NOTES AND QUERIES. 21 



Birds of Devonshire. — We are informed that a book with this title, by 

 Mr. W. E. H. Pidsley, of Blue Hayes House, Broadclyst, is in the press, 

 and will be ready for issue to subscribers early in the spring. 



Notes from Scarborough. — This part of the Yorkshire coast has been 

 visited by many birds of interest, some in greater numbers than usual, 

 during the autumnal migration and the first few days of December. In 

 the early part of October a Peregrine Falcon and a Buffon's Skua were shot 

 on Scalbyness the same day, both mature birds, the Skua retaining the long 

 tail-feathers. On Oct. 3rd a Great Skua, two Pomatorhine, and a Fulmar 

 were taken out at sea. The remark in Yarrell's • British Birds' that the 

 Great Skua is " well known to the Yorkshire fishermen," is, I think, a 

 mistake, as the term " Morrel Hen," which in their vernacular I take to 

 mean Merle Hen, is applied to all the Skuas without distinction. The 

 Pomatorhine Skua, Great Black-backed, and Glaucous Gulls have been 

 common, some of the two last-named in mature plumage. Little Gulls 

 have been obtained in some numbers, but out of the many only one in 

 winter dress was adult. It was sent from Flamborough Nov. 30tb. A 

 Spotted Crake, captured at Flotmanby, Oct. 16th. Four Great Grey 

 Shrikes were seen in October ; one taken on board a smack, and two shot. 

 On Oct. 24th a cinnamon-coloured Chaffinch was shot near here. [There 

 is a similar variety of the Chaffinch in the collection of the late Mr. F # 

 Bond.— Ed.] On Oct. 28th a Sooty Shearwater was obtained at Flam- 

 borough, and another near Scarborough about the same time. A birdstuffer 

 named Benson showed me a Leach's Petrel he had received from Filey on 

 Nov. 3rd. A fisherman brought two Fulmars and a Great Shearwater that 

 had been taken on hooks to Mr. W. J. Clarke on Dec. 4th ; this Shearwater 

 appears to be rare on the Yorkshire coast, and this is the only specimen I 

 have seen during my long residence at Scarborough. Numbers of Ked- 

 throated Divers were on the coast about the end of November, and a 

 Sclavonian Grebe was obtained on Dec. 5th. I believe the occurrence of 

 the Red-breasted Flycatcher, Muscicapa parva, has been recorded already 

 by Mr. Gurney, who determined the species.— Robert P. Harper (38, 

 Esplanade, Scarborough). 



Late Stay of the Turtle Dove.— On Dec. 10th I found, in the 

 Metropolitan Market, a Turtle Dove among a number of Fieldfares and 

 Missel Thrushes, which were said to have come from Norfolk. It was 

 apparently a bird of the year, and probably one of a late brood, for there 

 were no black and white feathers on the sides of the neck, nor were the 

 centres of any of the wing-coverts dark. The breast, however, showed the 

 vinous tint, and the feet were redder than is usually the case in young 

 birds. The bird was freshly killed, but was moulting, and unfit for preser- 

 vation.— Arthur H. Macpherson (51, Gloucester Place, Hyde Park, W.) 



