22 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xv. 



Rice and other grain is mentioned by Blanford as forming 

 part of the dietary of this species, and Irby also states that 

 birds killed on the stubbles in India were full of rice {Ibis, 

 1861, p.241). J. E. M. Mellor. 



EARLY BREEDING OF WOODCOCK. 



It is well known that Woodcocks {Scolopax rusticola) are 

 early breeders in this country, but exact dates are worth 

 recording. On March 2gth, 192 1, hounds, when drawing 

 one of our coverts at Hever, Kent, put a Woodcock off her 

 nest. The nest contained a young one just hatched and three 

 eggs in various stages of " chipping." Thirty hours after- 

 wards I went and looked at the nest. The young had hatched 

 and the egg-shells were in small pieces in the bottom. The 

 mother was brooding about six yards away. As the weather 

 was fine and warm I put her off to see if she would pick one 

 up, but she did not do so, but flew about thirty yards with 

 a peculiar flopping flight, and ran backwards and forwards 

 trailing her wings. The bird must have commenced to lay 

 about March ist. E. G. B. Meade-Waldo. 



PROBABLE IVORY-GULL IN GLAMORGAN. 



DuRiNc; the early hours of the morning, between dawn and 

 the opening of the parks, a large flock of Gulls is generally 

 to be seen feeding and resting in the Recreation Grounds of 

 Roath Park, Cardiff. Passing this place at 6.40 a.m. (summer 

 time) on April 3rd, 192 1, I noticed among some fifty to sixty 

 Common and Black-headed Gulls (L. canus and ridihundus) 

 one bird which appeared to be entirely white. With the aid 

 of glasses the following points were visible : General plumage, 

 with the exception of some dark spots on the wings, correspond- 

 ing with the tips of the primaries, completely white. Bill 

 light. Legs and feet dark. Its size appeared to be exactly 

 that of the Common Gulls it was walking amongst, and I am 

 quite satisfied that it was an immature specimen of the 

 Ivory -Gull {Pagophila eburnea). Geoffrey C. S. Ingram. 



LARGE CLUTCH OF MOOR-HEN'S EGGS. 



Whilst working through a large reed-bed in the south-east 

 corner of Hampshire on April 21st, 1921, I came across a nest 

 of a Moor-Hen {Gallimda c. cliloropiis) with sixteen eggs in it. 

 All the eggs were very slightly incubated (about two days). 

 Within an area of fifty square 3/ards were two more nests of 

 this species, one containing ten, the other three eggs. It may 

 be of interest to add that this reed-bed is very strictly 

 preserved, and is therefore very little disturbed. The reed- 



