234 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Dec. 9th, 1895, and is in the possession of Mr. A. B. Percival, of Somerset 

 Court. On Oct. 11th, 1893, a Sabine's Gull, Xema sabinih, in immature 

 dress, was killed between Burnham and Steart Island, and is now in the 

 collection of Sir 0. Mosley, of Rolleston Hall, near Derby. — H. S. B. 

 Goldsmith (King Square, Bridgwater). 



Notes from Hastings. — We have had the usual spring visits of 

 Hoopoes in this neighbourhood. So far as I have been able to ascertain, 

 some half-dozen were here during parts of April and May. I had hopes 

 that a pair or two would remain to breed, but I fear the birds that escaped 

 the gunners have left us. A year seldom passes without bringing a few 

 Hoopoes to our shore, and Mr. Howard Saunders tells of six being shot in 

 one week by the Earl of Ashburn ham's head-keeper. Since writing a note 

 on the Hawfinch in 'The Zoologist' of last year (p. 27*2) I have heard of 

 several nests of this species in the neighbourhood. Stock Doves appear 

 to have quite forsaken the cliffs to the east of Hastings, where in 1879 

 Mr. J. H. Gurney frequently saw these birds, and thinks three or four pairs 

 nested between the glens of Ecclesbourne and Fairlight. Mr. Borrer is of 

 opinion that the species has of late years increased in this county. During 

 the latter part of April very large numbers of migrating birds passed along 

 the coast, and several times I heard the clamorous multitudes passing over 

 the town late at night. In the early spring I paid daily attention to the 

 migratory movements of the Pied Wagtail, and I was fortunate enough to 

 see parties of birds arrive on many occasions during March and the early 

 part of April. The birds usually reach the shore just after daybreak in the 

 manner described by the late A. E. Knox, in his excellent and well-known 

 account of the movements of this species (Orn. Rambles, letter vii.). Mr. 

 Knox says that the birds remain in the neighbourhood of the coast for a few 

 days after their arrival, and then proceed inland in a northerly direction. 

 This is opposed to my own experience, for I have found that the birds 

 disperse landwards shortly after alighting on the shore, and this I find is 

 Mr. Borrer's experience. The late Mr. E. T. Booth expresses a conviction 

 in the first volume of his ' Rough Notes,' that the White Wagtail appears 

 on the Sussex coast later than the commoner species, and Mr. Borrer does 

 not mention an earlier appearance than April 6th. I saw on the morning 

 of March 24th three birds which I took to be examples of the White 

 Wagtail, and I had a good opportunity of contrasting them with some of 

 the commoner species whom they had probably accompanied across the 

 Channel. I have seen no indication whatever of the West-to-East move- 

 ment in species mentioned by Mr. Booth, and I am inclined to think 

 this author was confounding spring with autumn when such movements 

 do occur. — W. Ruskin Butterfield (St. Leonards-on-Sea). 



