Birds. 



801)3 



they were tilled, says (' E-ield,' May 31st), " Two were shot at the first discharge, one 

 soon afterwards, the fourth four days later. When first shot at, they were diving 

 amongst a small patch of weeds and water lilies, not far from the shore ; the fourth 

 bird was shot quite out in the open water, at the other end of the mere. The man 

 who shot them said he could get as near them as he wished, — in fact, quite close to 

 them A fifth specimen, an adult male, equally rich in plumage, was obtained near 

 Yarmouth, on the 28th (I believe on Rollesby Broad), and ihis bird, which was sent 

 up to Norwich to be stuffed, I saw in the flesh, and had the chance of comparing the 

 contents and character of its stomach with that of the Sclavonian grebes. Besides 

 being far less stout and muscular, I found the stomach of this species differing greatly 

 in the smoothness of its interior surface, the almost file-like roughness observable in 

 that portion of the Sclavonian grebe being wholly wanting. The same peculiar 

 habit of swallowing feathers was also plainly discernible in this species; but 

 in this instance these formed only a small portion of the stomach's contents, the great 

 mass consisting of the half- digested fragments of insect-food. Two or three entire 

 feathers were stained brown by contact with the actual food, and many remnants of 

 others, at first sight having exactly the appearance of hairs, were blended with the 

 mass : the appearance of these portions of feathers, thus operated upon by the action 

 of the stomach, would seem to imply that, however innutritious, they are eventually 

 disposed of, through a digestive process. A careful examination of the various frag- 

 ments of insect-food, consisting mainly of the elytra or wing-cases of Coleoptera, 

 resulted in the identification of claws and scales from the back of the larva of a 

 Dytiscus, or great water-beetle ; several bodies of some smaller species, probably 

 Noterus sparsus, found abundantly in the marshes and stagnant waters ; two or 

 three bright metallic-green Coleopterous wing-cases, from a species of Donacia, 

 generally found on aquatic plants"; and heads of both species of the water-boatmen 

 (Nolonecta), besides also a minute fragment of bone, probably swallowed uninten- 

 tionally with other portions of food. — H. Stevenson. 



Note on the Spotted Redshank, Caspian Tern, Spoonbill, fyc, at Yarmouth. — 

 Tbe following birds have been killed on Breydon dtfting the early part of this month 

 on their spring migration. A fine pair of spotted redshanks, male and female, in 

 nearly full summer plumage, a spoonbill, male, and a Caspian tern, also an adult male, 

 several greenshanks, turnstones, and a Temminck's stint, were killed about the same 

 time, and two adult females of Montagu's harrier, in different parts of the county. — 

 Id. 



Occurrence of Sabine's Gull in Dublin Bay. — In the latter end of last November, 

 I shot an immature example of this gull. I had just killed a blackheaded gull from 

 the coast, when this bird came and hovered over the dead bird. It seemed quite 

 devoid of fear, for, though taking feathers from it with the first shot, it still continued 

 over the dead gull, till I killed it with the second barrel. There was a strong easterly 

 gale blowing at the time, which prevented me from reaching it with a boat for some 

 time, by which the waves had done their work, injuring the head and neck consider- 

 ably. I have been trying since to find out its name, but without success, till the other 

 day, when turning over Thompson's * Birds of Ireland' for distinctions between the 

 blackheaded and laughing gulls, I saw, contrary to the usual tenour of the work, 

 a full description <)f an immature bird of this species, corresponding in all points but 

 two with ray bird. The breast of mine is white, not ash-coloured ; the sixth primary, 

 which is subject to variation, # is dark on the outer web, except the tip, which is white 



