BIRD NOTES 77 



HOW DID THEY FEED? 



Under ordinary conditions a bird needs all his 

 faculties awake and complete in order to get a 

 respectable living; and one so unfortunate as to 

 become maimed, or that is naturally malformed, 

 must be seriously handicapped in the struggle for 

 existence. In December 1883 I saw a Hooded Crow 

 whose upper mandible overlapped its lower one, 

 curving downward with a more decided bend than 

 that of a Crossbill's, the under mandible being 

 normally shapen and responsible for the work of 

 grubbing in those places where food had to be 

 found when carrion was scant. Equally odd was 

 a Rook whose lower mandible was slightly elongated 

 and peculiarly sharpened, in contrast to a singularly 

 short upper member. Like the preceding bird, 

 it was shot in good plight, the malformation proving 

 its downfall by attracting the attention of gunners. 



I have twice met with gulls with the upper 

 mandible rounding off to a right angle and passing 

 the lower one, namely, an adult Common Gull in 

 November 1891, and an immature Herring Gull in 

 December 1900. 



For a number of days a large Gull was observed 



