1482 The Zoologist— December, 18G8. 



mandibles horn -coloured, the upper slightly projecting, and this is so far confirmatory 

 of the views expressed in the ' Birds of Norfolk ' (p. 281), viz. that the disparity in the 

 bills of this species is a sexual distinction. Mr. Coideaux found its stomach to con- 

 tain a great mass of Coleopterous insecis, broken and entire, of several species and 

 sizes, principally a small black-headed beetle, with brown wing-cases, a little vegetable 

 fibre, a few white oats, also some small stones. — /. H. Gurnet/, jun. 



Creamcoloured Courser in Lanarkshire. — This is the first specimen on record as 

 having been obtained in Scotland : it was shot by my friend Mr. C. Walker, of Brax- 

 field, Lanarkshire, as recorded in the ' Zoologist ' for November (S. S. 1459), on his 

 own estate, on the 7th of October, and by dissection proved a male. Through the 

 kindness of Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., who dissected the bird, I have been enabled to 

 put in Mr. Gray's hands full particulars regarding it, for his ' Birds of Scotland,' and 

 which need not be repeated at this lime. — John A. Harvie Brown; Dunipaee House, 

 Falkirk. 



Solitary Snipe in Sussex. — I beg to record an instance of the solitary snipe having 

 been caught in a gin, which had been set by the side of a water-cress bed, at Sompling, 

 a village about two miles from Worthing Sussex. It was caught on the 21th of 

 October last, and came into my possession on the same day. — /. W. Stephenson ; 

 2, Loudoun Place, Brixton Road, November 7, 1868. 



The Great Snipe : Number of Tail-feathers. — I saw a specimen of the great snipe, 

 killed near Cainelford, Cornwall, yesterday ; and, amongst several specimens killed in 

 the county, I refer to this example especially, as it had eighteen instead of sixteen 

 tail-feathers. — Edward Hear le Rodd ; Penzance, November 4, 1868. 



Erratum.— In my notice of the tawny pipit (Zool. S. S. 1458), for "fat" read 

 " feet."— Ld. 



Rednecked Phalarope in Norfolk. — A beautiful male of this elegant little species 

 was shot, on the 30th of October, at Stalham. It rose from a pond (where it had been 

 swimming not unlike a miniature duck), and took refuge on the roof of a barn in the 

 immediate neighbourhood, but soon fell a victim to the aim of a sportsman.— T. E. 

 Gunn ; 21, Reyent Street, Norwich. 



Abundance of the Little Grebe in Sussex. — I have received an account, from 

 Worthing, of an unusual number of the little grebe having been seen at, and in the 

 neighbourhood of, Lancing, on the 6th instant. Mr. Wells, of Worthing, writes me 

 that he had seven brought to him alive, which were caught in a small pool of salt 

 water on the shingle near Lancing Gate, and at the same lime there were a great 

 number in the water between Lancing and Shoreham. In short, on that day they 

 were said to be " in every ditch," and on the following day not one was to be seen. — 

 J. W. Stephenson; November 14, 1868. 



Little Gulls on the Yorkshire Coast.— On the 26lh of October I had two little gulls 

 (in a fresh state) from Bridlington Quay; and, on the 27th, another having two or 

 three brown feathers on the head, probably part of the nest-plumage not cast. A fourth, 

 which I examined in the flesh, possessed a rich rosy lint on the under pails— a lovely 

 contrast lo the fiue pearl-gray of the upper plumage. These little gulls have been ull 

 shot within a radius of a few miles. — J. H. Gurnnj,jun. 



Pomarine Skua at Flamborough.—Oa the 18lh of November I had a brace of 

 pomarine skuas, in the first plumage, from Flamborough (in the flesh). Young birds 

 of this species are not very rare on this coast in autumn.— Id. 



