NOTES AND QUERIES. 471 



naked eye, a Crane, Oriis communis, flying S.S.E., and on looking through 

 his glass he distinctly saw a second travelling in the same direction. He 

 made a note at the time, and entered the weather as " brilliantly fine and 

 clear, air cooler; bar. ^Q-SS." We had a prevalence of easterly winds for 

 some time previously. He further states that he is perfectly familiar with 

 the appearance of tbe bird, having often seen it in Germany, Alsace, &c. 

 Although the Cranes, when seen by Mr. Milne-Redhead, were not actually 

 in Lancashire, their line of flight would in a few minutes have taken them 

 over the boundary, and I think we may now consider Lancashire as one of 

 the counties visited by this bird during the present century. — Robert J. 

 Howard (Blackburn). 



Early appearance of Wild Geese in Ireland.— On October 10th we 

 had a cold north wind and hail showers — a sudden change from the recent 

 genial weather. Being out on an upland district near this, about 4 p.m., 

 with a friend well acquainted with Anser albifrons, and my keeper, we all 

 recognised and watched eight Geese, which came from a northerly inland 

 direction, flying about 200 or 300 feet high, and passed near us. They 

 were unquestionably Wild Geese, probably the above species. I also saw 

 on the same day a flock of Golden Plover, for the first time this autumn. 

 Though the same bitter wind continued, Swallows, Hirundo rustica, were 

 still to be seen on October 11th. Some usually stay with us until the end 

 of this month. — R. J. Ussher (Cappagh, Co. Waterford). 



Spoonbills in Suffolk. — Early in August four Spoonbills were seen to 

 pitch on a marsh at HoUesley, Suffolk. A local gunner named Langmaid 

 went in pursuit, and was fortunate enough to shoot two of them ; these 

 were sold to a gentleman in London. On September 9th a Grey Phalarope 

 was killed at Felixstowe. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was obtained near 

 this town on October 7th. On the same day I saw a Woodcock exposed 

 for sale, and on making enquiry as to where it had been killed, I was 

 informed that it was seen to fly from an apple tree into some cabbages in a 

 garden in this town, where it was afterwards flushed and shot. — J. H. H. 

 Knights (Ipswich). 



Dipper in Sussex. — A Dipper was shot, on September 13th, on the 

 Salts at Bopeep, St. Leonards-on-Sea, an unusual place for a bird of this 

 species ; and a Dotterel was obtained at Lydd at the end of August. — 

 Thomas Parkin (The Vicarage, Halton, Hastings). 



Grey form of the Tawny Owl in Buckinghamshire. — A specimen of 

 the grey form of Syrnium aluco was shot at Great Horwood, near Winslow, 

 Bucks, in July last, and sent to Mr. Wyatt, taxidermist, Banbury. The 

 bird is small, with a decidedly long tail, and is extremely grey, with the 

 white markings conspicuous and no trace of rufous or tawny. A keeper 

 from Yeovil noticed it in Mr. Wyatt's shop, and remarked that only similar 



