284 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



its stomach some small water-snails and pebbles — the first occa- 

 sion I ever found this latter item in a Grebe's stomach, the usual 

 foreign matter introduced into that receptacle to assist digestion 

 being their own feathers, as I have repeatedly noted. In a male 

 of Larus ridibundus I found, on Jan. 3rd, some fishy matter in 

 its stomach ; in another, on the 12th of the same month, I found 

 some empty larva-skins of the cabbage moth. The contents of the 

 stomach of a hen Blackbird consisted, at this date, of black ants, 

 small seeds, and grit, the bird being exceedingly fat; in another, 

 killed the following day, I found grain and other vegetable matter. 

 The stomach of a Water Kail contained remains of small insects, 

 minute red seeds, and grit. On Jan. 13th I found in a Redwing 

 three species of small snails, vegetable fibre, and small pebbles. 

 Two Pochards, Fullgida ferina, male and female, in very fat 

 condition, had their gizzards filled with vegetable fibre, sand, 

 and small grit. A female Green Sandpiper, on the same date, 

 from Twyford, contained remains of aquatic insects and grit. Of 

 two Common Gulls killed on Jan. 15th, one contained fish-bones 

 and pebbles, the other remains of small black beetles and vegetable 

 fibre. In the stomach of a female Green Woodpecker I found 

 remains of from fifty to sixty millipedes. In a Nuthatch killed 

 Jan. 17th, I found fragments of small seeds, particles of red 

 brick and grit. On the following day, in a Great Spotted Wood- 

 pecker, I found three large empty larva-skins of the wood-leopard 

 moth; and a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, killed on March 10th, 

 contained food of a like nature. 



Two fine examples of the Pink-footed Goose, Anser brachy- 

 rhynchus, were forwarded to me, one shot on Jan. 10th at Feltwell, 

 near Brandon, and the other at Beeston Regis, near Cromer, on 

 Feb. 4th ; both were females, the stomach of the latter containing 

 vegetable matter and sand. A fine male Bittern, shot on the 

 marshes adjoining the river Yare at Brundell, near Norwich, on 

 Jan. 8th, was in good feather and very fat ; the stomach contained 

 an eel 11|- in. in length, and a smaller one of 5 in., besides the 

 elytra and other remains of a water-beetle, Dytiscus marginalis. 

 The largest eel was doubled with the head and tail lodging 

 together in the bird's gullet; it was contorted and stiff in its 

 curvatures, the gastric juice having been in operation apparently 

 for some time before the fish succumbed. 



An adult male Velvet Scoter, in fine plumage, was shot early 



