The Natukalist. 



eurious incident occurred at Spurn on the 22nd, tlirae carrion crows 

 were observed disputing on the wing over a morsel which one more 

 fortunate than the rest had managed to secure, when, suddenly, a great 

 black-backed gull appeared and put in a claim, much to the alarm of 

 the crows, and resulting in the fortunate one relinguishing his capture, ■ 

 which fell upon the sands and was secured by my informant before the 

 gull had time to pounce upon it. This bone of contention proved to- 

 be a starm petrel, just dead and still quite warm. I received this bird 

 in the flesh on the following day, and on dissection it proved to be a 

 male in an emaciated condition ; the lungs were diseased, each con- 

 taining a whitish consolidated mass the size of a small pea, showing 

 on section the bronchial tubes running through the centre, standing 

 wide open. A question is here suggested as to the nature of diseases 

 in the lungs of undomestioated animals, and whether was this mass of 

 a canceraus uatiire or the result of acute x>hthisis ? It seems highly 

 probable that the bird fell a victim to thorough weakness consequent 

 upon disease. A great many stovm petrels occurred far inland during 

 this month, being blown off the sea and carried before the ea&terly 

 gales which prevailed. 



A fine adult male bittern was shot in a stubble field, at Tunstally 

 near Withernsea, on the 15th of December. This specimen weighed 

 thirty-nine ounces, aod the contents of the gizzard, sent to me for ex- 

 amination, consisted of a mass of coleopterous remains, including an 

 entire head and elytron of Di/ttscus marginalise and a stringy substance 

 much resembling wet taw. 



On the 30th of December, a fine adult Tengmalm's awl was shot at 

 Normanby, near Whitby, by some rabbit shooters, whose dog put up the 

 bird out of a broom covert. This spec-imen was kindly sent to me for 

 examination, by Mr. Wilson, of Whitby, in v/hose collection it now is. 

 It agreed in all respects with Mr. Dresser's description, with the ex- 

 ception that he mentions only four bars, formed by the white spots, on 

 the tail feathers, whereas in this bird there were fim ; the one nearest 

 the base of the tail being not observable until the tail coverts were 

 raised. I also abserved decided traces of a sixth, at the extreme end 

 of each feather, but not very marked, owing to abrasian. Of the five 

 Yorkshire occurrences of this bird, three of them have been from the 

 neighbourhood of Whitby. An adult, in the collection of Mr. Wm. 

 Lister, of Glaisdale, was shot from a tree at Egton, on the 19th Novem- 

 ber, 1872 ; whilst one which, some years ago, had a place in the local 

 eollection of the Whitby museum, was shot on Sleight's moor, about 

 1840, but being badly preserved, had to be destroyed. 



liT-EDS, April, 18S2-, 



