OCCASIONAL NOTES. 213 
have been obtained near Redcar in October last, but not having seen the 
example I cannot be certain of the truth of the statement. Amongst other 
birds reported to have been shot, and which I have not mentioned before 
for the same reason, are two Red-throated Divers in summer plumage, 
which I am told were shot off Redcar early in September; also a Manx 
Shearwater on October 12th. Respecting the latter, I am pretty certain 
that several Shearwaters were seen by the fishermen in the offing during 
the summer, but I did not myself see a specimen. As an instance of the 
severity of the winter, I may mention that five Grouse were shot on the 
sand-hills near here. A curious circumstance occurred a few weeks ago. 
The sea rising suddenly during the night surprised a flock of ducks sitting 
on the water near the shore up Coatham sands; a heavy wave falling 
amongst the flock stunned and washed ashore several birds, which were 
found exhausted on the sands. I am informed that about fifteen years ago 
a similar incident happened, but on a much larger scale, about a hundred 
or more ducks being captured. In Mr. Cordeanx’s notes (p. 89), he quotes 
from a correspondent’s letter from the Fifth Buoy-light—at least I presume 
it is so—‘“ A punt-shooter killed at one shot fifty Dunlins, twelve Stints (?),” 
&e. If Mr. Cordeaux will pardon the suggestion, L think the note of inter- 
rogation should come after the word ‘* Dunlins,” the river-shooters geuerally 
giving this name to the Knot, but a “ Stint” is a Stint (Tringa alpina) all 
the year round; thus the punt-shooter’s bag would be ‘‘ fifty Knots, twelve 
Stints,” &c.—J. H. Netson (Coatham, Redcar). 
WILDFowL In THE Poor Drsrricr.—Although I have not been able 
to do much personally in the way of observation this year, the gunners 
have kept me pretty well informed of what has been going on.- A male 
Ferruginous Duck was killed in Wareham Bay, just after Christmas, by 
Charles Orchard, one of our most successful puntsmen. [See p. 182.] It 
was in company with a lot of Redheads cr Pochards, and was brought up to 
me to be identified, but, being from home, I missed the chance. Mr. Hart, 
of Christchurch, who preserved it, informed me that it was in very fine 
plamage. I have not heard of any great rarities being obtained during the 
severe weather of the late winter. There were not so many wildfowl in the 
early part of the season as one would have expected, but after Christmas a 
good many of the ordinary Duck, Widgeon, and Curres were killed, but no 
Geese. In the early part of February a number of Brent or “ Bran” Geese, 
as we call them, came in during the prevalence of a strong east wind. 
They were very tame; I heard of sixty or seventy being shot by three 
gunners in “Son Deeps” at the mouth of the harbour, Mr. Hart has 
sent me a pretty good list of wildfowl which passed through his hands 
during the winter, including Pintail, Gadwall, Shoveller, Tufted Duck, 
Ferruginous Duck, Goldeneye, Merganser, Goosander, Hooper and 
