8692 



Birds. 



The Numidian Crane in Orkney. — A rare and beautiful bird, which, from all that we 

 can learn, has never before been found in a wild state in the British Isles, has been 

 secured by an enthusiastic ornithologist in Orkney, to whom we are indebted for the 

 following brief notice, which will be read with interest by naturalists : — " A fine male 

 bird, in beautiful plumage, the demoiselle or Numidiau cr;ine (Anlhropaides Virgo), 

 was shot on Thursday last, the 14th of May, 1863, at Deeniess, east mainland, 

 Orkney, and has since been preserved for Mr. Reid, bookseller, of Kirkwall. Two of 

 the birds were seen at Deerness for some days, and were pursued and shot at several 

 times. When the one was killed, the other flew over to the neighbouring island of 

 Copinshay, and was not afterwards seen by the Deerness folks, who describe the flight 

 and walking of this remarkable bird as something very graceful, and such as they had 

 never witnessed before. Although these birds (which are natives of Africa) feed on 

 aquatic animals, small fish, frogs, &c., in their native haunts, nothing was found in 

 the stomach of this one but oats, several grains of which were also found adherent on 

 its tongue. It was not starved-like, weighing about five pounds, being considerably 

 heavier than our herons. The gulls and lapwings continually attacked the two 

 strangers whenever they walked or winged their way over the grass and oat fields, and 

 they were heard frequently to utter a hoarse scream when thus persecuted by their tor- 

 mentors. The demoiselle is quite new to Orkney, and is a valuable addition to our 

 large list of birds. As far as I can find in any work on British birds, it is new to 

 Britain in a wild state. It has been imported, however, and may be seen in a 

 domestic state in the Garden of the Zoological Society." Since the above was 

 written, we learn that a day or two after the first had been shot the other demoiselle 

 returned to Deerness from Copinshay, and was again seen in the fields, most probably 

 in search of its mate. Several parties endeavoured to stalk it, but without success. It 

 is described by some of the country folk who have watched it as a very large bird, 

 " looking nearly as big as a sheep," which of course must be taken with a considerable 

 limitation, as the birds are both most likely about the same size. We believe the 

 extreme height of the specimen in Mr. Reid's possession is about three feel, and the 

 spread of the wings about five feet, but the exact measurement has not been given. — 

 John o" 1 Groat's Journal. 



The Little Gull and Sabine's Gull at Weston-super-Mare. — On a late visit to the 

 house of Mr. Stone, the birdstuffer, of this place, I saw a specimen of that pretty little 

 forktailed gull which constitutes so good a link between the terns and the gulls, and 

 which is known by the name of Sabine's xeme, or Sabine's gull. It is in the plumage 

 of the first year, which not a little resembles that of a tarrock or young kittiwake. 

 The specimen of the little gull is also in immature plumage. Both these birds were 

 killed on the Weston sands a year or two since. — Murray A. Mathews ; Weston-super- 

 Mare, May 29, 1863. 



The Arctic Skua feeding on Worms near Newry. — On the 6th of this month (June) 

 an adult bird of the species Lestris parasiticus of Jenyns, Gould, &c. (the arctic skua 

 of authors), was shot, while picking up worms when following a plough at work, in 

 the parish of Jouesborough, about five miles from Newry, and about three miles from 

 the nearest part of the sea-coast. It was alone, and had been observed flying high, 

 coming from the coast. The plumage is very perfect, and the colours bright. These 

 skuas have generally appeared in these countries much later in the year. The 

 occupation of the skua, when shot at, was not in accordance with its specific name; 

 however, we are not bound to believe that it does not sometimes procure its food in a 

 peaceable way. — Clermont ; Ravensdale Park, Newry, June 13, 1863. 



