436 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Sabine's Gull in Yorkshire. — Another Sabine's Gull (Xema sabinii) 

 was shot in Bridlington Bay on Oct. 7th, and received here in the flesh 

 two days later. This one was a bird of the year, and except for the 

 black-tipped tail much resembles a young Black Tern in plumage. It 

 makes up five in all (four adults) obtained on the Yorkshire coast in 

 less than six weeks, while probably others have been sent away with 

 Terns for millinery purposes. — Julian G. Tuck (Tostock Kectory, 

 Bury St. Edmunds). 



Was it a Great Auk ? ? — I have under me a Finn, who is a great 

 hunter, trapper, &c, and who is well acquainted with all sea-birds, 

 Mammalia, and everything else pertaining to these parts. The man, 

 knowing that I am greatly interested in ornithology, came to me one 

 day and said, in his broken Norsk, that he had seen a bird swimming 

 and diving about in the bay which he had never seen before. It was, 

 he said, quite tame, and was close in to the wharf. He described it as 

 nearly all black, and with a big beak, but not a beak like the Cor- 

 morant, but more like a " Lunde" or Puffin. I thought at once of the 

 Great Northern Diver, but on showing him the figure in ' Yarrell ' he 

 laughed, and said it was a bigger bird ; and besides, he knew the Diver, 

 and told me at once there were two, one small and one large. I 

 showed him Alca imjiennis, and he said that was just like it, only he 

 did not see any white on it. This, if swimming, is possible. He would 

 have gone for his gun, but did not like to do so in work hours. I can- 

 not say I regret that he did not. I give you this for what it is worth. 

 I know the man well, and that he could have no possible object or in- 

 clination to concoct a tale. I have found all his information abso- 

 lutely reliable. — H. A. A. Dombrain (BritishVice-Consul, Brettesness, 

 Lofoten). 



Notes from Lincolnshire. — The following birds are in the hands of 

 Mr. Nash, of Lincoln, for preservation. All of them were obtained 

 between Sept. 20th and 29th near the outfall of the River Welland : — 

 Black-tailed God wit (Li»iosabelgica),mal6; Spotted Redshank (Totanus 

 fuscus) ; Reeve [Machetes pugnax), immature ; and Red-necked Phala- 

 rope {Phalaiopus hyperboreus), male, immature. — F. L. Blathwayt 

 (5, Monks Leys Terrace, Lincoln). 



