The Zoologist— January, 1873. 3371 



living who used to climb up to the nests to get the eggs. There was a large 

 heronry in Sutton Wood, Suttou-upon-Derweut, a village about six miles from 

 York ; but tlie birds left from continued persecution, and have not bred there 

 for some years : I am told there were nearly a hundred nests in 1860. 

 One or two pairs have bred constantly in a wood called " Beswick Eush," 

 about two miles from Scorbro', up to 1870, when the keeper destroyed both 

 old and young birds, supposing them to do injury to a trout stream. Herons 

 also bred in a wood at Holme, on Spalding ]\loor, but ceased to do so about 

 five years ago. There are doubtless many other places in the Riding where 

 herons formerly have bred ; but the only one that I can learn at present in 

 existence is the one at Newton, near Malton, on the estate of Sir George 

 Cholmley. I went over this last spring to see it, and there were not more 

 than twenty or twenty-five nests ; moreover, Sir George's keeper, who has 

 lived there twenty-six years, informed me there never were many more nests, 

 and that they have neither increased nor diminished during his recollection. 

 — F.Boyes; Beverley. 



Rednecked Phalarope in East Yorkshire. — A very nice specimen of this 

 graceful little bird was shot at Burlington, on the 14th of October last, by 

 the gamekeeper to Sir H. Boynton, Bart., of Burton Agnes. I saw it at 

 Mr. Richardson's, the birdstuffer, here, who informed me it was an immature 

 male. The occurrence of the rednecked species is very unusual in this part 

 of the country. — Id. 



Wild Geese. — Large flocks of wild geese daily frequent the wolds, and 

 I learn from several persons that in one flock, consisting of upwards of a 

 hundred birds, there are two almost entirely white. These two birds have 

 been noticed in different localities, but more frequently in one particular 

 large field of oat-stubble, and my informants say they look quite white when 

 on the ground. — Id. 



Eider Duck at Cliristchurch. — A young male eider was killed on the 13th 

 of December in Christchurch Harbour, Hants, and is now in my possession. 

 The eider duck is, as might be expected, of very rare occurrence on the 

 Hampshire coast, only two instances being mentioned by Mr. J. H. Gurney, 

 jun., in a list of rare birds obtained by Mr. Hart in the vicinity of Christ- 

 church (Zool. S. S. 1510), although it reaches as far back as the year 1857 : 

 these two birds were procured in October, 1804, and May, 1868. Mr. Rogers, 

 naturalist, in Freshwater, Isle of Wight, showed me some time ago an adult 

 female eider, which had been shot a few years ago off Alum Bay, in the 

 same island. — A. von Hi'igel; December 15, 1872. 



Sea Ifoodcock.— The length of time which has elapsed since you pubUshed 

 in the ' Zoologist' (June, 1870) a few notes on my ' Birds of Marlborough,' 

 will, I trust, defend me from the imputations of any one who might imagine 

 me an indignant author enraged by the few words of adverse, though kindly 

 meant, criticism, to which I now ask you to allow me to reply. You say, 

 "The application of the local name 'sea woodcock' to the dabchick is 



