OCCASIONAL NOTES. 491 
does when sleeping afloat, and, lying then close to the ground, rests the tip 
of its bill upon it, straight in front. It would flitter about the room in a 
manner suggesting a child’s first efforts to walk, carrying its wings extended 
and erect over its back, so as to assist its progress, just as if it was not sure 
of its feet, or not quite accustomed to their use. This elegant movement 
shows how it would tread the surface of the water, in its search for floating 
food, while its wings supported it sufficiently to prevent immersion.”— 
Murray A. Maruew (Stone Hall, Haverfordwest). 
PeTRELS ON THE Linco~nsuiReE Coast.—Three specimens of the 
Fork-tailed Petrel, Thalassidroma leucorrhoa, were caught on the night of 
October 24th in flight nets on the salt-marshes near Friskney, and sent to 
me in the flesh—two females and one male. At the same time a pair of 
Storm Petrels, 7’. pelagica, were taken in the same manner. This locality 
is rather remarkable for the occurrence of the Fork-tailed Petrel, for I have 
on previous occasions received others from there, and heard on good 
authority of its occasional appearance there. I have myself seen the bird 
flying over the sea-banks there after an exceptionally stormy night, and 
I should attribute the appearance of the subjects of this notice to a similar 
cause. Mr. Dresser, in his ‘ Birds of Europe,’ mentions the west coast of 
England as being most frequently visited by this species; but as far as 
my experience goes, the coasts of Lincolnshire and Norfolk have furnished 
a much longer list of specimens taken.—Cuartes Dixon (Tenterden 
Street, W.). 
Rare Brrps 1x Sussex.—During the month of September, and early 
part of October, two Little Stints, Tringa minuta, and two Curlew Sand- 
pipers, 7’. subarquata, were shot in the Pevensey marshes; another 
T. minuta and three 7’. subarquata were obtained near Rye. On Sept. 27th 
a Common Buzzard, Buteo vulgaris, was brought for preservation to 
Mr. Bristow, of St. Leonards-on-Sea; it had been shot the day before at 
“The Grove,” Hollington, not more than half a mile from the town. 
Mr. W. B. Young, on whose property it was shot, informed me that another 
was seen the next day, and a week or so afterwards three more were seen. 
I see Mr. Harting, in his ‘Handbook of British Birds,’ referring to this 
species says, “ Migrates to the east and south-east in autumn.” About 
ten days ago I saw at Messrs. Pratt’s, Brighton, a fine dark-plumage male 
Honey Buzzard, Pernis apivorus, which had been shot by Mr. H. Langton, 
and taken there for preservation. [This bird was killed in Hertfordshire ; 
see p.472.] Mr. Pratt also informed me that another dark-plumaged female 
af this species was caught at Robertsbridge on October 2nd; and another 
one was taken at Balcombe a few days before; this latter was a male, and 
had been feeding on wild bees and their larvae, its throat being full of them. 
Another P. apivorus was obtained at Birch Grove, near Kast Grinstead, 
