NOTES AND QUERIES. 457 
[Gilbert White, in his fortieth letter to Thomas Pennant, remarks, 
“ Weasels prey on Moles, as appears by their being sometimes caught in 
mole-traps.” But is this so? Is it not more likely that the Weasel is in 
pursuit of Field Mice, which use the Mole’s runs ?—Ep.] 
Hedgehog attacking Chickens.— About a fortnight since, between 
the hours of 7 and 8 p.m., the gardener here (Windermere), hearing a 
noise in the fowl-house, went to ascertain the cause. He found that a 
Hedgehog had seized a two months’ old chicken. Before he could secure 
the depredator the candle which he was carrying went out; by the time he 
had procured a fresh light and returned with it to the fowl-house the 
animal had made off. The wounded chicken, which he took up, died in his 
hand; the Hedgehog had fixed its teeth in its side below the wing. ‘That 
the Hedgehog has been credited with the character of a harmless animal, 
we all know; but I think the foregoing statement makes it clear that such 
is not the fact.—Hrnry Benson (Rector of Farncombe, Surrey). 
BIRDS. 
Little Gull in Co. Durham.—A specimen of the Little Gull, Larus 
minutus, was shot on Whitburn Sands, near Sunderland, on August 28th 
last, and was brought to me the same morning. It is in immature plumage, 
much like that of a young Kittiwake; eye and bill black; legs flesh- 
coloured; breast faintly tinged with roseate. The tail is distinctly forked, 
showing an affinity with the Terns, which latter birds were also numerous 
on this coast at the same date. They appeared on August 25th, on their 
passage southwards. Dimensions of Little Gull:—Length, 93 in.; expanse, 
2 ft. 3in.; weight a trifle over 33 0z. Sex, male. Sent to Mr. Cullingford, 
of Durham.—AxseL Cuapman (Silkstone Hall, Sunderland). 
[The forked tail suggests that the bird is probably a young Sabine’s Gull, 
the tail of the Little Gull being square at the extremity.—Eb. | 
Rooks nesting in Church Spires.—Referring to the note on this 
subject (p. 865), I may add that this year there has been a Rook's nest 
fitted into the crown-like ornament at the top of the steeple of Heworth 
Church, in York.—B. B. Le Tatt (20, Bootham, York). 
Storm Petrel at Skomer Island.—In Mr. Murray A. Mathew’s paper 
on “A Visit to Skomer” (Zool. 1884, p. 483 et seq.), it is stated, “ An old 
stone wall was pointed out to us as frequented by Stormy Petrels,.... . 
but we were not fortunate enough to find” a uest. When walking through 
Leadenhall, on Sept. 20th, I was pleased to find an adult and a nestling of 
this species just received from Skomer Island. The nestling was fully 
feathered, but still retained some of the sooty down, especially upon the 
belly. The date of its capture (Sept. 18th) is in harmony with what we 
already know of this late-breeding species. With the Petrels was sent a 
fine young Manx Shearwater, in plumage considerably resembling the adult, 
ZOOLOGIST.—NOVEMBER, 1886. 2M 
