140 BRITISH BIRDS. 



F. C. R. Jourdain found a colony in Shropshire in 1901 

 (c/. Eggs of Europ. Birds, p. 16), and other instances have 

 been recorded. 



Supposed Alpine Swift in North Devon. — Mr. T. H. 

 Briggs records {Zool., 1908, p. 269) that he saw "recently" a 

 Swift which he identifies as Cypselus melba, flying low at 

 Lynmouth. His attention was directed to the " size" of the 

 bird — presumably the large size which is, of course, a very 

 striking characteristic of this species ; but Mr. Briggs goes on 

 to say that he distinctly "saw the grey underside" of the 

 bird as it flew over his head. The Alpine Swift looks very 

 white underneath when flying, and the use of the word 

 "grey" in describing this distinctive characteristic makes us 

 doubtful of the identification being correct. There was a 

 sea-fog at the time. 



Snowy Owl in the Outer Hebrides. — Mr. J. A. Harvie- 

 Brown records a fine example of Nyctea scandiaca shot on 

 South Uist in October, 1907 {An7i. S.N.H., 1908, p. 182). 



Scops Owl in Fifeshire. — A female Scops giu was 

 obtained near Largo. The Scops Owl has been recorded 

 only eight times previouslv in Scotland. (W. Evans, Ann. 

 S.N.H., 1908, 183). 



Montagu's Harrier in Surrey. — Mr. Colling wood Ingram 

 reports {Zool, 1908, pp. 308-311) that a pair of Montagu's 

 Harriers nested in Surrey this year in the same place as those 

 recorded last year (c/. antea, Vol. I., pp. 237 and 351). 

 Unfortunately the eggs failed to hatch. The nest was carefully 

 protected by a Royal Society for the Protection of Birds' 

 watcher, but possibly too much attention was paid to the 

 nest by observers and photographers. 



Common Bittern in Haddingtonshire. — The Rev. H. 

 N. Bonar writes that a specimen of Botaurus stellaris (the third 

 observed in East Lothian this year) was picked up dead on 

 Gullane Links in April {Ann. S.N.H., 1908, p. 183). 



Gadwall in Aberdeenshire. — Messrs. L. N. G. Ramsay 

 and A. L. Thomson satisfactorily identified two specimens 

 of Anas strepera (a very rare bird in the district) in the estuary 

 of the Don on September 1st, 1907 {A7in. S.N.H., 1908, 



p. 184). 



Pintails in Shetland. — A pair of Dafila acuta was found 

 breeding at Dunro.ssness in 1905 (c/. antea, p. 54). Mr. Harvie- 

 Brown now announces that there are four or five pairs there 

 this year [Ann. S.N.H., 1908, p. 184). 



