158 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



shot, and four or five "Wild Geese" being seen, but I know not of what 

 species ; and I have been unable to obtain statistics of the other species 

 killed on this shooting. Of the more uncommon species, most of those 

 killed were, as is usual, in immature dress ; but a few of the Pochards were 

 especially fine, both ia flesh and feather. Consequent upon the presence 

 of the Wildfowl several Peregrine Falcons were in attendance, and I was 

 told that on one of the day's shooting three of these noble birds were visible 

 at the same time, and, I need not say, that death was meted out to two or 

 three during the season. As a proof how tenaciously this bird will cling to a 

 spot where food is abundant, the following fact will illustrate : — In the early 

 part of the season a Peregrine Falcon was observed on various occasions 

 taking toll of the Teal, &c., and eventually it was caught in a trap placed near 

 a partly devoured quarry ; the Falcon, however, managed to escape, leaving 

 one of its legs in the trap, broken high up into the feathered portion. But 

 with all its mutilation it still haunted the same locality, and some six 

 weeks or two months later, when the " stump "-leg was completely healed, 

 it was shot almost on the same spot as it had been trapped. It does seem 

 a sin to kill these grand birds, for who that has seen one dash like " a bolt 

 from the blue " amongst a flock of Teal in mid-air, when the word " scatter " 

 is weak to describe the commotion ; or watched the manner in which the 

 Falcon tries to prevent its quarry, be it Duck or Teal, Irom descending into 

 the stream below — who, I say, can forget the occurrence, although the drama 

 was performed in less time than it takes to describe it ? — G. B. Corbin 

 (Ringwood, Hants). 



Rare Birds in Nottinghamshire. — Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubi- 

 tor) : When driving over the forest to Edwinstowe, on March 13th, I saw 

 a Shrike on a thorn-bush in the heather, and, as it was under one hundred 

 yards, Mr. Aplin and myself had a good view of it through our glasses. On 

 leaving the carriage and walking towards it, it flew to another bush, and 

 again to another ; it had a low dipping flight. 



Snow-Bunting {Plectrophenax nivalis) : Within two hundred yards from 

 seeing the Shrike, we almost drove over a very beautiful specimen of this 

 bird ; the horse was within a few yards before it rose, when its beautifully 

 marked plumage attracted our notice. We watched it for some time feeding 

 on the road ; it moved by short runs, then a shuffling sort of run-hop, it was 

 very tame, and at last flew round the carriage and settled on the road behind. 

 This is the first Snow-Bunting I have seen alive in this county. 



Goosanders (Mergus merganser) : The same afternoon we saw, amongst 

 other Ducks on Thoresby Lake, seven of these fine Ducks, three of which 

 were old males in grand plumage. I might add that there were many 

 hundreds of Ducks, &c., on this fine sheet of water, which comprises ninety 

 acres in the middle of a two-thousand-acre Deer-park. — J. Whitaker (Rain- 

 worth Lodge, Notts). , 



