150 Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 



birds, writes as follows : — " J'ai observe un caractere j)lus 

 curieux encore, et par lequel on pent immediatement dis- 

 tinguer Foiseau adulte des jeunes ; savoir, que ces derniers 

 ont constamment le talon muni de protuberances coniques 

 et pointues, que Fon remarque meme tres distinctement dans 

 les plus petites especes. Ce pbenomene remarquable a sans 

 doute un certain but dans Peconomie de Foiseau non encore 

 parvenu a Fetat adulte, puisque ces protuberances s'ecaillent 

 et disparaissent parfaitement dans un age plus avance/' 



I have pointed out the same thing in my ' Catalogo Sis- 

 tematico degli Uccelli di Borneo/ p. 35 ; and 1 am under 

 the impression that it happens also in the Woodpecker. 

 Two years ago I shot two young birds o£ the Green Wood- 

 pecker, and I have a vague recollection of having noticed 

 the presence of the tuberculated pad on the heel, only I did 

 not attach much importance to it, as I thought that the fact 

 was well known. Yours &c., 



London, Natural History Museum, T. Salvadori. 



Nov. 4, 1890. 



Sir, — May I draw your attention to a slight error in your 

 columns? In 'The Ibis' of last October, p. 410, the Cor- 

 morant is stated to use its wings when diving. I Avonder 

 how this has been ascertained ; for it is diametrically opposed 

 to the opinions of many keen observers, by one of whom 

 the passage has been pointed out to me, as they are good 

 enough to consider me an authority upon these birds. 



I cannot imagine how anyone could get near enough 

 to a wild diving Cormorant to see what it does under the 

 surface. Now facts are stubborn things to deal with ; and 

 as I have kept these birds all my life, and have had one that 

 reached the age of twenty-three, I think I may fairly he 

 considered an authority on this subject. My Cormorants, 

 with which I am constantly catching fish, never use their wings 

 under the water, but keep them very tight and close to their 

 bodies. They only propel themselves by their feet, which are 

 thrown far astern, and used very much like the screw of a 

 steamer ; at the same time the long neck is drawn in, to be 



