2026 The Zoologist— Februauy, 1870. 



time. It is a male binl, anil lliounli of full size lias not yet attiiined to the pliunage 

 of inaturity. — Marcus S. C. Rickardx. 



Common and Sandwich Terns at Spurn. — I sec in the December number of the 

 'Zoologist' (S. S. 1941) Mr. Cordcaux says tlie common anti Sandwich lerns breed at 

 Spurn. I am sorry he has been misled respeciiiij; these two s|iecies, as neither of 

 them do biced, or ever have bred, there to my knowledge. The colony consists 

 exclusively of the lesser tern, and, to use Mr. Cordeaux's remaik, their breeding is all a 

 farce, as the boys, and most of the men, too, make a practice of taking every egg ihey 

 can find, most of v\hith ihey destroy. — F. Boyes ; Beverley^ Yorkshire, December 22, 

 1869. 



Lillle Gull al Coldinyham. — When at Messrs. Small an<l Sou's, birdstuBTers, iu 

 Edinburgh, the other day, I saw, in the 6esh, an immature female of the little gull, 

 shot at Coldin;iham, on the 27th of December lasl. — R. G. Wurdlaiv Ramsay. 



Rare Birds in the Neiyhbonrhood of P/ymoutii. — During the n)onth of December, 

 1869, the following rare bir.ls have occurred in the neighbourhood of Ply- 

 mouth : — 



Little Auk. A fevv days since I examined a specimen of the little auk {Alca alle), 

 which had been knocked down, on the li)th of December, by a boy » ith a stone, on the 

 river Plym,by Cann Wood — a rather strange place fur such a bird, on a trout stream 

 running through a wood, full six or seven miles from the nearest part of the coast ; 

 but no doubt it had been driven so far inland by the severe gales which liappein d 

 about the time. The boy, I understand, was with some others hunting squirrels when 

 he caught sight of the bird on the stream. 



Black Redstart. Some black redstarts (Phcenicura lilhys) have appeared on the 

 coast, four of which I have obtained and sent lo as many ornithological London friends. 

 I have an idea that the same black redstart must sometimes revisit a favourite locality 

 for a succession of years, as last winter I observed a splendid old niiile on a certain 

 part of the coast, nhich I liunted for several days, but notwithstanding my vigilance 

 he always managed to escape by hiding in and under particular rocks and caves. 

 Now, strange to say, I have this year at the same place several times seen and chased 

 n bird exactly similar in plumage and action, which has again managed as yet to 

 dodge me and escape in a similar way, which makes me feel certain il must be my old 

 friend of last year, A rather curious and interesting incident happened the other nay 

 when looking for redstarts on a very wild part of the coast. On taking my lunch with 

 a friend among the rocks a robin came down, and, perching on a rock near, seemed lo 

 be intently watchin„' our actions; on observing which I said to my friend, " Surely 

 that robin wants lo be invited to lunch," and throwing a crumb towards it, I exclaimed, 

 " Come along, then, old fellow,'' when lo our great surprise, down it instantly flew 

 close to our feel, made a iiearly meal, and examined our papers the instant we lefl. I 

 should have thought very little of this incident had it hajipened in a village or near a 

 house, but on such a wild part of the coast I certainly did think it rather strange, and 

 after such innocent confidence shnwn by the liille bird I could not have shot at even 

 a redstart ihat day had I seen a bundled. I do remember once pitcliing a crumb to 

 a blackheaded bunting during a severe snow-storm, which it picked up, but ihe affair 

 with the robin occurred during mild weather. It is quite surprising to observe the 

 quauliiy of robins iliat frequeni ihe wildest parts of our rocky coasts during wiuler, 

 flitting in and out among the rocks and caves (undercliff) all day long. 



