NOTES. 298 



■' Birds of Heligoland," for instance, cases are mentioned of 

 the Thrush, Snow-Bunting, and Brambling being found at 

 sea in this position, and attention is drawn to the subject 

 in connection with its possible bearing upon migration. It 

 is also well-known that at certain places, notably the Nile, 

 Rock-Doves have been observed to settle on the water " like 

 Gulls," in order to drink ; and I have a note of a case recorded 

 in " The Field " (26th June. 1875). of a Wood-Pigeon alighting 

 on water with outspread wings for the same purpose. The 

 bird which I saw, however, did not drink ; but apparently 

 merely took a swim for the enjoyment of it. 



A. HOI.TE MACPHERSOy. 



THE FOOD OF THE BLACK-HEADED GULL. 



I WAS pleased to see your answers to the letter of Messrs. 

 Thorpe and Hope, on the above subject. Their enquiry into 

 the subject has been of far too short duration to prove, or 

 disprove, that the Black-headed Gull is harmful to farmers, 

 or fishermen. A report of this kind must prejudice many 

 County Councils against any bird which the report may deal 

 with, and in the case of two counties in Scotland it has had 

 the effect of making the County C'ouncils strike all Gulls off 

 the list ; in neither place have the Black-headed Gulls 

 increased to any great extent. It surprised me very much 

 to see a wholesale condemnation of the Black-headed Gull 

 as a Salmonidce feeder in Mr. Calderwood's book on the salmon. 

 My own experience, in examining a large number of these 

 Gulls, is that they have been almost totally insectivorous, and 

 this has been mostly on a salmon river, with any quantity 

 of fry at their disposal if they could have caught them. I 

 fully believe that any fry found in the Black-headed Gulls 

 examined by Messrs. Thorpe and Hope had been injured or 

 dead ones floating on the water. As these Gulls are generally 

 in flocks, and salmon fry in enormous numbers, it is strange 

 that more Gulls were not found with, fry in them. It ought 

 to be an easy thing to prove on any salmon river where the 

 Black-headed Gulls congregate. 



W. Steuart-Menzies. 



[We have received a further long letter from Messrs. Thorpe 

 and Hope, which for the most part consists of criticisms 

 of our opinions, and these we cannot discuss. 



That this report was premature, and that the authors are 

 lacking in judicial capacity, is abundantly proved, however, by 

 one passage in the letter now in question. Herein they assert 

 that " This investigation was undertaken for the specific purpose 



