162 ORNITHOLOGY OF CORNWALL. 
not be visited by other British species hitherto unknown to us ; 
and, amongst them, the Nightingale? There are localities in your 
neighbourhood exactly adapted to their habits and economy ; and 
you need go no farther west than Bosvigo, nor east than Tremorvah, 
to be sure of hearing their wonderful powers of voice, if they 
should condescend to honour Truro by their presence. 
We have been visited by unusual numbers of two of our rarer 
white-winged Gulls, viz., the Glaucous and the Iceland Gulls. 
These are distinguished by their wings being entirely white, whilst 
all the other species on our coasts, except the Ivory Gull, have 
the tips black. 
The only other marine bird of interest that I have noted in 
the past year is a good specimen, in its summer plumage, of the 
Gull-billed Tern, a rare British species, and one of comparatively 
recent discovery. It is an interesting species, showing an inter- 
mediate and connecting link between the Gulls and Terns. It 
has occurred in Cornwall, only in a few instances; and one of 
these was on the Scilly Isles. 
All our winter visitants—Waders, Ducks, &c.—have shewn 
themselves in considerably reduced numbers this year; owing, 
probably, to the open character of the weather. 
If this East wind continue, accompanied with cold, it is pro- 
bable that the various birds which retire northward to breed and 
rear their young, will remain stationary to a later period. This 
is often the case with the Plovers; and it is just worth noticing 
that both the Grey and the Golden Plovers assume at this season 
an entire change of plumage throughout the lower parts, which, 
from almost pure white, become intensely black. Our beautiful 
little Grey Wagtail, too, may be seen occasionally at this season 
on the brinks of our streams and rivers, having assumed in their 
vernal moult a more intense yellow, with the chin and throat jet 
black, instead of pure white as in its winter plumage. 
EDWD. HEARLE RODD. 
Penzance, March 24, 1873. 
The following correspondence, which arose out of the above Paper, may 
have some interest as supplementary to it.—Ed. 
