458 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
young Cormorant recorded in Plot’s ‘Natural History of Oxfordshire’ as 
‘fallen down in the corn’ should be a Shearwater.” It is therefore to be 
remarked that out of six or seven Shearwaters captured in the two counties 
no less than four occurred in the month of September.—C. MarruEw 
Prior (Bedford). 
Uncommon Birps ar Barmourn.—On September 18th, whilst walking 
along the shore at Barmouth, Merionethshire, TJ observed six or seven birds 
sitting on the water a long distance from land, which, by the aid of a good 
pocket telescope, I discovered were Common Scoters. I was afterwards 
informed that there have been a good number of them about. A pair of 
Great Northern Divers were several times seen during the winter on the 
Barmouth Island, but—fortunately for them!—they were exceedingly 
difficult to get near. I picked up a Manx Shearwater in a dying state some 
distance from the town, at high-water mark, and was shown another which 
had been picked up dead almost in Barmouth itself.—J. Backuousx, Jun. 
(West Bank, York). 
GREEN-BACKED Porrnyrio Av Barton.—The Green-backed Porphyrio 
(Porphyrio smaragdonotus, 'Tem., P. hyacinthinus, Brehm, jun., nee Tem.) 
has occurred, for the third time in Norfolk, on August 23rd, on Barton 
Broad, the same locality which produced the last. The specimen is at 
present in the hands of Mr. T. E. Gunn, of St. Giles’ Street, Norwich, 
who informs me that it was a female, with eggs about the size of hemp- 
seed, and weighed one pound seven ounces. It does not show the slightest 
traces of confinement, and I have little doubt it was a migrant hither. The 
species is found as near as the North of Egypt. When in that country; in 
1875, I met with it a few miles from Cairo. It has been confounded with 
the Purple Waterhen of the South of Europe (Porphyrio hyacinthinus, 
Tem.), aud in all probability some of the examples of the Purple Waterhen 
which have been recorded as occurring in England belonged to the more 
southern green-backed species. Four specimens have been obtained in 
Norfolk, but there is good reason for supposing that one of them—the 
example recorded at Hickling—was an escaped bird; the other three appear 
to have been all wild.—J. H. Gurney, Jun. (Northrepps, Norwich). 
SporrED CRAKE IN County Dowy.—L have just received (October 15) 
a fine specimen of the Spotted Crake, which was shot by Mr. Frank 
Thompson, at Baubridge, Co. Down. It is curious that the last vecorded 
Trish specimen was killed by another pupil of mine, Mr. G. E. Armstrong, 
about two years since. This bird has only fallen under the notice of 
Mr. Williams, the naturalist here, three times within the past ten years, 
and I have never myself been fortunate enough to observe it. I do not 
remember to have noticed it in the fine collection of Dr. Burkitt, of 
Waterford, which contains many rarities, including one specimen at least 
