The Zoologist— July, 1807. 833 



taken in stepping not to crush the eggs, but about the 15ih the keeper tells me the 

 number of nests will be greatly increased. The nests, composed of rough grass, rushes 

 or pieces of stubble, were scattered broadcast, the centre of every tuft of rushes being 

 occupied : the eggs numbered from two to four, seldom four, generally three ; the nests 

 with two in had probably not got their proper complement. I can fully endorse the 

 statements of that most accurate naturalist, Mr. Hewitson, who writes, " The eggs of 

 this species vary in size and colour more than those of any other gull ; the ground 

 colour is sometimes of a light blue or yellow, and sometimes green, or red, or brown.'' 

 Amongst the hundreds of varieties I saw the other day I noticed one white all over, 

 with the exception of the black cap on the large end covering about one sixth of the 

 shell. Mr. Gardner's keeper, who has been on the ground for many years, tells ine 

 that the gulls vary in their arrival, nesting, and departure, according to the season, 

 but only a few days. The first fortnight of March covers their arrival, the first eggs 

 are laid during the first fortnight of April, and the young commence to hatch during 

 the first fortnight of May. This year the keeper tells me that the first birds made 

 their appearance on the 6ih of March, and the first eggs were laid on the 13th of April. 

 The early broods will leave the breeding-place in the end of June, and by the end of 

 July scarcely a single gull will be left. I saw a dozen or more dead birds on the 

 ground, one or two had been killed on their nests by weasels or stoats; the others I 

 am afraid came home to die after being peppered by some of those cockney sportsmen 

 who haunt the beach of watering-places in the spring season. — H. W. Feilden ; 

 Fleetwood, May 6, 1867. 



The Plumbeous Water-robin (Ruticilla fuliginosa).— It lives entirely along rivers 

 and mountain torrents, and may often be seen on a wet and slippery rock, just above 

 a boiling rapid ; it climbs up the wet rocks with great facility, and every now and then, 

 alighting on a rock, it spreads its tail, but does not vibrate it like some of the redstarts. 

 It is a pugnacious little fellow, and often gives battle to the little Euieurus Scouleri, 

 which delights in similar spots, and it generally drives its antagonist away. Its flight 

 is rapid and direct. It feeds on various aquatic insects and larvae, some kinds of which 

 are always found just at the edge of the water, and which a wave often leaves behind 

 it on the rock. Griffiths, in his private journal, states that he observed and shot it iu 

 .Kafliristan, while it was "examining a wall for insects, and fluttering about the holes 

 in it."— 'Birds of India; p. 143. 



The Puhas Pheasant (Pucrasia macrolopha).— This is another forest pheasant 

 common to the whole of the wooded regions, from an elevation of about 400U feel to 

 nearly the extreme limits of forest, but is most abundant iu the lower and intermediate 

 ranges. In the lower regions its favourite haunts are in wooded ravines, but it is found 

 on nearly all hill-sides which are covered with trees or bushes, from the summit of the 

 ridges to about half-way down. Further in the interior it is found scattered iu all 

 parts, from near the fool of the hills to the top, or as far as the forest reaches, seeming 

 most partial to ihe deep sloping forest composed of oak, chestnut and Morenda pine, 

 with box, yew and other trees intermingled, and a thick under-wood of r'mgall. This 

 bird is of a rather retired and solitary disposition. Ii is generally found singly or 

 in pairs; and except the brood of young birds, which keep pretty well collected till 

 near the end of winter, they seldom congregate much together. Where numerous, 

 several are often put up at no great distance from each other, as if they were members 

 of one lot; but when more thinly scattered, it is seldom more than two old birds are 

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