112 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
that they would oftener remain to breed here if unmolested, and 
it is much to be regretted that they are not allowed the oppor- 
tunity of domg so. ‘The stomach of one which I examined 
(killed April 18th, 1865) contained the remains of twenty to 
thirty larve of beetles, apparently those of the cockchaffer, 
Melolontha vulgaris; many of them almost perfect, and nearly 
one inch and a half long. 
ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM DEVON AND CORNWALL. 
By Joun GaTcoMBE. 
On October 7th, on which day it was blowing very hard, 
I observed Swallows for the last time in the neighbourhood of 
Plymouth. The following day many Cormorants, Shags and Terns 
appeared in our bays and estuaries; but I saw no Phalaropes, 
except one said to have been obtained on Dartmoor. Many Terns, 
both Common and Arctic, arrived, and several were brought to our 
birdstuffers. The bill of one of the young Arctic Terns I examined 
was the shortest I ever saw, in comparison with the size of the 
bird, measuring only three-quarters of an inch from the tip to 
the commencement of the feathers on the brow, and an inch and 
a quarter to the corner of the gape. 
On October 12th two Northern Divers were seen in the 
Sound—one, from the description given, an adult, the other a 
young one. My informant said that the old bird had a black and 
white ring round the neck, and when approached continually rose 
and flew a short distance, at the same time calling as if to entice 
the young one away, but the latter would not rise. However, 
they both managed to keep out of shot by diving and swimming. 
When chased by a boat, I find Northern Divers rarely attempt to 
escape by flying, but I have known them do so in a few instances. 
It is not uncommon to see them circling high overhead, apparently 
on the look out for a good place to alight, or bound for a long 
journey. Ona very calm day, about the commencement of spring, 
many years ago, I remember having seen between twenty and 
thirty Northern Divers in Plymouth Sound, apparently in pairs. 
They continually called to each other on the eve of going below, 
and again on rising to the surface. These birds appeared to have 
collected previous to their departure for the north. We chased 
EO 
