NOTES AND QUERIES. 71 
occurrence of Sowerby’s Whale (Mesoplodon bidens) in Shetland, with 
special reference to the anatomy of the specimen which was dissected and 
examined by him (Zool. 1885, p. 430). Curiously enough, on the very 
day on which this paper was read (Sept. 11th), another specimen of this 
Whale was stranded in shallow water just inside Spurn Head, at a spot 
known as the Chalk Bank, and was attacked by men in boats, and eventually 
killed and cut up for the sake of the oil. Unfortunately the remains were 
allowed to drift out to sea, and were lost beyond possibility of recovery 
before they could be examined by any competent naturalist. Messrs. 
Southwell and Eagle Clarke, however, have been at the pains to collect all 
the information possible, including approximate measurements, from eye- 
witnesses of the capture, and have published the details in the ‘ Annals 
and Magazine of Natural History’ for January, 1886 (pp. 538-59). They 
conclude their remarks with a list of all the specimens (fifteen in number) 
of this Whale which are known to have been met with since the first 
recognised example was obtained on the coast of Elginshire in 1800. 
BIRDS. 
Porphyrio chloronotus and P. ceruleus in the British Isles. — The 
Greenbacked Porphyrio (Porphyrio chloronotus), shot at Horning, in Norfolk, 
recorded by Mr. Gunn (Zool. 1884, p. 482), is a good specimen, showing not 
the slighest sign of confinement ; but I imagine it is not adult, as the back 
is not so bright as in one shot some years ago at Barton. I cannot under- 
stand why these birds should be always supposed to have escaped, never 
having heard of anyone in the eastern counties, except ourselves and Mr. 
Stevenson, who kept them in confinement. They are just as capable of 
migrating as a Moorhen ; moreover, they are migrants in Egypt, and the 
Purple Gallinule (P. ce@ruleus, P. veterum (auct.)) is a known migrant in 
Spain. I believe I am correct in saying that neither of these species has 
been as often brought alive to this country as their black-backed ally from 
Australia (P. melanotus), which has never been killed at large. Mr. Gunn’s 
specimen was obtained in the ‘ Broad” district, within a few miles of 
Barton Broad, where two occurred, and what is very remarkable, they were 
shot within two hundred yards of the same place. Knowing how often 
history repeats itself in the matter of rare birds, I think, if this circumstance 
‘is viewed fairly, it is very much in favour of these Porphyrios—(which were 
shot respectively in November, 1877, and August, 1879)—being wild ones. 
Two or three years ago one of the species under consideration—P. chloro- 
notus—was brought into Plymouth, having been taken on board a ship, but 
in what latitude is not known, and was taken alive to Mr. John Gatcombe, 
from whom I had this information. It was clearly migrating, and might 
very likely have reached our shores. Audubon says that, while at the 
island at Galveston, Texas, he was offered several Martinique Gallinules,— 
