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NOTES ON CORNISH BIRDS, 1904-5. 

 By JAMES CLARK, D.Sc, M.A. 



fRead 23 rd May, 1905 J. 



I am glad to find that the Lesser Tern, which lias for some 

 years been regarded as a regular spring and casual autumn bird 

 of passage still breeds in the county. Long may the locality 

 continue to escape observation ! Though the only specimen of 

 the Lesser Whitethroat recorded for the county was shot by 

 Pechell at Scilly in the autumn of 1857, this bird is at least a 

 casual visitor on autumn migration to the north-east of Cornwall 

 between Kilkhampton and Lauuceston. On the 16th September 

 last an example of the Tawny Pipit was obtained near Bodmin. 

 The only other known county specimen was shot at Tresco by 

 Pechell in 1868. The stormy weather that prevailed during the 

 second week in March of the present year brought two very rare 

 birds to our shores, namely the Feri'uginous or White-Eyed 

 Duck, an immature examjjle of which was found in a dazed 

 condition near Mylor on the 11th of March, and the Black 

 Guillemot, a battered specimen of which was picked up dead 

 near St. Anthony's lighthouse, Falmouth, on the 12th. The 

 former has not occurred before in the county ; of the latter only 

 two instances are mentioned by Rodd, and none has been 

 recorded since the appearance of his work. 



A few days ago a parcel was forwarded to me at St. Goar 

 containing the remains of a Melodious Warbler, a bird entirely 

 new to Cornwall. It was an adult male shot near Sand Place, 

 Looe, on the 12th of May, under the impression that it was a 

 "nightingale." "We killed it" writes the sender "so that 

 people should not laugh at us when we said we heard the 

 nightingale in Cornwall." It is most unfortunate that this 

 glorious singer was killed, particularly as the species seems to be 

 making a half-hearted attempt to extend its summer range to the 

 south coast of England. 



