The Zoologist — June, 1871. 2627 



ruffed and willow grouse are to be seen, but I did not include thera 

 in the above list, as they do not belong to the British Fauna. 

 I have also heard of canvas-backed ducks, too, being imported 

 from America, but I never saw any. Numerically considered, the 

 small birds named in this list will bear no comparison with those 

 of the same species to be found in the Continental markets. 



The best time to visit Leadenhall is early morning, when the 

 baskets and boxes of game and wild-fowl which have arrived the 

 previous evening are being unpacked ; but no time of the day 

 should be neglected when an opportunity occurs, as fresh things 

 are continually being brought in, and I have sometimes of an 

 afternoon found a host of good birds on the stalls, when the 

 morning had produced nothing. 



Spring is (or I should rather say was) the best season for sea- 

 birds and waders, as they are then generally in full nuptial dress, 

 when spoonbills with magnificent crests, adult purple herons, 

 grebes with full ruffs, godvvits, knots and curlew sandpipers, with 

 their red breasts, with occasionally a spotted redshank in its sooty 

 plumage, and dotterels are to be seen. This is the time, too, for 

 cormorants, puffins, guillemots, Manx shearwaters, kittiwakes, 

 black and little terns, which appear to have been captured when 

 congregated at their breeding stations. Indeed I have observed as 

 many as fifty old cormorants, and about the same number of 

 gannets and maguificent old herons (the latter having four long 

 pendant feathers in their crests) at one stall ; besides large barrels 

 full of great crested grebes, the skins of which were destined to be 

 made into muffs, tippets, and ornaments for ladies' hats. But I am 

 happy to say that since the Sea-birds' Act has come into operation 

 this wholesale slaughter appears to have been stopped, for on 

 visiting Leadenhall last spring not one of the above-mentioned 

 species was to be seen, and I trust ere long a " close season " will 

 be observed for woodcocks and all other birds. On speaking to a 

 dealer on the Sea-birds' Act, I was much amused at the way in 

 which he told me of his having been brought before the Lord 

 Mayor for exposing some little terns for sale, and persuading his 

 lordship that the birds came from Holland and were labelled 

 " Schneipen," thereby getting off with but a small fine. I thought 

 the idea of Dutchmen not knowing snipe from terns rather too 

 good ; but the idea seems to have answered for once with his 

 lordship. 



