128 BRITISH BIRDS. 



bred and were rearing three young ones on H. Marr's ground 

 when climbing began . . . and in due course the three flew 

 safely from the nest." Marr's evidence apparently oscillates, 

 and Mr. E. W. Wade may now be in possession of a more 

 recent version. 



A. D. Sapsworth. 



OSPREY IN CO. SLIGO. 

 Mr. J. Henderson reports the occurrence of a fine Osprey 

 (Pandion haliaetus), seen by him on May 29th, 1909, on Lough 

 Arrow, co. Sligo. This is a very late date for a bird on 

 migration northward, but though there is no record of the 

 breeding of this species in Ireland, Messrs. Ussher and Warren 

 mention several instances of its occurrence during the 

 summer months, while recent records were summarized on 

 p. 414 of Vol. II. of this Magazine. 



F. C. R. JoURDAIN. 



WHITE STORK IN KENT. 



On July 19th I saw in Romney Marsh, in Kent, a fine adult 

 White Stork {Ciconia alba). It was standing in some swampy 

 ground, together with some Herons, and, when it rose, its 

 red legs and bill showed up well as I watched it through the 

 binoculars. It was very wild. C. B. Ticehurst. 



[Although this may have been a perfectly wild bird, so many 

 such birds are kept in semi-captivity without being pinioned, 

 that records must now be received with caution. At Kew 

 Gardens, for instance, the Storks have reared young, we 

 believe, every year for a considerable time, and these, some 

 of them several years old, fly about freely, and it is question- 

 able if one would be missed should it fly away altogether. — 

 H. F. W.] 



SPOONBILL IN YORKSHIRE. 



It may be of interest to note that on the afternoon of August 



15th, while in company with a friend (Dr. Compton), I noted 



a Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) on the north shore of the 



Humber. During the last twenty years this is only the 



second I have seen in this district. The bird on taking wing 



flew in a southerly direction. T x 



J Stanley Duncan. 



WATER- RAIL CARRYING AWAY ITS YOUNG. 

 The behaviour of the Water- Rail described by Miss Turner 

 in the last' number of British Birds, is not, I think, unusual 

 in a bird that is uneasy, and thinks itself watched when 



