228 BRITISH BIRDS. ivoi. x. 



SNIPE CALLING IN DECEMBER. 



On December 26. 191(5, near Oswestry, the ground was frozen 

 very hard and Snipe were numerous wherever there were 

 small streams of running water or unfrozen bogs. I happened 

 to be ferreting near one of these patches. At the sound of 

 my gun, a Snipe {Gallinago g. gallinago) began calling " gig- 

 wick " and kept it up for some ten to twenty minutes. The 

 bird remained on the ground all the time. Later in the day 

 I returned the same way and again fired near the bog with 

 the same result. After the Snipe had stojDped calling I put 

 them up : there were five in the field — two singles and a 

 three. Hitherto I have considered this note one which is 

 essentially a breeding-time note and have then heard it uttered 

 bj^ birds on the wing and on the ground. 



J. H. Owen. 



LITTLE BUSTARD IN CO. CLARE. 



A FEMALE Little Bustard (Otis tetrax), in beautiful plumage, 

 was shot near Ennis, co. Clare on December 20th, 1916, and 

 sent to Messrs. Williams of Dublin where it is being mounted 

 for me. 



This is the seventh specimen obtained in Ireland, the 

 previous records being : — 



1833, CO. Wicklow. Two seen, one of which was obtained 

 on August 23rd. 1860, co. Cork, December 24th. 1883, co. 

 Longford, February, co. Cork, November 14th. 1887, co. 

 Mayo. Two seen, one of which was obtained in December. 

 1892, CO. Kerry, December 30th. 



C. J. Carroll. 



Late stay of Nightjar in Northamptonshire. — Mr. A. 

 Page reports {Field, 2. XII. '16, p. 837) that a Caprimulgus e. 

 europceiis was found dead, but in fresh condition, on the roof 

 of Peterborough Cathedral on November 21st, 1916 — a verj^ 

 late date. 



Spoonbill in Devon. — Mr. F. B. Hinchliff writes to The 

 Field (23. XL' 16) that "quite recently" an example ^of 

 Platalea leucorodia was shot near the estuary of the Taw. 

 It will be remembered that Dr. Elliot reported a Spoonbill 

 in A]iril last on the Kingsbridge estuary [antea, p. 21). 



