3828 The Zoologist — January, 1874. 



Nov. 21st. Swallows and martins seen flying over Plymouth. 

 Many water rails, moorhens, teal, snipe, and female goldeneye in 

 the market. 



22nd. Observed a young black redstart on the rocks at the 

 Devil's Point, Stonehouse. 



24th. A great northern diver in the Sound, and an abundance of 

 woodcocks in the markets, also many teal. 



26th. Blowing very hard from the north. A storm petrel seen in 

 the harbour ai Plymouth. 



27th. I observed an adult Iceland gull in the Sound, no doubt 

 driven in by the prevailing northerly gales. I also remarked a 

 northern diver and many shags, which latter birds have only just 

 now made their appearance on our part of the coast, after the 

 breeding season. 



Herring Gull carrying off a uounded Dunlin. — Some friends 

 of mine, on whose accuracy I can fully depend, told me that when 

 shooting in the Sound a few days since a wounded dunlin, which 

 had fallen into the water, was pounced upon and carried off by a 

 young herring gull before they could reach the spot in their boat. 

 I have often heard of falcons carrying away wounded birds, as it 

 were, almost close to the sportsman's nose, but I do not remember 

 in all my shooting excursions on the water having myself witnessed 

 such a feat performed by a gull of any kind, although I have not 

 the least doubt such was the case, since Mr. Thompson, in his 

 'Birds of Ireland,' mentions instances of the great blackbacked 

 gull having frequently attacked, and carried off even, wounded 

 wigeon from the wild-fowl shooters in Belfast Bay, and that 

 some gulls have been known, falcon-like, to strike down birds 

 out of a flock. 



Ferocity of a Jackdaw. — I must now relate an instance of 

 ferocity lately observed in a jackdaw. A friend of mine living in 

 Plymouth, being in the habit of daily feeding a number of sparrows 

 with crumbs thrown from his breakfast-room window, some jack- 

 daws generally participating in the feast, saw one of these birds 

 deliberately seize a poor little sparrow by the back of the neck, 

 shaking it as a dog would a rat, and notwithstanding the tre- 

 mendous hubbub kicked up by the victim's brethren, succeeded, 

 before my friend could rush to the rescue, in carrying it off, 

 followed by the whole mob, to the "shoot" of a high house, 

 where no doubt it was ruthlessly destroyed. 



