300 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. vii. 



been recorded outside the breeding-area, and so far as we- 

 know none for the last ten or twelve years. The record 

 of nesting in Devonshke is the best evidence for suggesting 

 that the Kite is spreading from its breeding - quarters * in 

 Wales, and Mr. Wollaston's Somersetshire bird ma}^ possibly 

 have been one of the Devonshire pair. We have also reason 

 to believe that the latter are not the only ones which have 

 attempted to breed in England of late years. The Derb}'- 

 shire bird was much more likely to have come from Wales 

 than from the Contment, while the one which appeared in 

 Buckinghamshire in December probably had the same origin, 

 since the Kites ^^-hich breed in the northern part of the 

 Continent would long since liave completed their usual 

 southward migration. — Eds.] 



PINTAILS IX BERKSHIRE. 



Ox January- 18th, 1914, we saw Uvo adult male Pintails 

 {Dafila acuta) on Englefield Lake, Berkshire. We believe 

 this to be tlie first definite record of this species in Berkshire. 



R. BURNIER. 



p. A. Chubb. 

 [Mr. Heatley Xoble recorded ^hat ]ie believed to be 

 the first definite occurrence in 1907 {antea, Vol. L, 

 p. 292).— Eds.] 



RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS IX SURREY. 



On December 28th, 1913, my brother and I saw two Red- 

 breasted Mergansers {Mergus serrator) on Little Frensham 

 Pond, Surre}'. They were among some Teal, MaUards, 

 Pochards, and Tufted Ducks. I did not revisit the pond 

 until Januarj^ 2nd, when tlie ^lergansers were gone. 



Flora Russell. 



BLACK-HEADED GULL FEIGNING LAMENESS. 



Whilst on a visit to tlie gulJery at tlie south end of Walney 

 (Lancashire) on May 22nd, 1909. I was much surprised and 

 greatly interested in the behaviour of one particular Black- 

 lieaded Gull {Larus ridihundus) which, on our approaching 

 the vicmit}' of (I sujipose) its nest, alighted on the ground 

 and stumbled along before us, feigning lameness much in 

 the same manner as the Ringed Plover does. 



Seating myself along M'ith my comj^anion on one of tlie- 

 sand-hiUs, in order to watch the gulls settle on their nests, 

 M'e had ample opportunity of noting the bird in question, 

 and for a long time it carried out the same movements — 



