MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES. 107 



■ eggs, but continued to sit on them for twelve days — the male taking his share of duty. 

 The cause of their giving up sitting was on account of being disturbed by strangers : after this 

 disturbance they would not again sit. It would have been most interesting to liave had a pair 

 of young Peregrines produced under such circumstances. There is every reason to believe such 

 ■would have been the case from the assiduity displayed by them while they sat, had not this 

 untoward meeting occurred. I may mention the eggs were fertile, as proved by being broken — 

 they were too in number. — "W. G. Johnstone, Greenbrae Cottage, Dumfries, Jan. 14th., 1853. 



Feregrine Falcon, (Falco peregrinus.) — I have just had a very fine specimen of this somewhat 

 scarce bird presented to me by a friend, who shot it on the 11th. of this month at Aveton 

 Gifford, near Kingsbridge, Devon. W. G. Matthews, 4, Portland Square, Plymouth, February 

 15th., 1853. 



Feregrine Falcon, (Falco peregrinus,) near York. — A very fine old female Peregrine was shot 

 near Easingwold on January 22ud., and came into the possession of Mr. D. Graham, of this 

 city, where I saw it in the flesh. The expanse of the wings was three feet six inches; its 

 extreme length, one foot seven inches; length of foot, four inches and five-eighths; and it 

 weighed two pounds two ounces. It was in very fine feather. — B. E. M., York, Feb. 8th., 1853. 



Hawjlnch, (Coccothraustes vulgaris,) near York. — A specimen of this bird was shot at Marston, 

 by Mr. T. Dayrell, on Monday, January 31st. — Idem. 



The Ivory Gull, (Larus ebumeus,) near Torquay. — A specimen of this bird was shot on the 

 19th. of January, at Livermead, near Torquay. This rare Gull was seen first about the Torquay 

 pier evidently much exhausted. It kept settling on the pier wall, and was driven off by the 

 boys. It settled several times on the sea wall, whence it was followed to Livermead and shot. 

 On skinning the bird, it was found to be very poor in flesh, and no doubt the late winds and 

 stress of weather had driven it from its northern haunts. Yarrell states that the first specimen 

 of this species found in the British Isles was in 1822. It is now in the possession of Mr. E. 

 Burt, bird-stuffer, at 5, Higher Terrace, who has also two specimens of the Black Redstart, 

 (Fhoenicura tithys,) shot within a few days of the Ivory Gull. {From the Torquay Directory, 

 JaniMry 25th., 1853.) — Caleb Weeks, Torquay, January 25th., 1853. 



Note on Colymbus glacialis. — This fine species has been remarkably abundant during the 

 past month of December — ten or a dozen being no uncommon number visible from the beach; 

 and a Preventive man tells me that he counted upwards of thirty under the lee of Looe Island 

 at one time, mostly drifting quietly with the head resting on the back, appai*ently asleep — a 

 position I have observed with a glass from the beach; and I noticed one in the early part of 

 the month with considerable white markings still left on the back, and some dark on the chin. 

 From the raised feathers on the head and general appearance, they have sufiered much from 

 hunger during the severe south-west gales, so prevalent throughout the month, and now depend 

 mainly on the common Shore Crab, (Carcinus moenas,) for a supply of food, of which they 

 catch great numbers, carefully denuding obstreporous ones of their legs previous to swallowing.* 

 I have seen one stick on the road, and violently shaken out again for a few more vigorous 

 pocks, and then swallowed. It is very interesting to watch them fishing in a heavy surf, getting 

 fearlessly amongst the breakers close in shore, diving easily through the heavy breaking seas, and 

 quietly riding over such as allow it without risking a capsize. I observed one busy in a very 

 heavy sea, during the severe storm on Dec. 27th., hunting for his breakfast as unconcerned as 

 in a calm. — Clement Jackson, East Looe, January 10th., 1853. 



The Speckled Diver, (C. septentrionalis,) has been scarce, and I have only heard of two or 

 three specimens being observed for the winter. — Idem. 



I saw two female Mergansers, probably M. serrator, swimming near the beach early in the 

 month, but have not heard of them since. — Idem. 



The Common Stormy Petrel, (Procellaria Pelagica,) was abundant last autumn. One brought 

 me alive on the 28th, of October, was still in moult, the long quill feathers not yet cast; on 

 being put into a large basket, it repeatedly and rapidly climbed up the side, hooking on its 



• When diving unsuccessfully for food, they remain immersed one minute, as repeatedly timed by a 

 watch, but otherwise brinpr their prey to the surface at once. 



