108 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



The Rock-Dove (Columba livia) inland in Somerset. — In the cele- 

 brated Cheddar cliffs the Rock-Dove has its stronghold. It suffers 

 very little molestation from egg-collectors, owing to the inaccessible 

 heights at which it nests, although I have on two occasions secured a 

 pair of eggs. The nests consisted simply of a few twigs on a moss- 

 grown ledge of rock, the eggs being smaller and more spherical than 

 those of the Ring-Dove. I have seen these birds dart out one after 

 the other with great swiftness from the ivy-covered faces of the cliffs 

 at the disturbing sounds of the visitors, or the cries of the Kestrels ; 

 and they have doubtless existed here in their pure and wild state 

 through centuries. — Stanley Lewis (Wells, Somerset). 



Notes from Aberdeen — January-February. — A rather large flock of 

 Snow-Buntings (Plectrophenax nivalis) moving about the whole time. 

 Two Bullfinches (Pyrrhula europcta), male and female, appeared on 

 Jan. 12th. A Lapwing (Vanellus vulgaris) seen and heard on Feb. 11th, 

 flocks appearing about ten days later, earlier than usual in this neigh« 

 bourhood. Have noticed attempts by Larks to sing during last days 

 of February, but only heard complete song on the 28th of that month. 

 — W. Wilson (Alford, Aberdeen, N.B.). 



Birds killed by Ticks. — On Sept. 1st, 1901, I picked up a young 

 Stock-Dove, fully fledged and nearly full grown, in our wood here. It 

 was in an exhausted condition, only just alive, though well fed, and 

 its crop full of vetch-seed, with a few grains of wheat. On examining 

 it I noticed two large Ticks distended with blood, one above and the 

 other just below the left eye, which was completely destroyed. There 

 were several other Ticks on the head, seven or eight altogether. On 

 the 13th of the same month I found a young Blackcap Warbler lying 

 dead near a fig-tree, the fruit of which is a great attraction for birds, 

 with a large Tick on the throat and another on the forehead. I have 

 picked up scores of dead birds of different species from time to time, 

 but never before noticed any that had Ticks on them. — W. S. M. 

 D'Urban (Newport House, near Exeter). 



"Do Wild Birds die instantly ? "—The notice of Mr. Wm. Earl 

 Dodge Scott's paper in the ' Outlook ' on the above subject in the 

 last number of ' The Zoologist ' (ante, p. 79) reminded me of a singular 

 occurrence in California at the end of December, 1886. I was living 

 near Goleta, in Santa Barbara County, and had daily occasion to pass 

 by a certain field. For several days I had seen on the opposite side 

 of the field what looked like a burnt stump, but took no further notice 

 of it, until one day, having my dogs with me, they rushed across the 

 field, and commenced barking furiously around the object I had seen. 



