258 The Zoologist — June, 1866. 



Ornithological Notes from North Lin coin shir is. ■ 

 By John Cordeaux, Esq. 



• (Coulinued from Zool. S. S. 217.) 



April, 1866. 



Common Gull. — After the heavv rains durinc; llie first week in 

 April large flocks of these gulls came daily to feed on the grass- 

 marshes, in company with rooks and starlings. It is rather an unusual 

 occurrence in this neighbourhood to see them thus feeding so near the 

 Humber, as their habit is to forage far inland on the high wold 

 district, often going from twenty to tliirt}' miles from the sea. During 

 the winter flocks of these birds may be daily seen passing over in the 

 early morning to their distant feeding-grounds, returning to the 

 Humber from three to five o'clock in the afternoon. These flocks 

 usually fly in the shape of a V : in windy weather low, and in still 

 calm weather at a great height. The greater portion of these gulls 

 which frequent the Humber during the winter season are adult 

 birds. 



Snipe. — In answer to the inquiry of Mr. Jeffery (S. S. 166), it is not 

 unusual for a wounded snipe to throw itself inta the position he 

 describes — namely, the tail spread out like a fan and held at right 

 angles to the body. This practice is also common to other of the 

 waders, and I have always thought that this peculiar posture on the 

 part of a wounded bird was merely an indication of extreme disap- 

 proval at the unfortunate position in which it found itself placed. 

 Wounded birds of many species, on the approach of their captor, at 

 once throw themselves into a defensive attitude ; and the snipe will 

 thus naturally assume the most formidable appearance it is capable of. 



Starling. — On the approach of spring, and before breaking up into 

 pairs for the breeding-season, the congregated thousands of these birds 

 exhibit unusual activity ; they delight in keeping long together on the 

 wing, going through the most marvellous aerial performances. The 

 evolutions of a large flock of starlings over our marsh district, at this 

 season, is always a most interesting sight. It is extraordinary with 

 what precision the whole flock will instantaneously turn, — now to left, 

 now to right, — every bird wheeling exactly at the same moment, as if 

 by word of command. They have often the appearance, in the 

 distance, of a towering column of smoke, waving slowly backwards 



