The Zoologist— December, 18C6. 517 



state of plumage they have frequently been mistaken for the rarer 

 species, the true rednecked phalarope {PhaUiropus hyperboreus) : 

 some have scarcely commenced changing to the usual winter garb of 

 gray, but the under plumage of all that I saw was pure white. The 

 gizzards of two which I dissected contained some very minute uni- 

 valve shells, scarcely to be detected without the aid of the microscope ; 

 others somewhat larger, also some small serrated claws, about a line in 

 length, apparently from some insect; small pieces of quartz and 

 remains of sand-worms, mixed up with mud and small bits of sea- 

 weed. It would be well if our two species of phalarope were known 

 as the " broad billed" and the " narrowbilled." The bill is an infallible 

 distinction, whereas the plumage may at times lead one into error. 



Rednecked Grebe.— On the 13th of August I shot a grebe in Boshara 

 Harbour, which I believe to belong to this species, though it is con- 

 siderably smaller than any that I have seen before ; in fact, it is inter- 

 mediate in size between Podiceps rubricollis and P. cornutus, as the 

 following measurements, taken before skaming, will show : — 



Lenglb 1 f<'°t 3 ^°*=^"- 



Extent of wing 2 feet i inch. 



Carpus to tip 6i inches. 



Tarsus ....•• 2 „ 



Bill (from gape) 1 inch 10 lines. 



' Bill (along ridge) . . ■ • • 1 „ 5 ,, 



The neck is of a rich deep chestnut colour, but the gray patch on the 

 throat of the adult P. rubricollis is wanting, the sides of the head and 

 throat in this specimen being black and creamy white in alternate 

 stripes, about a quarter of an inch wide, and running nearly parallel 

 with the bill and eye. 



Herring Gull.— The gizzard of a herring gull, which I shot on the 

 I3th of August, was crammed with the small green crabs which are so 



numerous on our muddy harbours. 



W. Jeffery, jun. 



Ealhan), Chichester, October 17, 1866. 



Link Bitlem at Colchester.- k fine specimen of this bird (Botaurus minutus) was 

 shot on the 13th of August, just above North Bridge, Colchester, and has come into 

 my collection. This is a very rare bird now in this county. I never heard of one 

 being captured here before. The specimen is a female, in good plumage, like that of 

 ihe male bird. There were two small eggs for next year in the ovarium.— C. R. Bree ; 

 Colchester.— From the ' Field ' Newspaper of August 25, 1 866. 



