236 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xiv. 



too made nine dives in that period, of lo, 20, 25, 16, 13, 10, 30, 

 20 and 20 seconds' duration. W. P. G. Taylor. 



LATE STAY OF BRITISH LESSER BLACK-BACKED 



GULLS. 

 The British Lesser Black-backed Gulls {Lams fiiscns a/finis) 

 were very late in taking their departure from the north of 

 England this winter, probably on account of the very open 

 weather. 



With the exception of one bird of the Scandinavian race 

 {L. f. fuscus) seen on October 20th, 1920, I did not see another 

 until December 23rd, when I saw several. 



On October 30th, and again on November i6th, 23rd and 

 27th and December ist, there were still a number about, but 

 all of the British race. Between December 2nd and 23rd 

 I saw none of either form. 



It may be of interest to add that most of the Great Black- 

 backed Gulls {Lams marinns) seen on October 20th were still 

 in summer plumage. 



Between December 23rd and January loth I saw Lesser 

 Black-backed Gulls almost every day, generally pairs and 

 single birds, and on one occasion three, and all were 

 of the Scandinavian race. 



On January nth I saw six together, of which five were 

 Scandinavian and one British, but on January 14th this order 

 was reversed, for of four seen three were British and only one 

 Scandina\dan, on the 17th I saw two British and on the igth 

 one Scandinavian. All these were in full winter plumage. 

 These last British birds may have been returned migrants, for 

 they come very early in the year ; last year, 1920, showing the 

 earliest, viz., on January 23rd, although the fact that they 

 were still in winter plumage is against this theory, for spring 

 migrants usually arrive in full summer plumage. One of the 

 British race seen on January 14th, although adult, was a very 

 small bird, and I have noticed this difference several times, 

 the most marked being among a lot of live Gulls which I once 

 saw in Leadenhall Market, where three adult Great Black- 

 backed Gulls were only of the size of Lesser Black-backed 

 Gulls and two of the last named, also adults, very little larger 

 than Common Gulls {L. canus). As none of these dwarf birds 

 are ever seen on the breeding grounds, it either points to 

 their being sterile or unable to obtain mates on account of 

 their deformity. H. W. Robinson. 



Albino Yellow Wagtail in Cumberland. — Mr. H. H. 

 Earwig informs us that on August 25th, 1920, he saw amongst 



