NOTES. 27 



fishing-line attached to a cod-liook, whicli had passed through 

 the horny sheath. 



The point most worthy of notice in the majority of these 

 instances is the amazing vitahty that allows these birds, not 

 only to live, but to thrive under such conditions. In both 

 the instances I have cited the birds were flying strongly, and 

 appeared to suffer but little inconvenience. 



Clifford Borrer. 



HERRmO-GULL AND SHAG OCCUPYING DISUSED 



RAVENS' NESTS. 

 On May 11th, 1910, on the Cornish coast, I found a Herring- 

 Gull {Larus argentatus) sitting on the top of a nest which had 

 been built and used by a pair of Ravens [Corvus corax) earlier 

 in the year — their 3'oung having disappeared from the nest 

 between the 10th and 16th of April, when still hardly capable 

 of flight. The Gull had put in a sUght hning of dry grass, and 

 laid one egg. 



Of the further history of events last j^ear I have no know- 

 ledge. This year the Ravens — presumably the same pair — 

 built their nest on the same cUff , but lower down on or near a 

 ledge occupied last year by a pair of Shags [Phalacrocorax 

 graculus). A good view of the nest can be had from an 

 adjacent, accessible part of the cUff. The nest was completed 

 by February 26th, but no eggs could be seen on that date. 

 Six days later it contained four eggs, but on my next visit 

 (March 20th) I found it empty — robbed. On March 26th a 

 Shag was sitting in the nest, but there were as yet no eggs ; 

 on April 5th a Shag was again in the nest, and after dislodging 

 her — a by no means easy matter — I saw that she had laid 

 three eggs. On April 16th I found her there again, but failed 

 to induce her to move. 



So far as I could see, the Shags had adopted the nest as left 

 by the Ravens, without addition or alteration. 



W. I. Beaumont. 



GREAT NORTHERN DIVER SWALLOWING A 

 CUTTLE-FISH. 



A Great Northern Diver {Colymbus glacialis) shot in Orkney 

 in January, 1911, had in its gullet a Cuttle-fish, which when 

 placed in a basin in its natural position, measured eight inches 

 across. It was body-downwards in the gullet with the tentacles 

 pointing upwards, and the gastric juices had already com- 

 menced their work upon the body where it was lowest in the 

 gullet, although very slightly and only in one place. Two 

 of the tentacles appeared to be missing. H. W. Robinson. 



