The Zoologist — November, 1868. 1459 



Rook with a crossed Beak. — While walking over the Downs at Seaford, in August, 

 with my gun, I saw a rook which allowed me to come within range, when I fired and 

 killed it. The mandibles of the beak were curved exactly as in the crossbill : it appeared 

 to be a bird of the year, and was in fair condition, but very much infested with vermin. 

 — James Dutton ; 2, Theresa Place, Hammersmith, October, 1868. 



Scarcity of the Corn Crake. — Mr. Cordeaux remarks (Zool. S. S. 1411) on the 

 scarcity of the land rail (Crex pratensis) this year in North Lincolnshire. The same 

 has been the case here: it has only been heard two or three times during the season,, 

 whilst, in preceding years, its monotonous "crake, crake," could be heard in all 

 directions. — F. G. Binnie ; Healaugh Lodge, Tadcasler, October 5, 1868. 



Creamcoloured Courser in Scotland. — A specimen was shot, on the 8th of October, 

 at Cleghorn, near Lanark, by Mr. C. Walker, j tin., of Braxfield, Lanark. — Francis 

 Walker. 



Further Remarks on the Green Sandpiper breeding in North Lincolnshire. — Tn my 

 last paper in the ' Zoologist' (S. S. 1412) I mentioned the fact of two pairs of green 

 sandpipers remaining on our small stream during the summer — one pair in this, the 

 other in the next parish of Aylesby. The farmer who occupies the land adjoining the 

 stream in that parish has since informed me that he is quite certain that these birds 

 nested somewhere not far from the stream : he had seen them about one particular 

 spot through the summer ; and, some time towards the end of July, noticed lour young 

 birds along with the old ones sitting on a sand-bank in the " beck." He says that 

 these young birds " were quite little things," and could "only fly a few yards at once;" 

 ihey were " quite a different colour to the old birds" — "much lighter." He nearly 

 every day for some weeks after this saw the old and young birds about the stream. 

 Hearing from the fish-keeper that I wanted a young green sandpiper, he one day shot 

 one and sent it to me. He says "it was about as large as a jack snipe." Unfor- 

 tunately I had just gone from home for a fortnight, and never received this bird, so 

 lost the opportunity of confirming his evidence. I have not the slightest doubt, how- 

 ever, that he is perfectly correct in his information; and I know he can speak to a 

 green sandpiper, or any other of our familiar " beck" birds, as well as I can myself. 

 He says that this is now the third summer these birds have bred near their stream. — 

 John Cordeaux; Great Cotes, Ulceby, October 5, 1868. 



Blacktailed Godivit in Devonshire. — An example of this species, a young bird in 

 intermediate plumage, was shot on the banks of the Taw at the latter end of September. 

 This is only the second specimen that, to my knowledge, has been obtained in the 

 north of Devon, the first, which was in fine summer plumage, being killed by myself 

 in the autumn of 1859. — Gervase F. Malkew ; H.M.S. 'Britannia,' Dartmouth, 

 October 20, 1868. 



Arrival of Snipes, Land Rails and Spotted Crakes on the Cornish Moors. — My 

 nephew writes me word that he killed in four hours seven and a half couples of snipe, 

 four couples of land rails and two couples of spotted crakes, on the moors about the 

 Cheese Ring and Dosmary Pool District. — Edivard Hearle Rodd. 



Fawn-coloured Snipe. — I am indebted to Mr. Gatcombe fur an extraordinary snipe, 

 bought at Leadenhall about the 3rd of September. It is fawn-coloured, retaining, 

 however, all the zigzag mottling of the normal plumage, but so faint as to be hardly 

 discernible. I may also add that I have had three greenshanks this autumn.—/. H. 

 Gurney,jun.; The Bank, Darlington. 



