The Zoologist— December, 1873. 3799 



Richardson's Skua. — 17th. An immature bird on the beach near Dunwich 

 to-day. 



Nocturnal Migrants.— On the J 3th of September a great flight of waders 

 of some sort took place over Southwold at about half-past seven o'clock in the 

 evening; they were near enough for people who happened to be out at the 

 time to hear the flapping of wings and whistling ; it lasted for about ten 

 minutes. — H. Durnford. 



Notes from Aldeburgh^ Suffolk. — August 11th. — I shot a wood sand- 

 piper to-day in the mere ; I had for some days noticed several about, and 

 repeatedly heard their note at night. This is the ninth specimen which 

 has come into my possession in the flesh, every one of which has occurred 

 in the month of August. During the last few days of August considerable 

 flocks of waders have made their appearance about the meres and river. I 

 have obtained curlew sandpipers, knots, little stints, immature ruffs, and one 

 adult specimen of the smaller race of ringed plover. Aug. 28th. — Out of 

 five curlew sandpipers which I shot to-day three were adult birds, still 

 retaining a good deal of the summer plumage. Kingfishers are now plentiful 

 about the river, as they always are at this season ; I have very little doubt 

 that they are to a certain extent migratory. September 10. — One of my 

 friends shot an adult swift to-day ; a late appearance. Sept. 11. — When 

 walking on the promenade to-day between Slaughden Quay and the Brude- 

 nell Hotel, a flock of common terns passed me close along shore, and 

 following them I observed a small skua. The following day I walked some 

 miles along shore in search of it, and met with it off" Thorpe, under exactly 

 similar circumstances. I got a long shot at it and killed it : it proved to be 

 an immature Kichardson's skua. I saw another bird, apparently of the 

 same species, but it kept out of gunshot. A few skuas, both Richardson's 

 and pomarine, are generally met with in the fall of the year, and both are 

 well known among the gunners by a sobriquet which is a literal translation 

 of " Stercorarius." Mr. Hele's collection contains a mature Bufi'on's skua, 

 which was shot some years ago from a bathing-machine as it was passing 

 along shore. I have had some conversation with the gunners relative to 

 the new Wild Birds Protection Act : the general opinion on the matter 

 seems to be that while they fully agree with the protection of peewits, wild 

 ducks, redshanks, &c., while breeding, they will sustain a loss by being 

 unable to shoot migratory birds (sanderlings, turnstones, gray plovers, &c.). 

 I find that the idea prevails everywhere that eggs are protected, both by 

 this Act and the Sea Fowl Act. — Julian G. Tuck; Tostock House, near 

 Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. 

 Notes from Lougparish^ Uants. — 



Wood Pigeon eating Snails. — On the 9th of August last my brother took 

 ten small fresh-water snails from the crop of a freshly killed wood pigeon. 

 On the 23rd I took a dozen from another bird, and on the 26th two more 



