32 BRITISH BIRDS. 



in full summer plumage. These! birds certainly begin to 

 acquire summer plumage early in March, if I may judge 

 from one half in winter and half in summer plumage which 

 I shot on March 18th, 1907, on Loch Stenness, Orkney. 



H. W. Robinson. 



NORFOLK BIRDS. 



In Mr. J. H. Gurney's " Ornithological Report for Norfolk 

 (1908) " (Zool, 1909, pp. 121-138), we note the following 

 interesting records, which have not been previously referred 

 to in these pages : — Barn-Owls exhibiting luminosity were 

 again reported by several observers, but no one has yet set 

 at rest the question as to the cause of the phenomenon, which 

 can only be satisfactorily accomplished by securing one of 

 these birds and submitting it to a careful examination. 

 Bitterns were reported as "booming" on March 23rd, April 

 12th, and October 2nd. The first Spoonbill visited Breydon 

 Broad on March 31st (this seems the earliest date on record 

 in the district) ; four were seen at the same place on May 13th, 

 one was reported on August 8th, one on October 14th, while 

 another was shot on November 21st, and this is one of the 

 latest occurrences of this bird which has been recorded in 

 Norfolk. A Stilt was reported on April 29th and an Avocet 

 on May 28th, while a small flock of the latter species visited 

 the north coast during that month. H. F. W. 



# # * 



Irish Birds. — Corrections. — Mr. R. J. Ussher informs us 

 that the Black-throated Divers recorded at p. 421, Vol. II., 

 were not Irish birds, but were received by Mr. Williams from 

 Norway. Also, that Ardagh mentioned under Snowy Owl 

 (p. 412), is in co. Limerick and not in co. Kerry. Mr. R. M. 

 Barrington writes to us to correct his record of the Little Gull 

 mentioned on p. 420, which proves to be in immature plumage 

 and not adult, and was shot on February 7th and not on 

 March 7th. 



Shoveler and Wigeon Breeding in Cumberland. — 

 Messrs. D. L. Thorpe and L. E. Hope record the breeding of 

 the Wigeon on April 31st (?30th!), 1908, at Bassenthwaite 

 (Zool, 1909, p. 191), and of the Shoveler near the River Esk 

 on May 21st, 1908 (i.e., p. 192). No further particulars are 



