1014 The Zoologist— December, 1867. 



Gray Phalarope. — I have heard of three specimens procured in this 

 county during the present month, of which the first was shot on a 

 pond at North Wootton, on the 5th of October, and with a male 

 killed in the marshes near Lynn, on the 11th, is being preserved by 

 Mr. Wilson for the Lynn Museum. The first was in poor condition, 

 and the other very fat. On the 10th a very plump specimen was sent 

 to Norwich for preservation, which had been killed on the previous 

 day at Beeston, near Cromer. This bird, both on the throat and 

 upper -parts of the plumage, still shows traces of its summer plumage. 



Cormorant. — An immature bird, also purchased for the Lynn 

 Museum, was shot below the Lynn Estuary, on the 12th of October. 



Henry Stevenson. 

 Norwich, October 24, 1867. 



India-rubber Boat— If any of your readers could kindly give me some information 

 regarding the following I should be exceedingly oblijred: — I wish to know where and 

 from whom I could purchase, new or second hand, or borrow, an India-rubber boat, 

 to hold one person, or what would be a good substitute for such ? Could a good 

 substitute be made of sheepskin, and if so by whom and at what cost? The use I 

 would put it to would be not so much in a piscatorial point of view as for the purpose 

 of birdsnestingon remote Highland lochs, and I should require that it could he carried 

 either in la large game-hag or strapped on to a fishing-basket. The expense of an 

 ordinary India-rubber boat is too great — £15, 1 think. — John A. Harvie Brown; 

 Dunipace House, Falkirk, Stirlingshire. 



Ornithology of Berks and Backs.— ha I am at present engaged in a little work 

 upou the birds ol these two counties, I should be very much obliged to any gentlemen 

 who are cognizant of the occurrence of rare species in either county, if they would 

 kindly send notices thereof to me. Any facts connected with the Ornithology of these 

 counties, however trivial, will be gratefully received. — (Address to) Alexander Clark- 

 Kennedy ; Eton, Bucks. 



Autumnal Migration at Scilly.— The shooting party at Scilly up to the present 

 time report the arrival of only a few scattered woodcocks — no decided flight; the 

 same remark applies to the Land's End district. In the last week my nephew reports 

 that he saw a large number of black redstarts, mostly in the gray state of plumage, 

 only one or two in the black plumage. Bramble finches had also made their appear- 

 ance, and also stock doves and a Sclavouian grebe (P. cornutus). — Edward Hearle 

 Rodd ; Penzance, Nov. 4, 1 667. 



Bluethroated Warbler off the Norfolk Coast. — I write to inform you of the occur- 

 rence of the bluethroated warbler (Phanicura suecica) off the coast of Norfolk. 

 While coming from Christiana to London by the S. S. " North Star," we had 

 observed many birds performing their autumnal migration. The wheatear, titlark 

 and ring dotterel had been seen in mid-ocean flying easily against a light S.W. breeze. 

 The numbers of these migrants increased as, on the 1st of September, we approached 



