562 The Zoologist — January, 1867. 



to catch the numerous insects on the surface. Mr. Wells, of Shoreham, who was with 

 me, immediately shot it, and it is now in my collection : it is a very good specimen, hi 

 winter plumage. Mr. Wells had shot, in the same week, five oilier specimens, all in 

 winter plumage. — T. A. Hawker ; Dunehurch Road, Rugby, October 30, I860. 



Gray Pkatarope at Barnstaple. — I have to add the neighbourhood of Barnstaple to 

 the list of places on our coasts visited !>y the gray phalarope this autumn. During 

 the second and third weeks in September this little bird occurred on the River Taw in 

 considerable numbers. I have been told that several were caught by hand, and many 

 others shot. I saw three examples in the birdstuffei's shop at Barnstaple, and he told 

 me that several others had been brought to him. — M. A. Malheio ; November 1, I860. 



Purple Sandpiper, Little Gull and Fulmar Petrel on the South Coast of Devon. — 

 During a short stay at Teignmouth I obtained specimens of the above-mentioned birds. 

 On the 22nd of November I obtained several specimens of the purple sandpiper from 

 a small flock of these birds, which I found on the rocks at the mouth of the river at 

 Exmouth. On the 24th of November, when out in a boat, over the bar of the Teign, 

 I had the good fortune to obtain a specimen of the little gull : this bird is in the 

 plumage described by Yarrell (vol. iii. p. 565, 3rd edition) as that of a young bird of 

 the year, except that the while collar on the nape of the neck and black band below it 

 are wanting. The Fulmar petrel I picked up alive on the beach between Dawlish and 

 Storcross on the 30ih of November: the bird was too wet and exhausted to fly, but 

 quite alive enough to bite: it had been blowing hard all that night from the N. and 

 N. E., and the wind having shifted in the morning to E. and S. E., there was a heavy 

 sea on at the time: the bird when I picked it up was lying just above the reach of the 

 waves: it appears to be an adult bird, as the only point of difference to the descrip- 

 tion in Yarrell being that the irides are dark instead of light yellow, and there is a 

 small dark patch immediately before the eye. — Cecil Smith ; Lydeard House, 

 Taunton. 



Gadwall shot on the Toy. — On Thursday last (November 22nd) I purchased a 

 very fine specimen of the gadwall, in the flesh, from my birdstuffer in Edinburgh, Mr. 

 Small: he had the day before picked it up in the Edinburgh Market, and was 

 informed by the person he bought it of that it was shot on the Tay, below Perth, 

 two days earlier. In every respect it was in fine plumage, except that the chestnut 

 colour of the middle wing-coverts was not so bright or distinct as it would probably 

 have been had the bird been procured later in the winter. The scale-like feathers of 

 the breast, however, were very distinct in their markings. I have not heard of the 

 gadwall having been killed in Scotland for a long time before. — John A. Harvie 

 Brown; Dunipuce, November 24, IS.iG. 



• Baldheaded Eagle in Achill. — I received a letter, dated November 24, 18G6, 

 from my friend Mr. C. G. Danfovd, who was then residing at Achill, in the West of 

 Ireland. Part of this letter I shall copy for your consideration. Although the facts 

 hereafter related can scarcely be considered donclusive, nevertheless I think that 

 they arc deserving of some notice. Mr. Danford lias an excellent knowledge of 

 birds, and is not one who would loo rashly jump at a conclusion. Of the gentleman 

 — a Mr. Boycott— of whom he speaks in bis letter as being the actor in the adventure, 

 lie says previously " he knows birds very well." Now, without further preface, I shall 

 give tfiat portion of his letter which relates to the bird the name of which heads this 

 note. After talking of the tall cliffs around Achill, and of having himself watched for 

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