38 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Occurrence of Sabine's Snipe and Great Northern Diver in Co. 



Cork. — About the middle of November a specimen of that dark variety 

 of the Common Snipe was shot near Skibbereen by a Mr. Lewis. It 

 was the darkest specimen I have ever seen, the under parts and 

 under tail-coverts being sooty-black. 



When in the shop of Mr. Eohu, bird-preserver and furrier, on Dec- 

 13th, 1912, 1 was shown a specimen of the Great Northern Diver, ex- 

 hibiting the perfect breeding plumage, which was shot the day before 

 in Kinsale Harbour. It was one of the handsomest specimens I have 

 ever seen ; I think it a very unusual occurrence for a bird in that 

 plumage appearing in the middle of December. In the course of 

 many years I have shot specimens nearly every season, but except 

 in May and June, before leaving for their northern haunts, have 

 never met with them in the breeding plumage. Many years ago, at 

 the end of May, when crossing Killala Bay to Killcummin Head, we 

 met a flock of ten Great Northern Divers, of whom nine appeared to 

 be in full breeding plumage. They had evidently collected in the 

 Bay, preparing for their northern flight. — Robert Warren (Ard- 

 naree, Monkstown, Co. Cork). 



CRUSTACEA. 

 Dromia vulgaris off the Essex Coast. — It has not been my privilege 

 to see any published lists of the Essex crustaceans, and my British 

 authorities are somewhat antiquated. Consequently, when a few days 

 ago a fine example of Dromia vulgaris was brought to me from Lowes- 

 toft by Mr. F. C. Cook from the vicinity of the ' Galloper ' light- vessel, I 

 w as more than pleased to believe it a rare find, as Bell gives no records 

 for the eastern coasts north of Whitstable Bay, on the Kentish sea- 

 board, although recorded as more frequent in the south of England. 

 In Skuse's ' Brit. Stalk-eyed Crustacea and Spiders ' it is, however, 

 given as found " sparingly on all our coasts, . . . plentiful in the Channel 

 Islands," and that " the Sussex and Essex coasts are perhaps our best 

 localities." The round, velvety ball of a carapace, with the densely 

 hair-clad, clumsy legs drawn up under it, gives the animal a very rotund, 

 lemon-shaped appearance. This example was taken late in December 

 by the Lowestoft sailing-trawler, 'Giralda,' whose skipper and owner, 

 Mr. J. Stead, much interested in curious finds, brought the Crab 

 home, remarking on its rarity, as having for a considerable period 

 fished in that neighbourhood, he had never met with it before. — 

 Akthur H. Patterson (Ibis House, Yarmouth). 



