218 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
had all the time been keeping just out of reach, immediately seized the 
bone, and at once flew off with it to the street below, where it was quickly 
joined by the other Crow, and the two birds enjoyed what they could get off 
the ill-gotten bone together. ‘There being a fair number of people passing 
along the road, the Hawk dare not follow them, but was left outwitted on 
the ledge. I have no doubt similar instances have been observed by others, 
showing the sagacity of many birds, and I only record this note as I think 
that any interesting fact in bird-life should be published, and by so doing 
ornithologists help one another in the study of this interesting branch 
of natural history. — D. Le Sovzkr, Assist. Direct. Zoological Gardens, 
Melbourne. | 
Ornithological Notes at Alum Bay, Isle of Wight.—The precipitous 
chalk cliffs stretching from Freshwater Bay to Alum Bay, in the Isle of 
Wight, are the favourite breeding resort of many of our sea-birds. While 
staying at Alum Bay, at the beginning of last month (April), I had a good 
opportunity of seeing them at the commencement of their breeding season, 
as their favourite place is the Alum Bay end. Looking over the edge of 
the cliff from the Alum Bay downs, at one particular spot, one sees count- 
less Herring Gulls flying about in all directions; rows of Razorbills and 
Guillemots sitting on the ledges in the cliff, or dotted about in the blue sea 
far below; Cormorants flying to and fro; and an occasional Rock Pigeon 
darting out of some crevice, and whirling away out of sight with its rapid 
flight. Jackdaws too breed in great numbers in the crevices in the chalk, 
and a pair of Ravens have a nest every year somewhere in the cliff. I saw 
them several times wheeling about and tumbling over in the air in their 
peculiar manner, evidently on the look-out for Gulls’ eggs wherewith to feed 
their young ones. My brother saw two pitched battles between one of the 
Ravens and a Herring Gull, in which the two birds clung on to each other, 
and rolled down the cliff like a black-and-white ball. But the way to see 
the birds to advantage is to get a boat, and row from Alum Bay round “the 
Needles,” and a little way down the coast towards Freshwater. With a 
view to doing this, I interviewed a fisherman of the name of Isaacs, who 
seems to be the great local authority on the birds. He told me that a pair 
of Peregrine Falcons bred on the cliffs every year, and that many years ago 
he had taken both eggs and young birds, but that they had not now been 
disturbed for a long time. He also said that the Shag and Great Black- 
backed Gulls bred there in small numbers. On April 16th a friend and I 
were rowed round by him. It was a perfect morning, and the sea was as 
calm as a lake. Herring Gulls and Cormorants were flying about and 
sitting on “‘ the Needles ” rocks as we approached, but when we had rounded 
“the Needles” and gone a little way down the coast, the sight was wonder- 
ful. Herring Gulls swarmed in the air and on the rocks. Rows upon rows 
