188 On Birds obset^ved in Sivitzerland. 



that the head appears to have two narrow bands of dusky 

 grey ; then the dark feathers increase between ; and lastly 

 they come on in front, till the base of the bill is reached. 

 A few birds have almost complete hoods at the time of writing 

 this. They are easily observed, for they are accustomed 

 to be fed with bread (one baker being a recognized purveyor 

 of " pain pour les mouettes '"' cut up in pieces, at ten centimes 

 a bagful) , and as soon as a window is opened in the morning 

 they come flocking up, catching the pieces thrown to them 

 without a miss (except when they come into collision), and 

 amid deafening clamour. If one bold bird takes a piece 

 from my fingers, others will often follow suit, while the same 

 individual will take pieces over and over again; but at 

 other times they will all sweep by in silence, looking wistfully 

 at the extended morsel. During the severe cold I gave them 

 fat meat. 



Larus can us, Linn. 



In January 1891 I identified several adult and immature 

 examples of the Common or Blue Gull, at Vevey and along 

 the lake. The white tips, after the subterminal black alar 

 bar, render the former very conspicuous ; while the dark 

 outer edges to the wings in the young contrast strongly with 

 the whitish border in L. ridibundus. 



I have also seen at a distance a large grey-backed Gull, 

 probably L. cachinnans, and a black-backed species, which 

 was, I think, L. fuscus ; it was hardly large enough for L. 

 marinus. The Little Gull (L. minutus) is sometimes common 

 on passage ; the Kittiwake [Rissa tridactyla) and some 

 other species also occur. 



The three species of Colymbidse are found on the lakes ; a 

 Black-throated Diver in the Neuchatel collection being in full 

 breeding-plumage, while a Great Northern Diver is so young 

 that a few filaments of down are still adhering to its head. 



No Grebes have come under my notice at this upper end 

 of Lake Leman, but all the European species are represented 

 in the Swiss museums. 



Hotel des Trois Couronnes, 



Vevey, February 16th, 1891. 



