NOTES ANP QUERIES. 229 



Magpie by a casual observer. Last spring, during the annual rook-shooting 

 season, a couple of pied " branchers " were killed, and were mounted by the 

 city taxidermist ; and lately I have noticed a pied Daw. — James Sutton 

 (Durham). 



Bitterns in South-Western Hampshire. — During last winter an 

 unusual number of Bitterns were killed in the valley of the Avon, between 

 Fordiugbridge and Christchurch. I know of some eight or nine occurrences, 

 and I heard of two or three others about which some doubt existed, and 

 I extremely regret to say that more than one of the specimens were killed 

 just for the mere act of slaughter, and were never preserved. It does seem 

 sad that this grand species should be so ruthlessly murdered, but I suppose 

 the fact of a large bird rising out of the reeds, and offering such a ready 

 mark to the gunner, is a temptation that few could resist, for with many, 

 I fear, the idea of " sport" is degraded into a desire to kill ; and I am told 

 that in many instances the Bittern seems to lack the wariness of its relation, 

 the Heron, and that when roused, it usually rises in a somewhat lazy 

 fashion, and often settles again at no great distance, and the following 

 incident will prove that it will remain undisturbed sometimes in the midst 

 of danger : — About the beginning of February a portion of the river, which 

 is strictly preserved for water-fowl, was being shot over, guns being 

 placed on both banks of the stream, which was rather wide, with a 

 reed-covered island in its midst. There had been some considerable 

 firing, and all the Wild Duck, &c, had taken wing, but it was deemed 

 expedient to examine the island for " cripples," &c, when — to the astonish- 

 ment of those who made the search — a Bittern rose from the coarse 

 herbage, and, of course, met its fate. There it had remained through the 

 whole of the fusilade, and doubtless would have continued in its retreat if 

 no one had landed on the island. During the past sixteen or seventeen 

 years I have seen a good number of specimens, and noted that the plumage 

 differed considerably in particular individuals — attributable, no doubt, to 

 age or sex. Such was the case with those of the past winter; the plumage 

 of one — which I conjectured was a female — was as if the markings had 

 been washed out, whilst another had the markings bright and well defined. 

 The line of migration with the Bittern, as with other birds, is regulated, 

 I suppose, by the severity or otherwise of the season, for during the severe 

 winter of 1890-91 I did not hear of a single specimen in this neighbour- 

 hood ; yet a winter seldom passes but I hear of one or more specimens in 

 this locality or in the forest — indeed the one figured in " Yarrell " is from 

 a New Forest bird. — G. B. Cokbin (Ringwood, Hants). 



Woodchat and Bittern in Sussex.— I have to record the capture in 



this county of that extremely rare bird the Woodchat Shrike, Lanius 

 auriculatus. The bird was shot at Fairlight, near Hastings, during the 



