VOL. XIV.] NOTES. 235 



twenty-five Flamingos {Phcenicopterus r. antiquorum), flying 

 low over the water in file. They passed about 400 yards 

 astern, going due south, presumably on their way from 

 Sardinia to the north African coast. The ship's position 

 at midday was lat. 37° 40' N. : long. 7° 52' E. Other 

 birds noted on the same day include a Mistle-Thrush, a 

 Nightjar, some small species of Owl, a Dove, a Quail, and 

 several flights of small birds. M. Henderson. 



VELVET-SCOTERS, LONG-TAILED DUCK AND 

 GREENSHANKS IN DEVON. 



About mid-December 1920 a party of sixteen Velvet-Scoters 

 {Oidemia f. fnsca) appeared off the coast of Devon, near 

 I3udleigh Salterton, and stayed in the same bay for some 

 three weeks. There were three adult males in the party, 

 and the white wing-bar was very conspicuous when the birds 

 half rose from the water, and flapped their wings. Feeding 

 with them was a fine Long-tailed Drake {Clangttla hyemalis), 

 which appeared and apparently left with them. Velvet- 

 Scoters are seldom seen in Devon, and adult males of the 

 Long-tailed Duck are equally rare. 



While watching these birds on December i8th, I noticed 

 three Greenshanks {Tringa nebular ia) feeding with a large 

 flock of Curlew on the muddy beach close by. The long dark 

 legs, dark bill, and grey and white plumage were very notice- 

 able. Though formerly a not infrequent visitor in autumn, 

 the Greenshank is now rare in this district, and especially so 

 in winter. W. Walmesley White. 



PERIOD OF DIVES OF GREAT CRESTED GREBE 

 AND POCHARD. 



With reference to Mr. G. Bolam's note {antea, p. 189) on the 

 diving of the Great Crested Grebe {Podiceps c. cristatiis) the 

 following observations may be of interest. They were made 

 upon a bird which spent the morning of January 8th, 1921, 

 in short periods of alternate diving and preening on an open 

 piece of water, close to a main road, from which its movements 

 could easily be watched. The dives were not made through 

 fear and were consequently not as long as those made by a 

 bird wishing to escape detection. During periods of five and 

 three minutes it made nine and six dives respectively, and the 

 times spent under water were 20, 25, 12, 17, 12, 20, 22, 25, 

 25 seconds and 20, 12, 25, 20, 18, 18 seconds. A Pochard 

 [Nyroca /. fcriiia) was also timed during five minutes and it 



