WAYSIDE NOTES. 451 



the entrance to Poole Harbour, and from there to Durlstone 

 Head ; but, with the exception of Herring Gulls and Cormorants, 

 there were few birds to be seen. Razorbills and Guillemots 

 apparently do not breed in the chalk-cliffs about Studland Bay, 

 although they do so further down the coast towards St. Alban's 

 Head. We only saw two Guillemots outside the bay towards the 

 lighthouse, and no Razorbills or Puffins. The boatman stated 

 that Puffins bred about St. Alban's Head. We did not see a 

 single Lesser Black-backed Gull in the bay, the only species 

 there being Herring Gulls, and two Black-headed Gulls, Larus 

 ridibundus, with the dark colour on their heads nearly gone, 

 which corresponds very nearly with the time of the autumn 

 change of plumage observed in my tame ones. When we got 

 home we found these had very nearly lost the dark colour on their 

 heads ; I mention this as I think there is not much difference in 

 regard to the period of change between birds kept in confinement 

 and those in a state of liberty. There is a large collection of 

 stuffed birds at the Victoria Hotel at Swanage, but with a very 

 few exceptions they are not local specimens, nor are the names 

 on the cases always to be depended upon ; for instance, the 

 Common Gull, Larus canus, was labelled Kittiwake, and the 

 Buzzard and the Peregrine Falcon had changed labels. There 

 were two cases of Choughs which were stated by the manager to 

 have been procured from the cliffs about St. Alban's Head, and 

 between there and Weymouth. We left Swanage for Weymouth 

 on the 1st of August, a rough hilly drive of about thirty-two 

 miles; the views, however, both on the sea and land side were 

 fine and extensive ; but the way was not easy to find, for the 

 inhabitants have neglected to put up any direction -posts for the 

 guidance of travellers. During this part of our drive we saw a 

 Common Buzzard, which did not, however, come very near us ; 

 and a few Wheatears, but they were not very numerous. On the 

 2nd and 3rd of August we were out on the bay fishing and sailing; 

 there were a great many Terns about, both the Common and 

 Arctic Terns. On the 2nd we saw a Sandwich Tern, which flew 

 over the boat while we were fishing, and came quite near enough 

 for us to have a good view and make quite sure of its identity. 

 The Gulls about the bay were chiefly Herring Gulls, both adult 

 and immature ; we did not see any Lesser Black-backs. There 

 were a few Black-headed Gulls about, which were all more or less 



