330 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



instant. At intervals of a few minutes it returned to rest on a small bank 

 of pebbles a few yards from the shore, from which it had taken flight on 

 our approach. — Chas. Oldham (Sale). 



Black Terns in Warwickshire.— During the afternoon of May 16th 

 two Black Terns, Hydrochelidon nigra, were seen over Bracebridge Pool, 

 Sutton Coldfield, and in the evening I found them again at Powell's Pool, 

 in company with some hundreds of Sand Martins, hawking flies over the 

 water. By their graceful movements and activity they seem in this 

 pursuit as equally adept as the latter. They had disappeared the following 

 morning. This makes the fourth recorded occurrence of this bird on these 

 pools. — J. Steele Elliott (Dixon's Green, Dudley). 



Occurrence of a rare Plover, Charadrius dominicus, on the Kiver 

 Thames. — On August 6th, 1896, I shot a small Golden Plover off 

 Shell Haven Point, opposite Hole Haven (River Thames), which I sent at 

 once for preservation to Mr. Cook, taxidermist, of 31, Lower Road, Rother- 

 hithe. I recently took it to the British Museum (South Kensington), where 

 it was instantly identified as the Asiatic species, Charadrius dominicus. As 

 this bird is, I believe, of very rare occurrence in this country, I thought the 

 record might prove of interest to your readers. It can be seen at any time 

 at my address, and I shall be happy to afford any of your readers further 

 information as to where and how it was shot. I may add in corroboration 

 that a friend, Mr. Herrtage, of the firm of Smith and Herrtage, 22, New 

 North Road, City Road, was with me when I shot the bird, and he got out 

 of the punt and picked it up. — H. Nunn (5, Spurrow Corner, Minories). 



Memory for Locality in a Nightjar. — During the summer of 1894 

 I more than once flushed a cock Nightjar from a certain rock among some 

 gorse on a hill about nine miles from here. One day, with the hope of 

 seeing the bird before it flew, I approached cautiously, and was rewarded 

 by seeing it squatting on the rock, and at a distance of only a few yards. The 

 bird's plumage harmonized so well with the rock that it was not only diffi- 

 cult to see at first, but also required a good deal of directing to show it to 

 friends I had with me. This is now the fourth summer in which the 

 Nightjar has regularly occupied the same spot during the daytime, for I 

 found it there as usual on June 12th. I feel sure it must be the same bird, 

 for it is always in exactly the same place ; and I take friends with full con- 

 fidence that it will be there. — Herbert C. Playne (Clifton College). 



Blackbird stealing Eggs. — While sitting by the side of one of the 

 numerous small streams near here on May 20th, watching a Dipper diving 

 in a small pool, and securing food for its young, which were in a nest in an 

 old water-wheel close at hand, I was suddenly attracted by a noise a little 



