REPORTS. 



23 



birds recorded for Guernsey and the smaller Sarnian Islands 

 amounts to 195 species, of which nineteen are additions to 

 those enumerated in Smith's Birds of Guernsey. I have 

 again to thank Mr. B. Rowswell for kindly handing me 

 his carefully-kept notes on the movements of our summer 

 birds of passage. 



Brown Owl. Mr. G. E. Kinnersly informs me that two winters ago he shot 

 in Guernsey a Brown or Wood Owl, and as the bird was only wounded 

 in the wing, he kept it alive for a couple of months. This is the only 

 known instance of the occurrence of this species in these islands. 



Wheatear. I saw a solitary Wheatear on the cliffs at Icart on the 27th of 

 March, which is earlier than I have ever observed the bird in Guernsey. 

 On April 6 I noticed several on the Vale Coast near Fort Doyle. 

 Wheatears remained with us until October ; the latest were noted by 

 Mr. Rowswell, who saw about a dozen at Rocquaine on the 11th, one at 

 the Forest on the 14th, two at Petit Port on the 22nd, and the last on the 

 24th of October in the same locality. 



Chiffehaff. Heard as early as March 27th by Mr. Rowswell on the Fermain 

 Cliffs. During the first week in April I heard Chiffchaffs in various parts 

 of the island. Last heard by me on October 12, and by Mr. Rowswell 

 on the 14th, both at St. Martin's. 



Willow Wren. Less common than usual this year. First heard by me on 

 the 19th of April at Petit Bot. 



Jay. The local patois name Jai applied in Guernsey to the Missel Thrush 

 has given rise to the statement that the Jay is found here ; but it does 

 not occur, and has never yet been authentically recorded. Mr. G. E. 

 Kinnersly lately told me that during the autumn of 1899 or 1900 he saw 

 a couple of Jays (which he has often shot in England) in the shrubbery 

 at the Vallon overlooking Moulin Huet. He had his gun with him 

 at the time, but he spared them on account of their rarity. 



Wryneck. Later than usual to arrive this year. The first I heard on 

 April 8 at St. Peter's, and Mr. Rowswell on the 10th at Les Blanches. 

 Th.e familiar call was heard pretty frequently up to the middle of July, 

 Mr. Rowswell' s latest dates being the 16th and 21st of that month. 



Cuckoo. Heard by several people in different parts of St. Martin's on the 

 16th of April, and reported in the papers to have been heard in Alderney 

 a day earlier. Mr. Rowswell heard the bird singing every day during 

 July up to the 7th, and notes that on the 6th one was still in full song in 

 the Vallon trees, as it called " cuckoo " forty-nine times without a break. 



Kingfisher. I regret to have to record that on the 13th of November 

 a specimen was exposed for sale in the market in a basketful of un- 

 fortunate blackbirds and thrushes. It seems incredible that anyone 

 could be so heartless as to shoot a Kingfisher simply to gratify a craving 

 for slaughter. It certainly is not the easiest of birds to kill on the wing, 

 but surely a gunner with a spark of feeling might select something less 

 beautiful to aim at. 



Goatsucker. I have only seen one this year. It was flying along in the 

 evening twilight near Les Meriennes on Sept. 27, — rather a late date for 

 this summer migrant. 



Swift. Arrived earlier than usual. I saw the first one in Sark on April 24, 

 flying about near the Coupee ; and Mr. Rowswell saw a couple circling 

 round near Morley Chapel on April 29. By May 5 they were quite 

 numerous here. Mr. Rowswell notes August 29 and Sept. 7 as his latest 

 dates ; but I saw at Icart a pair of Swifts flying about as late as the 

 11th of September. 



