Notes and queries. 105 



upon the coast for ten miles in either direction. On June 6th, the Cor- 

 morants' nests on the Bird Rock, near Towyn, contained well-fledged 

 young ones. On the 8th I visited an inland nesting-place of the Lesser 

 Black-backed Gull, upon a bog some twenty miles from the sea. The bog 

 being preserved for game, this colony has been much persecuted, and hence 

 — as well as newly-hatched young — we found plenty of fresh eggs. One 

 nest contained four, an exceptional number. I noticed a Ring-tail (female 

 Hen Harrier) beating over the marsh in search of a brood of Teal ; she was 

 doubtless foraging for her young ones. On June 27th, skirting the Dovey 

 estuary, I saw, from the train, two broods of young Sheldrakes within a few 

 yards of the line. On the 9th I found a small colony of Lesser Terns, 

 about seven pairs, breeding within a few miles of Barmouth. On Jan. 6th, 

 1893, there was a great rush of birds southwards along the coast, as always 

 after the first decided snowfall of the winter. I found by experience that, 

 for some hours, a minute never elapsed without a flock passing. Nine- 

 tenths of the migrants were Sky Larks and Starlings ; but Redwings, 

 Chaffinches, Yellowhammers, and Linnets all contributed their quota, 

 while several times I recognized the Snow Bunting by its note. A Pere- 

 grine was seemingly on the look-out for passing Curlew. There were 

 Bramblings in every stack-yard, and I made out a single Wood Lark, as I 

 also did, under precisely similar conditions, on Jan. 10th last year. On 

 the 9th there were scores of Sheldrakes and two parties of Brent Geese in 

 the Dovey estuary. — J. H. Salter (University College, Aberystwith). 



Purple Gallinule in Norfolk. —Mr. Everard's keeper shot one of these 

 birds at Stone Ferry, near Market Down ham, in November last. The 

 plumage was in a perfect state, and the bird was to all appearances a 

 genuine wild one. I know many will say that such birds are kept for 

 ornament, and are escaped specimens ; but birds of this kind, being 

 expensive, are usually pinioned, and as I fancy they have not bred in 

 confinement (at least I have never heard of their doing so), this to me is a 

 great deal in favour of their being genuine wild birds. The place where the 

 one referred to was shot is just the one a strange bird would choose to pitch 

 into, there being over a thousand acres of swamp, and the covert is thick and 

 high. — J. Whitaker (Rainworth, Notts). [Query, species. — Ed.] 



Purple Gallinule in Sussex. — On the 5th August last Mr. Sandeman's 

 coachman brought a specimen of this Waterhen to Richardson, the bird- 

 stuffer at Horsham, to be preserved. He had shot it at Westbrooke, near 

 Warnham (which is only a short distance from Horsham), the previous day. 

 The plumage was in perfect order, and the bird, to all appearance, a purely 

 wild one. — J. Whitaker (Rainworth, Notts). [Query, species. — Ed.] 



Garganey in Holderness. — Mr. Slater is probably correct as to the 

 date of the Garganey being Sept. 2nd, and not the 19th (p. 73). The two 

 dates have undoubted reference to one and the same bird, oue only I find 



