The Zoologist — February, 1874. 3881 



Linnaeus,— that is to say, the mealy redpoll, — and not of the lesser redpoll, 

 as Mr. Eaton calls it. The last, as I before have had occasion to point out 

 (Zool. S. S. 2223), has by no means a high northern range. — Alfred Newton ; 

 January 6, 1874. 



Late Martins and Swallows. — Nov. 2, 1873. About 8 a.m. 1 saw two 

 swallows flying over the field and garden. They remained circling back- 

 wards and forwards for some time, fljnng quite low. Nov, 19. — This 

 morning I noticed two martins flying up and down Upper West-street, 

 Eeigate. Later in the day I saw one flying backwards and forwards in 

 front of this house. Nov. 30. — About 8 p. m. I observed six martins flying 

 over the grassy slope on the east side of the nut-wood in Gatton Park, 

 where they were sheltered from the wind. Some of them were skimming 

 along close to the ground. — Albert J. Crosjield; The Dingle, Reir/ate. 



€orn Crake. — Has it been observed in other localities that this species has 

 been far from common this season ? I did not hear the notes of this bird 

 till the 9th of May, which was nearly a fortnight later than the average date 

 in previous seasons ; indeed in 1868 I heard it as early as the 18th of April, 

 and in other seasons I have always heard it between the 22nd and 30th of 

 April. Not only was the bird late in its arrival, but I did not hear it a 

 dozen times during the whole of the summer, although in previous seasons 

 its " crake " was almost as constant and familiar in the evenings as the 

 pleasant twitter of the sand martin. Almost every summer before this I 

 have had eggs of the species brought me by mowers, who had mown them 

 out of the grass in the meadows, but this season I have not seen an egg, so 



I have'come to the conclusion that the bird must be comparatively rare at 



least in its old haunts near here. I may here state that I saw a specimen 

 of the spotted crake on the 16th of April, which had met with its death by 

 flying against the telegraph wires, and its head was almost severed from its 

 body. — G. B. Corhin. 



Kote on the Water Rail.— On the 31st of December last, whilst shooting 

 with my brothers in some reedy meadows bordering the Test, about two 

 miles below Stockbridge, Hants, we were surprised by the loud and singular 

 cries of water rails, which were particularly numerous in that locahtv. We 

 had heard these birds occasionally some ten miles higher up the river, but 

 never to the same extent as on this occasion. The note was peculiar, and 

 may best be described as a sharp loud whistle, very "resonant,"* not at all 

 harsh or grating, reminding one somewhat of the note of the green sand- 

 piper, and of extraordinary power for so small a bird. On one occasion the 

 cries were uttered with scarcely any intermission for several minutes and 

 80 loud as to impress one with the idea of two birds being engaged in angry 

 conflict ; and this came from a patch of small reeds close to which we were 

 standing, though unable to discover the author or authors. Durintr the 

 * Stevenson's ' Birds of Norfolk,' vol. ii. p. 407. 



