NOTES. 341 



Shags in Yorkshire and Derbyshire. — In connexion with 

 the appearance of. Shags in Cheshire, Yorkshire, and Worcester- 

 shire* already reported {supra, pp. 279 and 307), it is interesting 

 to note that one was seen to go down to a mill-dam near 

 Bradford on January 25th, and was captm-ed two daj^s later 

 (H. B. Booth, Nat.^ 1912, p. 126). Mr. Coward writes that 

 he subsequently found the remains of a second Shag on 

 Rostherne Mere, which he had probably missed seeing when 

 he found the first, reported on p. 279. Mr. J. Drury informs 

 Mr. Jourdain that a Shag was sent to Messrs. Hutchinson for 

 preservation on January 31st, from near Bakewell. 



Bittern in Argyllshire. — An example of Botaurus 

 stellaris was found dead on January 17th, 1912, at Oban 

 (C. H. Bisshopp, Scot. Nat, 1912, p. 67). 



Goosanders in Derbyshire. — A pair of Mergus merganser 

 were observed for two or three weeks in March, 1911, on the 

 ponds at Osmaston Manor near Ashburne (F. C. R. Jourdain, 

 Zool. Rec. for Derbyshire, 1911). 



Plumage of the Young Red Grouse. — In an interesting 

 article on the " Red Grouse in Confinement," in the Avicultural 

 Magazine (Third Series, Vol. III., pp. 92-6), Mr. H. Wormald 

 remarks that : " Young Grouse grow three tails in succession 

 before they are five months old, i.e. their first baby- tail, which 

 shows when the chicks are nine days old. This is retained 

 until the birds are a fair size, and then replaced by a black 

 tail, which they wear until after they are quite full-grown, 

 and is dropped about the middle of September, the outer 

 feathers on each side being the first to fall out. In about a 

 month's time this tail is fully developed, and is black, and 

 the feathers stronger in the quill than the feathers of the 

 second tail were. This tail is worn until the moult of the 

 following year." 



Black-tailed Godwit in Donegal in Winter. — A speci- 

 men of Limosa belgica was shot on January 23rd, 1912, at 

 Inch, Lough Swilly (D. C. Campbell, Irish Nat., 1912, p. 64). 



Black-necked Grebe in East Ross. — An example of 

 Podicipes nigricollis is recorded by Miss A. C. Jackson 

 {Scot. Nat., 1912, p. 67) from Cromarty Firth, Jan. 2nd, 1911. 



Slavonian Grebe. — A considerable number appear to have 

 been driven on to our shores and inland this winter, and we 

 shall be glad to have records of occurrences. — Eds. 



* Mr. J. Steele Elliott write-; that this record must be counted to 

 Shropshire, as the Worcester boundary is half a mile from the place 

 where the bird was obtained. 



