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feLETIERS 
SUPPOSED OCCURRENCE OF BUFF-BACKED HERON IN 
SOMERSET. 
To the Editors of BritisH BrIrRps. 
Strs,—Mr. F. W. Smalley (antea, p. 147), while recording a Buff- 
backed Heron from Norfolk, writes: “I do not look upon the evidence 
for the bird said to have been shot at Martock (Somerset), January 28, 
1909, as being satisfactory.”’ I agree regretfully that I have no certain 
proof of the authenticity of this bird, such as the handling of the 
specimen in the flesh, but the purely circumstan’'ial evidence points to 
its having been genuinely obtained, viz. the skinning looks like an 
amateur’s work, as the head is stued with cotton wool, and it was 
left behind in vacated lodgings at Shepton Mallet in an old cardboard 
box, together with skins, similarly prepared and equally old, of a 
Goldcrest, a Chiffchaff and a Stoat, six 12-bore cartridges, thirteen 
very small bore dust-shot cartridges, a pair of scissors and a small 
quantity of cotton wool. Around the Heron’s neck was rolled and 
pinned a piece of an old newspaper, on the margin of which was 
pen: uled ‘* Martock, January 28, 1909, 3." This raises the question, 
on what evidence are we to inclile rare visitors to Bri'ain? If only 
on the examination of a specimen in the flesh, dead or alive, our 
orrithologica! publications will need considerakle revision. 
STANLEY LEwIs. 
WELLS, SOMERSET, 
DOUBTFUL PHYLLOSCOPI IN KENT, SUSSEX 
AND FLANDERS. 
To the Editors of British Brrps. 
Srrs,—In some notes on birds seen at Dungeness in 1916 (British 
Birds, X, pp. 263-6) I recorded some Phylloscopi seen by myself during 
the second week of September and identified as Ph. trochilus eversmannt. 
This identification was confirmed by observations made by Miss. E. L. 
Turner in the previous May, and the Editors of British Birds generously 
accepted my identification, as they have done on former occasions. 
It is therefore with a sense of the apology due to them that I have 
to confess that my identification was almost certainly incorrect. 
In recording these birds I mentioned that they had a peculiar note, 
that all were skulking, and dashed from bush to bush; that they were 
a trifle slimmer and distinctly paler and greyer in colour than the 
ordinary Willow-Wrens, seen with them, and that the legs were pale, 
as I thought ; but I am afraid I must have been careless in making this 
last observation. 
This year I was surprised to come across several passing Phylloscopit 
near Tunbridge Wells, on September 8th, all making the note of the 
supposed Ph. t. eversmanni; but I was not able to get a good view of 
the legs of any of them. I again heard one on the Sussex side, near 
Groombridge, on the 9th, Next day I went to Dungeness, and spent 
