VOL. X.] NOTES. 169 



it is said that the fledging period is about four weeks. My 

 own observations led me to believe that this is niiich below 

 the mark, and on writing to Mr. Forrest he tells me that the 

 statement in question is erroneous, and that he estimates 

 the period as six weeks, but unfortunately the issue of the 

 Sujjplement containing the correction has been delayed 

 owing to the war. 



Taking the lower estimate, this would bring the date of 

 leaving the nest back to July 8th, leaving only seven and a 

 half weeks for the Buzzards to reline the nest and lay a 

 fresh clutch of eggs, incubate them for a month and then 

 rear the young ! On the basis of Mr. Macpherson's figures 

 the tiuie allowed for this is only a month. 



Even if we presume that the eggs were laid exceptionally 

 early, a few moments' consideration will show that it is 

 absolutely impossible that two broods should have been 

 reared within these dates. 



There is, however, another and a simpler explanation. 

 Mr. Cox states that the birds were not disturbed, but this 

 can only be known with certainty when the nest is inspected 

 at regular intervals. Probably what really hajDpened was 

 that the first clutch of eggs was taken, but that the birds, 

 instead of moving to an alternative nesting site as is usually 

 the case, laid again in the same nest after an interval of three 

 or four weeks, and brought off this second laying successfully. 



F. C. R. JOURDAIN. 



ARCTIC SKUA IN NORTH LANCASHIRE. 



Richardson's Skua (Stercorarins 'po-rasiticus) has so seldom 

 Ijeen recorded in north Lancashire that it may be of interest 

 to state that one was shot on October 11th, 1916, inland at 

 Bolton-le Sands, near Carnforth. It was a female of the dark 

 variety and not quite adult. Mitchell, in his Birds of Lanca- 

 shire^ deals with the species in two lines, viz. : " Has been shot 

 from October to April, but is not common, and away from 

 the coast is very rarely seen." The taxidermist who set 

 this sj)ecimen up has only had three through his hands during 

 his long experience. H. W. Robinson. 



