xNOTES. 227 



watching, and at him he would instantly rush. A furious 

 fight would ensue, ending by his chasing the bird off the field. 

 When chasing each other, they frequently hid among the 

 scmty herbage, and it was amusing to watch the pursuer 

 stretching himself to peer about in all directions, seeking his 

 rival, and if he discovered him he would pitch into him, or 

 if unable to see him would himself lie low until the other 

 appeared from his concealment and made off as quickly as 

 possible, to be soon discovered and chased beyond the arena. 

 I watched two chasing each other for more than a quarter 

 of a mile — always runningf, never flying. The victor then 

 would hurry back to the hens, to find his place taken by 

 another cock engaged in similar display, and he would, in 

 his turn, perhaps be chased away. It was remarkable that 

 they never took to flight, but always ran And so these antics 

 continued all the evening, until it was too dark to discern 

 the birds, but their clamouring continued for some time 

 longer. Philip W. Munn. 



CURLEW WITH A MALFORMED BILL. 



The Curlew {Numenius arquatus),si sketch of the head of which 

 is annexed, was shot in Norfolk during October, 1911. The 

 upper mandible in this specimen was very little more than half 



as long as the lower, but terminated in an apparently naturally 

 curved point. 



The bird was in very good condition, but it is a little difficult 

 to understand how it obtained plenty of food. 



Clifford Borrer. 



ICELAND GULLS IN SCOTLAND. 



Lest the mention of an Iceland Gull {Larus leucopterus) 

 as having occurred in the Flannan Isles (p. 202) in winter 

 should lead your readers to think that the species is a rare 

 one in the north of Scotland, perhaps it would be wise to 



