The Zoologist — February, 1870. 2025 



of tlie game-shops here last week: the dealer lold me it was the second he had 

 received lately, amonfrst other wiid-fuwl, fiom Lincolushire. A gray phalarope was 

 shot on the beach last Thursday. The weather to-day is very wintry-looking', and a 

 heavy sea on in the channel. — Alwiii S. Bell ; Htistinijs, January 18, 1870. 



The American Slinl at Norlkim Burrows. — Mr. Rodd has asked ine to comitinni- 

 cate some pariiciilars with rel'erence to the American stint referred to by him in the 

 ' Zoologist ' for December (S. S. 1920) which was shot by me on the 22nd of September 

 last, and I have much pleasure in complying with his request. I observed the bird 

 on several successive mornings before I obtained it on a salt-marsh lying between 

 Norlham Burrows and the estuary of the rivers Taw and Torridge, and on every occa- 

 sion it was alone. It seemed very active and restless, and was rather difficult of 

 approach. When it rose it always repeated a short hurried note, similar to that of the 

 two other species, though perhaps rather shriller and nure frequently reiterated 

 (differing in this particular from Mr. Vingoe's specimen, which was silent when it 

 rose). Its flight was strong and rapid for so small a bird, and struck me as being 

 something like that of the common sandpiper, which bird indeed (except with regard 

 to tlie vibratory motion of the body peculiar to that species) it somewhat resembled in 

 its movements when on the ground. It always flew away across the water out of sight 

 and at a great height, but it invariably returned to the same spot where I had first 

 observed it. I had no difficulty in identifying the bird as distinct from either of the 

 two British species of stint, and a careful comparison of it with the description of Mr. 

 Vingoe's specimen of the American stint in Newman's edition of Montagu's Dictionary, 

 led me to think that it would prove to be a second British specimen of that species — 

 a supposition the accuracy of which was kindly tested and established by Mr. Rodd 

 and Mr. Vingoe, to whom I sent it for inspection. The specimen is now in my 

 possession. It is a male bird, and as far as I can judge, in full plumage, which is of a 

 very much darker shade throughout than that of Tringa minuta. The measurements 

 and description generally correspond pretty nearly with those of Mr. Vingoe's speci- 

 men, as given in Newman's Dictionary, though the difl"erence between the species in 

 question and the two British species appear perhaps to be a little more pronounced in 

 my specimen than in his. One point alone of actual dissimilarity may be noticed, 

 and this may be very likely owing to a diversity of age or sex. In his specimen the 

 legs were grayish yellow ; in mine they are greenish gray, strongly inclining to the 

 former tint. I think the occurrence of the bird may most probably be attributed to the 

 prevalence of south-westerly gales, of which we had had a succession for many days 

 previously. — Marcus S. C. Rukards ; Clif ion, December 10, 1869. 



Gray Phalarope, Little Stint and Snow Bunting at Northam Barrows. — I obtained 

 a specimen of the gray phalarope at Norlham Burrows on the 24th of September last. 

 When I noticed it, it was swimming in a small inland pond in the near neighbourhood 

 of some ducks. It is in a transition state of plumage, and though a male si)ecimen is 

 of an unusually large size, measuring fully ten inches in length. I saw another speci- 

 men in the birdstuffer's shop at Barnstaple, which had been shot on the banks of the 

 Taw about the same time. It was, however, a much smaller bird, and more advanced 

 towards winter plumage. I also shot a specimen of the little stint at Noitliani Burrows 

 on the 29lh of September last, and«a snow bunting on the 2nd of October. — Id. 



Pintail Duck on the Severn. — On the 25th of October last I shot a specimen of the 

 pintail duck at the mouth of the Severn, near the New Passage. It was alone at the 

 SECOND SEHIES — VOL, V, L 



