THE ZooLocist—J UNE, 1876. 4959 
When the bird stands upright its legs are at an angle of about forty-five or 
sixty degrees. This I can vouch for from personal observation.—Julian 
G. Tuck. 
Scarcity of the Razorbill.—I wish to ask your readers a question about 
the razorbill, which is, whether they have noticed that it is getting scarcer, 
more particularly on the east coast. In 1871 I found it fairly common at 
Flamborough,—at least I should say every fourth bird about was a razor- 
bill,—but this year I only saw a single example, though it is true that, a few 
days after I left, Mr. Bailey wrote me that he shot twenty. Prof. Newton 
tells me that their diminution is a fact he was quite aware of; but it was 
new to me, and I should like to know to what extent it may be the case, 
and if it has been noticed in the west. I have been this year to the Bass 
Rock, where I only saw one, and to the Fern Islands, where I did not see 
any, though on two former visits I have shot them there. I thought it 
might be a later bird to come to the rocks than the guillemot, but on 
inquiry of the people at Flamborough and the Fern Islands, who were most 
likely to know, I was told it was not so.— J. H. Gurney, jun. 
Common Gull.—A flock numbering some scores frequented this coast 
during the winter, and was seen almost daily at low water, or’slack-tide, in 
our little bay, feeding, among the breakers and in the shallows, on the 
refuse discharged from the town drains, which seemingly afford them a 
constant and abundant supply. It is interesting to watch their evolutions, 
at one moment the flock concentrating, the next dispersing, though still 
maintaining the circular order of flight, individuals occasionally alighting, 
but more frequently skimming the surface or walking on the crest of a 
waye, the wings upraised, petrel-lhke; snatching-——and that almost im- 
perceptibly—the floating object. At high-water on a calm day they may 
be seen reposing, all huddled together in the offing; then the “ shriek of the 
wild sea-mew” resounds with thrilling effect. They are for the most part 
young birds, as described by Temminck after the first or autumnal moult. 
I have found the immature gulls of this species much darker than generally 
described and represented by authors; for instance, Macgillivray says, “ After 
the autumnal moult the back is grayish blue, with a mixture of brown 
feathers ;”* Morris, that it has a “ bien poudré appearance ;” Jardine, that 
“the young have the upper plumage clove-brown:” Temminck, ‘‘ Ceux de 
l'année toutes les parties superieures d’un gris brun,” which Yarrell repeats 
in as many words, saying, ‘“‘ First autumn, the back, wing coverts and 
secondaries, brownish ash.” Neither Brisson, Baillon, Buffon, Pennant nor 
Cuvier describes the plumage of the immature bird. Bewick says, truly 
enough, of the common gull, “hardly two of them are found exactly alike,” 
which may possibly account for one author telling us that the young bird 
has the back clove-brown, and another that it is grayish blue. The fact is 
* At page 578, vol. il., for “ male in winter” read “summer.” 
