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secured ; early in June a Honey Buzzard {Pernis apivorus) in excellent 

 condition was shot at Sandgate ; and a remarkably fine example of that 

 great rarity the Alpine Swift ( Cypselus melha) was picked up on the 

 6th July in an exhausted state, consequent no doubt upon its long 

 journey from the Continent. — G. G. 



A Family of Poepoises. — During the summer of 1886 a porpoise 



was seen very near the head of the Admii-alty Pier at Dover. Its visits 



continued sufficiently long for it to become somewhat tame, but upon the 



approach of winter it disappeared. As spring was merging into summer 



the following year, a specimen, supposed to be the same, was noticed to 



frequent the spot, accompanied by a younger companion ; but assurance 



became doubly sure when in 1888, the porpoise appeared about the same 



date as before, with two extra in number this time, whilst two more 



were added to the family party in 1889. Throughout the spring and 



1 summer of this year the six showed themselves daily when the weather 



i was favorable. The spot chosen for their gambols was just within the 



angle formed by the fort at the end of the pier, out of the action of the 



\ tideway, but not in slack water, and they probably through their 



' confidence or fearless conduct, must have been observed by thousands 



I of spectators during the season. It was noticed that the mother and 



I one of the cubs were of a much lighter hue than the others, which were 



I easily identified one from the other. None were seen last year ; 



1 probably they were deterred, if not frightened away, by the engineering 



I works now in progress at the pier-head. A shoal was once or twice 



reported off Shakespeare's Cliff, but no evidence was to be obtained 



that it was the same family. 



It has been more than once surmised that shoals of porpoises 

 consisted of family groups ; but so far as we know this has been assumed 

 upon no other foundation of fact than that they are generally seen in 

 small parties. This appearance at Dover seems to partly corroborate 

 such a state of things, but if so, the mother must be the head of the 

 shoal ; at all events until puberty of the individual members, who may 

 then perhaps forsake her leadership. But what about the adult males ? 

 are they solitary in their habits, or do they, like some of the pachyderms, 

 associate together in droves by themselves ? 



Heering Gull. — After Mr. Gray's paper a note was read from 

 ; Mr. G. Dowker, describing a tame male gull which he had had about two 

 years, and which had been kept in confinement some years before it was 

 given to him. He makes no attempt to go away, and he can stand up 

 bravely for himself against either cats or dogs. He makes no great 

 effort to obtain food for himself but expects to be fed. He is fond of meat 

 and especially of fish, though he is omnivorous ; if his food is ' high ' 

 he seems to like it all the better. Cold or exposufe seems to have no 

 effect upon him, and he generally rests at night in the most exposed 

 place he can find. He is at times very pugnacious, and has been rash 

 enough to attack both a gander and a cow, from both of which he was 



