Birds. 9715 



near the coast ; consequently I have not much opportunity of observing 

 their^habits. 



Sand Martin. — Numerous from the 10th to the 19lh of May, 

 though they do not breed in this immediate neighbourhood. 



Swift. — About thirty seen on the 13th of May: they appeared to 

 be taking a northerly course. 



Grallatores. — The migratory birds of this order have in general 

 been scarce at Pagham Harbour during the spring migration this 

 year, I have not seeu or heard of a greenshank or bartailed godwit 

 on this part of the coast, and very few gray plovers have appeared; 

 I saw one on the 20th of May, apparently in full summer plumage, 

 but too wild to allow me to get within shot of it. The dunlins had 

 nearly all disappeared by the 13th. A knot, partly in the summer 

 plumage, was shot, and one curlew seen, on the 13th. Flocks of from 

 ten to thirty or forty whimbrels have remained about the coast 

 throughout the May month. I was agreeably surprised in meeting 

 with a pair of Kentish plovers at Pagham Harbour on the 20th : I am 

 not aware that they have ever been detected here in the breeding 

 season before, and very rarely at any other time of the year ; I am 

 satisfied, however, that I have made no mistake in identifying the 

 bird, as I had a good view of one, at about one hundred yards, through 

 ray pocket telescope: their manners very much resembles those of the 

 common species (Charadrius hiaticula) in the breeding season, showing 

 signs of great uneasiness, as if they had eggs near at hand, whenever 

 I was near their haunts. It is not improbable that there might have 

 been more than one pair on the beach, as I saw them at both ends of 

 the bed of shingle which divides the harbour from the main sea, and 

 which is perhaps more than a mile in length. I hope to see more of 

 these birds in the autumn. 



Redlhroated Diver. — I am much obliged to Captain Hadfield for 

 his reply to my query respecting the changes in the plumage of this 

 bird. I had already referred to Montagu, but my own observations 

 had led me to think differently from him. Montagu does not state at 

 what time during the winter of 1795 the specimen from which his 

 description was taken was obtained: it might have been in October, 

 before the moult would have been commenced. The three specimens 

 which I mentioned (Zool. 9580), having the red patch, were all killed 

 in Pagham Harbour: No. 1, on the 5lh of May, 1860, in perfect 

 summer plumage. No. 2, on the 23rd of October, 1862; in this 

 specimen the red patch, as well as the slaty plumage of the neck, has 

 white feathers intermixed : these two specimens are in my own 



