NOTES. "317 



ZONE-MARKED EGG OF BLACK-HEADED GULL. 



When at Ravenglass guUery, Cumberland, during June, 1910, 

 I examined a clutch of three Black-headed Gull's {Larus 

 ridihundus) eggs of the olive-brown type, one of which, as 

 will be seen from the accompanying photograph, was quite 

 abnormal in aj^pearance, being encircled by a pale greenish- 

 blue band of about a quarter of an inch in breadth, the light 

 portion of the shell showing no markings with the exception 

 of a few faint lilac spots. 



Judging from their uniformity of size and shape, all three 

 eggs were the product of the same bird, and in the case of the 



abnormal specimen it would appear that some accident 

 before the egg was deposited, prevented the olive colouring 

 matter from extending over the entire surface of the shell. 



Howard Bentham. 



[An explanation of such cases, which are well known to 

 occur occasionally in the eggs of both Waders and Gulls, 

 was siggested on page 220 (December number) of this 

 volume. — F.C.R.J.] 



OYSTER-CATCHERS FOLLOWING THE PLOUGH. 

 At the end of December, 1910, I witnessed the, to me, unusual 

 sight of about fifteen Oyster-Catchers {Ihemato'pus ostralegus) 

 following in the wake of a man ploughing, and feeding on the 

 organisms thereby unearthed. They were in company with 

 numerous Lapwings and Gulls (Black-headed and Herring), 

 and all were acting in the same manner. The field in which 

 this was observed was at St. John's Point, co. Down, Ireland, 

 and was situated some three hundred yards from the shore. 



Nevin H. Foster. 



