3836 The Zoologist— January, 1874. 



only spoonbill taken in this island in the space of twenty-four years. — H. 

 T. Broughton; Denbigh Villa, ShaiMin, Isle of Wight, October !il. — ' Field,' 

 October 25, 1873. 



Solitary Suipc in Lancashire.— A fine specimen of the solitary snipe, in 

 beautiful plumage, was sent to me for preservation on the 23rd of Septem- 

 ber. It was killed near Garstang, Lancashire. The gentleman who shot it 

 remarks, " It lay very close, and, on being flushed, flew steadier and slower 

 than the common snipe, and, although but a little heavier than that bird, 

 somehow presented an entirely different appearance on the wing. It uttered 

 a note very similar to that of the common species." — John Shaw; Wyle 

 Cop, Shreivsburg. [The solitary snipe visits this country regularly every 

 autumn, and always earlier than the common snipe. Instances of its occur- 

 rence here in spring are rare. — Editor of ' Field' ; October 4, 1873.] 



Sabine's Sulpc in County Galway. — It may interest some of your readers 

 to learn that a few days ago I shot a snipe of singular appearance, almost 

 black, its feathers being as dark as those of a hen blackbird. This 

 I imagine to be a unique specimen, never having met with a similar one. — 

 Algernon Pcrsse; Roxborough, County Galway, Nov. 28. [We have seen 

 this bird, which is in the hands of Mr. Edwin Ward for preservation, and it 

 is a very fair specimen of the so-called Sabine's snipe, now generally 

 regarded as a melanism of the common species. — Editor of ' Field,' Dec. 6.] 



Ilybrid Duclis Breeding. — The hybrids between the tufted duck and 

 pochard which were hatched in the Pells at Lewes, and which I wrote about 

 last year {November 23) have this year bred. One pair inter $e laid eleven 

 e""s in May last, but, being disturbed, forsook the nest. They laid again, 

 however, and hatched seven on the 20th of July, but all the young except 

 one were killed by moorhens. Another hybrid duck mated witli both 

 goldeueye and pochard, and reared a brood of seven on the 15th of June. 

 The other three young ones of last year were not pinioned, and flew awaj', 

 but are sometimes seen in the neighbourhood. The female pochard this 

 year paired with her own mate, and reared seven young, which were hatched 

 iu May. J. H. Venall; High Street, Lewes. — 'Field,' October IS, 1873. 



Great Crested Grebe at Luton. — An immature great crested grebe 

 (Podiceps cristatus) was caught in one of the streets of this town on the 

 15th of this month. The bird was not wounded in any way, but was 

 completely exhausted, so much so that it scarcely made any effort to 

 escape. With us it is a great rarity. — T. Cane; 36, Wellington Street, 

 Luton, Bedfordshire, December 21, 1873. 



Glaucous Gulls in East lorkshire.— I have just dissected two very fine 

 old glaucous gulls obtained on this coast, near Flamborough. They were 

 shot (the female on the 8th and the male on the 9th instant) by Thomas 

 Harrington, a resident of that place, who informs me that though lie has 

 lived there all his life he never saw two adult birds together before. Young 



