NOTES AND QUERIES. 431 



interesting bird, and I know it is present in the Watford district. As 

 far as I remember, I first saw a specimen here about five years ago, 

 but the past season is the first I have known for it to nest here." 

 There is, however, a record of this bird having nested in Hertford- 

 shire in former years. Dr. Hartert informs me that a pair nested and 

 reared two young in 1897 on one of Mr. T. Fowell Buxton's farms at 

 Easeneye, near Ware. In tbe following year they again nested on the 

 same farm in the loft of a barn, where, however, they were disturbed, 

 and deserted their eggs. It is quite probable that the discovery of two 

 nests in different parts of the county this year, together with the 

 frequent appearance of the bird during the last year or two, points to 

 the permanent establishment of the Little Owl as a resident species in 

 Hertfordshire, as in Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. — Allan 

 Ellison (Watton-at-Stone, Herts). 



Peregrine and Greenshank. — A Peregrine Falcon, at the entrance 

 to Breydon, on October 17th, gave chase to a Greenshank, which 

 sent forth repeated terrified shrieks in a single clanging note. When 

 nearly overtaken the hunted bird pitched head first into the water, and 

 dived and swam in a most active fashion. The Falcon, baffled for the 

 moment, wheeled round, when the wader again took to wing, loudly 

 voicing its indignation and terror. It was again harried, only to 

 repeat its diving and swimming. A friend of mine at this moment 

 ran into his boat-shed to procure his gun, with the intention of securing 

 the Peregrine if possible. A third time the swoop of the pursuing 

 bird proved unsuccessful, when it gave up the attempt, and made back 

 for Breydon ; the Greenshank, profiting by its retreat, winged its way 

 across the town beachwards. — Arthur H. Patterson (Ibis House, 

 Great Yarmouth). 



Early Nesting of the Green Cormorant. — This year the Green 

 Cormorants or Shags (Phalacrocomx grdculiis) started nesting remark- 

 ably early in Orkney. They commenced building their nests in 

 January, and the first eggs were found on February 24th on the 

 island of Sules Skerry. The weather during these months was very 

 stormy but not cold, and perhaps this latter fact had something to do 

 with their early nesting, which is much earlier than has ever been 

 known in Orkney before. — H. W. Robinson (Lansdowne House, 

 Lancaster). 



Flock of the Glossy Ibis in Orkney. — On September 24th a flock 

 of nineteen or twenty Glossy Ibises (Ibis falcinellus) appeared at Sand- 

 wick, in Orkney, a small township about four miles inland, and about 



