1378 The Zoologist — September, 1868. 



its mouth. It is an adult female, in fair plumage, and very fat. — Fielding Harmer; 

 Great Yarmouth, August 12, 1868. — From the ' Field.', 



Roller near Carlisle.— A fine specimen of the female European roller (Coracias 

 garrula, Linn.) was killed on the 17th of July last, at Carlatten, near Carlisle, and is 

 now in my possession. It was in fine plumage, and is a very heautiful bird. The 

 stomach when opened contained black beetles and caterpillars, some of which were 

 alive. — Samuel Watson; Solway Terrace, Carlisle. — Id. 



Scarcity of Hirundines .—I wish to record that I have never known so few of the 

 two common species of swallows as this year. — T. Bell; The Wakes, Selbome, Alton, 

 Hants. 



Three Species of Columbidce breeding at Selbome.— Both last year and this three 

 species of our Columbida? have nested in my park, the stock dove having selected a 

 hole in a large pollard ash formerly occupied by owls. — Id. 



Land's End Waders.— I have observed that we get very early visits of various 

 migratorial species of sandpipers, Tringae, &c, which go northward to breed, and as 

 soon as the plumage of the young birds will admit of a lengthened flight we can 

 generally calculate upon their visiting the southern and western shores and marshes of 

 Cornwall, in most seasons about the second week in August. I observed the other 

 day a specimen of the reeve, also an adult specimen of the green sandpiper, and a very 

 finely plumaged specimen of the wood sandpiper, apparently a bird of this year, from 

 the dorsal spots having a strong tinge of yellow, which in the adult bird are pure 

 white. The early appearance of these birds seem to show that the uninterrupted fine 

 summer weather we have had has favoured the early crops both in the animal as well 

 as vegetable world. — Edward Hearle Rodd. 



Bitterns in Ireland. — I doubt if Ireland was ever a great place for bitterns, turf- 

 bogs being more numerous than fens, and fens being the habitat of the bittern ; still 

 more so is it a scarce bird in the present day. I therefore think it worth recording 

 that two of these birds occurred last winter in the North of Ireland, one at Ballygowan, 

 the other in the County Donegal. — H. Blake-Knox. 



Lesser Tern in Devonshire. — On the 14th of August I received one of these birds 

 from Exmouth : it had been shot the day before. It was an adult bird, but partially 

 in moult. — Cecil Smith; Lydeard House, August 19, 1868. 



Black Tern in Somersetshire. — On Tuesday, the 18th of August, I was at Burn- 

 ham, in search of birds for my collection : I saw a rather large flock of black tern, in 

 number perhaps about twenty, out of which myself and a friend who was with me 

 obtained three eacb, and, had we been so disposed, might have shot nearly the whole 

 flock, as they came and hovered over their dead companions, quite regardless of our 

 breech-loaders. Five of the birds killed were young birds of the year; the other a 

 mature bird, but changing to its winter plumage, the neck and breast being mottled 

 with while. — Id. 



The Ashby Decoy. — The enclosed, which I have cut from the ' Stamford Mercury,' 

 may perhaps iuterest the readers of the 'Zoologist:' — "One of the best existing 

 decoys in the kingdom is now in the market, namely, that of Ashby, Lincolnshire, 

 which is announced for sale by auction, by Mr. C. J. Calthorpe, in October next. The 

 late Henry Healey, Esq., had a careful account kept of every day's capture during the 

 last thirty-live winters, and the book containing these details show the following 

 resulis: — 



