3868 The Zoologist — February, 1874 



re ru ark ably strong on their legs, and the most beautiful little 

 crealuies imaginable, the colouring of their down being exceedingly 

 rich and brilliant. 



Jack Snipe. — I put ujj a jack snipe this spring as late as the 

 16th of April. 



Spotted Crake, — A bird of this species was shot here on the 

 18th of September, but was too much mutilated for preserving. 



Shoveller. — A young bird was killed near here on the 28th of 

 April, probably bred somewhere in the neighbourhood. 



Wild Duck. — April 23rd. Saw the first brood of young ducks off. 



Garganey. — We had at least one pair of those little ducks 

 breeding here this year. I first saw a pair in the marshes on the 

 15lh of April. We have once or twice since seen a solitary male ; 

 and on the loth of June I came suddenly upon a female, which 

 evidently had young close by. During the end of July and the 

 beginning of August we have several times seen on the wing a lot 

 of about eight or nine young birds about the marshes. The voice 

 of the male garganey is a low and very harsh grating croak, and 

 that of the female a faint " quack," sharper than that of the wild 

 duck. 



Scaup Duck. — October 6lh. T this morning saw a male which 

 had been shot in the Aide, near Iken. The man who killed it said 

 there were a pair of them, but he was only able to get one. 



G. T. Rope. 



Orinlhological Notes from Somersetshire. 



By Cecil Smith, Esq. 



(Continued from Zool. S. S. 3628.) 



July, 1873. 



But little of ornithological interest has occurred here since my 

 last notes, and that little is mostly a record of slaughter. 



Wheatear. — Two young wheatears made their appearance on 

 my croquet-ground during this month, and stayed about for a day or 

 two; they were both young birds, almost in nesting plumage: it 

 was very wild weather and blowing a gale from the west at the 

 lime. I mention this as, although the wheatear breeds on the 

 Quantocks and along the coast, it seldom makes its appearance 

 here, and then only a stray single visitant for a day or two on its 

 first arrival in the spring. 



