246 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xiii. 



LITTLE AUK IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE. 



The passing so far inland as the south-west corner of 

 Buckinghamshn-e of a Little Auk {Alle alle) is a sufficiently 

 uncommon occurrence to merit putting on record. On 

 December 8th, 1919, when standing close to my house 

 (Poynetts, Skirmett), a bird which at the moment I took for 

 granted was merely a Starling, appeared from behind some 

 trees, 150 yards or less away. My attention was, however, 

 immediately caught by the totally different flight from that 

 of a Starling (or I believe to any passerine bird), whose flight 

 may be described as " flickering " — the wings onlv occasionally 

 showing below the belly line, and then only slightly, whereas 

 this bird flew with its wings " flapping " every stroke to 

 their full extent far below the body ; and it was distinctly 

 larger than a Starling. A Little Auk being one of the last 

 birds one would expect here, it was not until it came close 

 and passed me at a distance of under thirty yards that I was 

 certain of my identification, for although many years ago 

 I became very familiar with the species in Spitsbergen (and 

 have skins in the adjoining room), I do not recollect ever 

 seeing one in this country, and certainly none in this county 

 (Bucks.), in which the Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain tells me this is 

 the seventh recorded example. 



As it passed, its underside momentarily caught the light 

 (on a grey, dark day, at 3 p.m.), and showed white inclusive 

 of the throat which is black in summer. It was flying ver^^ 

 slightly (perhaps a point) N. of W., a course whicli would 

 lead it ultimately, if its strength held out, to the mouth 

 of the Severn, somewhere probably in the Chepstow 

 direction. From the fact that Little Auks, when met with 

 inland, are generally picked up by hand in a moribund 

 condition, it seems as if they could not feed in fresh water, 

 and I have no recollection of ever reading of any example 

 seen swimming in a river or other sheet of fresh water, and 

 should be interested to learn whether this is so. 



Alfred Heneage Cocks. 



Adopting of Young by Carrion-Crows. — Mr. H. S. 

 Gladstone records {Scot. Nat., 1919, p. 166) that his keepers 

 shot no less than four adult Corvus c. corone within three days 

 and a fifth a week afterwards at a nest containing two young. 



Pied Flycatcher and Garden-Warbler Breeding in 

 Ross-shire. — Mr. D. J. Balfour Kirke records {Scot. Nat., 

 1919, p. 194) that he watched a Pied Flycatcher {Muscicapa 



