148 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
acres. Every year part of the heather is burnt, so the growth varies from 
last year’s burning, which is quite bare, to perhaps eight or ten inches 
high. It is very boggy in places on the top, with a good growth of what 
I call ‘ cotton-grass,’ which I suppose is a rush with white silky blossoms, 
but Iam no botanist. [Probably Eriophorum polystachyum ; see Dr. Prior's 
‘Popular Names of British Plants.’]| The heather covers the top, and 
below that we get heath, heather, wortleberry, and bracken, which forms 
an excellent covert for Black-game. I killed the grouse very nearly on the 
top, in the heather. I might add that my old keeper declares it spent 
the winter of 1883 there, as he flushed a bird three times in the winter 
close to where I killed it, which he was certain was not a Grey Hen.” 
I cannot agree with Mr. Phillips, or with the editorial note, in being 
sceptical about the Red Grouse at Wedhampton. I do not think an 
ornithologist like Montagu would have recorded the bird if he had not had 
some good evidence before him, such as Mr. Poore’s word, who no doubt, 
like Mr. Edwards, was well acquainted with both birds, and “ the part of 
the bird” which he says he saw. He appears to have been much struck 
by such an unusual occurrence, but does not seem to have had the least 
doubt about it. His words are, ‘‘ We never remember but one instance of 
its [the Red Grouse] being found at a distance from the Moors. This was 
a female taken alive near Wedhampton, in Wiltshire, in the winter of the 
year 1794, and communicated by the late Edward Poore, Esq., who showed 
us a part of the bird.” This seems to admit of no doubt, nor did he after- 
wards doubt either Mr. Poore’s communication or his own identification of 
the part. As between a female Red Grouse and a Grey Hen I think that, 
like Montagu, I should have been quite satisfied with seeing “a part of the 
bird,” and so I think would the Editor, in spite of his note. I may add 
that Mr. Edwards tells me in his note he had a good Black-game season 
on his part of the Mendips, as we had also on the Quantocks.—CxciL 
Smrru (Bishops Lydeard, Taunton). 
Breeding Habits of the Lake Gull.—One of the prettiest of the 
water-fowl of the alpine country in New Zealand is the dainty little Lake 
Gull (Larus pomare, Bruck.), the very picture of neatness and purity of 
feather; but it is my intention to address myself to the peculiarities of its 
breeding habits rather than to give a description of the bird itself. In the 
hot days of the month of December this bird is fully occupied with 
domestic cares: it seems somewhat fanciful as to the selection of a site for 
the nursery ; numbers flock to one special spot, which for some reason is 
preferable to any other within a radius of many miles. It is gregarious; 
of that no one could entertain a doubt who has once been through a nursery 
or breeding-station. Last season choice was made of a position on the 
narrow pebbly shore of Lake Camp, that lies under the Harper Range, in 
the Upper Ashburton district. The place selected was not far from a 
