NOTES. 229 



Introduction of Nuthatches and M.4rsh-Tits into 

 Ireland. — Mr. R. M. Barrington announces [Irish Nat., 

 1911, p. 220) that he is informed that two or three dozen 

 Marsh-Tits and a pair of Nuthatches have within the past 

 two years been liberated in co. Tipperary. We have recently 

 remarked on the " iniquity " of introductions of this kind, 

 and we need not repeat our views upon the matter, except 

 to say that we are more than ever convinced that such pro- 

 ceedings are contrary to the best interests of science. Mr. 

 Barrington rightly says that it will now be impossible to 

 decide with certainty the origin of any example of either 

 of these species which may be found in Ireland. On page 

 28 of this volume we drew attention to a record by Mr. W. J. 

 Wilhams, that he had seen a Nuthatch at Malahide in March 

 last, but this must now be considered as due to importation. 



Little Owls Breeding in Lincolnshire. — Mr. G. Bolam 

 records {ZooL, 1911, p. 432) that the Little Owl {Athene 

 noctua) has become " almost numerous " during ths last 

 two years in Lady Winchilsea's park at Haverholm, and breeds 

 there. The first breeding record for Lincolnshire was, we 

 believe, that by Capt. Stracey Clitherow [supra, p. 51), and 

 it would seem that the bird has only just recently spread into 

 Lincolnshire. 



Night-Heron in Yorkshire. — Mr. T. Stephenson records 

 {Nat., 1911, p. 425) that an immature female Nycticorax 

 griseus was shot on Ruswarp Carrs near Whitby on October 

 26th, 1911. 



Barnacle-Goose in the South of Ireland. — Mr. A. R. 

 Nichols records {Irish Nat., 1911, p. 220) that an example 

 of Bernicla leucopsis was obtained early in October, 1911, 

 near Kilmore on the south coast of Wexford. The Barnacle 

 is chiefly known on the north and west coasts of Ireland and 

 in Louth, and does not appear to have been recorded from 

 the south coast previously. 



Long-tailed Duck in South Wales. — A pair of Harelda 

 glacialis of which the female was shot, are reported by Mr. M. A. 

 Wright {Field, 9.XII.1911, p. 1289) from Margam Marshes, 

 Glamorgan, early in December, 1911. The bird is very 

 uncommon on the coast of Wales and in south-west England. 



Flocking of the Red-breasted Merganser in 

 Autumn. — We have previously drawn attention to Major 

 H. Trevelyan's notes on this subject (c/.. Vol. III., p. 167, 

 Vol. IV., p. 193). The same observer now writes to the 

 Field (21.X.1911, p. 923) that on August 15th, 1911, on the 



