32 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xm. 



another subspecies, A. ^. striatulus Ridgway, inhabiting the 

 boreal zone of the Pacific coast region. 



A. g. aincapillus differs from, the typical Goshawk A. 

 gentilis gentilis in the very different under-parts, the feathers 

 of which have the black shaft-lines developed into wider 

 stripes, while the cross-bars are more ashy-grey and broken 

 up into irregular cross-markings. The upper-parts are 

 slightly more ashy-grey, the crown generally more blackish. 

 The young bird has the under-parts as a rule paler and more 

 heavily spotted. 



Three occurrences of the American Goshawk in the British 

 Islands have been previously recorded, curiously enough all 

 three in 1869 and 1870. Robert Gray recorded the first as 

 having been shot by a keeper a few months previous to May 

 1869 (when he secured it roughly skinned) near Shechallion, 

 Perthshire (see Ihis, 1870, p. 292). The second was recorded 

 in the same volume of the Ibis (p. 538), by Sir Victor Brooke, 

 as having been shot in February 1870 in the Galtee 

 Mountains, co. Tipperary. This specimen is still in the 

 Science and Art Museum, Dublin. The third example was 

 stated by Mr. A. B. Brooke to have been shot shortly after 

 the one above mentioned near Parsonstown, King's co. {Zool., 

 1871, p. 2525). However, neither Newton in " Yarrell " 

 (4th ed.) nor Howard Saunders in his " Manual " admitted 

 the bird to the British List, while Ussher in his Birds of 

 Ireland relegated it to the Appendix amongst those species 

 whose claims were considered to be insufficient. It would 

 appear that the bird was excluded by these authors partly on 

 account of the probability of American land-birds receiving 

 " assisted passages " by perching on vessels, but we do not 

 think that this possibility should exclude a bird of powerful 

 flight like a Hawk, even though it be a short-winged species . 



E. Hartert. H. F, Witherby.] 



SMEWS OFF ABERDEENSHIRE. 



On April i8th, 1919, I saw four Smews {Mergus alhellus), 

 three adult males and one female off Peterhead. So many, 

 adults especially, are not commonly seen, I beUeve, on this 

 coast and the occurrence appears worth recording. 



Mary G. S. Best. 



ExHiBiriON OF Eggs. — We are informed by Mr. C. Borrer 

 that the eggs of the Warblers will form the principal feature 

 of the exhibition in connection with the fifth Oological dinner, 

 which wiU be held on September loth, 1919. 



