182 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
seems somewhat strange to find Macgillivray remarking that only one 
individual—unmutilated—had come into his possession; and even Mr. 
Morris, in 1870, refers to the Gray Phalarope as a rare visitant, saying 
that one had been procured here and another there. A Fork-tailed 
Petrel was found on the 25th December at Alverston, near Sandown, lying 
dead in the mill-dam, uninjured, and in good condition. The tarsus of 
this specimen measures but one inch, and the bill three-quarters of an inch ; 
the closed wing exceeds the tail by a quarter of an inch; rump white, 
exterior tail-feathers margined with the same, and the quill-coverts have a 
dusky gray tinge-——Henry Haprretp (Ventnor, Isle of Wight). 
Pomarive Sxua 1x Mounr’s Bay, Cornwaty.—During the first week 
of March a specimen of this Skua, approaching to maturity, as indicated 
by the lower part of the breast and belly being white, was obtained in 
Mount’s Bay. This bird at times is not uncommon with us, but it 
generally appears in its dark sooty plumage, with ferruginous edgings to 
the scapularies and dorsal feathers, indicating immaturity. There is 
nothing remarkable in the rest of the plumage of the present specimen, 
except that the whole of the upper parts are unusually dark, and there is 
no sign of the filamental yellow feathers on the sides of the neck, which I 
believe are found always in the mature-plumaged birds.—Epwarp Hrarir 
Ropp (Penzance). 
GANNETS OFF THE Cornish Coast.—In our western seas there has 
been an unusual number of Gannets this winter, and they have extended 
in many instances inland, apparently in a state of destitution. This is 
probably owing to the disturbed state of the sea, arising from a succession 
of westerly winds, which has rippled the surface and prevented fish from 
being seen except on the very surface. Gannets not being submarine 
hunters have fallen short of food, as they had nothing to pounce upon. If 
I were inclined to collect a series of birds in different stages of plumage, 
from the immature to the adult state, I should have a good opportunity of 
doing so now, for I observed lots of specimens at Mr. Vingoe’s laboratory 
just now in all stages of parti-coloured plumage.—Ip. 
IckLAND AND GLAvcous GuLLs aT THE Lanp’s Enp.—Early in 
March I had occasion to examine a stuffed specimen of what I have no 
doubt is the Iceland Gull, which had been recently killed somewhere in 
the Land’s End waters; but at first sight on looking at the bird I was 
never more puzzled in determining whether it was the Glaucous or Iceland 
Gull. It is an unusually large specimen, and I suppose it is in fact a very 
fine male bird, but its general appearance gives one the idea of its being an 
under-sized Glaucous Gull. To give a notion of its size from dimensions I 
may state that | made the length from the carpal joint to the end of the 
wing (which exceeds the tail by two inches) eighteen inches, but perhaps 
Mr. Vingoe may be more correct in putting it at seventeen inches and a 
