Birds. 877 



which would induce me to believe that it is only when over the sea that they do so. 

 Mr. Norton, the coachman of the Cambridge and Bury St. Edmund's coach, on Mon- 

 day the 16lh of last month, was driving out of Bury rather late, and when about a 

 mile from Kentford, at about half past 4 o'clock, saw a flight of these birds cross the 

 road. He did not see them till they were above the road, and then they were flying 

 low, some of them not two yards from his horses' heads. Directly they were over the 

 road they sank again, and were hidden by the hedges. He had no doubt what birds 

 they were, as, although it was dusk, he could see their bills as they flew. There were 

 twenty or thirty of them. — Henry T. Frere ; Corpus Christi College, January 3, 1845. 



Occurrence of the Spotted Redshank at Elden. About eight years ago, in the au- 

 tumn, a specimen of the spotted redshank (Totanus fuscus) was shot at Elden. The 

 bird was preserved, but at the request of J. D. Salmon, Esq., then resident in Thet- 

 ford, it was presented to the Norwich Museum, where I believe it still is. — A. New- 

 ton; Stitchworth, Nov. 11, 1844. 



Moorherts power of keeping its body under water. The following anecdote, show- 

 ing the method by which the water-hen is enabled to remain so great a length of time 

 under water, may interest the readers of ' The Zoologist.' Some years ago I was out 

 exercising a young dog; and on coming up to a small pool of water, I perceived, by 

 the ripples on the face of it, that some animal had just disturbed it, and I stood at 

 the edge to see what it had been, knowing that if anything had dived, it must shortly 

 reappear at the surface. In a few seconds, a water-hen came to the top, and immedi- 

 ately dived again. It seemed, in going down, to take a direction towards the mouth 

 of the pool, and, thinking that, as the water was perfectly clear, I might have a chance 

 to see it in its progress, I ran to that end. However, it was there before me; for on 

 approaching the edge, I observed it at the bottom, anchored in the mud, into which it 

 had thrust its head almost up to the wings. The water was not very deep, so I took 

 off my coat, and, stooping down, I thrust my arm into the water and seized it by the 

 legs. I brought it up quite uninjured, and took it home and put it into my ponds. — 

 Thomas Gee ;* Beechwood, Mitcheldean, Nov. 20, 1844. 



Corrections of the Rev. J. C. Atkinson's Paper on the Moorhen, (Zool. 756). At 

 page 756, line 22, instead of — 



" I say nothing about beak or head" 

 it should have been — 



" I say nothing about ' beak or head,' " — 

 the words " beak or head " being part of a quotation from the paper by W. H. S., 

 (Zool. 667), with the or italicised. Again, at page 760, line 20, instead of — 



" or adverting to this stratagem," 

 it should be — 



" or adverting to the stratagems." 

 J. C. Atkinson ; 19, George St., Hanover Square, November 16, 1844. 



Further Notes on Moorhens. On the 31st of January last, I had again the most 

 perfect and ample opportunity of observing a moorhen while partially submerged. 

 The bird was within three yards of me, hemmed in by the ice in a small space of open 

 clear water, about 2 feet deep, and surrounded with flags. After diving on my ap- 

 proach, it reappeared with its head and neck only above the water, and so remained 



* Communicated by Edward Pritchard, Esq., of Ross. 



