VOL. XV.] NOTES. 248 



Cuckoo in December in England. — With reference to 

 our note on this subject {antea, p. 211), Mr. G. F. Gee writes 

 to point out that he shot a young bird in Delamere, Cheshire, 

 on December 26tli, 1897 or 1898, as already recorded (Vol. X., 

 p. 227), but overlooked by us. Mr. Gee has kindly sent the 

 bird for inspection. It is in juvenile plumage with a few 

 grey feathers grown and growing on the head and mantle 

 and not further advanced in the moult than young birds 

 often are in August and September. In its winter quarters 

 the young Cuckoo is usually in full moult (body, wings and 

 tail) in December. — H.F.W. 



Western Mediterranean Shearwater in Hampshire.— 

 With reference to my notes on Puffmus piiffmus mauretanicus 

 [antea, pp. 151 -3) Mr. Edward Hart writes that the Hampshire 

 example shot in Christchurch Bay in August, 1859, is in his 

 museum. Mr. Hart states that after reading the description 

 given at the end of my article he has no hesitation in saying 

 that this bird is P. p. mauretanicus. — H.F.W. 



LETTERS. 



FORMER BREEDING OF THE OSPREY IN IRELAND. 



To the Editors of British Birds. 

 Sirs, — -I quite agree with Mr. Kirke Swann's remarks {antea, p. 220). 

 If the Rev. F. L. Blathwayt will refer to Thompson's Natural History 

 of Ireland, 1849, VoL I., p. 24, also the footnote pp. 29/30, he 

 will see Thompson definitely stated there was no proof of the Osprey 

 breeding at Killarney, or elsewhere in Ireland. This view, so far 

 as my experience goes, has always been supported by the later authori- 

 ties on Irish ornithology. 



The following extract from Rutty's Natural History of the County of 

 Dublin, 1772, Vol. I., pp. 296/7, will show what confusion existed in 

 regard to the two species at that time : — 



" Haliactiis sive Ossifraga. The Osprey or Sea Eagle. Said 

 " to have been found about Lambay. ' 

 Undoubtedly this remark refers to the White-tailed Eagle. 



Geo. R. Humphreys. 

 Upton Lodge, Drumcondra, Dublin, ^th February, 1922. 



SHARE OF INCUBATION IN THE TURNSTONE. 

 To the Editors of British Birds. 

 Sirs, — With regard to Mr. Gordon's observations {antea, p. 216), 

 it seems quite possible that the male bird may have been affected by 

 the close proximitj'^ of the hiding tent, as it is a matter of common 

 experience that one bird of a pair is often indifferent to observation, 

 while the other is very shy. In every case we noted where the eggs 

 were hatching, the male was incubating, except in one instance where 

 the birds had been recently disturbed and in this case we flushed the 

 hen from the eggs. 

 Oxford, February ^th, 1922. A. H. Paget Wilkes. 



