3064 Tur Zoo.ocist—May, 1872. 
Early Arrival of the Chiffehaff.—I see several notices in the April 
number of the ‘ Zoologist’ of the early arrival of this bird. About here 
chiffchaffs have been particularly early ; I saw one on the 9th of March, and 
ever since that time they have been unusually numerous. I have not met 
with them in previous years before the 20th of March.—C. Smith ; Taunton. 
Arrival of Swallows.—A large arrival of swallows was noticed yesterday 
afternoon at the Land’s End, consisting of several troops of forty or fifty 
flying with considerable rapidity, and without, apparently, fatigue or 
exhaustion. Their direction was from the south-west, between the Scilly 
Tsles and the Wolf Rock; time 5 p.m. Many were afterwards flushed from 
furzy ground, exhibiting a somewhat feeble flight —E. H. Rodd; Penzance, 
April 11, 1872. 
Great Gray Shrike in East Yorkshire—An old female Lanius excubitor, 
in very fine plumage, was shot on one of our commons on the 26th of 
February last. Beetles seem to form a chief part of their food.— 
FP. Boyes; Beverley. 
Redshank recorded as Blackwinged Stilt—Allow me to correct a note 
of mine which appeared in the ‘ Zoologist’ (S. S. 2684). I then made 
a statement to the effect that a blackwinged stilt had been shot at Stanning- 
field, in Suffolk, in May, 1871, on the authority of a birdstuffer whom 
I considered quite competent to recognize the species; but to-day, having 
for the first time seen the bird and thoroughly examined it, I find it to be 
a spotted redshank, in nearly full breeding plumage, which, although by no 
means a common bird, especially so far inland (nearly thirty miles from the 
sea), is far less valuable than the blackwinged stilt. I am extremely sorry 
that the mistake should have occurred, but it shows the necessity of 
examining a supposed rare visitant, and not recording it on the authority 
of others.—T. G. Tuck; March 26, 1872. 
Great Auk on Diseoa—Mr. Dunning, in the interesting extract which 
he gives from Dr. Hayes’ work (Zool. 8. S. 2946), again brings up the 
question whether the great auk has ever been really obtained within the aretic 
circle. Prof. Newton, in his abstract of Wolley’s researches in Iceland (‘Tbis’ 
for October, 1861) says :—‘* There is, I believe, but one reliable instance on 
record of the gare-fowl having occurred within the limits of the arctic circle. 
This is the example said to have been killed on Disco in 1821, and which, 
after changing hands several times, is now in the University Museum at 
Copenhagen”; and, in a note, he adds, “I have spoken of the above asa 
‘reliable instance’ of an arctic great auk; but I am not sure that even this 
is free from doubt; for in a letter Professor Reinhardt tells me he has ‘ had 
some suspicion’ whether the reported Disco specimen of 1821 has not been 
confounded with one asserted by the late lamented Governor Holbéll to 
have been obtained at Fiskarnces (South Greenland) in 1815.” Another 
yersion (apparently) of Dr. Hayes’ story is given by Mr. R. Brown in his 
a 
