376 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



of much rarer occurrence. During this month a number of 

 Kingfishers and Green Woodpeckers were received by the bird- 

 stuffers, the cold weather, as usual, having a great effect on these 

 birds. 



On Feb. 6th the weather was exceedingly severe ; notwith- 

 standing which a Common Guillemot was captured, which was 

 in full breeding plumage. By the 21st I remarked Larus ridi- 

 bundus with nearly a full black head, and also examined another 

 Guillemot undergoing a change of plumage — this consisted of a 

 change in the colour of the feathers without any sign of moult. 



On March 1st several examples of Larus ridibundus were 

 observed with j)erfectly dark heads ; and on the 8th a Peregrine 

 Falcon was shot on Dartmoor whilst in pursuit of a Black 

 Grouse. Many Barn and Tawny Owls were forwarded to the 

 birdstuffers. Up to March 26th Lesser Black-backed Gulls were 

 numerous in our harbours previous to their departure for their 

 breeding-stations. A few Wheatears appeared. 



On April 18th, wind east, light but cold, there was an arrival 

 of Willow Wrens and Chiffchaffs on the coast. 



On May 11th two Curlew's eggs were taken on Sherbaton 

 Farm, Dartmoor, two miles from Prince Town ; and several more 

 Tawny and Barn Owls were sent to the bird-preserver. On the 

 13th a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was received. I also under- 

 stood from Mr. Nicholls that a Hoopoe was obtained about this 

 date in the neighbourhood of Kingsbridge, South Devon; and 

 Mr. Clogg, of Looe, Cornwall, informs me of a Common Kedstart 

 having been procured — the first of the kind he had ever met with 

 in that locality. Strange to say, although the Black Redstart is 

 seen on the coast there almost every autumn and winter, the 

 common species is considered rare throughout the county. He 

 also mentioned a Great Northern Diver having been recently 

 taken in a trammel- net. On the 21st I was shown a Nightjar, 

 which had been killed by flying against a telegraph-wire. 



On June 10th a Common Buzzard was trapped, and also a 

 Kestrel. The stomach of the latter bird contained a Slow- worm, 

 Anguis fragilis. 



On July 28th an immature Peregrine Falcon was sent to the 

 birdstutfer, and on August 5th another fully adult male killed in 

 Cornwall, which makes the fourth example I have examined 

 within the last six months. What a pity it seems that so many 



