26 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
became soiled by the washing and dropping down upon it of small portions 
of the cliff, it might easily have been passed unnoticed. Another singular 
site for a Dipper’s nest was between two beams of a sluice, over which 
pedestrians constantly passed. In this instance, again, the nest showed 
very prominently, yet frequently escaped observation owing to its very 
conspicuousness ; and the young would, in all probability, have flown in 
safety had not some four-footed thief discovered the nest and sucked the 
eggs.—THomas Carrer (Burton House, Masham). 
Lesser Black-backed Gull and Rock Dove on the Yorkshire Coast. 
—My friend Mr. Carter’s excellent paper in ‘The Zoologist’ for November 
last leads me to offer a few remarks. As regards the breeding of Larus 
fuscus, he alludes to having seen a few eggs in the possession of some 
climbers returning from their day’s work. Again (p. 447), he mentions 
having seen a pair of these birds at the end of June on the Filey 
range of cliffs. Neither of these circumstances furnishes sufficient evidence 
that this Gull has bred on the Yorkshire coast, and the fact remains to be 
proved. ‘The first item of this circumstantial evidence, above referred to, 
is eminently unsatisfactory, as has been already pointed out by the Rev. 
Mr. Tuck (Zool., Dec., p. 485); while the fact of the presence of this 
species on our coast in summer is alluded to by me in the ‘ Handbook of 
Yorkshire Vertebrata ’ (p. viii); and if this were to be considered evidence 
of breeding, then, by the same method of argument, we must consider 
the Common Scoter and the Red-throated Diver to be also breeding 
species. 1 should not, however, be at all surprised to hear that the 
Lesser Black-backed Gull did occasionally breed on the Yorkshire coast, 
but, as yet, there is no satisfactory evidence that such is the case. As to 
the Rock Dove's eggs obtained by Mr. Carter being undoubtedly those of 
that species I do not feel at all sure. It is rather singular that in so 
good a list of species as he has given for the district no mention 
is made of the Stock Dove, a bird which is now very numerous in the 
range of cliffs visited by Mr. Carter. These facts make it not at all 
improbable that the Stock Dove's presence was overlooked; and, if such 
were the case, then, unless the parent bird was identified on leaving its 
eggs, it would be difficult indeed to say to which of the two species 
his eggs belong — Wm. EaGie Cxiarxe (Leeds). 
Hybrid Black Grouse and Pheasant.—Major Gregory Knight, of 
Leicester, has recently presented to the Leicester Town Museum a beau- 
tiful cross between a Black Grouse and a Pheasant, which he shot on 
18th November, on the property of Mr. John Jones of “‘ The Groves,” near 
Craven Arms, Shropshire. As it arrived in the flesh I was enabled to 
make a thorough examination of it. It weighed 3} lbs., and measured 
in length (from tip of beak to end of middle or longest tail-feathers) 25 
