446 The Zoologist — October, 1866. 



is recorded, as a Tringa of any kind is a rara avis with us since our 

 sands have been buried by the shingle constantly drifting to the 

 eastward. Fifty years ago none of this red shingle had reached our 

 shores. 



Great Blackhacked Gull. — 17th. One was seen sailing majestically 

 along, seemingly unimpeded by a strong head-wind. It is a noble- 

 looking bird, whose powerful flight reminds one of the Falconidae. 



Willow Wren. — A few have been lately observed, and on the 19th 

 one was seen in the garden. 



Wood Wren. — A fine male of this species having been shot on the 

 21st the wing was compared with the outline engraving of Macgii- 

 livray's, with which it exactly corresponds in shape. The relative 

 length of the primaries is also correctly given. The second primary 

 was then compared with the woodcut outline in the ' Zoologist,' (S. S. 

 300), from which it <lifi'ers materially in shape. In my specimen the 

 outer web abruplly narrows at one inch from the tip, whereas in the 

 woodcut it tapers gradually to the end. The former is arched and 

 decurved at the lip ; the latter, though slightly arched in the centre, is 

 recurved at the end. Tlie quill of the bird before me tapers towards 

 the extremity, the inner web being slightly cut out and diagonally 

 sloped, but in the woodcut the lower web is curved and rounded off. 

 Woodcut No 1 is more like the third than the second primary of my 

 specimen. On comparing the bird with Temminck's coloured -litho- 

 graphic engraving, the resemblance, both as regards shape and colour, 

 was found perfect, so that, with it and Macgillivray's work to refer to, 

 there is no mistaking the species. This hue adult male is five inches 

 and five-twentieths of an inch in length, bill included, and nine inches 

 in extent of wings. The throat and sides of the neck still of a bright 

 yellow, that colour extending under the wings and beyond the flexure; 

 breast and belly white, but the former is slightly tinged with yellow, as 

 are the sides. A bright yellow band from the base of the U))per 

 mandible passes over the eye and ear-coverts. Head, back and tail- 

 coverts yellowish green ; tail-feathers, excepting the exterior one, 

 broadly margined with yellowish green. The primaries, the exterior 

 one excepted, margined with greenish 3'ellow ; secondaries the same, 

 but more broadly. The second primary is the longest; the third 

 three-twentieths of an inch shorter than the second ; the first one- 

 tenth less than the third. Thigh tinged with yellow. On opening the 

 gizzard it was found, like that of the meadow pipit described in the 

 * Zoologist ' (S. S. 342), to contain nothing but the remains of small 



