2910 THE ZooLocistT—JANvARY, 1872. 
had not been such a grouse season as that which fell to the luck of visitors 
to the moors in 1871; the birds were numerous and strong, and even on 
the 12th of August on many moors would not sit to the dogs, and long 
before the end of the month were not to be approached. So great were the 
bags of red game during the first week of the shooting that fresh birds were 
sold in London at less than a shilling each. Partridge-shooters were not 
so fortunate as those who went after the grouse, for the cold nights of June 
proved fatal to numerous coveys, and those which were found in September 
were small in size and short in number, so that in many places the shooting 
was postponed until the middle of the month. The severe frosts of the 
early winter drove an unusual number of wild-fowl to our coasts and snipe 
to our marshes, but no rare Anatide were recorded as having been obtained 
among them. It is satisfactory to hear from observers of cliff-birds at 
several of their stations, that the working of the Bird Act is already 
perceptible in the increased numbers of guillemots, puffins and gulls. We 
can only hope that such birds as the Sandwich and roseate terns may also 
benefit by the protection which is now extended to sea-fowl during their 
nesting-season, and that the Act has not come too late to prevent their utter 
desertion of our rocky coasts—Murray A. Mathew; Bishop’s Lydeard 
Vicarage, December 8, 1871. 
Ornithological Notes from Guernsey. (continued from S. S. 2866.)—Mr. 
Couch told me that on the night of the 1st of October he heard a great 
many birds flying over the town, but could not distinguish their ery, 
which he described as something like that of the peewit. 
October 2nd.—Five purres, a greenshank anda kingfisher were shot, 
10th.—A golden plover shot. 12th—Whilst out on the cliffs I sawa 
great number of wheatears, which were very tame. Also two kestrels, which 
rose from close to me; after hovering about for a moment they separated and 
flew away. There were several rock pipits. 16th.—Heard a sky lark 
singing. The weather has been very warm; this may account for it, for it 
is late. A hen nightjar and a ring ouzel were shot. This ring ouzel I had 
seen some days before With another one; they have both been shot I am 
sorry to say, for they are not very common here. 27th.—Saw a flock of 
swallows coilecting. 
November 1st.—Saw two swallows for the last time. Ring dotterel shot. 
done. Some people talk of the ‘‘yellowshanks,” others of the ‘ yellowshanked 
sandpiper,” and I believe both these designations are unexceptional in point of 
grammar and logic. I have little doubt that a blunder is perpetrated every time we 
write ‘“ redshank,” “ greenshank;” but as these names have become “ familiar in our 
mouths as household words” there is little harm in retaining them, and for the sake 
of consistency making another little error in the name “ yellowshank.’—M, A. M. 
