l8o FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 



(April 1 2th). They were seen alive on Sunday, and were dead 

 on Monday ; the old birds were still about. There had been 

 from 8" to lo" of frost in my cold house for some nights past. 



House IMartin {Chelidon mlica). — First appearance at 

 Corfe Castle April 15th. (E. R. B.) First appearance at 

 Sherborne April 23rd. (S. C.) 



Little Bustard i^Otis teirax). — In "The Naturalist's 

 Monthly Review " (published by Messrs. J. and W. Davis, of 

 Dartford, Kent), for March, igo2, the following note occurs : — 

 " Little Bustard in Dorset. — It may be of interest to note that 

 on January zjst I shot a nice specimen of the little bustard. It 

 got up with some partridges, and, in going av--ay, I thought it 

 was a curlew. It is in splendid plumage and very fat. The 

 last recorded to have been killed in Dorset was shot 48 years 

 years ago.— A Ford." Since the little bustard is very rare in 

 Dorset, only a single specimen being recorded in Mr. J. C. 

 Mansel-Pleydell's "Birds of Dorsetshire" (1888), it may be of 

 interest to mention that I have a note communicated to me by 

 the Rev. O. Pickard-Cambridge to the effect that a specimen 

 was shot at \\'armwcll many years ago and given by the 

 Rev. G. Pickard (afterwards Pickard-Cambridge) to the Bullock's 

 Museum collection, which was finally purchased for the British 

 Museum. (E. R. B.) 



Rook {Conncs fnigilcgiis). — In the spring the rooks again 

 frequented my lawn (Corfe Castle) and dug up many buttercup 

 {^Raniinciihis hidhosus) plants, devouring only the bulbs of them. 

 As was the case last year, their attention was confined solely to 

 this plant. (E. R. B.) 



Lesser Spotted Woodpecker {Dcndrocopus minor). — This 

 bird was observed at Corfe Castle and heard making its rattling 

 noise during the spring. (E. R. B.) 



A bird, believed to be this species, was seen by Mrs. Curme 

 on Feb. nth between Childe Okeford and Shroton. (D. C.) 



IMarsh Harrier {Circus ceruginosics). — November, 1902. A 

 pair have been observed the last year or more on or about Balcy 

 Down in Chardstock parish. (E. S. R.) 



