OCCASIONAL NOTES. 227 
with those of the Merlin, being considerably smaller than those of Kestrels. 
Unfortunately, however, he could not procure the parent birds, and the 
fact of the Merlin’s nesting remained doubtful. In 1862 he was at last 
successful, and on May 22nd discovered a nest placed in the hole of a yew, 
also containing, like the others, three eggs, from which the male was shot. 
The important fact, however, to be noticed is that, as Temminck remarks, 
the Merlin in a woody country builds in trees, whilst in the north of 
Britain, where there is no timber, it adapts itself to the country and lays 
on the ground.—Eb.] 
PurRPLE GALLINULE IN SomeErseT.—Under this heading, at p. 178, 
I see the Rev. M. A. Mathew records the occurrence of this bird at Badg- 
worth, in this county, in August, 1875. Lest Somerset should be credited 
with two Purple Gallinules,—possibly with three, for Mr. Mathew says 
something about another having been seen when this one was taken,— 
I think it worth while to mention that, this bird was recorded in the 
February number of ‘Science Gossip’ for 1876, and in the following 
number I made some remarks on the occurrence, and suggested the 
extreme probability of this bird being an escape, and from enquiries I have 
since made I see no reason to alter this opinion. I may add that there is 
no mention in the original notice in ‘ Science Gossip,’ which gives a rather 
circumstantial account of the capture, of a second bird having been seen at 
the same time. This, therefore, as a story seldom loses by repetition, may 
be only one of those little additions which often creep into records made so 
long after the event. It strikes me as just possible that this bird may 
have escaped from the same place as the South American Rail (Aramides 
cayennensis), mentioned in the January number of ‘ The Zoologist’ for this 
year by the Rev. A. C. Smith; the distance is not at all too great, and the 
birds may have escaped from some intermediate place. In his notice 
immediately preceding the one above quoted, Mr. Mathew laments the 
slaughter of Owls in the neighbourhood of Taunton. In this lamentation 
I quite agree; but Mr. Mathew is wrong in stating that his friends the 
Owls are without protection. If he will look at the Wild Birds Protection 
Act of 1872 he will see that the word ‘“‘ Owl” does occur in the Schedule, 
and as there is no specific limitation, both the Barn Owl and the Brown 
Owl — indeed all the British Owls—enjoy the protection of the Act. 
The two Bird Acts are very little known, and I am glad to see that you 
have reprinted the Act of 1872 with that of 1876.—Cxc1L Smiru (Bishop’s 
Lydeard). 
[Specimens of the Purple Gallinule have on several occasions been 
found at large in this country, but have generally been regarded as 
escaped birds. One, shot near Campbeltown, in Argyllshire, in December. 
1868, is mentioned in Mr. Gray’s ‘ Birds of the West of Scotland,’ p. 387. 
In August of the same year one was killed at Rowner, in Hampshire 
