120 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. x. 



SAND-MARTINS ROOSTING IN TRP]ES. 

 Whilst crossing over the high ground near Cotton in north 

 Staffordshire on the evening of September 3rd, 1916, at dusk, 

 I saw about twenty Sand-Martins (Riparia r. riparia) sud- 

 denly drop into the top of a tree apparently with the intention 

 of roosting, had they not been disturbed. On my approach, 

 however, they rose and alighted in a thick little spinney 

 near by, where in all probability they passed the night. 



The weather was rather imsettled at the time and doubt- 

 less the birds were on migration. T. Smith. 



LITTLE OWL BREEDING IN WILTSHIRE. 



With reference to the record in Vol. IX., p. 210, of the Little 

 Owl (Athene n. noctua) having been seen at Lydiard Park 

 in October, 1915, I can now add that the bird was seen 

 there all that winter, while in July of this year the keej^er 

 saw three young ones being fed by an old bird. He has seen 

 the birds several times since, and I have also seen two young 

 ones. D. Percy Harrison. 



LITTLE OWL IN STAFFORDSHIRE. 



On April 10th, 1916, when passing through Little Aston 

 Park, Staifordshire, I observed in one of the trees a Little Owl 

 {Athene n. noctua). From its behaviour it appeared not un- 

 likely to be breeding. Records of the occurrence of this Owl 

 in Staffordshire being few, I thought this worth reporting. 



W. Davies. 

 [Cf. B.B., IX., p. 250, for previous records^EDS.]. 



COMMON SCOTERS IN CHESHIRE IN SUMMER. 



On July 20th, 1916, I saw seven adult Common Scoters 

 (Oidemia n. nigra) — six males and a female — on Marbury 

 Mere, near Northwich, while I was told a few days later by 

 the gamekeeper at Oakmere, Cheshire, that about the middle 

 of the month he saw " about a score " of black ducks on that 

 water, which he took to be Scoters. I have frequently seen 

 this species at other seasons on both meres, but my only 

 previous record of its occurrence in summer was in 1913 

 (c/. Vol. VII., page 173). J. Moore. 



CORMORANTS NESTING IN NORFOLK. 



A PAIR of Cormorants (Phalacrocorax c. carho) have nested 

 this year in my covert in the Feltwell fen. It is quite a 

 narrow belt which runs down into the area that was flooded 



