3694 The Zoologist — September, 1873. 



likely to occur in England, as suggested by the Editor of the ' Field.'— 

 E. Newman.] 



Captain Fcilden's Criticisms on Mr. Dnrnford's Ornithlogical Notes.— 



In answer to Captain Feildeu's criticisms, in the August number of the 

 ' Zoologist ' (S. S. 3643), on my notes in the July number, I will reply as 

 shortly as possible. He is right in saying that in more than one instance 

 I have gained my information second-hand, which he appears to speak of in 

 very disparaging terms, though almost in the same breath giving us a 

 second-hand note himself ; but I believe my informants to be thoroughly 

 trustworthy, and I think it must be evident to all the readers of the 

 ' Zoologist ' where I have done so. This is almost inevitable, when one can 

 only pay a flying visit to any locality for the purpose of making ornitholo- 

 gical notes, though one's own observations are undoubtedly the most 

 valuable. On reading his remarks on my notes on the Sandwich tern, 

 I immediately wrote to the tenant of the land on which these birds breed, 

 but regret to say I have up to this time (Aug. 18th) received no reply. 

 I can therefore now only repeat, it is my firm conviction that the eggs were 

 given me as having been taken this season ; and I can safely assert that on 

 the 31st of May there were no Sandwich terns at their usual breeding-place 

 on Walney Island, and the watcher who accompanied me assured me they 

 had then nested and left the place. As regards the herring gulls, I stated 

 that the adult birds which bred on the South Stack, near Holyhead, were 

 very jealous of their tenements, " not even allowing their own young to 

 nest amongst them." As the same number of birds (as nearly as can be 

 judged) return year after year to this rock, it is a fair presumption that they 

 are the same individual birds which have nested on it in former years : this 

 of course cannot be proved, but it is extremely likely to be the case, as it is 

 known to be the fact with swallows, and I believe with some other birds. 

 Captain Feilden finds fault with me for employing the term " mallard " for 

 the male of the shieldrake : I am aware this term is usually applied to the 

 male of the wild duck, but as it was used by the lighthouse-keeper who told 

 me the story I have reproduced it in my paper. Surely this note with 

 reference to the breeding^ of the shieldrake cannot be unintelligible to 

 Captain Feilden or anyone else, though possibly 1 might have expressed 

 myself more clearly ; " breeding-quartere " is obviously a misprint for 

 " feeding-quarters," and I am sorry to say there are several such misprints 

 in my notes, at which I express my regret, but they are, I think, in all 

 cases so self-evident that I have not thought it worth while to correct them. 

 Since writing the above on the herring gulls, I have read Bishop Stanley's 

 account of their desertion from and return to the South Stack (Stanley's 

 Birds, pp. 402—405), a portion of which I here reproduce : — " Upon this 

 rock (the South Stack), which, before the erection of the lighthouse, was 

 almost inaccessible, myriads of sea-fowl used to build, but when the works 



