The Zoologist— July, 1867. 835 



mandibles was mainly caused by a process of wearing down by constaut attrition with 

 various shells; I am now inclined to doubt ihis. Many years ago shell-eaters were 

 brought to me alive, for the purpose of training a bbyri, and these, as is usual, to 

 prevent them struggling or fluttering, had their eyes sown up. To feed them the 

 falconer had a large quantity of the large Ampullaria brought, which were placed 

 before the captive and blinded shell-eaters. The bird secured a shell by its feet, and, 

 after sundry alterations of its position, succeeded in cutting off the operculum as 

 cleanly as if it had been done by a razor, but so rapidly that I was unable to see the 

 e^act way in which it was accomplished. It then inserted the top of its clumsy beak 

 into the open mouth of the shell, and after working it ahout for a short time pulled out 

 the eutire shell-fish almost to its utmost tip. I saw this process repeated many times, 

 and I cannot conceive that a bird which takes the trouble to extract the animal from 

 the comparatively brittle Ampullaria should require to bruise the more hard and solid 

 shell of the Unio. Colonel Sykes, indeed, states that the gape exists in the young 

 individuals (an observation which I have also confirmed), and that it is a provision of 

 Nature to enable them to open the shells of the Unio, on which they feed ; as to how 

 this is effected I cannot speak from experience. The shell-eater, in default of its 

 proper food, will eat fish, frogs, &c, but shell-fish are its peculiar aliment, and every 

 native name has reference to this habit. This anistomus breeds in Northern and 

 Central India, on lofty trees, in June and July, in numbers together, laying four dirty 

 white eggs: it is often found in company with other birds, night herons, black ibises, 

 &c. Layard, who also found it breeding in Ceylon, states that it defends its nest most 

 pertinaciously. The flight of this bird is strong and tolerably rapid, and it gives good 

 sport with a bhyri. Mr. J. Shillingford informs me that it is sometimes caught in the 

 Poonah district by a bamboo, with a noose attached, being bent down and fixed 

 lightly to the ground by a small peg, to which an Ampullaria is affixed. The shell- 

 eater hunting about finds the shell, and moving it to get at its contents, the peg is 

 withdrawn, the bamboo flies up, and the noose catches the bird, which remains 

 dangling in mid-air. — ' Birds of India,' vol. i. p. 766. 



Mr. Kirby's Rooks. — The lofty elms which stood by the side upon the grass-plot 

 were planted by Mr. Bacon ; they had long been taken possession of by the rooks, 

 who were never to be disturbed upon any account, and in the spring time they were 

 watched with a jealous care. It is true that one year, when it was represented that 

 they were materially injuring the trees, and were become too numerous, leave was 

 reluctantly given to have a few destroyed ; but, as if it were a warning never again to 

 repeat the attack, the whole household were taken ill in a manner most accountable: 

 it was supposed that the rooks, which had been made into a pie, bad partaken of some 

 poison laid by a neighbouring farmer. The superstitious saw a yet heavier penalty 

 threatened some few years after; for late one night strange noises were heard, but 

 could not be traced. At length, to the amazement of the inmates of the parlour, a 

 ropk fluttered through the fire,place: the exact cause of the catastrophe was never 

 ascertained.— Freeman's ' Life of the Rev. William Kirby,' p. 495. 



Toad-stones.— In the March number of the 'Zoologist' (S. S. 707), I observe a 

 communication under this heading, from Mr. Roberts, to which is appended an editorial 



