62 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



wise closely corresponded with the rather smaller bird seen on 

 the 14th inst. He constantly vibrated his tail, but in silence ; 

 as he turned, his greyish back and whitish undertail coverts 

 were well displayed. 



Despite a cruel wind at Geneva, myriads of House Martins 

 hawked up and down the streets ; over the Khone played nearly 

 an equal number of Swallows and some Sand Martins. In the 

 market, October 5th, the most interesting bird was a female 

 Gelinotte. 



At Paris, on October 9th, a Stone Curlew shared the honours 

 of a stall with numerous bunches of Thrushes. In the Marche 

 ties Oisewux were Ortolans, many Serin Finches, Short-toed 

 Larks, and a Crested Lark. An old birdstuffer, near the Rue 

 St. Honore, showed me Paris examples of Lanius collurio and 

 (inriadatus, remarking that the latter bred regularly near the 

 city. Some Palmate Newts, which I detected in a bottle crammed 

 with the two common species, had not lost the fine tip which I 

 think is stated to be generally absorbed before winter. They 

 reached home safely, in company with some Montreux examples 

 of Rana esculcnta, caught for my friend, Mr. 0. Aplin. As 

 recently as the 30th of September, there were Villeneuve 

 examples of R. esculcnta in all stages of the or tadpole state. 



ORNITHOLOGICAL NOTES FROM DEVON AND CORNWALL. 



By John Gatcombe. 



On March 8th I watched through a powerful telescope a fine 

 Black-throated Diver near the shore ; it was in winter plumage, the 

 uniform light sides of the neck at once distinguishing it from 

 the Great Northern Diver, the dark bands on the neck of which 

 are always more or less observable at all seasons. Many 

 Razorbills were also on the coast at that date, and two large 

 flocks of Ducks and Curlews were seen flying up the Tamar. 

 The Black-headed Gulls had assumed the complete dark head, 

 and the Herring Gulls were constantly uttering their breeding 

 cry. By March 12th several Wheatears had arrived, and many 

 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were to be seen in full spring plumage. 

 On the 16th I examined a recently-killed Northern Diver, the 



