Phylloscopus supercUiosus) — One was seen on 

 September 29th, and one (probably the same) shot on Sep- 

 tember 30th. Red-backed Shrike {Lanms collurio) — A 

 young female procured on September 27th was abnormally 

 coloured, the head and mantle being plain dark greyish-brown, 

 the rest of the upper parts were a little paler, and had dark 

 vermiculations, the tail was crossed at an inch from its tip 

 by a bar of reddish-brown. Scarlet Grosbeak (Pyrrhula 

 erythrina) — One, in the " green tjrpe of plumage " was pro- 

 cured on September 25th. It was observed to be eating a 

 moth. Lapland Bunting {Calcarius lapponicus) — One was 

 seen from September 15th to 17th ; another was observed on 

 September 21st ; another on October 2nd ; and two more 

 were killed at the hghthouse on November 5th. Arctic 

 Skua {Stercorarius crepidatus) — A Skua, after chasing a 

 Kittiw ake and forcing it to drop a fish, alighted on the water 

 near its booty. The fish sank, and the Skua. " slightly opening 

 its wings, dived right under the water very neatly, stayed 

 mider for a moment, and then reappeared minus the fish." 

 Seventy-eight species of birds in all are treated of, and the 

 notes on their movements are valuable {Ann. S.N.H.. 1908. 

 pp. 11-22). 



Rare Birds at Fair Isle. — This island is becoming a 

 second Heligoland under Mr. Eagle Clarke's able '" manage- 

 ment." Since he left the island this year {cf. supra, p. 233) 

 the following rare birds have occurred : — Short-toed Lark 

 {Calandrella hrachydackjla) ; a small flock of Little Buntings 

 {Emheriza pusilla) ; several Yellow-browed Warblers 

 {Phylloscopus supercUiosus), Bluethroats, Wood-Larks, and 

 a Black Redstart {Ann. S.N.H., 1908, p. 49). 



Marsh-Warbler {Acrocephalus palustris) breeding in 

 Hampshire. — Mr. Harry Beeston records {ZooL, 1907, pp. 

 446-449) that on 7th June, 1907, two eggs were brought to 

 him by a boy who had taken them on that day from a nest 

 in a small reed-bed in south-east Hampshire. On 15th June 

 four more eggs of a similar type from the same reed-bed 

 were brought to Mr. Beeston, and on this occasion he was 

 able to see the nest, although he did not hear or see the birds. 

 The nest was " built in the centre of the reed- bed, by the 

 side of a small stream flowing through the bed, and was 

 suspended about four feet above the ground to four or five 

 reeds, exactly like a Reed-Sparrow's nest." We presume 

 " Reed-Sparrow " (which is a local name for the Reed-Bunting) 



