270 BRITISH BIRDS [vol. viii. 



weakens the power of resistance, especially in the case 

 of feathers in which the twist is just at the point where 

 they extend beyond the " shelter " — so to speak — of the 

 other rectrices, and, moreover, it is here they are usually 

 broken off. 



Is it not the case that Pomatorhine Skuas with damaged 

 tail-feathers are usually obtained after stormy weather ? 

 If this be so, is it merely a coincidence ? 



The two tapering central tail-feathers in Richardson's 

 Skua project about three inches, those in the Pomatorhine 

 about four inches, and those in Buffon's about seven or eight 

 inches, but in Richardson's we find them rarely, if ever, broken, 

 seldom in Buffon's, and I have since heard of so many in- 

 stances in the case of the Pomatorhine, that it may be said 

 they are frequently broken in this species, and until someone 

 actually sees the tail-feather either falling after it has been 

 snipped off, or being carried away by the chasing Skua, I 

 shall not consider the evidence conclusive. 



Richard M. Barrington. 



[Mr. Roberts has been dead for many years, so that it is 

 impossible for us to obtain the details asked for by Mr. 

 Barrington. — Eds.] 



MOORHEN USING NEST OF SPARROW-HAWK. 



During the early part of May, 1913, I found a Sparrow- 

 Hawk's nest in a fir plantation a few miles from Maryport, 

 Cumberland. The nest was built about fifteen feet from 

 the ground, and contained three eggs. On visiting the nest 

 a few weeks later I found the Hawk's eggs taken, and the 

 nest occupied by a pair of Moorhens [Gallinula ch. chloropus). 

 The nest, which had been made deeper and lined with the 

 dried leaves of the yellow iris, contained seven eggs, from 

 which I flushed the sitting bird. William J. x4.ndrews. 



[Instances of Moorhens nesting in trees have frequently 

 been recorded. I do not remember any case of a Sparrow- 

 Hawk's nest having been utilized, but have notes of Moorhens 

 breeding in nests of Rook, Magpie, and Wood-Pigeon. — 

 F.C.R.J.] 



Introduction of Bearded Tits in Yorkshire. — In 

 1911 some Bearded Tits, imported from Holland, were 

 liberated at Hornsea Mere, and at the time we strongly 

 deprecated this interference with Nature (c/. Vol. V., p. 108). 

 The experiment was at first apparently successful, but we 



