Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 5 (1901).djvu/509

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NOTES AND QUERIES.
479

wisped around the neck like the trimmings around the foot end of a ham. After an exorbitant demand, the captor, on whose fishing boat the tired-out bird had alighted, parted with it for a shilling. I took it home, and after much persuasion succeeded in making it "suck" down a small quantity of herring milt, thrusting its bill in it up to the nostrils. Two or three attempts at this made the Petrel appreciate its meal, and it soon pecked the roe held upon my finger, next day feeding itself from a milt placed within its reach in my greenhouse. It was exceedingly eager to hide, and occasionally would run to and fro, carrying its wings erect and at an acute angle. When excited it uttered a peepy cry, very like that of a young Turkey. I had some hopes of rearing it, but it had evidently been too exhausted from the first to recover. It died within a week. Another was landed the day after I purchased mine. This species is nowadays very seldom seen in this neighbourhood. The only other interesting "arrivals" at the wharf, so far during this fishing, have been a Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor), that came in on Oct. 31st, and which died just before it reached me.—Arthur Patterson (Ibis House, Great Yarmouth).

REPTILIA.

The Sand-Lizard in Berkshire.—Referring to Mr. W.H. Warner's note concerning the Sand-Lizard (Lacerta agilis) (ante, p. 392), the writer inquires whether the Sand-Lizard is known to occur in Berkshire. I may say that for many years I have been especially interested in this Lizard. Several years ago I took a small female among the furze at Cookham Dean, near Maidenhead. This was practically on the border between Berks and Bucks. I have also taken them on Maidenhead Thicket, though rarely. Across the river, in certain parts of Burnham Beeches, they are sometimes very plentiful. I think this lively little reptile may be met with in most parts, at any rate, of East Berkshire, though nowhere have I found it so common as on our south-western coasts. I remember, however, several years ago finding a large number at Southend-on-Sea. Prom my own experience it is far commoner and more widely distributed than the so-called Common Grass Lizard.—Ernest S. Lumsden (Reading, Berkshire).

INSECTA.

Mosquitoes at Scarborough.—During the past three years local field naturalists have been plagued with swarms of Mosquitoes in several damp localities near Scarborough. These have this year been present in greatly increased numbers, and in several new localities,