20G0 Thk Zoologist— March, 1870. 



August 4. A specimen of Montagu's barrier, killed near Selsey: I saw it in 

 Cliieliester soon after. On the 10th, obtained an example of the spotted redshank, 

 from P;ij;ham Harbour, in immature plumage. 



October 9. Shot a quail in a rough piece of ground covered with furze and 

 heath: the crop and gizzard were crammed with seeds, I think of a thistle. The 

 Ijuail is seldom met with in this district, though they have been known to breed 

 here. 



November 17. Saw two snow buntings, which had been shot near Selsey. — 

 JV. Jefferi/,jun.; Ralham, Chichester, February 5, 1870. 



The Iceland Jet Falcon in Cornwall. — Just after the issue of your last number of 

 the 'Zoologist,' I received a letter from Captaiu Fisher, in which, in reference to my 

 note (S. S. 2017), he says, " I should have written, but from being too unwell, to 

 inform you of what I think you are ignorant, viz. that there have been lately three 

 large importations of this fine falcon from Iceland direct for falconers' use, aud I have 

 little or no doubt but that your so-called Cornish specimen of Falco i-ilanditus will 

 turn out to be one of these birds, almost certainly I think from Cardiff, where most of 

 them have lately been kept, trained and flown loose for months." Looking at the rela- 

 tive positions of Cardiff and St. ?Ierryn on our north coast, and the easy distance across 

 the Bristol Channel for a falcon's flight, I fi'ar I must relinquish its claim to be a tiue 

 British and Cornish-killed specimen. — Edtcard Ilcarte Rodd ; Penzance, February 3, 

 1870. 



Lesser Gray Shrike, Shore Lnrk and Temminclc's Slint near Great Yarmouth. — 

 I have lately received specimens of the lesser gray shrike (Lanius minor of Tem- 

 minck), with a black band on the forehead and rose-tinted under parts, — the shore 

 lark (a])parently young birds of the year), and Temminck's stint, all obtained recently 

 in the immediate neighbourhood of Great Yarmouth. — Murray A. Mathew ; Weston- 

 super-Mare, February 4, 1870. 



Occurrence of While's Thrush at Battymahon, County Lnngford. — The following 

 particulars respecting the occurrence of this rare thrush in Ireland were kindly sent 

 me by the Honourable King Haruian, of Newcastle, Ballymahon. It was shot in the 

 spring of 1867, by a gamekeeper of the Hon. King Harinan, who mistook it for a small 

 liawk or cuckoo. I examined this bird myself at the stuffer's (Mr. Glcnon's, of 

 Wicklow-street, Dublin), in 1867; but as I did not see it in the flesh, 1 must admit I did 

 Dot give it as much attention at the time as I ought. This is its second occurrence in 

 Ireland, and fourth recorded as occurring in Britain up to 1866, the date of Newman's 

 Montagu. In this useful Dictionary the following occurrences are quoted from 

 Yarrell: — Loid Malraesbury's bird, January, 1828; Mr. Bigge's specimen (New 

 P'oresl), no date; Mr. Spruine's s|iecimen, Bandon, County Cork, December, 1842. 

 Mr. Newman writes that a doubt has been expressed whether White's thrush is not a 

 mere variety of our common song thrush, but thinks this can apply to British examples 

 only : it certainly could_not apply to this bird. It is quite similar to birds from South 

 Siberia and Japan. — H. Blake- Knox ; January, 1870. 



Pied Blackbirds. — Three specimens of pied blacTcbirds, two males and one female, 

 have occurred this year at places within a few miles of Birmingham, one of the males 

 — a very beautiful specimen — having its head, scapularies and wing-coverts white, with 

 but few small black feathers marring its purity in tliose places ; the rest of the plumage 

 was irregularly broken with white. The female bird had its feathers picked out on the 



