60 THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
Rare Essex Birds. The Essex Museum, Stratford, has recently
acquired by purchase from the representative of the late Mr. Frederick
Cooper, of 28, Radnor Street, St. Luke's, E.C., the undermentioned speci-
mens, all of which (except the last-named) are specially mentioned in
Glegg's "History of the Birds of Essex"; viz.:—
Snow-bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis nivalis), shot by Mr. F. Cooper
at East Tilbury, December 1st, 1890.
Kite (Milvus milvus milvus). This specimen is believed to have
been shot by Mr. F. Cooper's father near Epping, circa 1870.
Merlin (Falco columbarius aesalon) ♂, shot by Mr. F. Cooper at
Leigh Marsh, February 2, 1895.
Black Guillemot (Uria grylle grylle), shot by Mr. F. Cooper at
Leigh-on-Sea, in February, 1912 (in summer plumage).
Dunlin (Calidris alpina), a buff-coloured variety, shot by Mr. F.
Cooper at Walton-on-the-Naze, September 4th, 1893.
Herring-Gull (Larus argentatus argentatus), an albinistic specimen,
shot by Mr. F. Cooper, January 9th, 1905, at Leigh-on-Sea.
Little Gull (Larus minutus), shot by Mr. F. Cooper at Mucking
Bight, November 24th, 1889 (immature plumage).
Percy Thompson.
Red-throated Diver at Wanstead. Mr. H. A. Littlejohn (in British
Birds, May, 1930) records the occurrence of a Red-throated Diver (Colym-
bus stellatus) on the Perch Pond in Wanstead Park from February 12th,
until March 7th, 1930.
Garganey at Nazing. A pair of Garganey, the drake in particularly
fine plumage, was seen by me on the pond on Nazing Common on Good
Friday, April 18th, 1930, and again on Easter Day, April 20th. Although
it is, of course, possible that the birds may have been escapes from some
ornamental waters, they were full-winged and fairly wild.
Geoffrey Dent.
Tenacity of Life of young Eel-pouts. A gravid Viviparous Blenny
or Eel-pout (Zoarces viviparus) 9 inches long was caught at Southend-on-
Sea on January 28th, 1930, and killed. Some three hours later, on being
cut open, the dead fish was found to have no less than 57 young in its
capacious ovary, most of them being alive. On being placed in fresh
tap water, the greater number of the baby fish recovered, and at the
time of writing (February 23rd), nearly a month later several of them
still survive, some in sea-water, other's in fresh water.
F. J. Lambert.