388 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



and never known to have bred there ; yet during winter many 

 hundreds of them frequent the reservoir, and this spring several 

 pairs remained to breed on a piece of private water near by. I 

 could see the nest from the roadway, and, as I had never taken 

 a Coot's egg, I particularly wanted one for my collection. I set 

 out one night after dark, and soon found the nest. As I waded 

 out the bird left the nest, and swam away, uttering loud cries, 

 vigorously splashing up the water, and continuing to do so 

 for some time. Later in the year a pair nested on Virginia 

 Water lake, which I do not think they have done before. At the 

 reservoir the birds readily leave the water, and wander far over 

 the grassy outer slopes of the embankment. 



Golden Plover (Charadrius pluvialis). — Some twenty-five 

 years ago the Golden Plover was common on Staines Moor, 

 which was then a favourite winter resort for many birds. All 

 this is now changed, and the Golden Plover is only a straggler to 

 the district. 



Lapwing (Va?iellus vulgaris). — A common and increasing 

 species. 



Common Snipe (Gallinago coelestis). — In hard weather a fair 

 number appear throughout the district. 



Jack-Snipe (G. gallinula). — Mr. Howard Saunders, in his 

 ' Manual of British Birds,' p. 560, refers to a melanism of this 

 bird shot near Staines, and recorded by Mr. F. Bond. 



Common Sandpiper (Totanus hypoleucus). — Large numbers 

 occur on spring and autumn migration. In spring the bird 

 arrives from the middle of April onwards to the end of May, and 

 often not more than a month will elapse before the first of the 

 returning migrants appears. 



Common Curlew {Numenius arquata). — Passes overhead on 

 migration. 



Black-headed Gull (Laras ridibundus) . — The most numerous 

 Gull on the reservoir ; they may often be seen in the fields around 

 following the plough. 



Common Gull (L. canus). — A few pass the winter on the 

 reservoir. 



Grkat Northern Diver (Colymbus glacialis) . — In ' The Zoolo- 

 gist ' (1902, p. 311) there is an interesting account of one of 

 these birds being caught with a rod and line at Virginia Water 



