OBSERVATIONS ON BIRDS IN MID-WALES. 221 



streams as the Dee, "Weaver, Gowy, Bollin, and Dane, and in 

 many of the meres. An adult female was killed by an express 

 train near Balderston, Chester, on Feb. 24th, 1894 (R. Newstead, 

 in lit). In February, 1886, an unusually large Otter, weighing 

 30 lbs. and measuring 48j in., was killed in the Weaver at Wren- 

 bury (F. V. Starkey, * Field/ Feb. 20th, 1886). 



Family Phocid^e. 



Halichcerus gryphus (Fab.) ; Grey Seal. — There is a specimen 

 of this Seal in the Brown Museum, Liverpool, which was 

 captured in the Canada Dock in the winter of 1860-61 (T. J. 

 Moore, * Report ii., Liverpool Marine Biology Committee,' p. 136). 



Phoca vitulina, L. ; Common Seal. — Byerley states that the 

 Common Seal has occasionally been captured in the Dee and 

 Mersey. Moore never had an opportunity of examining a local 

 specimen, and does not include it in his list of the Seals and 

 Whales of Liverpool Bay; but the majority of the Seals which 

 have been observed in the district from time to time, probably 

 belong to this species. There is a specimen in the Warrington 

 Museum that was shot by William Mather at the mouth of the 

 Gowy (Charles Madeley, in lit.). The stuffed skin of another 

 specimen, which frequented one of the sandbanks near Hilbre 

 Island for some time during the winter of 1893-94, is preserved 

 in a fishmonger's shop in Liverpool (Dr. Herdman, in lit.), 



Cystophora cristata (Erxl.); Hooded Seal. — A Hooded Seal 

 was captured on the Mersey shore, at Frodsham, on Feb. 3rd, 

 1873, and was exhibited alive in Widnes. It is now preserved in 

 the Brown Museum, Liverpool (T. J. Moore, loc. cit. f p. 137). 



(To be continued.) 



OBSERVATIONS ON BIRDS IN MID-WALES. 



By J. H. Salter. 



(Continued from p. 184.) 



LlMICOLiE. 



Curlew, Numenius arquata, A few upon the coast and many 

 in the Dovey through the winter. Often noisy after dark in 

 March, when they are probably passing inland to the hills. By 

 the end of that month they have reached their breeding quarters, 

 and are scattered rather locally over the hills, preferring bog- 



