﻿146 
  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST. 
  

  

  small 
  and 
  dark 
  — 
  probably 
  Brent 
  — 
  but 
  I 
  did 
  not 
  hear 
  of 
  any 
  being 
  

   killed 
  in 
  the 
  locality. 
  Several 
  of 
  the 
  Bittern 
  (Botaurus 
  stellaris) 
  were 
  

   observed, 
  and, 
  although 
  I 
  knew 
  of 
  two 
  of 
  this 
  handsome 
  species 
  having 
  

   been 
  shot, 
  I 
  knew 
  of 
  several 
  still 
  frequenting 
  the 
  vicinity 
  after 
  March 
  

   1st, 
  when 
  the 
  shooting 
  ceased. 
  There 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  quite 
  a 
  number 
  

   upon 
  the 
  water 
  from 
  Salisbury 
  to 
  Christchurch, 
  as 
  I 
  am 
  certain 
  they 
  

   were 
  not 
  the 
  same 
  birds 
  I 
  heard 
  of 
  from 
  different 
  localities, 
  and 
  is 
  it 
  

   not 
  a 
  recognized 
  habit 
  of 
  the 
  Bittern 
  not 
  to 
  wander 
  far 
  when 
  it 
  has 
  

   found 
  a 
  suitable 
  feeding-ground 
  ? 
  A 
  friend 
  of 
  mine, 
  who 
  attended 
  

   those 
  who 
  were 
  "cripple-hunting" 
  tbe 
  day 
  after 
  the 
  " 
  shoot" 
  I 
  have 
  

   mentioned, 
  told 
  me 
  that 
  from 
  a 
  large 
  reed-covered 
  island 
  in 
  mid-stream 
  

   no 
  fewer 
  than 
  three 
  Bitterns 
  were 
  flushed, 
  and 
  tw 
  T 
  o 
  of 
  tbem 
  hovered 
  over 
  

   and 
  around 
  the 
  dog 
  in 
  a 
  most 
  peculiar 
  manner, 
  and, 
  to 
  use 
  his 
  words, 
  

   "if 
  it 
  had 
  been 
  the 
  right 
  time 
  of 
  year, 
  I 
  should 
  have 
  thought 
  a 
  nest 
  or 
  

   young 
  were 
  near, 
  as 
  the 
  birds 
  seemed 
  to 
  take 
  very 
  little 
  notice 
  of 
  our 
  

   near 
  approach." 
  The 
  proprietor 
  of 
  the 
  estate 
  — 
  all 
  honour 
  to 
  him 
  — 
  had 
  

   given 
  orders 
  that 
  if 
  any 
  Bitterns 
  were 
  seen 
  they 
  were 
  not 
  to 
  be 
  molested, 
  

   and 
  the 
  birds 
  seem 
  to 
  have 
  taken 
  advantage 
  of 
  the 
  protection 
  afforded 
  

   them, 
  for 
  on 
  the 
  return 
  of 
  the 
  men 
  they 
  were 
  still 
  flying 
  around 
  the 
  

   spot 
  they 
  had 
  chosen. 
  Beside 
  the 
  species 
  already 
  enumerated, 
  the 
  

   Little 
  Grebe 
  (Podicipes 
  fluviatilis), 
  which 
  had 
  become 
  somewhat 
  scarce, 
  

   appeared 
  in 
  some 
  numbers, 
  and 
  their 
  sharp 
  little 
  note 
  was 
  frequently 
  

   heard 
  — 
  oftener, 
  indeed, 
  than 
  the 
  birds 
  were 
  seen. 
  — 
  G. 
  B. 
  Corbin 
  (Ring- 
  

   wood, 
  Hants). 
  

  

  Ornithological 
  Notes 
  from 
  Aberdeen 
  — 
  February 
  and 
  March. 
  — 
  Lap- 
  

   wings 
  [Vanellus 
  cristatus) 
  appeared 
  on 
  Feb. 
  24th, 
  while 
  the 
  Sky-Lark 
  

   (Alauiia 
  arvensis) 
  commenced 
  to 
  sing 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  date. 
  A 
  subsequent 
  

   abnormal 
  feature, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  very 
  stormy 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  weather, 
  was 
  

   the 
  presence 
  of 
  a 
  flock 
  of 
  Snowflakes 
  (Plectrophenax 
  nivalis) 
  ; 
  while 
  the 
  

   Great 
  Curlew 
  [Nummius 
  arquata) 
  was 
  seen 
  on 
  March 
  11th. 
  Tbe 
  Pied 
  

   Wagtail 
  (Motacilla 
  lugubris) 
  appeared 
  on 
  March 
  12th, 
  Starlings 
  (Sturnus 
  

   vulgaris) 
  on 
  March 
  12th, 
  and 
  the 
  Redshank 
  {Totanus 
  calidris) 
  was 
  heard 
  

   on 
  March 
  13th. 
  Grey 
  and 
  Yellow 
  Wagtail 
  {Motacilla 
  melanope) 
  on 
  

   March 
  20th, 
  two 
  being 
  in 
  company 
  ; 
  they 
  are 
  rather 
  before 
  their 
  usual 
  

   time, 
  and 
  probably 
  are 
  not 
  numerous 
  at 
  this 
  date. 
  Pied 
  Wagtails 
  are 
  

   common, 
  and 
  seem 
  abundant 
  this 
  season 
  here. 
  The 
  Green-billed 
  Gull 
  

   [Larus 
  canus) 
  made 
  its 
  appearance 
  inland 
  on 
  March 
  30th. 
  — 
  William 
  

   Wilson 
  (Alford, 
  Aberdeen, 
  N.B.). 
  

  

  Oviposition 
  in 
  Birds. 
  — 
  Some 
  few 
  weeks 
  back 
  I 
  purchased 
  Professor 
  

   Coues's 
  ' 
  Field 
  and 
  General 
  Ornithology,' 
  and 
  noticed 
  that 
  on 
  p. 
  330 
  

   the 
  distinguished 
  author 
  states 
  : 
  " 
  The 
  egg 
  traverses 
  the 
  passage 
  small 
  

  

  