78 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



pure black. I mention this because I cannot recall having met with 

 examples of the so-called crosses of the two forms or species in any public 

 museum in this country, although the Natural History Museum at South 

 Kensington contains Mr. Seebohm's series of the eastern form of the 

 Carrion Crow in much variety. It is quite possible that cross-bred birds 

 birds are exhibited in one or other of the provincial museums, but I have 

 at present no note of the fact* — H. A. Macpherson (Carlisle). 



The Effect of Thunder on Pheasants.— The effect of thunder, or 

 the firing of cannon, on Pheasants has often struck me as very curious : 

 either of these sounds setting the cock birds off crowing as if in defiance. 

 At a place between five and six miles distant from the garrison town of 

 Colchester, I have heard Pheasants close to me echoing each report of the 

 artillery practising there ; and have on many occasions noticed the same 

 thing elsewhere. The crowing sounds more like the answer to a challenge 

 than the expression of fear. — G. T. Rope (Blaxhall, Suffolk). 



[This observation is not new. If we mistake not, Gilbert White 

 remarked a century ago that the Pheasants in his neighbourhood crowed 

 when big guns were fired at Portsmouth and the wind was blowing from 

 that direction. Charles Waterton also, in his ' Essays on Natural History,' 

 (first series, 1837), makes the following remarks on the subject ; — " The 

 Pheasant crows at all seasons on retiring to roost. It repeats this call often 

 during the night, and again at early dawn ; and frequently in the daytime, 

 on the appearance of an enemy, or at the report of a gun, or during a 

 thunder-storm." — Ed.]. 



Great Black-backed Gull in London.— On Feb. 4th inst. I observed 

 three mature specimens of this Gull flying along the Embankment near 

 Blackfriars Bridge. With the exception of one or two of the secondaries 

 of one of the birds being missing — possibly due to an early moult — they 

 were a fine-looking trio. As this bird has been described as rare in 

 London, and the Editor has not included it in his note on " Sea Gulls in 

 London," in ' The Zoologist' for March, 1895 (p. 109), this note may prove 

 interesting. I see that in ' Nature Notes ' for February of this year, at 

 page 33, Mr. A. Holte Macpherson mentions his observation of an adult 

 bird of this species flying over the Thames opposite the Temple Gardens 

 on Nov. 5th, 1895. — John H. Teesdale (St. Margaret's, West Dulwich). 



[Apparently our correspondent has not referred to what has been 

 published of this species in ■ The Birds of Middlesex ' (p. 263), where it is 

 stated that it may often be seen towards the mouth of the Thames, and 

 occasionally strays up the river to a considerable distance. One was killed 

 as high up as Putney during a frost ; and, further inland, examples have 

 been seen and shot at Kingsbury Reservoir. The changes of plumage 

 noticed in a tame bird of this species, kept under observation for two and a 

 half years, are described in the same volume. — Ed.] 



