468 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



under rocks ; one of a pair we killed was a female with the ovaries very little 

 developed. The bill of Puffimis anglorum does not do much damage, as 

 I found by making the experiment; but, judging from the care which the 

 Maltese boatmen took to keep their fingers out of reach of P. Kuhli, I fancy 

 it is able to inflict a severe wound ; we did not care to prove it. We found ' 

 several empty egg-shells with a hole at the top— I expect the work of the 

 Lizards, which swarm on the rock. The eggs we took on the 13th were 

 very much incubated ; in fact, some of them appeared within twenty-four 

 hours of hatching. We found no newly-hatched young birds. There are 

 a few rabbits on the islet, which I am told, as one would expect, are very 

 inferior eating. How they obtain enough food to sustain life I do not 

 know. — E. F. Becher, Capt. R.A. 



Dipper's Nest on the top of a Boulder.— That many birds build 

 their nests in what seem to us odd places is well known and perhaps in this 

 respect the Dipper is one of the most eccentric. Not to mention cases of 

 whicli I have heard and read, I have myself seen their nests in very 

 extraordinary, nay almost incredible, places. In this I think the one I have 

 now to notice will in a measure bear me out. In a river near here, and about 

 midway in the stream, there lies, amongst others, a small boulder, which 

 shows a foot or so above the usual current, and has a very slight depression 

 on the top. Here a pair of Water Crows commenced their nest, and by 

 some extraordinary means succeeded in rearing a home for themselves and 

 their young. When finished, although it heightened the appearance of the 

 boulder considerably, yet, from the shape and colour of the materials used, 

 the nest could scarcely be distinguished from the boulder. It was dis- 

 covered by the merest chance by a gentleman whilst fishing. The river at 

 this spot is very bare, having no bank of any height, bush, nor tree near; 

 yet the nest, although completely exposed to every gust of wind and rain, 

 nevertheless withstood the fury of the elements for at least three months. 

 By this time a family of four had been reared, and with their parents bad 

 departed elsewhere. The nest would have stood longer, but was removed 

 to be preserved as a memorial of the strange place where built. The 

 removal, however, proved a much more difiBcult matter than was anti- 

 cipated. On the attempt being made, the nest was found to be so firmly 

 attached, cemented on as it were to the stone, that it took some considerable 

 time and trouble to detach it. On being minutely examined, it appeared 

 from its construction to be impervious to rain. — Thomas Edward (Bantf). 



Wood Sandpiper in Nottinghamshire. — During the first week in 

 August I heard that the Mansfield Reservoir was very low, and as this is 

 the time Sandpipers visit us, I took a walk over, and found that nearly twenty 

 acres were turned into mud-flats. I could see several tvaders about, so got 

 the keeper to bring his gun, and after a drive or two he was fortunate 



