NOTES AND QUEBIES. 35 



offering his gamekeepers a sovereign for every bird of prey destroyed. 

 H. P. 0. Cleave (18, Leigharn Street, Plymouth). 



How does the Osprey carry its Prey ? — In reply to Mr. Meiklejohn's 

 query (1905, p. 435), I may say that in Newfoundland, where many years 

 ago I could watch sis Ospreys daily from the house I was living in, 

 the fish were invariably gripped by the shoulders, and carried in a 

 parallel position. The birds frequently submerged themselves com- 

 pletely with the force of their plunge ; then the tips of the two wings 

 would reappear, and then the bird itself with its prey. I never saw 

 one miss. The fish were Sea-perch, and the scene a narrow inlet of 

 salt water at the end of Placentia Bay. — R. B. Lodge (Enfield). 



Early Records. — Mr. 0. V. Aplin, in his Oxfordshire Notes (1905, 

 p. 413), mentions the lesser celandine being in flower on Feb. 20th, 

 1903. In the same year it was in flower here on Feb. 8th. Our 

 earliest date for the Chiffchaff singing is March 24th. Here the 

 Blackbird very rarely sings in January, the 31st being my earliest 

 date. The Tawny Owl and Long-eared Owl are our earliest breeding 

 birds. I have found eggs of both species near here on March 11th. — 

 W. Gyngell (Scarborough). 



Bird Notes from Shetland (May to November, 1905). — 



Land-Rail (Crex pratensis). — First heard, 2 a.m., May 16th. 



Martin (Chelidon urbica). — One seen at Cliff Loch, May 19th. 



Swallow (Hirundo rustica). — One at Uyeasound, 3 p.m., May 25th. 



Wood-Pigeon (Columba jJalumbus). — One in garden at Halligarth, 

 May 25th. 



Rock-Pigeon (C. cenas). — Becoming more plentiful. 



White-tailed Eagle (Halia'etus albicilla), — One seen, June 1st. 



Shag (albino) (Phalacrocorax graculus). — An albino Shag was 

 pointed out to me at Bunafirth on June 22nd. 



Rock-Pipit (Anthus obscurus). — Found nest with three pink eggs 

 on June 28th. The eggs are not unlike the pink variety of Tree- 

 Pipit's, but larger. 



Tree-Sparrow [Passer montanus). — My niece found a nest with 

 five eggs, on June 28th. in the garden, not far from where I found the 

 former nest (cf. Zool. 1903, p. 462). 



Sky-Lark (albino) (Alauda arvensis). — Brought to me alive on 

 Aug. 18th. 



Scops Owl (Scops giu). — On or about Aug. 20th a small Owl was 

 caught on the Lighthouse Rock. It was kept for a few days by the 

 keepers, who fed it on flies and beetles. From the careful description 



