OCCASIONAL NOTES. 59 
a gun-shot high, and they told me it was flying or skimming something like 
a hawk. It passed very close to them. I concluded myself it had had a 
long flight, and had stopped to feed in the turnips and rest. The weather 
was fine, and, as far as I can remember, the wind was south-west, but not 
a strong wind. When I rose the bird its flight seemed rather laboured, 
or, as I thought, like a bird not accustomed to flying very much. . . . The 
field in which I killed it is within a quarter of a mile of the town of North 
Tawton, and with no uncultivated ground near it.” Since receiving this 
letter another example of the Little Bustard, a female, has been obtained in 
the neighbourhood of Braunton, and has also been preserved by Mr. Rowe. 
I had the pleasure of seeing both the birds together, and they make a 
beautiful pair. My brother, the Rev. Murray A. Mathew, has had the good 
fortune to add this second bird to his collection—Gerrvasr F. Marurw 
(Instow, N. Devon). 
Surr Scorer in Orxney.—A Surf Scoter was shot at Stromness on 
October 23rd, and as I had the opportunity of examining the body of the 
bird I should like to make a few remarks on the differences between the 
trachea of this species and that of the Velvet. Scoter, for all the books to 
which I have access give either no description, or else a very imperfect one. 
I know it is dangerous to draw inferences from a single specimen, but as 
the Surf Scoter is so rare a bird in this country it is unlikely that I shall 
have another opportunity of examining its trachea. Yarrell, in the third 
edition of his ‘ British Birds,’ says :—‘‘ According to the description given, 
the trachea of the Surf Scoter resembles that of the Velvet Scoter.” This 
is to some extent correct, but I shall point out that there are some very 
marked differences. In Wilson and Bonaparte’s ‘American Ornithology’ 
there is this description :—‘‘ There was a singular hard expansion at the 
commencement of the windpipe, and another much larger about three inches 
above where it separates into the two lobes of the lungs; this last was 
larger than a Spanish hazel-nut, flat on one side and convex on the other.” 
This would do for a description of the trachea of the Velvet Scoter, but in 
the Surf Scoter the larger expansion is not three inches from the bifurcation 
of the trachea, neither is it flat on one side. I will now give the measure- 
ments of the trachea of the Surf and Velvet Scoters, side by side, for 
comparison :— 
Velvet Scoter. Surf Scoter. 
Total length from rima glottis to bifurcation . 9}inches. 8 inches. 
Length of upper dilatation, measured at centre  % ;, go» 
» from upper dilatation to bulb in trachea 4 ¥ - ie 
pee Ol Duly aM COM swe ter sts, 5 Me se LS ” 
» of trachea from bulb to lower dilatation 2);  ,, 
», Of lower dilatation measured at centre. 3  » 
a 
am Ae an 
~ 
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