NOTES AND QUERIES. 453 
The tail consists of twelve feathers, the two centre ones extending about a 
quarter of an inch beyond the others. The legs, as stated by Mr. Ogilvie, 
were. decidedly yellowish green, which differs from Mr. Saunders’s descrip- 
tion, who states these parts to be yellowish brown. The bird, on dissection, 
proved to be a female, the ovary containing a large number of minute eggs. 
The stomach contained remains of small Coleoptera and grit.—T. E, Gunn 
(St. Giles Street, Norwich). 
Short-eared Owls breeding in Essex.— Whilst shooting on the 
bentlings near Walton-on-the-Naze, on the Bank Holiday in August, 1884, 
I saw three of these birds, two of which were shot; at that time I fully 
believed they had bred somewhere near. On the 31st July last I saw an 
old bird hawking, in the afternoon, over the bentlings and continually 
calling. 1 at once made enquiries, and found that the Owls had nested in 
the rough grass on an island, and that some of the young Owls had been 
caught before they were able to fly.—F. Kerry (Harwich). 
Birds attracted to Burning Ricks as to a Lighthouse.—Hearing 
that many birds were seen flying round some ricks set on fire by lightning 
at Stebbing, in Essex, on September Qnd, I asked the Vicar (Rev. A. R. 
Bingham Wright) for details as to the species, in case you should care to 
publish them, and he kindly replied as follows :—“ My informant in charge 
of our fire-engine said there were a lot of Larks (this probably would include 
Sparrows, Yellowhammers, Greenfinches, &c.), some Plover (Lapwing, no 
doubt), and some Gulls. The place is about twenty miles from the estuary 
of the Blackwater. Another wituess of the fire described the two kinds of 
large birds (he was ignorant of their respective names) as wheeling above 
the ricks at different heights, each flock keeping to itself. I may mention 
that in stormy weather Gulls are frequently about the fields here.”— 
J. KE. KEvsatt. 
Sheldrake near Oxford.—On the 8th October I saw a bird, which 
I believe was a Common Sheldrake, swimming on the River Isis adjoining 
Portmeadow (a large piece of ground close to Oxford). The bird allowed 
me to approach within a distance of about thirty yards, then rose, and after 
flying round several times made off up the river out of sight. As it flew, it 
had somewhat the appearance of a large Magpie. I give the description 
from a note taken on the spot, as I have at present very little acquaintance 
with the ducks in a state of nature:—It was apparently a young bird. 
Beak, pink; head and neck, brown; back, darker brown; wings, black ; 
upper aud under wing-coverts, white—under parts, white; legs, pale (pink, 
T think). About the size of an ordinary domestic duck. As it sat on the 
water it had a curious mottled appearance. It had doubtless been driven 
inland by the storm which raged the day before. I might add that there 
was also a Gull—I could not get near enough to determine the species— 
