214 HHITISH BIRDS. [vol ix. 



were the larger birds, but as the folloA\ing measurements 

 will show, their brooding-spots were somewhat smaller in 

 superficial area. 



Two u'p'pfir spots. Loiver spot. 



Female ... 2x1 inch. 2 x lA inch. 



Male ... 2 X 1 inch. 1 x 1 inch. 



Male ... 1| X 1 inch. U x 1^ inch. 



F. B. KiRKMAN. 



MEDITERRANEAN BLACK-HEADED GULL IN 



SUSSEX. 



On November 11th, 1915, when watching some ladies feeding 

 a large flock of Black-headed Gulls from the parade at White 

 Rock, Hastings, I noticed amongst the Gulls an example 

 of the Mediterranean Black-headed Gull {Lams melano- 

 cephahis). The breast of the bird was of a very light pinkish- 

 russet colour, and in great contrast to the pure white breasts 

 of L. ridihundus. The quills were white, the first only 

 externally margined with black, and what remained of the 

 hood seemed of a more pronoiniced shade of colour than in 

 the common Black-headed Gulls. These latter birds, as is 

 the case with them in London, are wonderfully tame, and are 

 a great delight to our winter visitors. I am glad to say 

 that no shooting is allowed along the front at Hastings and 

 St. Leonards, so that I hope this bird may be allowed to 

 remain unmolested and not meet A^ith the fate that un- 

 fortunately happens to any rare birds which visit this 

 neighbourhood. There is nothing. I think, extraordinary 

 in the appearance of this bird here, as in July last a party 

 of six or seven of this species visited Rye and several were 

 shot (rf. Vol. IX., p. 69). " Thomas Pakkin. 



The Birds of Renfrewshire. — A very useful series of 

 articles is contributed by Messrs. J. Robertson and T. 

 Thornton Mackeith on this subject to the Scottish Naturalist 

 (1915, pp. 124-7, 244-50, 2GS-75). The authors give a brief 

 account of the status of each species in narrative form, but 

 authorities for the statements are seldom quoted, so that 

 it is difficult to say what is new in their list. We note 

 the following, which seem to us of special interest. The 

 Blackcap is rare, in marked contrast to the Garden- 

 Warbler, which is common in suitable localities. Some 

 interesting notes are given of the Willow-Tit, which is con- 

 sidered rare in the county as a breeding-species, though 

 apparently rather more widely distributed in wintcM-. A 



