In the Neighbourhood of Salisbury. 



85 



occurrences from the carefully-kept notes of Mr. E. Hart, the well- 

 known naturalist, of Christchurch, who is an ardent ornithologist 

 himself, and who also has inherited much knowledge of ornithology 

 from his father, and who is as good an authority on our south coast 

 birds as we could find. I would say that he himself hopes to publish 

 ere long a complete list of recorded occurrences in his own more 

 immediate neighbourhood, which will be a very valuable addition to 

 our bird-lore, more especially as to the last two Orders, i.e., the 

 Grallatores and Natatores, which so often find a temporary home in 

 the harbours of Poole and Christchurch, and concerning which some 

 new thing is constantly cropping up. 



I would premise that, in the nomenclature of the Order, I have 

 followed that lately published in the " Ibis," which, I suppose, 

 would be considered the latest and best version extant. 



Anatim). 



Anser Cinereus. "The Grey-lag Goose." This is the first bird 

 of its species that calls for our attention. It is generally allowed 

 to be the parent of our domesticated bird, but it is not as frequent 

 as some of the other kinds of Geese, nor would it seem to occur as 

 frequently as it once did. It may sometimes be observed flying at 

 a great height over our water-meadows ; and the Rev. A. C. Smith 

 mentions various instances of its occurrence within the boundaries 

 of our county ; but I have not met with it of late years in our 

 parish. It occurs occasionally at Christchurch, and Mr. Hart told 

 me of an extraordinarily long shot he once made at one of these birds 

 on December 24th, 1879 ; knocking it over, as he did, at a distance 

 of an hundred and nine yards with an 8-bore choke. This bird 

 may be at once distinguished from the following species by the beak, 

 which is pink with the nail white. 



Anser Brachyrhynchus, " Pink-footed Goose"; and Anser Segetum, 

 " The Orange-legged Bean Goose." Concerning these two birds I 

 cannot discover much information in the Christchurch district. Of 

 the first species Hart remarks that it occurs now and then, while he 

 gives me a note of one specimen of the orange-legged bird, which 

 was killed on February 20th, 1880, about which date there were a 



