Fkhruarv, 1902.] 



K NOWLEDGE. 



35 



that the Primula ohconica brings out a rash upon unwary 

 admirers, but I had no idea that our sturdy old friend 

 (juercus would act in the same way. Perhaps your 

 readers could throw some light on the subjwt. and 

 inform us to what species such an oak would belong \ 

 C. Maud B.\ttersby. 



Cronilyn, Rathowen, Ireland, 

 Novomber 19th, 1901. 



I In reply to a request for information. Lord Annesley 

 writes tliat the ti'ee in question is lihua foricndenclron. 

 This is a North American shrubs belonging to a genus 

 of which many of the species ai-e highly poisonous. It 

 belongs to the order AiKirardinrea-, and though called 

 " Poison Oak," is in no way related to the true oaks, 

 the genus Quercm. The member of the gonus most 

 familiar to British plant-lovors is the Staghorn Sumac, 

 HhiiK liiiiii. which is froqucntlv seen in cultivation. — 

 R. Li.. P.l 



fiRiTlStt 





Conducted by Harry F Witherby, r.z.s., m.b.o.u. 



A MrnDKRi>i s W.vter K.\n. in TiDNDON. — On Sunday, 

 December 22nd last. I was watching a Water Kail hunting 

 for food in tlio rushes and [latches of open water at the 

 top of the Serjientiue, which was frozen. There were 

 some Sparrows about, one of which settled on some liroken 

 rushes near the Rail. The Rail immediately rushed at 

 the Sparrow and seized it, apparently by the neck, in its 

 lon^' slender bill. The struggle which followed took them 

 to a patch of unfrozen water, where the Rail "ducked" 

 its victim and left it half-submerged on the edge of the 

 broken rushes. The Sparrow died in about five miniites. 

 Some ten minutes afterwards the Rail caught sight of tlie 

 body, and going up to it gave it a few pecks, but did not 

 attempt to eat it, so that hunger could not have been the 

 Ciiuse of its strange accion. On the follov/iug Friday I again 

 saw the Rail in the same pW'e; when it hap]>ened to get near 

 the Sparrows it looked at them, but they were evidently 

 frightened and flew up. The Water Rail must be rarely 

 seen in London, and to find one acting in this extra- 

 ordinary way seems worthy of notice. — F. R. Ratcliff. 



The Starling Roost on Cramond Island. By Charles Campbell. {The 

 Annalt of SrottM Natural HUlorif, JamiarT, lit02, pp. 2!l|. -This 

 is an interestiiij; article on the flighting liabits if the Starlings whicli 

 roost on Cramond Island in the Firth of Forth. Stadings have 

 roosted in great Hocks for some years past in a small plantation of 

 Scotch firs on this island, but it was not until the autumn of IS90 

 that they began to excite general attention in the neiglibourh lod. 

 The result of the author's interesting obscivations may be summed 

 up as follows : — The Starlings perform their daily journeys to and 

 from the island with great regularity. No matter what the weather 

 may be. and however strong the wind, they regularly perform their 

 journeys across the Forth. They roost on the island in summer and 

 in winter, although their numbers arc lessened in the breeding season. 

 No Starling remains on the island at any time of the year durmg the 

 day. It is supposed that on their reaching the mainland in the morning 



the birds sepiimte into small companies which have their particular 

 feeding grounds. In the eTcning they gather together somewhere 

 inland, and often pass over the Forth in one enormous flock. 



Bed -throated Pipit in Sussex. — At the meeting of the British 

 Ornithologists' Club held on December 18th, 1901, Mr. Howard 

 Saunders, on behalf of Mr. L. A. Curt s Edwards, exhibited a 

 specimen of a Kcd-throated Pipit obtained at Ninficid, Sussex, on 

 November 2titli, 1901. It was in perfect plumage, and was evidently 

 a yoimg bird which had just completed its first moult. The Red- 

 throated Pipit has been identified in Great Britain on very few occa- 

 sions. For the cause of its apparent scarcity I would refer my 

 readers to a note on the subject in Kxowi.kdob for September, 1901, 

 p. 20t. 



Scops Owl in Kent. — At the same meeting referred to shove a 

 Scops-Owl was sent for exhibition by Mr. Collingwood Ingram. The 

 specimen was caught alive in a coachhouse at Broadstairs in March, 

 1898. The bird eventually died and its skin was preserved. The 

 Scops-Owl is only a summer visitor even io temperate Europe, aud is 

 seldom found so far north as the British Islands. 



Waxwinfls in Scotland. — In ihc Annals of Scottish Natural History 

 for January, 1902, it is pointed out (p. 52) that there has been a decided 

 imraigi-ation of VV'axwings to Scotland this winter, but though widely 

 scattered over the country the birds have not come in considerable 

 numbers. The Waxwing is somewhat capricious in its visits, which 

 depend, no doubt, upon the severity of the weather on the Continent, 

 Great Snipe in Shetland and in Orlneij (Annals of Scottish 

 Natural Ilistory, January, 1902, p. 51). — There are few authenticated 

 occurrences of the Great Snipe in Scotland. Mr. J. A. Harvie-Brown 

 n.nv records that one was shot on September 26tli, 1901, in Shetland, 

 "hile Mr. Robert E.Bell notes that two others were shot on Sep- 

 tember 25th, 1901, in Stronsay, Orkney. The E-Jitors append a note 

 th.Tt a further Great Snipe was shot near Castle Douglas during the 

 past autumn. 



frreen Sandpiper in the Outer Kehrides {Annals of Scottish Natural 

 l/ixtori/, January, 1902, p. 55). — A Green Sandpiper, a bird which 

 ~ not previously been recorded from the Outer Hebrides, was 

 'taiued in South Uist during the past autumn. 

 On the Increase of the Starliiif/ and the Hawfinch. By H. E. 

 Howard, f.z.s. {Zoologist, December, 1901, pp. 463-467). — The 

 author of this paper has foiuul that tic great increase of the Starling 

 of late years, a fact which is universally admitted, lias tended to drive 

 away and cause a decrease in other birds which nest in holes of trees. 

 In Knowledge for July, 1901, I pointed out how that the Starlings 

 were driving away the Nuthatches especially, from the New Foi'est. 

 Mr. Howard goes further and aflirms that the Starlings evict even 

 the Green Woodpeckers from their nests in his district. In my expe- 

 rience, however, the numbers of the Woodpeckers (which can bore 

 nesting holes for themselves) has not been at all lessened by the 

 increase of the Starling. I may add as a point of some interest that 

 in the New Forest the Nuthatchoi return iu considerable numbers in 

 autumn and winter, and tluit the Starlings, which are now so numerous 

 in the breeding season, forsake the Forest as soon as their young are 

 fledged, ilr. Howard has also noted a large increase in Hawfinches, 

 which he deplores from an economic standpoint owing to the great 

 damage these birds do to fruit trees and vegetables. He traces the 

 increase of both these birds to the growth of the human population 

 and the consequent augmentation of orchards, market gardens, and 

 other suitable feeding grounds. It might be suggested that the un- 

 usually mild winters and dry summers of the last few years shoidd be 

 taken into consideration as a possible important factor. 



Yrllow -hilled Cuckoo (Cocvyzus americanusj at liingicood, Hants 

 {Zoologist, December, 1901, p, 474).— Mr. G. B. Corbin records that a 

 specimen of this American bird was shot at Eingwood, on October 

 30th, 1901. The bird was in perfect plumage, and showed no signs 

 of abrasion in its feathers. For remarks concerning tlie occurrence 

 of this and other American species see Knowledge, January, 1902, 

 p. 16. 



The Singed- necked Duck as a Sritith Bird {Zoologist, December 

 19th, p. 476). — Mr. O. V. Aplin here asks why this species (Fuligula 

 coUarisJ of American Duck should not be included in the list of 

 accidental visitors to Great Britain. The bird was originally de- 

 scribed by Donovan in 1801 from a specimen obtained in Leadenhall 

 Market, and said to have been shot in Lincolnshire. Mr. Aplin justly 

 remarks that a hundred years ago no wildfowl came imported for the 

 table from the other side of the Atlantic to London, but were not 

 wildfowl imported for ornamental waters, and might not this bird 

 have escaped 'f 



All contributions to the column, either in the way of notes 

 or photographs, should be forwarded to Hakry F. Witherby, 

 at 10, St. Germans Place, Blackheath, Kent. 



