204 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 



Athene noctua (Little owl). One juv. reported by Head- 

 Keeper Wren, Break Hill Wood, Canford. Identity certain. 

 [This appears to be new as a Dorset species. N.M.R.] 



Turdus merula (Blackbird). Feb. 3rd, 1912. A male, with 

 a deal of white about it, making it look like a miniature 

 magpie, has frequented the yard of Mr. Hiscock, builder, 

 Longham. Three or four primaries were white on both 

 wings, head and sides of neck white, crown black, the second 

 or third outer tail feather was pure white, the wing coverts 

 were white for the most part, and the markings were nearly 

 symmetrical. 



Feb. 3rd and Feb. 4tth, 1912, brought in a very cold snap. 

 The salt water lake at Poole Park was nearly frozen over, 

 except for a little water that the birds had kept open. About 

 mid-day on the 4th it blew a small blizzard from the N.E., 

 and I took the opportunity of approaching the fowl. I 

 noted about 10 Tufted Duck, about 10 Golden Eye, one or 

 two Widgeon, 30 to 40 Pochard, and 600 to 700 common Coots. 



Dendrocopus minor (Lesser spotted Woodpecker). Feb. 

 4th, 1912. One shot by a boy at Longfleet, who " thought it 

 was a bullfinch devouring buds on a fruit tree." 



Feb. 10th, 1912. One male Linota rufescens (Lesser Redpoll) 

 seen at Cock Wood, Canford Estate ; one Turdus iliacus 

 (Redwing) seen at Break Hill Wood, Canford. 



Feb. 5th, 1912. Two Hawfinches and one Hawfinch 

 (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) seen near Poole. (The two 

 were seen by T. Rigler, jun., and others at Sandbanks, Poole, 

 and the one was seen by Canon Okes Parish at Longfleet 

 Vicarage, Poole.) 



Feb. 5th, 1912. Jesse Baker ("Sunbeam," of Poole) 

 reports to us a large white falcon about the size of a Peregrine, 

 which he watched for some time off Ballard Head. On cross- 

 examination I assume that it must have been a Falco candicans 

 (Greenland Falcon) driven south by the recent blizzard. (I 

 do not offer identity as conclusive.) 



Feb. 17th, 1912. Turdus musicus (Song thrush) in song at 

 Break Hill Wood ; Perdrix cinerea (Partridge), paired, 



