FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 87 



believe it to represent what they saw. The dates were not 

 written down at the time, but very shortly afterwards, and 

 were believed to be correct. 



Saturday, May 12, seen by Miss Prisca Hutton. 



Thursday, May 17, seen by Mrs. Hutton. 



Friday, May 18, seen by Harry Quick, son of the Court 

 Gardener. (A.B.H.) 



THE GREY WAGTAIL (Motacilla boarula-melanope). The 

 Grey Wagtail breeds by the village brook here, sc. Melbury 

 Osmond, Dorchester, 22 Nov., 1917. (F.L.B.) 



THE CONTINENTAL SONG THRUSH ( Turdus musicus musicus). 

 I have no real Dorsetshire records of this bird, but Dr. 

 Penrose recorded it near the Pier at Bournemouth, 20 

 November, 1917. 



14 November, 1917. A continental thrush picked up at 

 51, Surrey Road, Bournemouth. (F.G.P.) 



THE KING OUSEL (Turdus torquatus). Dec. 23. At 

 Oakdale, Poole, an unusually late date. (W.P.C. and 

 E.H.C.) 



Saxicola rubetra. 8 Sept., 1917. Many in Purbeck. 

 (F.G.P.) 13 July, 1917. Two on the River Frome, where it 

 crosses the Swanage line (F.G.P.) ; ? were they a nesting 

 pair. 



THE DIPPER (Cinclus cinclus). Recorded as breeding at 

 Melbury Osmond, Dorchester, near the brook, by Rev. F. L. 

 Blathwayt, who has seen the egg. 22 Nov., 1917. 



THE SPOONBILL (Platalea leucerodia). Dr. Penrose brought 

 to my notice the wanton slaughter of four of these beautiful 

 birds by a Ware ham gunner, Will Thorne. Needless to say 

 our supine police did nothing, although this is a specially 

 protected bird and was killed in a specially protected area. 

 The story is really a tragedy : Two young and two old bir<Js 

 on October 12. 



Oa October 27 Mr. Arnold Pike, of Furzebrook, who had 

 made further enquiry, wrote to Dr. Penrose : " The Spoonbill 

 tragedy is more poignant than I at first thought. Two 

 birds spsnt the winter 1915-16 in Poole Harbour unmolested. 



