Birds. 



6267 



Poole Harbour in 1839: Wareliam is situated at the head of Poole Bay. — William 

 Thompson ; Weymouth^ October 5, 1858. 



Occurrence of the Pomarine Skua (Lestris pomarina) at the Land's End. — This 

 species of skua has appeared with us frequently, but in some seasons they are more 

 abundant than in others. Generally their plumage exhibits an uniform brown tint, 

 more or less edged with reddish brown, according to the age of the bird. I have just 

 examined a very perfect specimen of an adult bird, killed within the last few days at 

 the Land's End. The crown and sides of the head and the whole of the upper parts 

 are of a deep uniform bluish black ; the back of the neck, throat, upper parts and 

 sides of the neck white, striated with yellow ; the breast, sides and belly to the vent 

 pure white, a few indistinct spots of brown disturbing this colour on the sides of the 

 breast ; the vent and under tail-coverts dark brown. The two middle tail-feathers 

 were unfortunately lost. — Edward Hearle Rodd ; Penzance^ October 16, 1858. 



Note on a Bird and on a Quadruped^ both found in Natal^ and 

 both said to prey upon Serpents. By John Henry Gurney, 

 Esq., M.P. 



The following extract from a letter, which 1 have recently received 

 from Natal, may perhaps interest the readers of the ^Zoologist.' The 

 bird referred to would appear by the description to be the Abou-Gamba 

 of Abyssinia [Bucorvus Abyssinicus) ; the quadruped may probably be 

 a species of Ichneumon. 



The letter from which the extract is taken is written by Mr. Thomas 

 Ayres, of D'Urban, Natal, a collector from whom I have received 

 much curious information and several very good ornithological 

 specimens, well prepared, and at moderate prices, and whom I can 

 therefore recommend to the notice of any naturalists requiring 

 specimens from the Colony of Natal. 



J. H. Gurney. 



Catton Hall, Norwich, 

 October 7, 1858. 



" That w^hich follows with regard to the habits of the undermentioned 

 bird is on CafFre authority, which I consider very good. 



This bird I have forgotten to mention before, but 1 daresay you 

 are acquainted with it; it is generally called here the Turkey buzzard 

 (a misnomer I have no doubt), from its resemblance to a turkey ; some 

 call it the snake bird, because it lives entirely on snakes and other 

 reptiles : it is the size of a large turkey ; general plumage black, with 

 a large patch of white on the wing ; the front of the neck is bare of 



