820 BRITISH BIRDS. 



1912, p. 47). Both species not infrequently winter in the 

 south and west of our islands. A Land-Rail was sent to me 

 by Major Barrett-Hamilton from co. Waterford on December 

 3rd, 1910.— H.F.W. 



Wood- Sandpiper in Fife. — Mr. W. Evans puts on record 

 {Scot, Nat. J 1912, p. 16) that he has a specimen of Tetanus 

 glareola shot near Anstruther, south-east Fife, in April, 1895. 



Black-tailed Godwit in Cumberland. — Four specimens 

 of Limosa belgica are recorded by the Misses L. J. Rintoul 

 and E. V. Baxter from Skinburness (Solway), one on August 

 27th and three on August 30th, 1911 {Scot. Nat., 1912, p. 45). 



Whimbrels in Winter in Haddington. — Mr. W. Evans 

 records seeing a Numeriius phceopus near North Berwick on 

 November 25th, 1911, and Mr. R. L. Ritchie writes that at 

 Aberlady Bay he saw one in November, and shot one on 

 December 26th, 1911 {Scot. Nat., 1912, p. 45). 



Black Tern in Haddington. — Mr. R. L. Ritchie records 

 {Scot. Nat., 1912, p. 45) that he obtained an immature female 

 Hydrochelidon nigra at Aberlady on August 31st, 1911. 



Disposal of the F^ces of Young by Old Birds. — Mr. 

 W. Wilson {Nat., 1912, pp. 50-1), observed that in the Mistle- 

 Thrush, Song-Thrush, Blackbird, and Lesser Redpoll, the 

 fceces of the young were both swallowed and carried away 

 by the parent -birds ; in the Ring-Ouzel they were swallowed ; 

 in the Chaffinch they were carried away (except in one case 

 where the male swallowed one) until a few days before the 

 young left the nest, when they were left and the outside of 

 the nest became foul ; in the Redstart, Redbreast, Willow- 

 Warbler, Dipper, Great Tit, Pied, Yellow and Grey Wagtails, 

 Meadow-Pipit, Spotted Flycatcher, House-Sparrow and 

 Starling, they were carried away. These observations should 

 be compared with those published in our last volume. Mr. 

 Wilson suggests that there may be nourishment for the old 

 birds in the fceces of the young, which, as I pointed out in 

 1897, is not unlikely.— H.F.W. 



THE BIRDS OF WILTSHIRE. 

 To the Editors of British Birds. 



Sirs, — I should be much obliged if any of your readers would be so 

 kind as to give me any information they can about uncommon birds 

 in Wiltshire during the last thirty years or so. 



I am trying to collect data on the Birds of Wiltshire since the 

 publication of the Rev. A. C. Smith's book on the subject. 



G. B. HoNY. 



Woodborough, Wilts. 



