VOL. XI.] NOTES. 235 
and had its upper mandible broken, I reluctantly had it 
killed, and sent it to the Lincoln Museum, to see if my identi- 
fication was correct.” This was subsequently confirmed 
by the Curator. JoHNn ALLISON. 
LATE STAY OF COMMON SANDPIPER IN 
STAFFORDSHIRE. 
Iv may be of interest to note that a Common Sandpiper 
(Tringa hypoleuca) remained in the Churnet Valley at East- 
wall throughout the late autumn of 1917 until December 
15th, when it was last seen. 
Probably the bird took its departure on the advent of 
snow and severe frost, which set in about the above date. 
It was regularly seen throughout October and November, 
on September 29th; and ayain on October 27th, when I 
visited the locality, [ saw a Common Sandpiper which was 
perhaps the same bird. Qur breeding Sandpipers generally 
leave much earlier in the autumn, but during September 
birds in transit come under notice. T. SMITH. 
GREY PHALAROPE IN HAMPSHIRE. 
A Grey PHaLarore (Phalaropus fulicarius) was caught alive 
at Barton. in the parish of Milton, on January 26th, 
1918, by a boy. It died in his pocket, and was brought to 
me the same day. J. EK. KeLsaLi 
BLACK-TAILED GODWITS IN KENT. 
On January 10th, 1918, a Sergeant-Major of the Royal 
Engineers when out shooting on the mud-flats skirting Pegwell 
Bay brought back with him a Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa 
limosa) which he told me he had shot from a flock of twenty of 
this specics. In East Norfolk it is seen chiefly on spring 
migration, in April and May, and I have only once seen it 
there in January. J. VINCENT. 
A NOTE ON THE BRITISH PUFFIN. 
Messrs. W. L. Scuarer and C. W. Mackworth Praed (antea, 
p- 214) have once more discussed the forms of the European 
Puffin. They infer that the form from northern Norway is 
different from the one from southern Norway, and that the 
latter is the same as that from the British Isles, while the 
differences from the birds of the Vesteraal Islands are so 
slight that they should not be separated. 
I regret that I cannot agree with this interpretation. I 
stand by the fact that my four birds from the Vesteraal 
