The Zoologist— Januarv, 1870. 1983 



me a few days afterwards: the plumage is rallier diffeveiil from either of those 

 mentioned by Yarrell, and fiom the one mentioned by me in the 'Zoologist ' for 1866 

 (S. S. o6-2), as the whole of the head, neck and breast are gray, nearly like the back ; 

 the eyes were unforiunately taken out when the skin was given to me. The little auk 

 was picked up dead on ihe mud, about the same time, but was UDrorluoately thrown 

 away as being too muddy for preservation. The gray phalarope was picked up dead, 

 but quite fresh, at Hestercombe, near Taunton, about the end of September : it was in 

 the ordinary plumage of those found in England about that time of year.— C'eci/ 

 Sinilh. 



Fulmar Petrel on ike Norfolk Coast.— A friend brought me a female specimen of 

 the fulmar petrel that had been shot the previous day at Yarmouth. The bird was 

 rather thin, its skin being infested wUh parasites of apparenliy two kinds, one a small 

 black species, the other rather an enormous creature; of the latter T found six and 

 several immature specimens; the adults were of a deep brown colour, with transverse 

 lines of white on the body : the large parasites died about two days after the bird, but 

 the black species lived until the fiTth day. The bird weighed eighteen ounces: the 

 stomach was empty, with the exception of an inch of tar rope, rather a singular item. 

 The fulmar petrel is of somewhat rare occurrence on this coast. — T. E. Gunn ; 

 November 6, 1869. 



Abundance of (fie Storm Petrel in NorfolL— The little storm petrel has been quite 

 abundant in Norfolk during the last week or two. 1 have had as many as seven 

 specimens brought me for preservation : they were half starved, and were either dead 

 or in a dying state when picked up, and their stomachs were empty, with the exception 

 of two, in which cases 1 found a few minute seeds of a greenish colour. The birds were 

 distributed almost all over the county: one was picked up near the Foundry Bridge, 

 in this city; others at Hickling, Walton, Stalham, Woodrise, &c. I also heard of 

 others at Lynn and Lowestoft,— /</. 



Ornithological Notes from South DcDon.— Swallows. These birds — or at least the 

 greater part of them— left Torquay and neighbourhood on the 6ch of October, although 

 some were observed in that town as late as the 13th of November. 



Pomarine Skua. Two immature birds of this species were shot in Torbay on the 

 12th of October. 



Great Gray Shrike. I observed a bird of this species at the back of my garden on 

 an oak tree on the 14ih of October, and also on the two following days; but un- 

 fortunately I had no gun at hand on these occasions. This bird— or perhaps another 

 of the same species— was observed by Mr. Shopland, in the beginning of November, 

 on a tree some short distance from h!s house, ll soon flew away, as far as I know, to 

 be seen no more in this neighbourhood. The bird iu question seemed to be a fine 

 full-grown specimen. 



Fieldfares and Redwings. Flocks upon flocks of these birds passed over my house 

 on the morning of the 19th of October. 



Velvet Scoter. A fine adult male and two females were shot in Torbay in the 

 beginning of November. 



Green Sandpiper. Aq adult bird was shot on Paignton beach on October 30th. 



Snow Bunting. A mature bird was shot as early as the 2'Hh of Ociober, near 

 Ilsham Farm, Torquay, and was preserved by Mr. Burt, curator of the Museum of 

 this town, who kindly sent me the particulars. 



