NOTES FROM ST. LEONARDS. 333 



very remarkable for its depth. About the same time a covey of 

 five or six were reported to Mr. Bristow, as seen at Filsham 

 Farm. The black abdominal band in Pallas's Sand Grouse is 

 variable both in extent and colour, being sometimes suffused with 

 chestnut or mottled with buff-colour. 



In the ' Natural History of Hastings,' compiled by the Eev. 

 E. M. Bloomfield, there is a list of birds, and this is the only 

 publication on local Ornithology ; it enumerates several rare 

 species, but one which is not included is the Sclavonian Grebe, 

 of which Mr. Bristow has an example, killed on a pond at 

 Hollington, a suburb of St. Leonards, last February; and 

 another which might be added is the Scandinavian Rock Pipit 

 (Anthus rupestris), if it be a good species, of which I saw an 

 unmistakable example at Bopeep, with a brilliantly vinous 

 breast. But this was several years ago, and all agree that 

 these Scandinavian Pipits have been extremely rare in Sussex 

 of late years. 



Mr. Bristow has several interesting birds in his laboratory at 

 St. Leonards, which he is glad to show to visitors, among 

 them a very pale Barn Owl, a young bird, received on the 24th 

 of August from Brede, which, if not an albinism, is many 

 shades paler than the ordinary tone of colouring in this species ; 

 another, like it, was killed about the same time and place. 



On the 15th I was not sorry to have an opportunity of 

 renewing acquaintance with the Kentish Plover and Sanderlings 

 at Bye ; the latter were very abundant for the time of year, 

 twenty-eight in one flock. They have a way of running in and 

 out of the foam and froth, which seems not to wet their plumage, 

 feeding hard all the time, picking off the bottom the minute 

 marine life, stirred up by the rapidly-advancing tide as they go. 

 This is very pretty to watch, and a habit I have not noticed in 

 the Dunlin. From the rapid action of their beaks the quantity 

 they consume must be enormous. 



The colony of Lesser Terns flourishes, and forty-three were 

 counted in one flock, their position as they sat on the sand 

 indicating more plainly than words that the wind was still in 

 the east. The ferryman, who called them " scrates," said, 

 however, they were nothing like as numerous as they once were. 

 Only four Common Terns were seen, one of which was skirmishing 

 with a Black Tern. 



