The Zoologist — December, 1873. 3787 



coraraon and jack snipes in the market also. Speaking of snipes, 

 I may here mention that a short time since I met a friend who had 

 been shooting in Ireland, who told me that he had killed, amongst 

 others, a very beautiful variety of the common snipe, of a most 

 delicate buff-colour, with the usual markings, showing, as it were, 

 faintly through it. This bird he carefully packed in a cardboard 

 box and posted to me, but I grieve to say that it never came to 

 hand. 



18th. Visited Bovisand on the coast, and remarked that cormo- 

 rants were very plentiful; there were upwards of thirty perched on 

 one rock, called the Little Newstone, besides many more flying and 

 diving near the rocks in different directions. Several razorbills, 

 too, have been seen, and some obtained, on the coast and in the 

 Sound lately. Observed a solitary wheatear, on the rocks close to 

 the sea, which was very tame, and I expect the last I shall see for 

 the season. Found rock larks and stonechats plentiful on the 

 coast, with a few wrens. A few weeks since I remarked there was 

 not a rock lark to be seen. I have not met with a phalaropc 

 during the autumn, but Mr. Nicholls (brother to the Kiugsbridge 

 taxidermist) told me that one specimen of the gray phalarope had 

 been picked up at Thurlstone Ley, near Kingsbridge, at the 

 beginning of the month, and that some sanderlir.gs had been killed 

 on the coast near the same place. He also told me an interesting 

 anecdote of a tame young herring gull, which was taken and reared 

 from a nest in the neighbourhood; having flown away during the 

 breeding-season, it returned after an absence of sixteen months, in 

 nearly full adult plumage, and fearlessly alighted in the small back 

 court in which it was brought up, much to the amazement of the 

 cottagers, who, seeing a lovely " suow-white gull," as they called 

 it, close to their door, did not of course recognize their own dingy 

 pet, until a little boy of the house, who used to feed and stroke the 

 bird on the back, came quietly forward, when, much to the 

 astonishment of the family, and to himself as well, he found that 

 he was allowed to do so still. This bird, I understand, is living 

 now, constantly going off to sea, but returns almost daily to be fed ; 

 yet, although it comes almost into the house, no one is allowed to 

 take the liberty of strokingi ts back save its old friend the liltle boy. 



21st. Some tufted ducks in the market. 



24th. A few common terns in the Sound, after a severe gale. I 

 have seen but one young black tern this season. 



