1G6 BRITISH BIRDS. 



{Helcion pellucidum), and the pretty brown and white 

 Lacuna divaricata, both common inhabitants of the fronds of 

 the large sea-weed, Laminar ia. These, and the contents of 

 the stomach or gizzard, I secured, and made arrangements 

 whereby I was enabled to examine the food- material from 

 the whole of the birds. The following is a list of the mollusca 

 and other animals identified. The paucity of bivalve molluscs 

 is noteworthy in view of the prominent place usually assigned 

 to them in the Eider's diet. 



Helcion pellucidum /—Present, usually in large numbers, in 25 out of 

 the 42 birds. (Esophagus often filled with it and the next species ; 

 in one case 286 of the former together with 144 of the latter — most 

 of the shells still quite uninjured — were extracted. This was over 

 and above the pounded mass in the gizzard. 



Lacuna divaricata : — Present in 10 cases, thrice in large quantity, 144, 

 as mentioned above, being taken from the gullet of one bird. 



Buccinum undatum : — Occurred in 4 cases, in 3 of which it constituted 

 practically the whole contents of the oesophagus and stomach, a few 

 of the next shell being the only other thing present. One bird had 

 9 all but entire Buccina in its gullet ; another had 8, and a third 7. 

 A number of the shells were two inches in length. 



Trochus cinerarius : — Occurred in 9 cases, but only in small numbers 

 (3 or 4), and always entire or nearly so, even in the gizzard. 



Trochus magus : — In two cases, four specimens and one respectively. 



Trochus zizyphinus : — In two cases, one specimen in each. 



Littorina obtusata : — Occurred only once, when a dozen examples were 

 present. 



Purpura lapillus : — Once ; two found. 



Nassa incrassata : — Once ; a few only. 



Cyprcea europcea : — The " Cowrie " occurred but once ; one specimen. 



Saxicava rugosa : — Present once ; portions of two examples. 



Solen siliqua : — In gullet of one bird ; portions about 1\ inches long of 

 the valves (still united) of two examples. When entire these razor- 

 fish shells must have been about 5 inches in length. 



Hyas coarctatus, Garcinus mcenas, and Cancer pagurus : — Remains of one 

 or other of these three crabs were detected in 17 cases. Hyas was 

 perhaj^s the most general, and Cancer decidedly the least frequent. 

 Examples of Hyas, entire but for the want of a leg or two, from 1£ 

 to If inches, and a Garcinus 2 inches across the carapace, were taken 

 from the gullets of some of the ducks. 



Idotea tricuspidata : — Occurred in three cases, in one the oesophagus 

 and gizzard being crammed with it. 



Asterias rubens : — This star-fish was present thrice ; in one instance 4 

 good sized examples were found in the duck's throat. 



Ophiothrix fragilis : — Once ; portions of 3 or 4 in gullet. 



Actinia mesembryanthemum (?): — A piece of a sea-anemone occurred 

 once, along with fragments of crabs. 



Loligo sp. (?): — One duck had its gullet and stomach filled with the 

 flesh of a cuttle-fish, probably of this genus. 



Spawn of Cottus (?) : — Another contained a quantity of the roe of some 

 inshore fish, Cottus perhaps. 



Some small black stones were found in the gizzards of three 

 of the birds, a few pieces of Laminaria in several, and in one 



