448 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
made its escape during the summer. My bird was perfect when it got 
away, and the same may be said of this. As soon as I had the latter in my 
hand I saw that it was the green-backed species, like mine, that is to say, 
Porphyrio smaragdonotus of Africa. Hickling Broad is no great distance 
from Northrepps, and if it once got there it might easily maintain itself 
among the swamps in the neighbourhood.—J. H. Gurney, Jun. (Northrepps 
Hall, Norwich). 
PARTRIDGE comING IN CoLLIsion wiTH a Tratn.—A few days ago a 
Partridge struck the engine-driver’s bull’s-eye of one of our Norwich 
engines and smashed it. The guard who produced the Partridge said that 
the glass was an inch thick. This was not a case of attraction by vivid light, 
but of simple collision.—Ib. 
Woop Sanppiper at BarnstapLe.—A Wood Sandpiper, a bird of the 
year, was killed near Barnstaple about the middle of August. Among some 
Bartailed Godwits shot on the sand-flats of the Taw on September 13th was 
one which was already in nearly complete winter plumage. It was in 
company with others, which were still exhibiting some of the red livery of 
summer, and furnishes an example of a well-known phenomenon in the 
moulting of birds—that it is no uniform process, but one which varies both 
in time and degree in different individuals Murray A. Maruew (Bishop's 
Lydeard). 
Ture Kyor 1x Summer Piumage on THE Exe. — A specimen of the 
Knot, with the prevailing red tint peculiar to the summer plumage of the 
adult, was brought to me on the 11th August, having been shot on the 
Exe below Topsham. ‘This is only the second specimen in summer 
plumage which has oceurred on this river. The other was killed in May, 
1844.—W. S. M. D’Ursan (Exeter). 
Scarcity oF THE Corn Craxe.—The Rev. Murray A. Mathew calls 
attention (p. 887) to the recent scarcity of the Corn Crake in the West of 
England. He correlates the fact with increased drainage in the district, 
and consequent diminution of the smaller Mollusca on which the bird lives. 
But it is worthy of notice that in the meadows to the north-west of London, 
even where there has been no change in the drainage and no failure in the 
crop of snails, it becomes rarer every year. ‘This spring I have not once 
heard its familiar cry where ten years ago—under apparently precisely 
similar circumstances—it seemed ubiquitous. While so many birds are 
profiting by the recent Acts passed for their preservation, it is curious 
to find a retiring species like the Corn Crake deserting its accustomed 
haunts.—Henry T. WHarron (39, St. George's Road, Kilburn). 
Hopspy in OxtorpsHire.—A fine male example of this bird was shot 
near Banbury on the 23rd July last. Its stomach contained lots of dragon- 
flies. The Hobby’s partiality for this food has often been noticed. When 
killed it was engaged in devouring a young Partridge which it had just 
