212 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol.xv. 



through the glass in the best possible position in bright sun- 

 light. The white upper tail-coverts were very conspicuous. 

 The bird flew across in front of the observer from south to 

 north, and remained on the wing quite close on the north side 

 for a couple of minutes. Kennedy Orton. 



AMERICAN BITTERNS IN IRELAND. 



On October 19th, 1921, a male American Bittern [Boiaurus 

 lentiginosus) was shot on Caravacaw Bog, near Armagh. 

 The bird was in excellent plumage and condition, and its 

 stomach contained the remains of large beetles. Another 

 was shot in the same bog in October but did not pass through 

 ray hands. It is a curious fact that these American wanderers 

 have been shot far inland instead of near the coast, where 

 they would be expected to drop into the nearest bog on arrival. 

 No doubt a bird like the Bittern might alight on the spars 

 of a vessel in mid-ocean, which would materially assist it 

 in performing the long flight across the Atlantic. 



W. J. Williams. 



BEWICK'S SWAN IN CHESHIRE. 



Six Bewick's Swans {Cygnits b. hewickii) visited Radnor Mere, 

 Alderley, from 24th to 26th November, 1921. They were 

 first seen on the 24th by Mr. G. H. Ramsbottom. M}^ wife 

 saw them the same day and on the 25th, and I saw them 

 myself on the 26th on two occasions. Mute Swans and 

 Canada Geese were on the Mere at the same time, so that I 

 had a good opportunity of comparing the Bewick's Swans 

 with them. Mr. Ramsbottom and my wife heard them call 

 once, and describe their cry as resembling the " honk " of a 

 Canada Goose. Four previous records for this county are 

 given in Mr. T. A. Coward's Vertebrate Fauna of Cheshire 

 (pp. 318-9) and two other instances are recorded by the same 

 author in his Notes on the Vertebrate Faiina of Cheshire (Lanes, 

 and Cheshire Fauna Committee) for 1916 



E. W. Hendy. 



BEAN -GOOSE IN HEREFORDSHIRE 



Two Bean-Geese {Anser fabalis) were shot, out of a flock of 

 fourteen at Wilton, near Ross-on-Wye, the first week, in 

 December, 1921.. H. E. Forrest. 



SCAUP-DUCKS IN ARGYLLSHIRE IN SUMMER. 



During the third week of May, 1921, and again on the 24th 

 and 25th, a female Scaup-Duck {Nyroca m. marila) was seen 



