20 



BRITISH BIRDS. 



[vol. XV 



to see was a hawk. As it sat in the oak it was nearly facing 

 me ; it was lit by sunshine from behind me, and through 

 the glasses the reddish patch about the thighs showed plainly. 

 Until I saw this patch of red I had not realized what bird 

 I was looking at. ' E. Leonard Gill. 



RECORDS OF SPOONBILLS IN HAMPSHIRE. 



The following records show that the Spoonbill {Platalea I. 

 leucorodia) has appeared in Hampshire in every month of the 

 year with the exception of February, for which I have as yet 

 no record. They are not, I believe, the only occurrences of 

 the species. 



GOOSANDER AND SMEW IN SURREY. 

 On March 20th, 1921, I visited Frensham Great Pond ; 

 within a few yards of the road I " put up " a pair of Redshank 

 {T. totanus) and later, on the Little Pond, I saw five more. 

 Farther round the pond a bird swam out into the open, 

 swimming very fast and partially submerged. It did not 

 dive, and I was able to make lengthy observation with field- 

 glasses. I was struck at once by its white cheeks and throat, 

 the top of the head and back of the neck being chestnut, 

 with no noticeable crest and the back darkish grey ; the 

 bill stoutish and turned sharply down at the tip. Owing 

 to its submerged way of swimming I could not tell the colour 

 of the under -parts. The legs were set very far back. In 

 size it was slightly smaller than the Great Crested Grebes, 

 which are numerous on the ponds, and I made no doubt that 

 it was a female Smew {Mergus albellus) . Later on I noticed 

 a female Goosander {M. merganser), which was swimming 

 about in a leisurely manner quite close to the shore, thus 

 enabling me to have a lengthy inspection, and also to compare 

 the Smew which swam quite close to it. Two males and one 

 female Shoveler {SpaUtla clypeata) were feeding amongst the 

 reeds. Clemence M. Acland. 



