Vol. xliii.] 76 



avian blood passed with the faeces of fleas or other ecto- 

 parasites. 



Major Sladen remarked that he had seen the same thing 

 in the eggs of fowls, especially when the birds were kept in a 

 dirty condition ; and the Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain observed 

 that he had seen the eggs of House-Martins and Owls marked 

 in a similar manner. 



Mr. N. B. KiNNEAR, on behalf of Major A. A. Dorrien- 

 Smith, also exhibited a Bartram's Sandpiper (^Bartramia 

 longicauda) , which had been shot at Tresco, Scilly Isles, on 

 22 September, 1922. Mr. Kinnear stated that there had 

 been about thirteen occurrences of this American Sandpiper 

 in the British Isles, three of which were in Cornwall. 



Mr. P. F. BuNYARD made some further observations on 

 the breeding of the Blue-headed Wagtail in Kent, to which 

 Mr. Jourdain replied, and after a further discussion, in 

 which other Members of the Club joined, the Chairman 

 stated that he considered the matter might now be con- 

 sidered closed. 



Dr. G. C. Low sent a short note on recent occurrences of 

 the Black-winged Stilt [Himantopus Mmantopus) in Great 

 Britain and Ireland. He referred to the announcement by 

 Mr. Wallis at the last Dinner of the Club of the recent 

 occurrence of this species on a sewage-farm near Reading, 

 and also to the fact that Mr. Hale seemed to be a little 

 doubtful of the identity, the latter stating that it had been 

 so rarely observed in England. 



As regards old records there was, of course, the classical 

 one by Gilbert White of five specimens of Himantopus Mman- 

 topus having been shot on Frensham Pond in the last week 

 of April 1779. ['The Natural History and Antiquities of 

 Selborne,' Bennett's standard edition, revised by J.E. Harting, 

 1889, Letter xlix. p. 273.] 



White, in this letter, remarked : " Our writers record it to 

 have been found only twice in Great Britain." 



