The Zoologist — Septembeb, 1873. 3695 



were commenced, in 1808, the unusual appearance of persons on tlie 

 island, with their noisy operations of blasting, so disturbed the proceedings 

 of the birds recently arrived, that, with the exception of a solitary pair of 

 gulls, the whole body, including guillemots and razorbills, took to flight. . . 

 This solitary pair had taken post on an inaccessible ledge of bare rock, on 

 the face of a precipice, and seemed to be aware that nothing but shot or 

 stones could dislodge them. Their determined confidence in the security 

 of their stronghold met with its due reward, orders being issued that none 

 should molest them. The consequence was, they became quite familiarised 

 to the noise and bustle, and remained until their young were reared, and in 

 a condition to shift for themselves. In the ensuing spring, the same pair, 

 as was supposed, retook possession of their old post, and strict orders were 

 given on no account to disturb them ; and as a further protection no fire- 

 arms were allowed to be used ; nor were strangers who disregarded these 

 rules to be admitted again on the island. In consequence of a rigid 

 attention to these humane regulations, the same pair continued, for five 

 successive years, to visit this ledge, rearing their young, consisting gene- 

 rally of two and never exceeding three in number. But although only this 

 single pair were observed to breed on the island, a considerable number, at 

 times, as if aware of their security, sought the shelter denied them on the 

 mainland, where, notwithstanding the bare and perpendicular character of 

 the precipices, there was scarcely a spot amongst the clefts and hollows to 

 which the young men and boys of the neighbourhood did not find their 

 way, in search of eggs, for which they found a ready demand. The main 

 body of gulls, at length finding that these wonted haunts no longer afforded 

 security, either taught by the experience of the above pair, or by their own 

 observations, in the spring of the sixth year took refuge on the island, 

 chiefly at the south end, on an inclined plane of rock, where they have 

 remained, during the breeding season, ever since ; and on this spot, in 

 particular, their artless nests are spread in such numbers, that it is difficult, 

 at times, to avoid treading on them." I shall not fail to let Capt. Feilden 

 know the result of my inquiries concerning the Sandwich terns. — H. 

 Dumj'ord; Southwold, Suffolk, August 18, 1873. 



larus cachinuans. — In a letter which I have received from my friend 

 Von Heuglin, dated Stuttgart, August 2, 1873, he informs me that he has 

 clearly proved that the above bird is a very distinct species from and having 

 nothing in common with Larus leucophgeus. The latter is a constant 

 variety of our herring gull (L. argentatus), but smaller. Hartlaub and 

 Finsch have confounded the one with the other. Blasius gives Cachinnans 

 as a variety, Argentatus and Leucophseus as No. 49 of his varieties com- 

 monly considered as species. This determination of Von HeugHn will add 

 a new bird to the European list. I have a nice series of four eggs of 

 L. cachinnans from Southern Eussia sent me through Von Heuglin. Each 



