t.... x1] NOTES. 233 
the first time that wild Swans have visited the pool, for a few 
years ago eight or ten settled on the water, calling loudly; 
but as I did not see them myself, I did not make a note of the 
date, nor can I say which species they belonged to. 
E. DE HaMeEt. 
BEWICK’S SWAN IN WARWICKSHIRE. 
Ow January 11th, 1918, Mr. R. H. Baillie reported a strange 
Swan in ihe Park at Satton Coldfield. From his description 
I felt no doubt that it wouid prove to be a Bewick’s Swan 
(Cygnus 6b. bewickii), but went immediately to verify the 
identification. I found it with a party of twenty-one Mute 
Swans. It was very restless and uneasy, but has settled 
down since then, and was still there on February 15th, although 
several of the Mute Swans left when the ice disappeared. 
The difference in size between it and the Mute Swans was 
very noticeable, and the yellow on the bill was confined to a 
patch on each side. There is no mention of this species in 
the article on Birds by R. F. Tomes in the Victoria History 
of Warwick, so that this appears to be the first record for the 
county. B. A. Carter, 
[As the localities from which these birds are recorded 
are only five or six miles apart, it might be expected that 
they would prove to belong to the same species, but there 
Seems no doubt that in both cases they were correctly 
identified.— EDs. | 
BRENT GEESE IN NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE. 
_ Two Brent Geese (Branta b. bernicla) were seen in the Churnet 
Valiey near Oakamoor at the end of Mareli. 1917, one of 
which was shot and correctly identified. This perhaps is 
worthy of record, as Staffordshire examples of the Brent Goose 
have been seldom obtained. T. SmirH, 
[This record must not be confused with the unsatis 
factory note in Mr. J. R. B. Masefield’s Zoological Record for 
Staffordshire, published in the Rep. and Trans. N. Stuffs. 
Field Club, 1916-17, where it is stated that “‘ Two flocks of 
Wild Geese were seen flying low over Cheadle in January, 
1917, and two birds alighted, which were described by the 
observer as very small dark birds, so that apparently they 
must have been Brent Geese, of which we have only four 
previous records for the county.” We must enter an earnest 
protest against the admission of records on insufficient and 
anonymous evidence of this kind. If better evidence exists, 
it should be stated.—EDs. | 
U 
