VOL. VI.] • NOTES. 27 



The Storm-Petrel never stands at rest on the webs, but on the 

 whole length of its tarsus, in which position also it frequently walks, 

 or rather shuffles, the head and neck being kept low ; as it gets up speed 

 it gradually raises up on to its webs, but in this position its balance 

 is not good and the wings are frequently raised, no doubt to maintain 

 the balance preparatory for flight. I clearly made out that there are 

 two methods of starting flight, the one by shuffling along on the tarsi 

 and then gradually getting up on to the webs and running along with 

 the wings beating rapidly, the other by rapidly beating the wings 

 vertically and sliding backwards on the ground or progressing backwards 

 in the water ; in the latter method, I believe an opposing wind to be 

 necessary to help the bird, and I frequently saw it try to fly by this 

 method when close to the door, under which a considerable draught 

 was blowing. 



Dr. Ticehurst believed that the bird found its food entirely 

 by the sense of smell. 



Black-tailed Godwit in the Cromarty Firth. — Two 

 examples of Limosa limosa were seen by Miss A. C. Jackson 

 on the Cromarty Firth on September 13th, 1911, and another 

 on September SOth {Scot. Nat., 1912, p. 92). 



The Syrinx of the Scolopacid.^. — Mr. W. P. Pycraft 

 describes and figures in the Ibis (1912, pp. 334-41) the syrinx 

 of the Common Snipe (Gallinago g. gallinago), the Jack Snipe 

 {Limnocryptes gallinula) and the Woodcock {Scolopax rus- 

 ticola). They are markedly different, and a comparison shows 

 that the Woodcock is the least specialized ; but too much 

 stress should not be laid upon the bird's " restricted vocal 

 powers," for its curious spring-note beginning with a high- 

 pitched " Twhit " followed by the deep " Burr-burr-burr " 

 must be accounted for. Mr. Pycraft remarks that " the 

 differences which obtain between the sjTinx of the Jack Snipe 

 and of the Common Snipe are at first rather surprising, but it 

 must be remembered that they are correlated with a difference 

 in the form of the posterior border of the sternum, which is 

 double-notched, while in all the other Snipes so far examined 

 this margin has but a single pair of notches. But the differ- 

 ences revealed by a comparison of the pterylography, of the 

 convolutions of the intestines, and of the myology are 

 negligible. 



" From the evidence so far available, we must regard the 

 Jack Snipe as entitled to the generic rank accorded it long 

 since." 



Black Terns in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. — 

 W. Todd writes that he saw a Black Tern (Hydrochelidon n. 

 nigra) flying over the lakes in Woburn Park on May 3rd, 

 1912, and T. Lewis Avrites that he saw two among many 

 Common Terns at Tring Reservoir, on May 4th. With 



