The Zoologist — December, 1866. 525 



mandible, which is longer than the under mandible and hooked at the ;ip, one inch 

 and a quarter from the gap. Crown of the head dark brown. Above the eye, from 

 the beak to the back of ihe head, a white line, dotted with brown. From the beak to 

 the eye, which is dusky, a dark browu streak. Chin white, delicately spotted with light 

 brown. Throat and breast light browu, mixed with white, the feathers being brown 

 for three-fourths of their length and barred with dirty while. Vent and rump white. 

 Sides and lower wing-coverts brown, irregularly barred with white. Primaries darker 

 above than below; the first, which has the shaft dirty while, is the longest in the 

 wing. Upper parts darker than in the adult, spotted with black and brownish 

 white. All the tail-feathers white, irregularly barred with dusky brown on both webs, 

 those in the centre being the darkest. The stomach contained a quantity of vegetable 

 matter and a number of seeds. The specimen was prepared by Mr. Mitchell, of the 

 Aberdeen Museum. On the 17th of January, 1863, I received a male of this species 

 that was shot on the banks of the Yohan, opposite the mansion-house of Auchmacoy. 

 — W. Craike Angus. 



Gray Phalarope at Eastlourne, (J-c— The last of the phalaropes procured here are 

 as follows:— Friday, September 21st. Mr.Vidler shot one, and a coast-guardman has 

 procured another to-day at Wallsand, and one at the Crumble Pond : five or six were 

 seen at Seaford (West). 22nd. A coast-guardman shot one at Wallsand. 25th. Mr. 

 Bates shot five at Cuckmere Haven. 29lh. Two seen at the Brickfield Ponds ; and 

 two were shot, about the middle of September, at Mayfield (Mayfiehl Magazine); 

 none have been seen since the 4th of October. Mr. Gasson, naturalist, of Rye, says, 

 " ^ery many gray phalaropes have been shot during last month (September). I never 

 saw them so plentiful, nor have I had more than six pass through my hands in twenty 

 years before." Mr. Kent (St. Leonards, September 26th) says, " Fourteen phalaropes 

 • have been shot between Eye and Pevensey during the last fortnight." The conclusion 

 I come to about them is this, that a very great flight has visited our south coast during 

 Septeiuber; that the direction has been from east to west, the first having been pro- 

 cured at Bexhill and Pevensey, on the east of Eastbourne ; that they were very thin, 

 emaciated and flabby, and bore the marks of having alighted from a long flight. 

 They were remarkably tame: a coast-guardman told me that his boys threw stones at 

 them without their attempting to fly, and that they allowed him to load his gun again 

 after Laving fired, without their moving ofi". The food found in their stomachs con- 

 sisted of flies, small worms and water insects. They were always seen swimming in a 

 most graceful manner, with the tail raised, and darting their heads backwards and 

 forwards with a very quick motion to catch the flies and other insects.— /o/m Button; 

 51, Terminus Road, Eastbourne, October 16, 1866. 



Egyptian Geese at Stockton-on-Tees. — A flock of Egyptian geese {Anser agyptiacus) 

 appeared here yesterday, and five were obtained by the duck-shooters. The birds 

 were all in fine plumage.— /^. Z?. Tristram; Greatham Vicarage, Stockton-on-Tees, 

 October 27, 1866. 



Nesting of the Blaclcthroated Diver.— I got the eggs this season of the blackthroated 

 diver (two nests) from Sutherland, and when there in August I saw three or four 

 difierent pairs of birds in full summer plumage. — J. A. Harvie Brown. 



The Black Tern near Aberdeen. — An immature specimen of this bird was shot by 

 Mr. James Giles, the celebrated painter, in the early part of the present month, 

 in the estuary of the Y/lian. The bird was alone, and observed by Mr. Giles 



