The Zoologist— March, 1870. 2059 



divers, on ihe contrary, have been and are scarce in ibe bay, only a pair or two having 

 been sbot this winter. 



Loiigtuiled Duck. A younji male of ibis fine species was shot in the bay, on the 

 20ih of December: its .stomach contained, as Mr. Burt, the curator of the Museum 

 informed me, the small shell Venus ovata. These ducks, as naturally would be sup- 

 posed, are of very rare occurrence in Torbay. 



Sclavonian Grebe. Two young birds shot in the bay on the 20th of December; 

 another was shot on the 9ih of January. This and ihe great crested grebe are the 

 most numerous species of the family in Torbay. 



Redbreasted Merganser. On the 21st and 22nd of December redbreasted mer- 

 gansers were observed in some numbers in the bay: as far as I know none have been 

 killed. 



Pochard and Goldeneye. An adult male pochard and a female goldeneye were sbot 

 in the bay on the 28lh of December. The late severe weather has brought consider- 

 able numbers of wild-fowl into the bay. 



Blackbird. A curiously pied female blackbird was shot, on the 3rd of January, near 

 Paignton : its whole back was pure white, as also the upper tail-coverts and the outer 

 tail-feathers : the rest of the plumage was of the usual colour. It was an adult bird. 



Goosander. A very fine adult female was shot in Torbay on the lltb of 

 January. 



Common aud Velvet Scoter. A flock of common and velvet scoters was observed a 

 short time ago in the bay, close in shore. Two adult males of the former species 

 were shot on the 12th of January. These birds seem to feed on Soleu, as I found the 

 stomach of one which 1 dissected to contain fragments of Soleu Ensis and S. Vagina: 

 both these shells are found in great plenty on this coast. 



Siskin. Observed a pair of these birds on a rose bush in my garden on the 15th 

 of January: they were remarkably lively, and, judging from their bright colours, 

 seemed to be adult birds. These birds are very unusual in this neighbourhood: they 

 have not made their appearance in this part of the country for a great many years 

 previously. 



Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. One of these birds was shot near Newton, on the 

 28th of January. — A. de HuyeL ; Fiorian, Torquay, February 9, 1870. 



Rare Birds in West Sussex, 1S67-9. — December 16, 1867. Saw a young male 

 hen harrier, which had been killed at Sidlesham ; on the 18th, a female eider duck, 

 killed at West Wittering; and on the 24lh, a young male shoveller killed near 

 Chichester. 



January, 1868. An adult male goosander, in good plumage, killed at Birdham, 

 and purchased for the Chichester Museum collection. 



April 17. Saw a peregrine falcon at Chichester, recently killed in the neighbour- 

 hood of Arundel. 



November 11. Saw at Chichester a gray shrike, killed a short time previously 

 near Sidlesham : the man who stufl'ed it tells me that he has had more than seventy 

 terns sent him from the neighbourhood during the autumn ; ihey were principally 

 arctic and common, with a few lesser; all cut up for plumes. On the 25th, an 

 immature longtailed duck near Chichester. 



April 11, 1869. An adult male little bittern, in fine plumage, shot at Runcton, 

 near Chichester: I saw this bird a few days after it was killed. 



