NOTES AND QUERIES. 
American Wood Duck in Oxfordshire. — In the last number of 
‘The Zoologist’ (p. 33) it is suggested that the specimen of 
Ax sponsa shot in Oxfordshire might possibly be a wild one. We 
have large flocks both of Ax sponsa and Aix galericulata, which have 
never been pinioned, and the former have bred here for years. 
Woburn is about twenty-five miles “as the crow flies” from Oxford. 
M. Beprorp (Woburn Abbey, Woburn). 
The Smew in Northumberland.—A male of this species (Mergus 
albellus) in fine plumage was shot in the neighbourhood of Colt 
Crag, North Tynedale, Northumberland, in December, 1907.—J. 8. 8. 
Watton (Sunniside, Stocksfield-on-Tyne). 
Ornithological Records from Chester and North Wales.—1. Siskin, 
female (Chrysomitris spinus) ; Hoole, near Chester, Dec. 15th, 1906.— 
2. Fork-tailed Petrel (Oceanodroma leucorrhoa) ; Ellesmereport, near 
Chester, Dec. 16th, 1907.—3. Common Bittern (Botauwrus stellaris) ; 
Stoke, near Chester, Jan. 28th, 1908.—4. Red-throated Diver (Colym- 
bus septentrionalis) ; Corwen, Nr. Wales, Jan. 7th, 1908. — ALFRED 
NewstTEAD (Grosvenor Museum, Chester). 
Wildfowl in Somerset.—The following notes from my own obser- 
vations made lately in Somerset may be of interest :—On Jan. 9th 
there were plenty of Gulls (Larus ridibundus) inland on the flooded 
fields near Yatton Station. On Jan. 9th, a cold frosty morning, I 
noticed the following birds in Sand Bay, north of Weston-super- 
Mare :—Mallard and Duck, twelve; Sheld-Duck, quite five hundred, 
scattered in parties over the Bay (this species has certainly increased 
of late years in the district); Scaup-Duck, a flock of about one 
hundred and fifty ; Pochard, one drake ; Curlews, about two hundred ; 
Redshank, three; Ringed Plover, about thirty ; Dunlin, a large flock 
of one thousand or more. There were also many Gulls about, chiefly 
L. canus and L. ridibundus. On Jan. 15th Scaup and Sheld-Duck 
were still in the bay in large numbers, and another flock of about two - 
hundred Scaup were feeding in Weston Bay. This species is a 
regular winter visitor to the Bristol Channel, the flocks including a 
large number of adult drakes, conspicuous, through a strong glass, 
owing to their grey backs and white flanks. On Jan. 15th I went to 
the Bristol Waterworks Company’s new reservoir at Blagdon, com- 
pleted about eight years ago. This fine sheet of water, which, except 
for the dam, looks like a natural lake, extends for a mile and three- 
quarters in a valley to the north of the Mendip Hills. When the lake 
is full the surface area is four hundred and fifty acres. In places the 
water is very shallow, but the maximum depth is thirty-seven feet. I 
Zool. 4th ser. vol. XII.. February. 1908. G 
