OCCASIONAL NOTES. 335 
aware, been met with in Europe,—but also because the appearance of the 
specimen exhibited seemed to preclude the possibility of its having reached 
this country otherwise than in a preserved state. It is a young bird, with 
traces of the longitudinal dark stripes on the neck, which are observable in 
the young of all the Grebes. The birdstuffer from whom Mr. Sharpe 
received it must have made some mistake in supposing that it was killed 
near Weymouth, perhaps confounding it with the young of one of our 
British Grebes in a similar state of plumage which may have been sent to 
him from that neighbourhood. It is desirable that this should be noted, 
lest hereafter, in consequence of the published report of the exhibition of 
the specimen in question, there may be supposed to be grounds (which, in 
my opinion, do not exist) for regarding this species as an accidental 
wanderer to Europe.—J. EK. Hartine. 
Tser Foop or Briacksirps.—Do Blackbirds eat slugs? Most casual 
observers of Natural History will answer “yes.” But Iask, “‘ Has any one 
positive evidence that slugs (by which I mean the soft, small white slugs 
so destructive in gardens) form part of the ordinary food of Blackbirds? On 
the other hand, trustworthy observers have told me that they are convinced 
that neither Blackbirds nor any other birds, except Ducks, will eat slugs. 
We know for certain that both Blackbirds and Thrushes at the beginning of 
winter feed eagerly upon shell-snails, and these are always mentioned 
amongst the ordinary food of these birds; but that veteran and trustworthy 
observer, the Rev. L. Jenyns, in his ‘ Manual of Vertebrate Animals,’ does 
not include slugs amongst their food, though the destruction of slugs is 
mentioned incidentally amongst the merits of Blackbirds in the old edition 
of Yarrell’s ‘ British Birds,’ and I believe this is repeated in the new 
edition now in the course of publication. One is apt to take such things 
for granted, and to suppose that the hundreds of Blackbirds and Thrushes 
found feeding under the leaves in wet turnip-fields, during September and 
October, must be looking for slugs; but when we are told on good authority 
that Blackbirds and Thrushes in confinement will not, though hungry, 
touch slugs, and they have been frequently observed to pass them over when 
feeding on lawns, aud that common fowls avoid slugs, we are led to suppose 
that there may be something in them repugnant to the taste of most birds.— 
C. WotteEy-Dop (Edge Hall, Malpas, Cheshire). 
ENcouNTER RETWEEN SPpaRRow AND Movusse.—While the festivities in 
connection with the friendly societies were in progress at Kast Dereham, 
Norfolk, on June 7th, a curious scene was witnessed by some bystanders, 
awaiting the passing of one of the processions near the King’s Head Hotel. 
Their attention was attracted by seeing a sparrow in full flight from a 
neighbouring housetop, bearing in its mouth something almost as large as 
itself. On reaching the ground, this proved to be a live mouse, which, in 
