200 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. vii 



the latter without any marking at all ; the cheeks and sides 

 of the neck were pale buff, in strong contrast to the brown 

 of the upper surface of the head and neck and the brown 

 band crossing the upper-breast. The bird passed so close 

 to me that I was also able to notice the characteristic high 

 crown and short bill. 



An examination of an immature male which I have and 

 the females in the Birmingham Museum, shows that whilst 

 the latter (all mature birds) are much whiter on the head 

 than the bird I saw, the former apparently only differs 

 from it in the more buff colour of the cheeks and neck. 

 From this I think that the bird I saw was a female in the 

 plumage of perhaps the second winter. 



Although the Long-tailed Duck has been recorded on, 

 I think, four occasions from the neighbouring county of 

 Staffordshire, it does not appear to have been previously 

 reported from Warwickshire (it is not included in the list 

 in the Victoria History, Vol. I.) ; for this reason I have 

 described so fully the specimen I saw. 



A. Geoffrey Leigh. 



[Six specimens have been definitely recorded from 

 Staffordshire.— F.C.R.J.] 



TURTLE-DOVE IN CO. DUBLIN. 



On May 28th, 1913, Dr. George Scriven noted t^vo birds 

 at Hampton Hall, Balbriggan, which he believed to be 

 Turtle-Doves {Streptopelia t. turtur). They were afterwards 

 seen on several occasions by his gamekeeper who shares 

 his opinion. I was not fortunate enough to see them, but 

 I have reason to beheve that this is the second year of 

 their appearance here. Dr. Scriven is a sportsman and a 

 competent observer. Charles W. Benson. 



BREEDING-HABITS OF OYSTERCATCHERS. 



In years gone by Oystercatchers {Hoematopus o. ostralegus) 

 were well represented during the breeding-season on Blakeney 

 Point, Norfolk. But for reasons unknown they forsook the 

 place almost entirely, and during the last four or five years 

 one pair only has been nesting there. Last year (1912) we 

 had one cock-bird mated to two hens. Both the latter laid 

 soon after each other, the one lajdng four eggs the other 

 three. In the first clutch all the eggs were infertile ; in the 

 second two, the third egg being brought off successfully. 



This year we had two pairs nesting at least, though there 

 were often more than four adult birds about. Both pairs 



