1 32 BRITISH BIRDS. 



which it would appear that the bird is an increasing annual 

 visitor (chiefly in May and June) to the county. Mr. Ussher 

 remarks that it appears to visit co. Cork in the same way, but 

 that it has not yet been known to breed in these counties. 



Sand-Grouse in Yorkshire. — Mr. Arthur Pratt (for whose 

 knowledge of the bird Mr. T. H. Nelson vouches) records in 

 the "Field' (June 12th, 1909, p. 1028) that he saw nine 

 Syrrhaptes paradoxus on West Coatham Marsh, near Redcar, 

 on May 17th, 1909. 



Little Crake in Scotland.— On March 29th, 1909, an 

 example of Porzana parva was caught in a fishing boat lying 

 in Girvan Harbour, Ayrshire (James Aird, Ann. Scot. Nat. 

 Hist., 1909, p. 185). We believe this species has only once 

 before been taken in Scotland. 



Spring -moult of the Adult Great Northern Diver. — 

 Mr. F. W. Smalley contributes an interesting paper to the 

 "Annals of Scottish Natural History" (1909, pp. 139-144) 

 relative to the spring-moult of Colymbus glacialis. His 

 conclusions are in brief as follow : — 



Adult Winter Plumage (male and female.) — This plumage seems 

 retained only for a short time and is thus described: — Head and 

 upper Neck. — Mouse-grey with a mixture of white on the lores, 

 round the eyes and sides of neck. Upperside. — Dark blackish -grey, 

 with two indistinct lighter grey spots on each feather. Tail-feathers. — 

 Black with white tips. Primaries and Secondaries. — Black. Under- 

 side. — White with a dark mouse-grey band across the vent. 



Adult Summer Plumage. — Acquired by a complete moult which 

 appears to commence in December and become complete in May, 

 but varies in individuals. Judging by one bird killed on February 

 18th, the whole of the rerniges are moulted at once at this time of 

 year. During the moult the bird assumes a strangely mottled 

 appearance, due to the interspersing of new summer feathers, and 

 the head is the last to moult. The full summer plumage is thus 

 described: — 



Head, Throat and Neck. — Deep glossy black with purple and green 

 reflections ; on each side of the neck and across the throat lateral 

 lines of white forming transverse bars. Upperside. — Glossy black : 

 each feather with two large white spots towards the tip. Tail, 

 Primaries, and Secondaries. — Black. Belly. — White with a narrow 

 band of white-tipped black feathers across the vent. 



Red-necked Grebe in Orkney. — Mr. H. W. Robinson 

 now records that in Loch of Harray he saw several Podicipes 

 griseigena on March 2nd, 1904 ; a pair on February 28th, 

 1905 ; and in the Bay of Ireland a single bird on April 10th, 

 1908 (Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1909, p. 185). 



