30 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Buffon's Skua in West Suffolk. — An immature Buffon's Skua was 

 found dead about the middle of November, near Newmarket, on the Suffolk 

 side of the town. It was " very far gone " when picked up, but Mr, 

 Howlett, to whom it was taken, just managed to mount it and make it into 

 a presentable specimen. This bird is only the second of the species known 

 to have occurred in Suffolk. — Julian G. Tuck (Tostock Rectory, near 

 Bury St. Edmunds). [This apparently is the bird above noticed by Messrs. 

 Pratt and Son. — Ed.] 



Nidification of the Bar-tailed Godwit.— So few authenticated eggs of 

 Limosa lapponica have been received in this country that I was glad to 

 obtain lately, from a reliable Swedish correspondent, two clutches of four 

 eggs each, especially as they were accompanied by some interesting parti- 

 culars respecting their discovery. It appears that three years ago a Finnish 

 friend of his heard from the natives that this bird was found sparingly, 

 during the breeding season, on a certain very extensive moor near Kittila ; 

 and after several days' search he succeeded in finding one nest. The 

 female bird sat so closely that she did not rise until nearly trodden on, the 

 male meanwhile flying in wide circles round the nest, and drawing nearer 

 as the intruder approached it. Thus ample opportunity was given for 

 identifying both parent birds. Last summer several nests were found, 

 containing, I understand, sixteen eggs in all ; two with four eggs, one 

 with two, and two with one egg each. The two with four eggs having 

 come into my possession, I am able to some extent to differentiate them 

 from those of Limosa melanura. They are on an average of larger size, 

 though possibly, when more specimens come to hand, this difference may 

 not be found constant. I can only state now that those I have received 

 are as large as the largest eggs of the Black-tailed Godwit I possessed, and 

 more uniform in size and shape. They are different in texture, and mere 

 glossy than eggs of their congener — indeed are altogether handsomer eggs, 

 and more like those of the Whimbrel, Numenius phmopus. Although 

 larger than those of the Black-tailed Godwit, they are decidedly of less 

 weight. I tested them against a score of the others ; but although some 

 of the latter were much smaller specimens, yet in every instance those of 

 the Bar-tailed Godwit were considerably the lightest. I conclude, there- 

 fore, that the eggs I have now received may with confidence be regarded 

 as correctly identified, especially as I am informed that the Black-tailed 

 Godwit is only known to breed in Scandinavia on the island of Oland, in 

 the extreme south, and some 800 miles from Kittila. I may add, in anti- 

 cipation of enquiries, that the eggs in question have already been disposed 

 of. — 11. W. Marsden (21, New Bond Street, Bath). 



Songs of Birds reared from the Nest. — Mr. Charles A. Witchell 

 (' Zoologist,' 1891, pp. 1598-9) says that he •« shall be glad to receive notes 



