NOTES AND QUERIES. 33 



shape of the tail was the most remarkable, as it was short, like that of 

 an ordinary bantam hen, and resembled the back in colour, or perhaps 

 a trifle darker. It probably would have been a singular looking bird 

 if it had been allowed to live and attain its full plumage. — G. B. 

 Corbin (Eingwood). 



Larus melanocephalus in Cornwall : unrecorded Examples. — 

 Recently, when visiting the collection of birds from Hawkstone (now 

 in the possession of Mr. Beville Stanier, of Peplow Hall, Salop), I 

 came across two examples of the Mediterranean Black-headed Gull. 

 They are described in the manuscript catalogue by Harry Shaw as 

 follows : — " The pair of birds in this collection were killed near Fal- 

 mouth in March, 1851 ; the only specimens of their kind recorded as 

 obtained in this country." It is strange that Shaw never communi- 

 cated this rare occurrence to the editors of the later edition of 

 ' Yarrell,' in which book the specimen obtained near London in 1866 

 is mentioned as being the earliest record. Similar statements appear 

 in Mr. Howard Saunders's ' Manual,' and other recognized text-books 

 on British Birds, whilst the name of this species does not appear in 

 Mr. Rodd's list of the Birds of Cornwall. — H. E. Forrest. 



Westward Movement of Birds during Snow. — The late snow, with 

 harsh wind, commenced in Co. Waterford on the night of Dec. 25th, 

 1906, and for the next four days flights and single birds passed all 

 through each day, consisting chiefly of Redwings and Fieldfares, with 

 many flocks of Sky-Larks and Lapwings. They were all hastening to 

 the west. The frost was terminated on Dec. 30th by rain and a thaw, 

 and the movement of birds ceased. I should like to know if a similar 

 rush of birds has been observed along the south coasts of England 

 towards Devon and Cornwall. I have repeatedly observed such a 

 wholesale westward movement of birds here on the occurrence of 

 severe frost and snow, which is an irregular, if not an exceptional, 

 event in the South of Ireland. Our synclinal valleys run east and 

 west, and thus lend themselves to the passage of birds towards Kerry, 

 a county more affected by the Gulf Stream and the westerly winds, 

 and consequently less frost-bound in winter. — R. J. Ussher (Cappagh, 

 Co. Waterford). 



PISCES. 



Sea-Lamprey at Shrewsbury. — A specimen of the Sea-Lamprey 



[Petromyzon marinus) was taken in the Severn below the Welsh Bridge, 



Shrewsbury, on July 23rd, 1906 ; it is now in Shrewsbury Museum. It 



weighed just two pounds, and measured 2i ft. Before the construction 



Zool. 4th ser. vol. XI., January. 1907. D 



