220 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



6. Collared Pratincole, Glareola pratincola. One shot on the 

 Mendip, not far from Weston-super-Mare, was in Mr. Straddling's 

 collection. This bird is now in the possession of Mr. Henry 

 Mathias, of Haverfordwest, in whose house I have seen it. Vide 

 ' Yarrell' (4th ed.), vol. iii., p. 234, and Zool. 1881, p. 309. 



7. Cream-coloured Courser, Cursorius gallicus. In his ' List 

 of the Birds of Devon,' Mr. Brooking Bowe mentions one which 

 had been shot in Somerset, but does not, I believe, give any 

 particulars (Harting's ' Handbook,' p. 133). 



8. Black-winged Stilt, Himantopus candidus. One, now in the 

 possession of Mr. Henry Mathias of Haverfordwest, was shot near 

 Bridgwater, and was for some time in Mr. Straddling's collection. 

 I remember hearing of this bird so long ago as 1858, from 

 Mr. Wm. Brodrick, at that time residing at Ilfracombe (Zool. 

 1881, p. 309). 



9. Bartram's Sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda. A specimen 

 of this American Sandpiper, the earliest, perhaps, obtained in 

 this country, was for a long time unrecognised in the collection 

 of Dr. Woodford, of Taunton, until identified by me. It is now 

 in the county collection of birds at Taunton Castle ; it is in 

 almost complete winter dress, and was shot on the bank of the 

 Eiver Parret, now nearly fifty years ago. Becorded by me in 

 ' The Zoologist' for 1877, p. 389. See also 'Yarrell' (4th ed.), 

 vol. iii., p. 441. 



10. Night Heron, Nycticorax griseus. Mr. Straddling's collec- 

 tion contained one shot near Bridgwater. 



The Somerset Bose Pastor shot in the garden of Laverton 

 Bectory, near Frome, is now in my collection. I have notes of 

 another obtained near Axbridge. Sanderlings I have often seen 

 on the sands near Weston-super-Mare. 



A complete account of the birds of Somerset, a most in- 

 teresting county, and most diversified in its physical geography, 

 is still a desideratum. At the time when Mr. Cecil Smith 

 published his useful book he appears to have had little, if any, 

 information respecting the most important districts of his 

 county, viz., the wide expanse of Exmoor Forest to the north- 

 west; the great central turf-moors; and the Mendip plateau to 

 the east. It was a great loss to his work that he possessed no 

 correspondents in these parts of Somerset. The peat-moors in 

 summer time, with their wild growth of sedge and grasses, 



