— 
-” =~ 
——————— oe Tele PS ee, lore ae 
29 
Scoters ( Oidemia fusca) which visited us last winter, or on recent — 
occurrences of the Blackthroated- and the Great Northern- Divers, 
both scarce in our region. 
In autumn, our estuaries were alive with Limicolz, including 
the Grey Phalarope ( Phalaropus fulicarius ) observed by Mr. Tandy 
on September 22nd, near Silloth. The east coasts of Great Britain 
were favoured with hosts of Curlew, Sandpipers, Little Stints, and 
Grey Plover; but our western estuaries were not similarly affected 
as regards the two first, nor was a single specimen of Zvinga minuta 
obtained on our side of the Solway, but Grey Plover (Sguatarola 
helvetica) and Bartailed Godwits (Limosa lapponica) occurred 
during the autumn in exceptional numbers. The principal rush 
reached the Waver on September 3rd, as observed by Mr. Tandy. 
It was not until October 25th that we were able to visit the Solway 
with Mr. H. P. Senhouse, always enthusiastic in the study and 
chase of wary waders ; but despite seven weeks of hard shooting, 
many Grey Plover still remained, and a few wintered on this 
sheltered lagoon. Some old Grey Plover killed there on September 
15th, and sent to Mr. Mackenzie of Carlisle, still retained much of 
their handsome summer plumage. 
We are well aware that we have fully reached the space assigned 
to our record, and shall therefore refer only briefly to two ornitho- 
logical occurrences. The most recent is identical with the irruption 
of Pallas Sandgrouse (Syrrhaptes paradoxus). Concerning this, 
we propose to give separate details, and will only here record 
our regret that our unsparing efforts to preserve the birds from 
destruction proved a failure, twenty-one individuals being killed in 
Cumberland up to June roth. The earlier occurrence is that of the 
Isabelline Wheatear (Saxicola isabellina) shot at Aigle Gill, near 
Allonby, in November last, by Messrs. Mann, as recorded by us 
in the “Ibis” for January last. We had ventured to predict the 
occurrence of south-eastern birds in that locality and at that time. 
That a new species has thus been added to the fauna of Western 
Europe, is an excellent illustration of what may be accomplished 
again and again by such lynx-eyed field naturalists as our kind 
friends at Aigle Gill. 
