1034 The Zoologist — January, 1868. 



Osprey. — September 16. An osprey shot at West Wittering, near 

 Chichester : it was apparently a bird of the year : the feathers of the 

 upper plumage edged with a lighter shade of brown, and the legs and 

 feet lighter than in the adult bird : it measured five feet three inches 

 from tip to tip of wing. About this time a second specimen was 

 obtained at Littlehampton. 



Jack Snipe. — Shot a jack snipe on the 7th of October. Seeing that 

 this species is said not to breed in the British Isles, is not this an 

 early arrival ? 



Sanderling. — November 6. Saw a sanderling, in winter plumage, 

 which had been killed a few days before in Bosham Harbour: it is a 

 species that I have rarely met with at this season in Sussex. 



Snow Bunting. — November 25. Shot a female snow bunting on the 

 beach at the mouth of Chichester Harbour. It is singular that the 

 only specimen previously in my collection was killed at the same 

 place. In the crop of the bird shot were two wheat-corns, some seeds 

 of a rushy kind of grass growing on a sand-bank near, three small 

 chrysalids, a fly (half an inch long) and two sandhoppers. In the 

 gizzard a quantity of sand and small gravel. 



Wild Fowl, 8$c. — November 25. Saw two sheldrakes, or "bier- 

 ganders," as they are here called, in Chichester Harbour, as well as 

 about a dozen Brent geese, bagging two of the latter and an 

 immature specimen of the razorbill : the stomach of the latter was 

 crammed with young smelts. A considerable number of widgeon 

 have been killed, and I saw a female redbreasted merganser killed 

 this day. 



Rock Pipit. — November 25. Shot two rock pipits on a small island 

 in Chichester Harbour, and was surprised to find, in the stomachs of 

 both, bones and other remains of small fishes. It often happens that 

 small gobies and other fishes, numerous there, are left by the receding 

 tide to die and dry up, and in this case would be an easy prey to the 

 pipits; otherwise it is difficult to imagine in what way their capture 

 could be effected by these birds. In addition to these fishy remains 

 were small seeds of several kinds. 



Water Rail. — The water rail also is a fish-eater; three small 

 " miller's-thumbs," or " bull-heads," were fouud in the stomach of one. 

 1 have noticed a variation in the plumage of this species, which at 

 present I am unable to understand : I refer to a patch about an inch 

 or less in diameter, black with white maikings, on the lesser wing- 

 coverts. In two male skins in my collection it is absent altogether; 



