198 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. viii. 



its prepence here. It is now in the hands of Messrs. vShealR, 

 taxidcrinist.s, J3elfast, who identiiied it and who inforni 

 me that it is a young male. In its stomach were fomid 

 the remains of bees and other insects, and it was in excellent 

 condition. Herbert T. Malcomson. 



FORK-TAILED PETREL IN SHROPSHIRE. 



On September 18th, 1914, a Leach's Fork-tailed Petrel 

 {Oceanodroma lencorhoa) was picked up in a helpless 

 condition on the high road at Montford Bridge (on the 

 Severn) four miles west of Shrewsbury. The local post- 

 master, Mr. Thomas, broiight it in for me to see, but I was 

 out of town at the time. He then showed it to a Mr. Lewis, 

 who recognised it as a Petrel. This gentleman afterwards 

 jiut it down on his lawn, and presently the bird took wing 

 and flew off down the river. I showed Mr. Thomas the 

 different species of Petrel in the local museum, and he 

 readily identified his bird as a Fork-tailed. It was much 

 larger than the Storm-Petrel. As a matter of fact, the 

 former is much more often met with in Shropshire than the 

 latter. H. E. Forrest. 



ROSEATE TERN IN SHROPSHIRE. 



I RECENTLY identified (at a Shrewsbury taxidermist's) an 

 immature example of the Roseate Tern [Sterna d. dougallii) 

 obtained about September 21st, 1914, near Llanymynech, 

 on the Montgomeryshire border of Shropshire. This species 

 has only once before been recorded in the county — by 

 Eyton, about 1830. The specimen had been taken for an 

 Arctic Tern, but I recognised it as a Roseate by the lighter 

 colour, and by the white borders of the inner webs of the 

 primaries extending to the tips of the feathers. At this 

 age — it is a bird of the year — the tail is so much shorter 

 than in the adult that it does not reach to the end of the 

 wings when closed. 



I may add that a Lesser Tern was obtained on the Shrop- 

 shire side of the Teme at Knighton on September 14th, 

 1914, whilst a larger Tern (species ?) was seen flying about 

 over the Severn at Shrewsbury on September 20th. Doubt- 

 less all three were migrating. H. E. Forrest. 



GULLS WORRYING DIVING BIRDS. 



Dr. F. Penrose's observations [antea, p. 174) are interesting, 

 and it may be worth putting on record that the Great Black- 

 backed Gull {Larus marinus) is a constant and unpleasant 

 source of annoyance to Eiders and Long-tailed Ducks when 



