with those of the Merlin, being considerably smaller than those of Kestrels. Unfortunately, however, he could not procure the parent birds, and the fact of the Merlin's nesting remained doubtful. In 1862 he was at last successful, and on May 22nd discovered a nest placed in the hole of a yew, also containing, like the others, three eggs, from which the male was shot. The important fact, however, to be noticed is that, as Temminck remarks, the Merlin in a woody country builds in trees, whilst in the north of Britain, where there is no timber, it adapts itself to the country and lays on the ground.—Ed.]
Purple Gallinule in Somerset.—Under this heading, at p. 178, I see the Rev. M.A. Mathew records the occurrence of this bird at Badgworth, in this county, in August, 1875. Lest Somerset should be credited with two Purple Gallinules,—possibly with three, for Mr. Mathew says something about another having been seen when this one was taken,—I think it worth while to mention that this bird was recorded in the February number of 'Science Gossip' for 1876, and in the following number I made some remarks on the occurrence, and suggested the extreme probability of this bird being an escape, and from enquiries I have since made I see no reason to alter this opinion. I may add that there is no mention in the original notice in 'Science Gossip,' which gives a rather circumstantial account of the capture, of a second bird having been seen at the same time. This, therefore, as a story seldom loses by repetition, may be only one of those little additions which often creep into records made so long after the event. It strikes me as just possible that this bird may have escaped from the same place as the South American Rail (Aramides cayennensis), mentioned in the January number of 'The Zoologist' for this year by the Rev. A.C. Smith; the distance is not at all too great, and the birds may have escaped from some intermediate place. In his notice immediately preceding the one above quoted, Mr. Mathew laments the slaughter of Owls in the neighbourhood of Taunton. In this lamentation I quite agree; but Mr. Mathew is wrong in stating that his friends the Owls are without protection. If he will look at the Wild Birds Protection Act of 1872 he will see that the word "Owl" does occur in the Schedule, and as there is no specific limitation, both the Barn Owl and the Brown Owl—indeed all the British Owls—enjoy the protection of the Act. The two Bird Acts are very little known, and I am glad to see that you have reprinted the Act of 1872 with that of 1876.—Cecil Smith (Bishop's Lydeard).
[Specimens of the Purple Gallinule have on several occasions been found at large in this country, but have generally been regarded as escaped birds. One, shot near Campbeltown, in Argyllshire, in December 1863, is mentioned in Mr. Gray's 'Birds of the West of Scotland,' p. 337. In August of the same year one was killed at Rowner, in Hampshire
