5048 THE Zootocist—Avucust, 1876. 
know how long, in confinement. I should like to see it compared with 
Mr. Corbin’s.—J. H. Gurney, jun. 
Scarcity of the Razorbill.—In reply to Mr. Sclater I was at Flam- 
borough on the 23rd of March. I did not enquire what the razorbills were 
wanted for.—Id. 
The Materials of Gannets’ Nests.—When I was at the Bass Rock this 
summer I observed that all the gannets’ nests which [ examined were com- 
posed of sea-weed, mixed with grass, and I wish to ask if any one has found 
plenty of sticks in their nests on this or any other rock. H. Boece (1526) 
says, ‘‘ They gather such great plentie of sticks and boughs togither for the 
building of their nests, that the same doo satisfie the keeper of the castell, 
for the yeerlie maintenance of his fewell, without any other prouision.” This 
is quite at variance with my observation, and the following is what some 
other writers have said on the subject :—Willughby (1661) says, “ These 
kind of Birds do not make their Nests of straws, sticks, or such like com- 
bustible matter, good for fewel; but either lay their Eggs on the naked 
rocks, or spread under them very few straws, bents, or such like incon- 
siderable stuff.” (‘ Ornithology,’ p. 19). Upon this Dr. Walker, as quoted 
by Fleming, remarks :—* If Mr. Willughby had ever been on the Bass * 
he would in some measure have altered his opinion concerning the nests of 
sea-fowl. The nests of the Solan geese, which cover a considerable part of 
the island, are of a great size, are built for the most part of sticks and 
branches of trees, some of them pretty large; and * * * * the 
demolition of these nests still supplies the keepers of the Bass with a con- 
siderable quantity of fuel.” (‘ Essays on Nat. Hist.,’ Edin., 1808, p. 287). 
If the explanation be that the gannet will only take its materials off the 
water, and that off the water it will lift anything from a red coat to a large 
basket, and that some years there are branches brought down by the floods 
and plenty of wreckage timber, we might expect sometimes to find these 
things in their nests now.—ZJd. 
Kittiwake in Winter.—Mr. Alston (Zool. 9470) alludes to the occur- 
rence of a kittiwake on the Ayrshire coast in the month of January, and 
says that this is a rare bird in Scotland in winter. In February, 1869, I 
received two from the adjoining county of Dumfriesshire. I was not aware 
that they were rare, or I might have recorded them before.—Id. 
Tropic Bird.—In reply to Dr. Bree (Zool. S. S. 4808), I did not mean to 
write that he had said the tropic bird (Phaéton ethereus) was a doubtful 
species, in the usual acceptation of that word, but only a doubtful European 
species. The word “ European” must have been omitted by a slip of my 
pen.—Id. 
* Which he had been.—J. H. G., jun. 
