MOTES AND QUERIES. 153 



Lesser Kestrel at Scilly. — A male specimen of this falcon, Falco 

 cenchris, was shot during the first week in March on the island of Tresco, 

 Scilly, and was forwarded for preservation to Mr. Burton, of Wardour Street, 

 London. — J. H. Jenkinson (Ocklye, Crowborough, Tunbridge Wells). 



[We have seen this bird, and it is a very good specimen of an 

 adult male. The Lesser Kestrel is not recognised as a British species 

 in the latest edition of " Yarrell," but will be found described and figured 

 by Mr. Howard Saunders in his ' Illustrated Manual of British Birds, ' 

 wherein it is stated that two examples were already known to have occurred 

 in England ; one in Yorkshire, in Nov. 1867 ; the second near Dover in 

 May, 1877. This number is now doubled by the accession of the two 

 specimens here recorded from Ireland and Scilly. — Ed.] 



Lines of Migration. — A propos of the suggested line of migration from 

 the Wash to the Severn, it may be of interest to note the frequent passage 

 of Sea Gulls across Warwickshire from east to west, and vice versa. My 

 notes have been taken from a point six miles north of Warwick, and again 

 from a point on the borders of Warwickshire and Staffordshire, and in both 

 places I have observed for many years the passage of small flocks of Gulls. 

 My notes unfortunately only record a few of the flocks I have seen, and 

 these were chiefly seen in April, I find, and were all, with one exception, 

 going in an easterly direction. I have frequently seen them going in an 

 opposite direction, but I have no dates. They appear to be all of the same 

 species (Kittiwakes ?) ; but once I saw what appeared to be a large Black- 

 backed Gull soaring up in circles at a great height, and finally going away 

 in a north-easterly direction, in a strong east wind. This was also in April. 

 — Douglas Brodie (Wellesley Grove, Croydon). 



[We have received another communication on this subject from 

 Mr. F. B. Whitlock, which stands over for want of space. — Ed.] 



Smews in Bucks and Oxon. — A young female Smew, Mergus albellus, 

 was brought to me to identify, by a fisherman, from whom I purchased 

 it, on January 12th. He reported that he had shot it that morning near 

 the river just below Marlow, close to the Brewery sewage-ground, and that 

 it had been solitary. Wing, 6£ inches. The only other instance of this 

 species in this county that has come to my notice was an adult male, said 

 to have been shot on, or close to, the river, about half a mile below here, 

 opposite Stonehouse (and therefore a Buckinghamshire specimen), in 

 January, 1876, which was likewise brought to me to identify. A few days 

 after obtaining the above specimen I received a message, asking me to call 

 at a local birdstuffer's to identify some birds, which proved to be likewise 

 Smews — an adult and young drake. These were shot at Sonuing 

 (Oxfordshire), by Mr. J. L. Hill, son of the Rev. W. Hill, of Medmenham, 

 who wrote me word that four birds came over his son, who secured these 



ZOOLOGIST,— APRIL, 1891. N 



