2562 The Zoologist — April, 1871. 



sent me the wings, by means of which identification of the species was, of 

 course, easy. This rare bird has now been obtained upon three occasions 

 in Orkney, but only once in Shetland. — H. L. Saa-hy. 



Cirl Bunting and Longtailcil Duck in Bedfordshire. — I obtained from 

 a birdstuffer in Bedford, early in February, a specimen of the cirl bunting 

 in good plumage, one of a small flock which were seen in the neighbourhood. 

 He tells me that during his eight years of business he has never had one 

 before. Yarrell records but few instances of the occurrence of this bird so 

 far north. I also saw a female of the longtailed duck, a female goosander, 

 and a female redbreasted merganser at the same shop, all killed on the 

 river Ouse. — W. J. Chalk; Wilden Bectory, February 23, 1871. 



Further Note on the Cream-coloured Courser recently killed in 

 Northumberland. — The notice of the creamcoloured courser recently killed 

 in Northumberland as inserted in the last number of the ' Zoologist ' is not 

 quite correct. Mr. Gregson did not inform me that it was killed at 

 Lowlynn, but in that neiylihourhooiJ, and I find from that gentleman that 

 the actual locality was " the sea-shore at Goswick, parish of Holy Island": 

 the date was the first week in November, 1870. — J. H. Gurney ; March 

 21, 1871. 



Erratnm. — When describing the plumage of the creamcoloured courser 

 in my notice of the great bustards in the ' Zoologist ' of the present month, 

 I made use of the term semilunar markings, which has been misprinted 

 semiliitear. — J. Gatcombe. 



Bustard and Crane used as Food in 1770. — I have recently seen a small 

 manual of directions for carving, whicli appears to have been published in 

 London a. d. 1770, and in which the following birds are mentioned amongst 

 others as in ordinary use for the table, viz., bustard, crane, bittern and 

 heron. That the bustard and crane should be thus referred to at so com- 

 paratively recent a date, is, T think, a circumstance worthy of record in the 

 pages of the ' Zoologist.' — J. H. Gurney. 



Bustards in Cornwall, &c. — It is reported that four bustards have been 

 shot recently in Cornwall, and others seen in Doi-sctshire. This account is 

 taken from the ' Salisbury Journal, 1871. — W. S. — ' Science Gossij),' No. 75, 

 March 1, 1871, p. 60. 



[Will some of my correspondents inquire into the truth of this statement, 

 for which I have no authority but that contained in the foregoing extract? 

 Can these four specimens be additional to those recorded in the ' Zoologist'? 

 In neither instance was the county of Cornwall mentioned. — Edward 

 Newman.] 



The Redbreasted Merganser in Cornwall. — We have had an unusual 

 number of these birds this winter, and in two or three instances with the 

 males in their full ornamental plumage ; one in this state was brought to 

 me this morning. This is the first winter that I remember seeing the 



