NOTES AND QUERIES. 101 



life " (Sussex Archseol. Coll. xvii. p. 122). — W. Rusktn Butterfield 

 (St. Leonards-on-Sea). 



Red-throated Pipit in Sussex,— I have lately added to my collection 

 an adult male example of the Red-throated Pipit, Atithns cervi?ius, which 

 I procured through Mr. Bristow, of St. Leonards, near which place it was 

 shot on Nov. 13th last. As Dr. Bowdler Sharpe, in his recently published 

 volume on the Birds of Great Britain in Allen's ' Naturalists' Library,' 

 discards the doubtful specimen from Unst in the collection of the late 

 Frederick Bond, the present specimen may be regarded as the third 

 authentic instance on record for. Great Britain. As this is a bird which, 

 in its winter dress, might be easily passed over as a Meadow Pipit, Anthus 

 pratensis, it may be of interest to point out its distinguishing characters. 

 It is much paler in colour than pratensis. There is a well-defined pale 

 streak over the eye ; the wing-coverts are broadly margined with pale buff, 

 which forms two bars; the outer tail-feathers are conspicuously white; the 

 dark markings to the centre of the feathers on the back are very bold, and 

 the legs and toes dirty white. A bird which has been mounted since 

 November last might when quite fresh have had the legs tinged with 

 flesh-colour. Looked at separately, it resembles A. pratensis, but placed 

 among a few of these birds its distinguishing features are readily observable. 

 Indeed I feel sure that, in the field, I could single out one among a flock of 

 A. pratensis without the aid of a field-glass. This specimen has been 

 inspected by Prof. Newton and Dr. Bowdler Sharpe, who are both satisfied 

 as to its correct identification. I may here state that, during my recent 

 visit to the west coast of Ireland, I shot on Achill Island a specimen of 

 A. pratensis with a distinctly rufous throat. It was a male and in rather 

 worn plumage. All the Meadow Pipits I saw there struck me as being 

 rather paler in general coloration than those I am accustomed to see in my 

 own neighbourhood. — F. Coburn (7, Holloway Head, Birmingham). 



Eider Duck in Gloucestershire. — It may perhaps be worthy of record 

 that on Feb. 12th two Eider-ducks, both males in perfect plumage, were 

 shot on the small reservoir at Witcombe, which lies in a hollow below the 

 Cotswolds, about five miles S.E. of Gloucester. The condition of their 

 feet and feathers is strong evidence that they had not escaped from confine- 

 ment, their crops also contained nothing but a few small sea-shells. 

 Probably their presence at such a considerable distance from the sea is to 

 be accounted for by their having travelled northwards up the Severn 

 estuary, and thus become bewildered when they found themselves losing 

 touch of the sea; but their occurrence at all so far south in a winter so 

 singularly mild seems remarkable. The birds are now being preserved 

 by Mr. White, of this town, and will be placed in the Cheltenham 

 College Museum.— Francis J. Cade (Thirlestaine Villa, Cheltenham). 



