86 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



mentioned records show what a very rare visitor this Duck is to Ireland, 

 as rare as another American Duck, the Hooded Merganser, which has also 

 occurred only five times. — Robert Warren (Moy View, Ballina). 



[With reference to the Surf Scoter whose escape is so graphically 

 described above, Mr. Robert Warren has just informed the Editor that the 

 wounded bird of Dec. 19th was shot by his friend Mr. A. C. Kirkwood, of 

 Bartragh, in the Moyne Channel, near Killala, on Jan. 18th. We feel 

 equally pleased that the specimen has been secured, and that the sufferings 

 of the bird are at an end.] 



Landrail in Chester in December.— A Landrail, Crex pratensis, was 

 shot on the meadow-land bordering the estuary of the Dee on Dec. 23rd, 

 1896. It was a male bird in good plumage, but weighing only 5£ ounces. 

 Its failure to migrate in the autumn was probably explained by the fact that 

 one of the wing-bones (the radius) had evidently been fractured somewhat 

 receutly, though perfectly united at the time of death. The specimen has 

 been deposited in the Grosvenor Museum, where Mr. Newstead, the 

 curator, examined the stomach, and found it to contain woodlice, dipterous 

 grubs, and other animal matter, besides the usual quantity of small pebbles. 

 W. Henry Dobie (Chester). 



Rare Birds at Hastings.— On Dec. 5 th, 1896, a young female Gad wall, 

 Anas strepera, was shot at a swampy place called the Fleet, which is just 

 within the boundary of Kent where it joins Sussex ; weight, 2 lbs. £ oz. It 

 wsawith a young Pintail, which was also secured. Another almost identical 

 specimen was procured at Iden, near Rye, Sussex, on Boxing Day. On 

 Dec. 8th last a young male Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo, was shot in 

 the Alexandra Park, Hastings, at one of the reservoirs that supply the 

 town ; it weighed 6 lbs. 1 oz., and the gizzard contained a roach weighing 

 1 lb. It has been presented to the local museum. It had probably been 

 blown inland by the gale of the day before, as where it was found is about 

 a mile from the sea, aud in the centre of the town. — George W. Bradshaw 

 (Hastings). 



Capture of a Common Bittern in Darenth Wood, near Dartford.— 

 On the morning of Jan. 14th a Mr. Nettlingham, having occasion to go 

 about some wood which had been cut, noticed what he at first thought 

 was a hen Pheasant. Closer observation, however, proved that this was not 

 the case. The bird was sitting with drooping wings, neck and head laid 

 along the back, and with the beak pointing straight upwards. Arming 

 himself with a few stones he approached the bird and knocked it down at 

 once. I saw it alive the same evening, but it died the next morning, and 

 is now being preserved by Mr. Davis, of Dartford. This is the second 

 specimen of the species I have seen, and the third I have heard of as 





