records show what a very rare visitor this Duck is to Ireland, as rare as another American Duck, the Hooded Merganser, which has also occurred only five times.—Robert Warren (Moy View, Ballina).
[With reference to the Surf Scoter whose escape is so graphically described above, Mr. Robert Warren has just informed the Editor that the wounded bird of Dec. 19th was shot by his friend Mr. A.C. Kirkwood, of Bartragh, in the Moyne Channel, near Killala, on Jan. 18th. We feel equally pleased that the specimen has been secured, and that the sufferings of the bird are at an end.]
Landrail in Chester in December.— A Landrail, Crex pratensis, was shot on the meadow-land bordering the estuary of the Dee on Dec. 23rd, 1896. It was a male bird in good plumage, but weighing only 5¼ ounces. Its failure to migrate in the autumn was probably explained by the fact that one of the wing-bones (the radius) had evidently been fractured somewhat recently, though perfectly united at the time of death. The specimen has been deposited in the Grosvenor Museum, where Mr. Newstead, the curator, examined the stomach, and found it to contain woodlice, dipterous grubs, and other animal matter, besides the usual quantity of small pebbles. W. Henry Dobie (Chester).
Rare Birds at Hastings.— On Dec. 5th, 1896, a young female Gadwall, Anas strepera, was shot at a swampy place called the Fleet, which is just within the boundary of Kent where it joins Sussex; weight, 2 lbs. ½ oz. It wsa with a young Pintail, which was also secured. Another almost identical specimen was procured at Iden, near Rye, Sussex, on Boxing Day. On Dec. 8th last a young male Cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo, was shot in the Alexandra Park, Hastings, at one of the reservoirs that supply the town; it weighed 6 lbs. 1 oz., and the gizzard contained a roach weighing 1 lb. It has been presented to the local museum. It had probably been blown inland by the gale of the day before, as where it was found is about a mile from the sea, and in the centre of the town.—George W. Bradshaw (Hastings).
Capture of a Common Bittern in Darenth Wood, near Dartford.— On the morning of Jan. 14th a Mr. Nettlingham, having occasion to go about some wood which had been cut, noticed what he at first thought was a hen Pheasant. Closer observation, however, proved that this was not the case. The bird was sitting with drooping wings, neck and head laid along the back, and with the beak pointing straight upwards. Arming himself with a few stones he approached the bird and knocked it down at once. I saw it alive the same evening, but it died the next morning, and is now being preserved by Mr. Davis, of Dartford. This is the second specimen of the species I have seen, and the third I have heard of as
