BIRDS OF OXFORDSHIRE. 255 



seen about mid-day, wheeling over Bloxham, by a late friend of 

 mine. Another friend saw a Gull pass over the village, going 

 N.E., on the 10th. A Black-headed Gull was seen by Mr. 

 Lambert on Port Meadow on April 22nd and 23rd, 1890. 

 Many Common Gulls were obtained in March, 1890. Mr. Darbey 

 received upwards of a dozen for preservation from Radley, Lech- 

 lade, Wolvercote, Steeple Aston, &c. Some were in an exhausted 

 condition ; one was caught by a child, and another was picked up 

 dead. On the 22nd the recorder saw one flying over Port Meadow 

 (F.W.Lambert, in 'Oxford Times'). The Rev. W. Croke 

 Robinson, of Kensington, has kindly written me word that in the 

 early spring of (about) the year 1853,' when living in his father's 

 rectory at Stonesfield, he saw four or five large birds fly over the 

 bottom of the garden. One of them was shot by a labourer 

 named Townsend, who brought it to the Rectory. They had a 

 professional opinion upon it, and it turned out to be a Glaucous 

 Gull. I have no other record of this species in Oxfordshire, and 

 am glad to add it to the list of rare visitors to the county. 



Pomatorhine Skua. — An example, in immature dress, was 

 caught alive at Finmere at the end of December, 1890. 



Fork-tailed Petrel. — An example, which I have examined, 

 was picked up dead at Chadlington early in December, 1890. 



Storm Petrel. — Mr. Wyatt had a nice adult bird, now in 

 Mr. F. C. Aplin's possession, which was captured on the canal a 

 mile or two above Banbury, on Oct. 28th, 1889. One shot on 

 the Isis near Kennington Island on Oct. 17th 1890, by Mr. J. W. 

 Mountain, is recorded in the ' Oxford Times.' " H. J. B." 

 recorded in the ' Oxford Times' that on Nov. 23rd, 1890, he saw 

 a flock of seven or eight of these birds over the river Ray in 

 Otmoor, near Islip. I am acquainted with the recorder's name. 



Puffin. — A bird in its first autumn was caught alive at 

 Chipping Norton on Oct. 26th, 1889, and was seen by me some 

 time afterwards. 



Great Northern Diver.— A male in immature plumage was 

 shot in the Cherwell near North Aston Mill during severe frost 

 in 1864, by Mr. Foster Melliar, in whose possession it now is. 



Red-throated Diver. — An example, intermediate between 

 the immature and adult winter dress, was caught alive close to 

 Banbury on Dec. 11th, 1890. Through the kindness of its owner, 

 I was able to see it the same day. It took a sprat out of a basin 



