2148 Birds. 



pleasure in reporting that it strongly resembles three eggs in the collection of Mr. J. 

 Smith, of this place, which have been long believed by him and me to be the eggs of 

 this bird. These eggs were taken some years since in the Norfolk marshes. The fer- 

 ruginous spots are less bright in them than in the egg of Mr. Milner as represented in 

 the drawing, and the ground colour is almost precisely similar. Mr. Smith's eggs are, 

 however, somewhat different in form from Mr. Milner's ; being much less elongated. 

 I was at first inclined to believe that the very elongated form of Mr. Milner's egg 

 might be the consequence of its removal from the bird before it was perfectly formed ; 

 it has, however, been suggested to me that this is the shape of the egg of a very 

 nearly allied species, — the black-tailed god wit. It seems hardly probable that the 

 eggs should vary so much in form ; but I am not aware of any other species to which 

 Mr. Smith's eggs can be referred. — William R. Fisher ; Great Yarmouth, April 

 Uth, 1848. 



Nest of the Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola). — "A few days ago a woodcock's nest, 

 with four eggs in, was discovered in Waterperry Wood, near Oxford, belonging to J. 

 W. Henly, Esq., M.P., by a gentleman residing at Wheatley ; the nest was built in a 

 bank, and composed chiefly of dry moss. The old bird was sitting on the eggs when 

 the nest was found." Two other instances of the woodcock's nesting in Oxfordshire 

 have come to my knowledge ; one occurred at Ditchley, and the other on the Ensham 

 Hall estate : in both of which cases the young birds were shown to me. — T. Goatley; 

 Chipping Norton, April 10th, 1848. 



Woodcock's (Scolopax rusticola) breeding in Norfolk. — About the middle of last 

 month (April) a woodcock's nest, with four eggs, was found at Riddlesworth, near 

 Harling, by a man cutting reeds. The old bird being put off, did not return, and the 

 eggs, after having been left a few days on trial, were taken. They are much darker 

 in colour than the one figured in ' Hewitson's Illustrations,' and consequently ap- 

 proach more nearly those of the common snipe. I was told that on blowing them 

 they seemed to have been set upon about a week. I half think that something more 

 was done than merely "flushing " the bird, as this account of the woodcock's forsak- 

 ing her nest does not at all agree with the common story of this bird's attachment to 

 her eggs. — Alfred Newton ; Elveden, May 1st, 1848. 



Occurrence of the Little Crake (Crex pusilla) at Seaford. — A specimen of this very 

 rare bird was picked up in an exhausted state at the above place a few days ago. — 

 James B. Ellman ; Battel, March Wth, 1848. 



Occurrence of the Hooper or Wild Sivan (Cygnus ferus) on the Tay. — It may be 

 interesting to the readers of the * Zoologist ' to know that a flock of wild swans was 

 observed over the river Tay, opposite to Dundee, during the past winter. I did not 

 myself have the pleasure of seeing the flock ; but have my information from a source 

 on which every reliance can be placed. — George Lawson ; 212, Per throad, Dundee, 

 April 8th, 1848. 



Occurrence of the Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) at Battel. — A fine spe- 

 cimen of this bird was shot at the Powder Mills last week. It is in the possession of 

 Mr. Laurence. Two other specimens have been shot in this immediate neighbour- 

 hood, and are in the possession of Mr. James Watt. — J. B. Ellman ; Battel, March 

 16th, 1848. 



Egg of the Ringed Guillemot (Uria lacrymans). — May I be permitted to make a 

 short remark upon a passage in Mr. Milner's amusing account of the birds of the 

 Outer Hebrides (Zool. 2054). In mentioning the capture of an egg of the ringed 



