Proof of Statements in " Gardens, t^c, of ZooL Soc." 1 99 



backed gulls very nearly resemble each other, but little dif- 

 ference being observable : the bottoms are composed of a very 

 thick layer of dried sea-weed, and the insides are lined with fine 

 dried grass ; amongst which a feather or two are sparingly 

 placed. Those of the black-backed gulls were easily dis- 

 tinguishable from the rest by their size and the largeness of 

 their eggs, which are about the size of those of a turkey ; 

 they lay from three to four in number, of an obscure dirty 

 green, blotched, and marked with spots of dark brown and 

 black. In fact, the eggs of these birds, in their colourings 

 and markings, so much assimilate, that it is almost impossible 

 to know the difference between the eggs of the herrier gull 

 and those of the lesser black-backed gull, their size being 

 also nearly equal. From the repeated observations, how- 

 ever, that I have made upon the eggs of these birds, I am 

 inclined to believe that those of the herrier gull are longer, 

 and more pointed at the small end, than those of the lesser 

 black-backed gull: the eggs of these last-mentioned birds 

 are held in high estimation as a delicacy, and are in flavour 

 very nearly equal to those of the pee-wit, or green plover. 

 The boys and peasantry search the hills and rocks for the 

 purpose of collecting them, and they are afterwards offered 

 for sale at Lerwick. I am, Sir, &c. 



Rich. Drosier. 

 Marston, Holt, Norfolk, Nov. 28. 1830. 



Art. II. Evidences in Proof of certain Statements contained in the 

 " Gardens and Menagerie of the Zoological Society delineated." 

 In a Letter to the Conductor. By E. T. Bennett, Esq. F.L.S. 

 Vice-Sec. Z.S. 



Sir, 



In the Eighteenth Number of your Magazine, published on 

 the 1st of this month, you have given insertion to an article 

 by Mr. Swainson, in which certain statements contained in 

 the Gardens arid Menagerie of the Zoological Society delineated 

 are attributed to Mr. Vigors, and in which also the accuracy 

 of those statements is impugned. To correct the erroneous 

 impressions which such representations may have produced is 

 the object of the present communication. 



The assumption that the portion of a paragraph extracted 

 (p. 102.) is " the statement of Mr. Vigors " is wholly ground- 

 less. Although I feel much indebted' to that gentleman for 

 the pains he has taken in revising the whole of the proof 



o ^ 



