4334 THE ZooLoGisT—FEBRUARY, 1875. . 
near Yeovil, I wrote to the only birdstuffer in that town for some 
description of the bird, thinking it might be a mistake: the 
description I received confirmed my doubt, and since then I have 
seen the bird at the Taunton Museum, to which it was kindly 
presented by its owner. It is an undoubted common kite (Milvus 
ictinus), with not the least resemblance to the real swallowtailed 
kite (Nauclerus furcatus). The unceasing efforts of the game- 
keepers, however, have nearly succeeded in making our own bird 
as rare as the American one. 
Baillon’s Crake.—On the 29th of September one of the bird- 
stuffers at Taunton (Mr. Petherick) shot a Baillon’s crake at Knap 
Bridge, not very far from Taunton. I take this opportunity of 
correcting an error of mine: in the ‘Zoologist’ for 1870 (S.S. 2386) 
1 recorded a little crake as having been killed near Taunton, instead 
of a Baillon’s crake. Mr. Petherick’s is, therefore, the second 
specimen of this crake killed somewhere near the same place since 
1870; and I have no doubt the bird is more common than it is 
usually supposed to be, not only near Taunton, but in various parts 
of the county suited to it; but, luckily for itself, its small size and 
the unpleasantly swampy nature of the ground it frequents, as well 
as its shy and retiring habits, keep it out of sight. 
Gray Phalarope.—In October a few gray phalaropes were killed 
and brought to the different birdstuffers, but there does not seem 
to have been any unusual flight of them. 
Whitetailed Eagle-——On the 2nd of November I rode from 
Linton to Minehead, by way of the small village of Dare, to see an 
eagle which had been killed some few years ago by Mr. Snow, of that 
place, in his park just on the borders of this county and Devon, and 
which has been recorded more than once, in ‘ Science Gossip,’ as a 
“golden eagle.” Being very sceptical, and anxious to judge for 
myself, as to its identity, I rode round by Dare to see it, and, thanks 
to the eagle, had a most beautiful ride, which I should otherwise 
have missed; but golden eagle it certainly was not, being a most 
unmistakable whitetailed eagle. I do not believe a thoroughly 
authentic specimen of a golden eagle, killed in a perfectly wild 
state, exists in either of the four western counties. 
Great Gray Shrike-——On the 10th of November Mr. Haddon, of 
Taunton, wrote me word that he had just killed a great gray shrike 
near Stalford. 
Temminck’s Stint.—On the 12th of December I was requested 
a 
