20 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



had stopped behind darted after him, and the rapidity of her flight when 

 she went away in earnest was something marvellous, being out of sight, with 

 a clear horizon, in a few seconds. In 1879 there was a great talk in Sarum 

 about the Peregines on the spire, the majority of people not having apparently 

 noticed them much before ; and they were said to be building there. This 

 proved to be more or less correct, for the boy who rings the bell got up and 

 took the eggs. As far as I could discover there was no nest, however, the 

 eggs being laid in the gutter. There was quite & furore about it, and the boy 

 was warned that if he ever disturbed them again, he would be dismissed on 

 the spot. In 1880 it was reported that they were building there again. The 

 eight doors, therefore, were locked, aud no one was allowed to go up, for I 

 asked myself ; but the answer was that strict orders had been given by the 

 Dean and Canons that no one was to go up there until the birds had flown. 

 However, about a month or so afterwards one of the Canons, whom I know 

 personally, went up to inspect, as he took an interest in such matters, and 

 there he found two eggs laid in two different gutters, but no attempt at a nest 

 made, the eggs having evidently been there for a month or more. These two 

 eggs he has now himself, and will, I think, give them to the Museum. This 

 year (1881) apparently no eggs have been deposited there. I was up at the 

 eight doors about the middle of April, and found remains of pigeons, &c, but 

 nothing else, and the Canon told me, on the last day of May, he had not seen 

 or heard of the hawks for the last two months, whereas before that time 

 he heard them regularly about eight o'clock in the morning, making a great 

 noise, which was just as he entered his study, and when he always looked 

 for them. The workmen, in 18G6, used constantly to see them bring up 

 various birds to devour there. It is quite possible that the " Queen of 

 Sheba " may have paid the Temple a visit, hoping to find a Solomon who 

 could answer the " hard question " where to build her nest in safety in these 

 perilous days ; but I think the subjoined account militates against her, or 

 proves auyhow that we are independent of her. — A. P. Morres (Britford 

 Vicarage, Salisbury). [Communicated by Capt. F. H. Salvin.] 



Habits of the Storm Petrel in Captivity. — I was much interested 

 in the notice of the habits of the Storm Petrel which the Rev. Mr. Mathew 

 quoted in ' The Zoologist' for December last (p. 489). However, I do not 

 agree with the statement that these birds " never take the water like 

 ducks," &c, and being forced into it " would perish as certainly as any 

 laud bird." During the years 1871-2 I had very many opportunities of 

 observing this species, aud have often observed it alight on and rise from 

 the surface of the sea. I particularly remember one very calm day near 

 the equator, when hardly a breath of wind was to be felt and the sea was as 

 smooth as a mirror, that a great many Storm Petrels were noticed resting 

 on the water. On lowering the gig aud pulling towards them they swam 



