NOTES. 261 



considered neutral or beneficial. Thus, in this report, ah the 

 " Ground-beetles " (Carabidce) are regarded as beneficial to 

 man's interests, so that Gulls, in so far as they feed on these 

 beetles, are to be considered as harmful to man. As a matter 

 of fact, several species of Carabidce are to be reckoned among 

 the pests of the farmer and gardener since they make serious 

 raids on strawberries, swedes, mangel- wurzels, and kohl- 

 rabi, for example. Of this the authors can obtain confirmation 

 by consulting the " Reports " published by the Board of Agri- 

 culture, or the " Reports on Economic Zoology " pubhshed 

 by the British Museum. In so far, then, as the Gulls devour 

 these species they are beneficial and not harmful to man ! 



We do not wish to disparage the work of Messrs. Thorpe 

 and Hope. Quite the contrary. They have undertaken, 

 in the right spirit, a work which badly needs doing ; and our 

 only object in criticizing is that thereby the truth may be 

 thrashed out, and that even better work may be done. 



But the authors do not appear to realize that their 

 " recommendation " is hkely to have far-reaching consequences, 

 for other public bodies will follow this " recommendation " 

 as authoritative. Thus real harm niay result from this 

 report when nothing but good was intended. 



We sincerely hope they will see their way to revise their 

 work, and to bear in mind that a wider area than that ruled 

 by the Cumberland County Council will be affected by their 

 " recommendations." — Eds.] 



THE SOARING OF SMALL BIRDS. 



It is much to be regretted that the flight of birds, and more 

 particularly their soaring, are so httle studied by ornith- 

 ologists. Mr. Lowe's letter in the last number of British 

 Birds (p. 225), therefore, is welcome. But as to the point 

 which he raises, my observations do not agree with his. I 

 have seen Swifts after giving a few vigorous strokes glide 

 onward with wings held rigidly expanded, then after another 

 stroke or two glide onward again. But neither during their 

 calmer flight in broad daylight, nor in their wild twilight 

 evolutions before they go to roost, have I seen them obtaining 

 support and momentum from the wind : and this is the essence 

 of soaring. Last September I several times saw Wheatears 

 hovering with wings expanded and motionless. Kestrel- 

 fashion, where rocks gave the wind an upward slant, but in 

 each case it lasted only for two or three seconds. And I have 

 seen Bee-eaters trying to turn spirals, but their success was 

 not great, for they had frequently to put in a stroke with their 

 wings. F. W. Headley. 



