NOTES AND QUERIES. 75 
that for the present I intend to say nothing more on that score. But 
Tshould like to allude to another point. Probably most of your readers 
are accustomed to find the Shearwater nesting at a very moderate height 
above sea-level; I thought myself that the colony which nests on Higg, at 
a height of nearly 1000 feet, was unusually ambitious. Mr. M. Byles, 
however, who has tenanted the island of Rum asa deer forest for several 
seasons, informs me that Shearwaters breed on that island at a height of 
more than 2000 feet above the sea—a pretty contrast to their quarters at 
Annet.—H. A. Macpuerson. 
Bittern in Lancashire.—A fine male Bittern was shot on Dec. 26th, 
1888, on Bryn Moss, about three miles from Wigan, and was sent for- 
preservation to a taxidermist in the town, at whose place I had an 
opportunity of seeing it. It had been killed by a single pellet, which had 
passed through the neck near the base of the skull and severed some of 
the principal blood-vessels, death ensuing from hemorrhage into the throat. 
It was able to run vigorously a short distance after it was shot, and being 
pursued by a dog the bird stood at bay, and, erecting its crest, assumed 
such a threatening and terrifying aspect that the dog turned tuil and refused 
to face it. The body was loaded with fat; the stomach was quite empty, 
its last meal having been thoroughly digested and disposed of. The last 
occurrence of the Bittern in this district, as far as I know, was about 
twenty-eight years ago, when two were shot at the same time on a small 
mill-pond at Roby Mill, Upholland, about five miles from here.—W. 
Worruineton (Wigan). 
Rooks in the Isle of Wight: Correction of Error.—lI find a mistake 
has been made in the note I sent you (p. 28). It was a “brown ” Rook 
that was thought strange, though white varieties are not uncommon here, 
as elsewhere. The Rook is as numerous a species in the Isle of Wight as 
in most parts of England. The error occurred in the copying, which I 
regret.—Hernry Hapriexp (High Cliff, Ventnor). 
Nutcracker, Crossbill, and Sand Grouse in Norfolk.—On Nov. 9th ~ 
I received for preservation a female specimen of the Nutcracker, Nucifraga 
caryocatactes. It flew out of an old chalk-pit, and was shot by a game- 
keeper in mistake for a young Blackbird. On Nov. 24th, when out fora 
walk, I saw five Crossbills feeding on fir-cones, the first I have seen in 
this district for twenty years. I think they are rather rare as a Norfolk 
bird. I had a right and left shot at a male and female, but unfortunately 
lost the female; the male I obtained was a fine red bird. On Nov. 30th 
I bought an old male Sand Grouse with a very long tail and fine orange 
head. I record this as we had plenty in the summer, but they all dis- 
appeared about September. The crop contained a good number of wheat- 
grains, mixed with the customary seeds that were found in all the earlier. 
