58 Northern News. 



birds sit in turnip fields much more now-a-days than formerly ; 

 and one day last week I saw a large flock, comprising several 

 hundred individuals, in a field of turnips close to the cliff top. 

 Observation with the glasses showed that the gulls were pecking 

 at the turnips ; so the following afternoon I secured three 

 birds — two Herring Gulls and one Great Black Backed Gull — 

 as they were returning at dusk from the field to the sea. In 

 each instance, the gullet was crammed with broken up turnip. 

 On examining the roots in the field I found a very large pro- 

 portion of them broken into by the birds ; and not a little 

 damage must be done in this way as the injured roots quickly 

 rot in wet weather. 



At sowing time in this district the gulls scratch up the 

 seed-grain, and feed upon it ; and in places where they congre- 

 gate on the shore numbers of pellets, composed of the husks of 

 wheat, barley, and oats may be found, having been cast up 

 by the birds. The same thing may be seen again at harvest 

 time ; but the birds do not appear to take the growing grain, 

 merely picking up that wnich they find upon, or scratch out 

 of, the ground. 



I do not remember finding either grain or turnip in any of 

 the many gulls wnicn I dissected say fifteen or twenty years 

 ago, and am of opinion tnat tnis change in the feeding habits 

 of these birds is to be attributed to the great increase in their 

 numbers during recent years, rendering it difficult for all to 

 pick up a living on the sea and shore. — W. J. Clarke, 51 Oak 

 Road, Scarborough, January i6th, 1912. 



At the recent annual meeting of the Scarborough Field Naturalists' 

 Society, Mr. H. C. Drake, F.G.S., was elected president for the forth- 

 coming year. 



The death is announced of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, the illustrious 

 botanist. Sir Joseph was born in 18 17, and was a personal friend and 

 staunch supporter of Darwin. 



A purse was presented to Mr. Henry Keeping recently, on his retire- 

 ment from the post of Curator of the Geological Museum, Cambridge. 

 Mr. Keeping had held the post for 50 years. 



We regret to notice particulars of the death of Mr. L. B. Ross, of 

 Driffield, formerly a prominent member of the Yorkshire Naturalists' 

 Union, and an enthusiastic botanist and conchologist. He was sixty-five 

 years of age. 



In a paper recently read to the Geological Society on ' The Evolution 

 of Inoceramus in the Cretaceous period,' Mr. Henry Woods shews that the 

 Inocerami found in the Gault, Upper Greensand and Chalk, are dc'^cended 

 from two stocks which occur in the Lower Greensand, viz., /. salomom 

 and /. neocomiensis. 



We have received a 'Price List for prepared Palrarkt Lepidoters,' 

 from which we learn ' the mutual place of fulfilment is Zirlau. Selections 

 of patterns are willingly to serious customers disposition. I accept at 

 any time all offers about pali;arkt. and exotic lepitopters, and I purchase 

 original-booties and perfect collections per cash.' 



Naturalist, 



