270 liRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xv. 



It appeared to be in excellent condition and flew close to 

 us quite unconcernedly. I think this must surely be a 

 very early record for this species. Norman Gilroy. 



[Two earlier records, viz. February 29th and March 2nd, 

 are given in A Practical Handbook of British Birds, Vol. I., 

 p. 506. — Eds.] 



PEREGRINE FALCONS IN LONDON. 



On Februarj^ 26th, 1922, at about 6 p.m., I saw two Peregrines 

 {Falco peregrinus) flying over the Brompton Road, towards 

 the Natural History Museum. They were flying at a 

 considerable height, but I am in no doubt as to their identity. 

 They breed close to my house every year and I have daily 

 opportunities of observing them. Lewis R. W. Loyd. 



THE SPOONBILL IN LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE. 



As recorded in the local press a Spoonbill {Platalea leucorodia) , 

 an adult male, was shot by Mr. G. H. Blair at Formby, 

 Lancashire, on February 28th, 1922. There is, I believe, 

 only one other published record of the bird in Lancashire, 

 the one referring to the specimen in the Preston Museum 

 which was shot on the Ribble in 1840. The Spoonbill does, 

 however, occasionally visit the district on migration, and 

 two occurrences are mentioned in The Vertebrate Fauna of 

 Cheshire, one for the Dee, the other for Tatton Mere near 

 Knutsford. In November 1913 another Spoonbill was shot 

 in the Dee Estuary and was preserved, and in iVpril 1920 

 one or two birds visited inland waters. On April nth Mr. 

 J. B. Milner saw one rise from the pool at Tabley, and on the 

 1 8th Mr. Rock saw one chased by Black-headed Gulls from 

 Oakmere ; it is, of course, possible that these were one and 

 the same bird. In both counties it is necessary to investigate 

 all reports of " Spoonbills," for the name is constantly used 

 by wildfowlers for the Shoveler. The Formby bird is at 

 present in the hands of a taxidermist. T. A. Coward. 



" SAW-BILLED DUCKS " WINTERING IN CHESHIRE. 



For eight or nine weeks an unusual number of " Saw-billed 

 Ducks " frequented the Cheshire meres, moving from one 

 to another of those waters which were at no great distance 

 apart. On December loth, 1921, Mr. Travers Hadfield saw 

 twelve Goosanders {Mergus m. merganser) on Tatton Mere, 

 five of these were old drakes. Since then, in varying numbers, 

 and on various dates, these birds were seen by Mr. 

 Hadfield, Mr. Easterby, Captain A. W. Boyd and myself, 



