114 Notes and Comments. 



facetted and wind-etched pebbles in localities near Manchester 

 and in the Wirral peninsula, and to discuss the association of 

 such pebbles with glacial deposits. The pebbles are of glacial 

 origin, and all show the characteristic features of wind-erosion. 

 The most noteworthy feature, however, is the large number of 

 split and fractured pebbles, all of which exhibit the action of 

 sand-blast on the fractured surfaces, in addition to other parts 

 of the pebble. All stages towards the formation of typical 

 ' Dreikanter ' are exhibited The splitting appears to have 

 been independent of rock composition, as both igneous and 

 sedimentary rocks are represented in the series ; in the latter 

 they are mainly split along joint-planes. The mode of oc- 

 currence shows that the pebbles were acted on by sand-blast 

 after the disposition of the glacial beds on which they lay, and 

 in this respect they agree with similar pebbles found in North 

 Germany and in North America. It is suggested thart the 

 splitting is due to frost action, and that it is somewhat earlier 

 than the wind-erosion. 



WILD birds' eggs. 



The Journal of the Board of Agriculture for February gives 

 short descriptions of the various wild birds' eggs which it 

 is proposed should be collected and used for food. ' The 

 birds whose eggs are to be gathered are :- — Black-headed 

 Gull, Herring Gull, Lesser Black-headed Gull, Common 

 Guillemot, Razor Bill and Puffin. Probably every seaboard 

 county of England and Wales, except Suffolk, has gulleries, 

 but of the inland counties it is believed that there is a 

 gullery only in Staffordshire where the Black-headed Gull 

 breeds. Nests of the last mentioned are often found in inland 

 localities and, as a rule, are readily accessible ; and it is this 

 bird which is expected to yield the bulk of eggs put on the 

 market.' 



NORTHERN BREEDING SITES. 



A list of the chief breeding places is given from which we 

 extract the following relating to the Northern counties : — 

 Cheshire : Black-headed Gull. Cumberland : Black-headed 

 Gull ; (Lake District, especially Ravenglass, near Wigton, 

 Solway Flow and among the heather at Bowness) ; Lesser 

 Black-backed Gull (very common on mosses and flows) ; 

 Greater Black-backed Gull (Lake District and Solway Flow). 

 Durham: Black-headed Gull (moors). Lancashire : Black- 

 headed Gull (Walney Island and Winmarleigh Moss, near 

 Garstang). Lincolnshire : Black-headed Gull (Brigg and 

 Twigmoor). Isle of Man : Lesser Black-backed Gull, Greater 

 Black-backed Gull, Puffin. Northumberland : Black-headed 

 Gull (Pallinsburn) ; Lesser Black-backed Gull (on moors), 

 Westmorland : Black-headed Gull. Yorkshire : Black-headed 

 Gull (Skipworth Common, Locker Tarn, Wensleydale, Brows- 

 Nat uraiist, 



