NOTES AND QUERIES. 343 



being of a fiue creamy white, li lias since beeu added to the fine collection 

 of varieties of Mr. Whitaker, of Rainworth Lodge, Mansfield, Notts.— 

 Geo. Sim (14, King Street, Aberdeen). 



Hooded Crow wading.— When walking along the banks of the Liffey 

 between Straffan and Cellridge, Co. Kildare, one afternoon in April, 

 I witnessed a Hooded Crow wading in the river, under the following circum- 

 stances :— Three Lesser Black-backed Gulls were flying along over the river, 

 and alighted on a low gravel bank, near which is a plantation of Scotch pine 

 and other trees, where a pair of Hooded Crows nest annually. They were 

 soon seen to be feeding by one of the Crows, which flew down, bufi"eted 

 theno, and succeeded in driving them away, and then commenced feeding 

 on what they had left. The Gulls very soon alighted on the water, and 

 swam pretty near to the Crow. The latter then waded out almost to tlie 

 Gulls, a distance of perhaps two yards, and succeeded in driving them off 

 for good. It then waded back to continue in peace the meal it had appro- 

 priated. I think it waded into as deep water as it dare to ; its legs, so far 

 as I could see, were entirely under water, as was also the end of its tail. 

 My friend Mr. W. Banks, who was with me, also witnessed this remarkable 

 occurrence.— J. E. Palmer (Lyons Mills, Straffan, Co. Kildare). 



[The circumstance of the Crow wading does not seem to us so 

 remarkable as its bold attack on three such large birds as Lesser Black- 

 backed Gulls. We have repeatedly observed both the Carrion Crow and 

 the Hooded Crow wading along the banks of tidal rivers on an ebb tide in 

 search of food which floated on the water or lay just below the surface. 

 Mussels, the shell of which they can easily break with their powerful bills, 

 seem to be a favourite food with them. — Ed.1 



Terns and Gulls inland in Yorkshire.— Whilst on Strensall Common 

 near York, on the 11th May last, I observed four Common Terns, Sterna 

 fluviatilis, hovering over one of the "splashes" there. This is, I'believe, 

 the first time these birds have been recorded as occurring at Strensall 

 during the breeding season. The Black-headed Gull, Larus rldibundus, are 

 this year breeding in larger numbers than ever. — W. Hewett (York). 



Great Reed Warbler at Ringwood, Hants.— Your leaders will be 

 interested co hear that on the 8rd June last a fine specimen of the Great 

 Keed Warbler, Acrocephalus turdoides, was shot by Mr. G F Hart who 

 takes charge of my fishery near Ringwood. He found it by the river side 

 ma rank growth of sedge, reed, water hemlock ((Enanthe crocata), and 

 willow. It has been preserved for me, and proved on dissection to be a 

 male.-T. J. Mann (The Grange, Bishops Stortford, Herts). 



[We have been favoured with a sight of this bird, which Mr. Mann 

 very kindly brought for our inspection, and there is no doubt that it has 

 beeu correctly identified. — I'Id.] 



