1510 The Zoologist— January, 18C9. 



clasping the skeleton bars witli their soft broad flexible feet: here 

 they seem so much at home, so contented, so happy, — and is it not a 

 meet place for them, — wild, drear, solitary. Every post is almost 

 always certain to be occupied, except those that shake — you won't 

 catch Carbo on one of them, it would hurt his dignity or his digestion, 

 or both, to jolt from side to side. They have put these poles all 

 a taunto now, and the carpenter has repaired his skeleton squares this 

 spring, and cormorants are scarcer, and I miss old poles — the very 

 best and hoariest of the lot. I rather dislike the place now: it is Irke 

 a large hotel company and a good old hostelry — better, but not so 

 good. I have left out another important stand : it is amongst these 

 poles a perfect stone turret — I am sure I don't know why built, except 

 to please the river gulls : this will often have ten or twelve cor- 

 morants on it, but never when a post is to be had, — for tlu^y are 

 inveterate perchers, — and every shag that has not already got posses- 

 sion of a buoy. The shag never perches on ring of buoy, or sign, or 

 pole, but must have a flat surface for his precisely similar feet to his 

 perching brother. These sign-posts and the river in general is the 

 chief haunt and stronghold of the cormorants of Dublin Bay. The 

 colony is a numerous one. 



Harry Blab.e-Knox. 



Dalkey, November 5, 1868. 



Erratum. — Zool. S. S. 1402, line \9,for " I discbargeii" read " I relinquisiied luy 

 gun." — H. B.-K. 



List of the Rarer Birds obtained by Mr. Hart in the Vicinity of C/irislchurck, 

 Hants. — 1857. Rougblejjged Buzzard. Sbot at Wurebain. 



1858. Moor Buzzard. Chrisichuich. 



1859. April. Kildeer Plover. Chiislcburcb. The only one ever known to bave 

 been seen in England. (Ibis, iv. p. '277) 



Kenlisb Plover. Cbrislcburch. Not included in Mr. Wise's list of ibe New Forest 

 district. In 1862 my father sbot one in Cbristchuicb Harbour. 



1861. Little Auk. Cbristcbuicb. 



1862. Jaunary. Black Guillemot. Christchurcb. Not in Mr. Wise's list. 



„ Gray Shrike. Warebam. 



April 26. Little Bittern. Christchurcb. 

 June. Honey Buzzard. New Forest. 

 August. Merlin. Warebam. 



October. Blacktoed Gull, Merlin and Snow Bunting. Christuburch. 

 November. Osprey. Christchurcb. 



1863. June. Honey Buzzard. New Forest. 

 October. Montagu's Harrier. Salisbury. 



