396 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



had little fear of the fishermen immediately below, occasionally being 

 mobbed by a few Swallows, to whom it paid but little heed. On August 

 30th Mr. Oldham and I spent nearly two hours watching its movements 

 until it took up its usual position for the night on the above-named stump, 

 which stood some hundred yards from the side of the pool. On August 

 22nd Mr. Oldham paid the pool another visit, and, taking advantage of 

 a pleasure steamer, passed within a few feet of the post on which the bird 

 was resting. Altogether it made a stay of at least eleven days with us. — 

 J. S. Elliott (Dixon's Green, Dudley). 



Black Stork in Middlesex.— An adult male Black Stork, Ciconia 

 nigra, was shot at Northolt, near Harrow-on-the-Hill, on the 25th July last. 

 It had been seen about for six weeks — so it was said by the man who 

 shot it — and was said to have been killing and eating young chickens. It 

 was very shy, and when approached would fly to the top of a haystack, 

 where it generally roosted, and where it was eventually shot. It showed 

 no traces of captivity, but that, of course, does not prove that it had not 

 escaped from confinement. I enquired of Messrs. Bailey, in Mount Street, 

 but learnt that no such bird had been lost from their aviaries. On 

 examination, it appeared that it was moulting the third and sixth primaries. 

 It measured in length 3 ft. 4i in.; expanse of wing, 5 ft. 11 in. ; wing, 

 1 ft. 9 in., and is now in the hands of Mr. J. R. Goshawk, of Harrow, for 

 preservation. It is to be regretted that such rare feathered visitors should 

 not be allowed to remain unmolested and receive that encouragement and 

 protection which is afforded to the White Stork in Holland and Germany. — 

 R. Meinertzhagen (Harrow-on-the-Hill). 



Lesser Redpoll nesting in Dorsetshire. — It may interest readers 

 to know that a pair of Lesser Redpolls, Linota rufescens, have nested in a 

 prune tree in the garden here this year. The young birds are fledged. 

 I have one egg which was left in the nest, and consider it a valuable 

 addition to my collection. Surely its nest in Dorsetshire must be a rare 

 occurrence. — A. J. Bengough (Upton, Poole). 



[Mr. Mansel Pleydell, in his ■ Birds of Dorsetshire,' states that this 

 bird occasionally breeds in Dorset, and mentions a nest with eggs found at 

 Thorncombe, Blandford. — Ed.] 



Baillon's Crake in Dorsetshire. — On June 1st a specimen of this 

 rare bird was captured in the stable of Mr. Hardy's builders' yard at 

 Swanage, within a hundred yards of the sea, and was given to me to have 

 preserved. I have received a letter from Mr. Hart, of Cliristchurch, who 

 has seen the bird, and he authorises me to say that it is undoubtedly 

 Baillon's Crake. The characters which distinguish it from the Little 

 Crake are its smaller size (scarcely seven inches in length), its olive legs 

 and feet, and the white outer web of the first primary. It is somewhat 



