Ornithological Kotes. By George Bolam. 580 



Next day they had nearly all gone, in fact many of them were only seen 

 pnce ; and on a subsequent visit to the garden a few hours later could not 

 be found. 



On the 12th May 1 walked over a good part of Holy Island, and 

 found a great many small Warblers, &c. One most curious thing noticed 

 about the Spotted Flycatchers was, that when approached they did not, 

 as is usual, fly off to some projecting branch, but tried to escape observa- 

 tion as much as possible by getting amongst the thick branches in the 

 hedges, &c. ; indeed so strange were the movements of some of them that, 

 until I had satisfied myself to the contrary, I was inclined to think them 

 some large sort of Warbler; they more resembled in their " goings on" 

 Warblers than Flycatchers. In the autumn Corn-crakes were most un- 

 usually numerous, and remained, for some reason, much later with us than 

 usual. They were shot amongst Partridges by a great many people during 

 September, though as a rule it is very seldom indeed that they are seen at 

 this season. 



Woodcocks too were more than usually numerous in the autumn ; one 

 large " flight" landed about the end of October; and a good many were 

 killed in and near Berwick. 



The Cuckoo calling so late in autumn was also rather unusual. 



Berwick-on-Tweed, VI th February 1885. 



Ornithological Notes. By George Bolam. 



Squacco Heeon. Ardea comata, Pallas. 



On 28th May 1884 a specimen of this rare bird was shot at Howick, the 

 seat of Earl Grey in Northumberland, and is now in my possession. It 

 seems to be a young bird of the previous year, and is just acquiring the 

 adult summer plumage. 



Lord Grey's keeper informs me that he shot it near the lake at Howick 

 as he was returning home rather late in the evening. It flew past him 

 along the side of a plantation, and at first sight he thought it was an Owl, 

 which bird in flight it much resembled. It does not appear to have been 

 previously observed by anybody; and in all probability, therefore, had 

 not been long in the neighbourhood. 



Although the Squacco Heron has been obtained in England in something 

 like twenty different instances, it has not before been recorded from 

 Northumberland, nor so far as I am aware from any part of Scotland ; it 

 is therefore new to the district, and an interesting addition to our local 

 avifauna. 



Land-rail. Crex pratensis, Bechs. 



In the southern counties of England Land-rails are pretty generally 

 found up to the middle or end of September ; but with us they leave, as a 

 rule, nearly a month earlier ; and it is only as stragglers that they are 



