432 Major W. It. Thompson on the [Ibis, 
neither does he give the year, but ii must have been prior to 
1879, when his book was published. I have not myself seen 
it here, nor does anyone seem to have preserved a specimen ; 
but I have several notes of its occurrence, and as it is a 
bird that cannot well be mistaken, and as I obtained the 
records from good observers, I think they are worth giving. 
L. has seen two on the island, one in September 1910, and 
the other about the year 1877. He tells me that the late 
Mr. it G. May, of Alderney, once shot one here. 
Mr. Nicholas Gaudion tells me that he shot one back in the 
seventies, but he has not the exact date. 
Alcedo ispida. The Kingfisher. 
Before the war the Kingfisher was a not uncommon bird 
on the island, and one or two could always be seen in winter 
around the cliffs or fishing from the rocks. It was also 
present during the summer months, though less numerous, 
and I have little doubt it occasionally nested here. During 
the last two years, however, I have not seen a single specimen, 
nor do I know of anyone who has, and it seems to have quite 
disappeared ; it is hoped not permanently. 
Mr. Eagle Clarke found it not uncommon during his visit 
in September 1898. 
Flammea flammea. The Barn-Owl. 
A resident, but by no means common. L. has two in his 
collection, and tells me he has shot four in all, and has 
observed it on several other occasions. I had noticed one of 
these birds about all last summer and located the hole occupied 
by it, but it was not easy of access and I did not visit it, 
although I felt pretty certain it was breeding there. This 
year, however, seeing it in the same vicinity, I determined to 
clear up the question, and, with the aid of a rope, descended 
to the hole. No sooner had my feet come opposite the hole 
than a barn-owl left it and disappeared round a corner, and 
on looking into the hole I saw three young ones, two nearly 
fledged and the other much younger and about half the size 
of the other two. This, I think, is the first record of the 
Barn-Owl breeding in Alderney. Date of visiting nest, 
18 July, 1920. 
