OBSERVATIONS AND QUERIES. 163 



my position above her I am afforded a full view of her — 

 stout white head, short white tail, brown body, black 

 primaries — and as I watch her flying, with slow wide swoop 

 of her mighty wings, I deem her a rough and rugged bird. 

 She has left her home but a little way, when she is followed by 

 a Seagull, and another, and another. Her hugeness now is 

 apparent by contrast. "With measured beat she flies back 

 and forward in front of her home, unheeding the Herring- 

 gulls that noisily swoop upon her in turn, and uttering her 

 short cry several times. At length she conies landwards, 

 sailing in for the cliffs, and as she passes in front of them 

 her very ruggedness is beautiful. Deserted now by her 

 screaming attendants, she flies along a gulley and disappears. 



I varied my standpoint to judge of the eyrie as fairly 

 as possible, but I could not see the contents. The ledge she 

 left was well adapted as a perch for such a bird, and behind 

 the masses of sea- pink a nestling Eagle might easily have 

 been resting unseen in the depression. I lingered by the cliff- 

 head in indescribable delight at having attained my long 

 desired object, and then rambled off to raise the bird a second 

 time. I had meanwhile, however, to be content with what 

 I had seen of her, and a fortnight elapsed before I fell in 

 with another Erne. 



46, Cumberland Street, Edinburgh. 



OBSERVATIONS AND QUERIES. 



Broad-billed Sandpiper in Kent. — An immature female of the Broad- 

 billed Sandpiper (Limicola platyrhyncha) was obtained, on September 6th, 

 between Littlestone-on-Sea and Dungeness. It was sent for preservation 

 to Mr. Bristow, of St. Leonards, who kindly permitted me to examine the 

 specimen in the flesh. — L. A. Curtis Edwards (31, Magdalen Road, St. 

 Leonards-on-Sea). 



White Sand Martin. — -A bird of this species was Bhot near Blackwell 

 on August 27th, 1896. It was seen flying near the River Caldew for nearly 

 three weeks, and was shot by a farmer when resting on the telegraph wires. 

 — T. L. Johnston (35, Lome Street, Carlisle). 



