218 MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 



perforated these leaden balls of the French army in the Crimea. This 

 paper, which contains many details already known to entomologists, is very 

 complete, and full of interesting observations. M. de Motschoulski proves, 

 among other things, that the perforation of cartridges in the Crimea has 

 not been noticed in the Russian army; and that the Urocerus juvencus 

 has not yet been observed in the Crimea, and appears in general very rare 

 in Russia. As we have noticed in this review, (in giving an account of 

 the communications of the illustrious Marshal,) M. de Motschoulski said 

 also, that the perforations in the lead were made with the mandibles of 

 the larvae of the Urocerus, in the same manner as all other insects, and 

 simply to form galleries." 



Blach-headed Gull, (Larus ridibundus.) — At half past six, p.m., on the 

 27th. of June, a flight of thirteen of these birds, followed at an interval 

 of half a minute by a second of six or seven more, passed within a 

 hundred yards of me whilst sitting in the garden, their height being not 

 more than fifty feet above the ground. Feeling surprised to see these 

 beautiful birds en trajet so early in the season, and that too through such 

 a smoky atmosphere as that we have within a mile of Leeds, I carefully 

 watched their movements. Their course, which was very direct, and right 

 to windward, was from E.S.E. to W.N.W., passing over the southern 

 part of Temple Newsam Woods, whence I traced them, till they were 

 lost in the smoke between the churches of St. Saviour's and Quarry Hill, 

 in the densest part of Leeds. From Morris's "British Birds" I learn there 

 is a gullerv at Twigmoor, near Glandford Brigg, in Lincolnshire, the estate 

 of Sir John Nelthorpe, Bart. This preserve I find to lie almost exactly 

 in the direction, at fifty miles distance, at that from which these birds 

 proceeded, and that if continued the line would pass south of Skipton 

 and north of Lancaster to Morccambe Bay. I first made the acquaintance 

 of these graceful birds, under the name of "Askey's Gulls," "Askew" 

 being so pronounced on the Border, at Pallinsburn, when salmon and trout 

 fishing on the Tweed, Tell, and Beaumont, and have since frequently seen 

 them on their passage through the valley of Craven, where they generally 

 remain a short time, but never earlier than the time specified in Morris's 

 ''British Birds;" namely, the end of July or beginning of August. Indeed 

 I have observed them much later than the 12th., but as I am at a loss 

 to account for their early appearance, unless it be from the general precocity 

 of the season, perhaps parallel experiences of some of your contributors 

 may assist me and other embryo naturalists. — Edward James Maude, 

 Knostrop, Leeds, July 2nd., 1858. 



