308 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



•ad. 



loudly as he flew. May 18th. Two Cuckoos flying across King's Road, 

 the female first, the male following, calling "cuckoo." May 21st. Saw the 

 two Cuckoos again this morning, and have now seen them many times. 

 The female always goes first, silent ; the male follows in her wake, crying 

 "cuckoo." They are high in the air when they pass over. — F. Coburn 

 (Holloway Head, Birmingham). 



I have heard the Cuckoo calling while on the wing, but so far as my 

 observation goes, I should say that such a thing is unusual. — William W. 

 Flemyng (Coolfin, Portlaw, Co. Waterford). 



[We have received several other communications on this subject, for 

 which unfortunately we are unable to find room this mouth. — Ed.] 



Cormorant choked by a Flounder.— Seeing the account of a Great 

 Northern Diver having been choked by Grey Gurnard (p. 265), brings to 

 my recollection an instance of a Cormorant having been choked by a 

 Flounder. I was returning from Bartragh in my gunning punt, when 

 I saw a Cormorant lying flat on the water, with outspread wings, and this 

 unusual position attracting my attention, I rowed towards the bird and 

 picked it up, when I found a Flounder 8 in. in length partly swallowed, 

 and firmly embedded in its throat. The Cormorant had swallowed the 

 head and body of the fish as far as the anal fin, and the little sharp spine 

 in front of it got stuck firmly inside the throat. As the unfortunate bird 

 could neither swallow nor disgorge the fish, it was probably drowned when 

 unable through weakness and exhaustion to keep its head above water.— 

 Robert Warren (Moyview, Ballina, Co. Mayo). 



A Visit to Puffin Island, Co. Kerry.— On June 5th I visited this 

 island, near Portmagee, Co. Kerry. A notice of the ornithology of the island 

 may be found in an article by my friend Mr. Ussher (Zool. 1884, p. 481). 

 The Rev. A. Delap, Rector of Valentia, who was one of our party, found a 

 piece of composite candle on the west side of the island, where a good many 

 pairs of Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls were congregated breeding, 

 and where we saw a pair of Greater Black-backs. This piece of candle I 

 have sent to the Editor. It was no doubt swallowed by one of the species 

 of Gulls which were seen around the spot, and what could not be digested 

 was cast up in the form found. Mr. Delap told me that he often found pieces 

 of candle on the coast at Temple Crove, Co. Donegal, where he was parish 

 clergyman before he came to Valentia. These pieces, he says, were evidently 

 thrown out by stewards on passing steamers, and, when cast up on shore, 

 were eaten by Gulls ! This fact may be worth recording, if only to show 

 the greediness of these birds, and how nothing comes amiss to them. 

 I was anxious to inspect the colonies of Terns mentioned by Mr. Ussher, 

 but not a single bird was to be seen. They had not arrived for breeding. 

 Nor was I able to get eggs of either Shearwater or Storm Petrel, although 



