Skip to main content

Full text of "Nature notes : the Selborne Society's magazine"

See other formats 


FOR  THE  PEOPLE 
FOR  EDVCATION 
FOR  SCIENCE 


LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  AMERICAN  MUSEUM 

OF 

NATURAL  HISTORY 


/V' 

Tf 


CkBORNG 
iCTYS 

BGH’ZiNe 


|i  Vol.  IV.  1893. 


31- lit  ><• 


INDEX. 


Abomination,  a New,  113. 

Aconites,  Winter,  51. 

Advertising,  Abuse  of,  81,  177  ; Society 
for  Checking,  237. 

Allen,  J.,  Brentford  Aits  saved,  113;  a 
Gruesome  Bargain,  170. 

Allen’s  Science  in  Arcady,  52. 

Almack,  A.  C.,  Kingfisher,  115. 

Alpine  Garden,  Birds  in,  3. 

Anticipations,  66. 

Aphides,  199. 

Appleby,  E.  f..  Lantern  Slides,  114,  138. 
Artificial  Edelweiss,  155. 

Ashley,  F.  W.,  Peter,  a Goldfinch,  9 ; 
London  Birds,  157  ; A Selbornian 
in  the  Dials,  181. 

Atkins,  E.  F.,  Butterflies  and  Moths,  218. 
Avadavats,  18. 

Baillie,  E.  J.,  Christmas  Greeting,  221. 
Baker,  R.,  Swallows,  18. 

Barbed  Wire,  77. 

Bargain,  a Gruesome,  170. 

Barker’s,  T.,  Note  Book,  203. 

Beautiful  World,  A,  238. 

Bees  and  Death’s  head,  7,  39 ; Nests, 
158  ; Leafcutter,  198. 

Bell,  C.  D.,  Flardiness  of  Canaries,  98  ; 
Poems,  195. 

Benson,  A.  C.,  Gilbert  White,  83  ; his 
Poems,  88,  231. 

Biggs,  M.  A.,  Behaviour  of  Cats,  216. 
Birchall,  O.,  Landrail,  139. 

Bird  Catchers,  55  ; London,  182. 

Birds  ; in  Alpine  Gardens,  3 ; in  New 
Zealand,  25,  35,  55  ; Protection  of. 


33,  76,  162,  198  ; Battue  of,  34, 
Feeding  the,  35  ; at  Lighthouse,  37, 
58  ; and  Squirrels,  19,  37,  38,  58  ; 
Memory  in,  57  ; at  Sevenoaks,  1 16  ; 
and  Drought,  156;  London,  157  ; at 
Window,  96,  1 17,  1 18,  198  ; Poison- 
ing of,  199;  Wild,  at  Shows,  215; 
Queries,  217,  243  ; With  the,  222. 
Birkett’s,  P.  B. , Cotn?nons  and  Spaces, 
90. 

Blomefield,  L. , Death  of,  193. 

Books,  Notices  of,  11-18,  28-33,  51-54, 
71-76,  86-92,  127-132,  137,  148, 
153.  174-177.  1S8,  194,  209,  214, 
231-240. 

Borrer,  M.,  Visit  to  Spoonbills,  123. 
Bostall  Wood  opened,  154. 

Botanists,  Book  for,  140. 

Boyle,  E.  V.,  Insect  Collecting,  67  ; 
Great  Tit,  117  ; British  Birds  at 
Shows,  215. 

Brain,  J.  L.,  Swallows  in  School,  145  ; 

Aphides,  199. 

Brentford  Aits,  34,  113. 

Bridges,  R.,  Poems,  41. 

Brightwen,  E.,  Flight  of  Rooks,  57  ; 
Visit  to  Selborne,  loi  ; Starving 
Tortoises,  177  ; .Squirrels  won  by 
kindness,  227;  Wild  Nature,  214; 
More  about  Wild  Nature,  1 4. 
Brinkley,  J.,  Canaries  and  Cages,  215. 
Britten,  A.  A.,  Friendly  Landrail,  243. 
Britten,  J.,  Ways  of  Work,  l ; Seedlings, 
28  ; R.  Bridges’  Poems,  41  ; Abuse  of 
Advertising,  71  ; Out  of  Doors,  127  ; 
G.  White’s  Selborne  Plants,  210. 


Index. 


n. 


Broadwood,  L.  E.,  Folk  Songs,  55,  234. 
Browning,  C. , Cat  Killing  Squirrel,  217. 
Buckhounds,  Royal,  179. 

Bull,  H.  E.  U.,  Birds  and  Lighthouses, 

58. 

Butcher’s  Broom,  Extermination  of,  17S. 
Butler’s  Our  Household  Insects.,  239. 
Butterflies  in  Danger,  35  ; Destruction 
of,  93  ; and  Moths,  199,  218. 
Buxton,  D.  ^Y.,  Centenary  of  G.  White, 
21. 

Byrne,  J-  T. , Earwigs,  179. 

Canaries,  Hardiness  of,  98 ; Talking, 
159,  174;  and  Cages,  173,  215,  240. 
Capri,  Eastern  Custom  at,  92. 
Carrington,  E.,  Canaries  and  Cages,  173, 
240;  her  IVorkers'vithout  IVage,  154. 
Cat,  Friendly,  158;  and  Jackdaws,  158; 
Odd  Behaviour  of,  199,  216  ; and 
Squirrels,  217. 

Caterpillar,  Carnivorous,  119. 

Centenary  : see  White,  Gilbert. 

Cheney’s,  S.  P.,  Wood  Notes  Wild,  147. 
Child-Life  AhuMiack,  18. 

Christmas  Greeting,  22. 

Church  Decorators,  To,  92. 

Clarke,  A.,  Commons  and  Open  Spaces, 
90;  Rescue  of  Open  Spaces,  137; 
Opening  of  Hampton  Court  Park 
and  Bostall  Wood,  154. 

Clifford,  J.  R.  S.,  Death’s  Head  Moth, 
7 : Cockchafers,  57  ; Rooks’  Nests, 
98:  Plague  of  Earwigs,  157;  Privet 
Hawk  Moth,  157. 

Climate  and  Trees,  244. 

Cockchafers,  39,  57,  96. 

Cocks,  A.,  Cockchafers,  96. 

Commons  and  Open  Spaces,  90,  137. 
Compton’s,  T. , Mendip  Valley,  15- 
Cordon,  T-  E.,  Cockchafers,  57. 

Corner,  R. , Toad  infested  with  Larvae,  96. 
Cowl,  M.  E.,  Lantern  Slides,  94. 

Crofts,  E.  H.,  An  Odd  Cat,  199. 
Cuckoo,  1 19,  156,  157. 

Darwin,  J.,  Surrey  Nightingales,  99, 

De  Tabley’s  Poems,  194. 

Death’s  Head  Moth,  7,  39. 

Denne,  W.,  Birds  at  Lighthouse,  37. 
Dials,  Selbornian  in,  181. 

Dillon,  F.,  English  Flowers  in  Japan,  216. 


Disfigurement,  Age  of,  174. 

Dixon,  L.  M.,  A -Suggestion,  186. 

Dog  and  Kittens,  198;  Generosity  in, 
205;  and  Moorhen,  21 1;  Com- 
municating, 243. 

Domestication  of  Woodpigeons,  38,  94. 
Dove,  A.,  Plea  for  Skylark,  56. 

Dove,  H.  S-,  Wild  Life  in  Tasmania,  22, 
64,  106,  125,  164  ; Bird  at  Window, 
198  ; Climate  and  Trees,  244. 
Doveton’s,  F.  B. , Songs,  233. 

Downing,  B. , Notes  on  a Nuthatch,  201. 

[ Dunn’s,  S.  F.,  Flora  of  South  - west 
j Surrey,  1 76. 

Earwigs,  157,  179,  242. 

Easter  Custom  at  Capri,  92. 

Edelweiss,  Artificial,  155. 

Edwards,  A.,  Orleton  Swifts,  118. 

Eggs,  Protection  of,  162. 

Egrets,  93,  138,  212. 

Eisdell,  J.  A.,  Natterjack,  78. 

Elsdon,  A.  C-,  Butterflies  in  Danger,  35. 
Evans,  E-,  Nightingales,  19. 

Evans,  R.,  Age  of  Disfigurement,  174. 

Feathered  Women,  212,  241  ; Lady,  225. 
Feeding  the  Birds,  35. 

Field  Mice,  19  ; Paths,  51,  89,  114,  153  ; 
Philosophy,  52  ; Life  in  the,  74  ; 
Voles,  Plague  of,  134. 

Field  Club,  241. 

Fitzroy  Pictures,  238. 

Florida  Notes,  228. 

i Flowers  of  Winter  and  Spring,  141  ; 
1 in  New  Zealand,  183  ; in  Japan, 
216  ; at  Hindhead,  242. 
Flower-show,  A London,  121. 

Folk  Songs,  55,  234  ; Rhymes,  233. 
Footpaths,  Books  on,  51. 

Forest  Tithes,  130. 

Fowler,  W.  M.  E. , Notes  from  a Florida 
Diary,  228. 

Fowler,  W.  W.,  The  Kingfisher,  139  ; 
Wood  Notes  Tamed,  147;  Some  Bird 
Books,  209. 

Fullwood,  M.  G-,  Swallows,  139. 

Fungi,  British,  188. 

Furneaux’s  Outdoor  World,  237. 

Gale,  Norman,  Country  Muse,  32  ; 
Orchard  Songs,  23 1 . 


Index. 


Garden,  Alpine,  3 ; Vicarage,  115. 
Garlick,  C.,  Harvest  Mouse,  83,  144. 
Gaye’s,  S.,  Great  World’s  Farm,  17. 
Gepp,  A.,  Fieldpath  Rambles,  89. 
Gerard,  J.,  Field  Philosophy,  52  ; Work 
for  the  Naturalist,  86. 

Goldfinch,  “ Peter,”  9 ; Plea  for,  178. 
Grass,  A Blade  of,  221. 

Great  Orme’s  Head,  241. 

Guish,  W.  B.,  Rare  Migrants,  159. 

Hampton  Court  Park  Opened,  154. 

Hare,  Plea  for,  94. 

Harte,  A.  W.,  Pet  Lamb,  97. 

Harvest  Mouse,  85,  144. 

Hawthorn,  Early,  96,  119,  139. 

Henslow,  G.,  Generosity  in  a Dog,  205  ; 
Young  Martins,  217  ; Ingenious 
Rabbit,  217. 

Hickey,  E.  H.,Mr.  Roden  Noel’s  Poetry, 
61  ; A London  Flower-show,  121. 
Higham,  E.  J.,  Water-rats,  243. 

“Hilly  Fields,”  Secured,  216. 

Holland,  B.,  Florse-chestnut  Buds,  46. 
Hopkins,  B.  J.,  Astronomy,  53. 

Horse  Chestnut  Buds,  46,  79  ; in  Sep- 
tember, 198. 

Horse  “ Cortes,”  Account  of,  47. 
Hudson,  W.  H.,  Feathered  Women,  212; 

His  Birds  in  a Village,  209. 
Hunter’s,  R.,  Commons  P>-eservation, 
137- 

India,  Beast  and  Man  in,  71. 

Ingersoll,  E.,  Sport  without  a Gun,  69. 
Insect  Collecting,  67. 

Irving,  E.  M.  B.,  Early  Hawthorn,  96. 

Jackdaws  and  Cat,  158. 

Jameson’s,  H.  G.,  British  Mosses,  214. 
Japan,  Wild  Flowers  in,  216. 

Japp’s,  A.  H.,  Circle  of  the  Year,  196; 

Hours  in  My  Garden,  215. 

Jaynes,  A.  M.,  Wren’s  Nest,  159. 
Jefferies,  R.,  Life  and  Toilers  of  Fields, 
74  ; Wood  Magic,  237. 

Johnson,  A.  T.,  Kingfishers,  49. 

Jones,  A.,  Battue  of  Sea  Birds,  34. 

Jones,  P.,  Horse-chestnut  Buds,  79. 

Kappel,  A.  W.,  and  W.  E.  Kirby, 
Beetles,  Butterflies,  Cfc.,  54. 

Kelsall,  J.  E.,  Lantern  Slides,  77. 


iii. 

Kerr,  J.  A.,  Robin  Query,  36;  Squirrels 
and  Birds,  37. 

Kew  Ait,  34,  1 13. 

Kingfisher,  49,  115,  139,  157,  179;  and 
Sparrow,  38. 

Kipling’s,  J.  L. , Beast  and  Man  in  India, 
71- 

Kirkaldy,  G.  W.,  Sparrow,  78. 

Kittens  and  Dog,  198. 

Knocker,  K.  E. , Feeding  Birds,  35. 

Kolbe,  F.  C.,  A Couple  of  Spiders,  206. 

Lady’s  Smock,  115. 

Lamb,  Pet,  97. 

Landrail,  117,  139,  243. 

Lantern  Slides,  55,  77,  93,  114,  138. 

Lark,  Plea  for,  56. 

Lecky,  R.  J.,  Natterjack,  97. 

Leonard’s,  R.  M.,  Dog  in  British  Poetry, 
194- 

Lewis,  P.,  Friendly  Robin,  218. 

Liddell,  E. , Sycamore  Leaves,  119. 

Lighthouse,  Birds  and,  37,  58. 

Lindsay,  Lady,  String  of  Beads,  31. 

Love,  J.  W.,  Nightingale  near  London, 
118. 

Lowell,  J.  R.,  On  Selborne,  197. 

Lubbock’s,  Sir  J. , Seedlings,  28  ; Beatcties 
of  Nature,  131,  237. 

Lyddeker’s  Natural  History,  237. 

Macpherson,  A.  FL,  Sparrow  and  King- 
fisher, 38. 

Magpies  Flocking,  39. 

Malleson,  F.  A.,  In  a Vicarage  Garden, 
1 15;  his  Studies  of  Wordsxvorth, 
176. 

Martelli,  A.,  Lodgings  at  Selborne,  155. 

Martins,  217,  219. 

Martin’s,  E.,  Nature’s  Secrets,  17. 

Masters,  M.  T.,  Queer  Strawberries,  167. 

Matcham,  M.  E.,  Capri  Easter  Custom, 
92. 

Mellis,  J.  C.,  Mountain  Ash  Berries,  19. 

Mellor,  I.,  Wasps’  Nests,  156. 

Memory  in  Birds,  57 

Metapontum,  Harvest  Mouse  at,  144. 

Migrants  at  Weston,  119  ; at  Yarmouth, 
159- 

Miles’,  W.,  Field  Path  Rambles,  153. 

Millard,  C.  S.,  Birds  and  Lighthouses, 
58. 


IV. 


Index. 


Millard,  F.  M.,  Swallows  and  Martins, 
219 ; Nuthatches,  242. 

Milne’s,  G.,  Country  Pleasures,  176. 
Minnow,  Monster,  218. 

Mitford’s  Otir  Village,  236. 

Mivart’s  Types  of  Animal  Life,  86. 
Moorhen  and  Dog,  21 1. 

Moths,  199,  218. 

Mountain  Ash  Berries,  19. 

Murray,  G.  R.  M.,  Guide  to  British  | 
Fungi,  188.  ^ 

Murray,  H.  J.,  British  New  Guinea,  II. 
Musgrave,  G.  A.  and  T.,  Miss  North’s 
Flirt  her  Recollections,  148. 

National  Trust,  241. 

Natterjack,  58,  78,  97. 

Naturalist,  Work  for  the,  86. 

Nature  Lover,  214,  241. 

New  Guinea,  British,  ii. 

New  Zeakand  Birds,  25,  35,  55  ; Flowers, 
183- 

Newton’s  Dictionary  of  Birds,  210. 
Nightingales,  19,  99,  118  ; in  Russia,  198. 
Nisbet’s  Forest  Trees,  153. 

Noel’s,  R.,  Spring  Poetry,  61. 

North’s,  M.,  Further  Recollections,  148. 
Northall’s  G.  F.,  Folk  Rhymes,  233. 

Notes  and  Queries,  18,  36,  57,  78,  95, 
115,  139,  156,  179,  198,  216,  242. 
Notices  to  Correspondents,  20,  40,  69, 
So,  100,  120,  140,  200,  220,  244. 
Nuthatch,  201,  242. 

Open  Spaces,  90,  137. 

Opening  of  Hampton  Court  Park,  iS:c., 

154- 

Ormerod,  H.  J.,  With  the  Birds,  222. 
Osborn,  M.,  Memory  in  Birds,  57. 

“ Osprey,”  93,  138,  212. 

Out  of  Doors,  127. 

Owen,  M.  A.,  Old  Rabbit,  75, 

Owen,  Sir  R.,  and  his  Birds,  24. 

Owls  and  Rats,  156. 

Page,  J.  A.,  Magpies  Flocking,  39; 

Cockchafers,  39. 

Pear  Blossoming  in  August,  179. 

Pedder,  C.,  Avadavats,  18. 

Peyton,  H.,  the  Kingfisher,  139;  late 
Cuckoo,  157. 

Pickard’s,  J.  \\.,  Sunbeams  and  Summer, 
76. 


Pictures  for  Schools,  238. 

Pigeon,  Stray,  116. 

Plant  Bug,  19. 

Plant  Names,  Welsh,  36. 

Platel,  J.  J.,  Beast  and  Alan  in  India,  71. 
Poems  Reviewed,  31,  41,  61,  88,  194, 

1 231. 

I Pole,  T.,  Pear  Blossoming  in  August,  179. 
Ponsonby,  E.  T.,  Earwigs,  242. 

Popular  Science,  58. 

Powell,  M.  S.,  Squirrel  and  Birds,  19. 
Priestman’s,  J.,  God's  Birds,  215. 
Primrose,  a Plea  for,  77,  92. 

Privet  Hawk  Moth,  157. 

Protection  of  Birds,  33,  76,  198  ; of  Eggs, 
162. 

Protest,  A,  155. 

Rabbit,  Ingenious,  217. 

Rathmore,  M.,  Late  Swallows,  242. 

Rats  and  Owls,  156. 

Rawkins,  F.  L. , Field  Mice,  19. 
Rawnsley,  H.  D.,  My  Feathered  Lady, 
225;  h\&  Notes  for  the  Nile,  54. 

Read,  A.,  A Suggestion,  114. 

Reade’s,  E. , Voices  from  Flowerland,  54. 
Rebuke,  A Merited,  93. 

Rees,  G.,  Welsh  Plant  Names,  36. 
Richmond,  Vandalism  at,  170. 

Rickards’,  M.  S.  C.,  Lyrical  Studies,  89. 
Robin,  36  ; Friendly,  218. 

Robinson’s  English  Flower  Garden,  128. 
Rooks,  56;  London,  79,  95,  117,  118; 

their  Nests,  19,  36,  98, 

Rooper,  G.,  Early  Wood  Pigeon,  78,  94. 
Rope,  G.  T.,  Plague  of  Field  Voles,  134. 
Ross,  L.  E.,  September  Horse  Chest- 
nuts, 198. 

Royal  Example,  240. 

Rummens,  E.  F.,  Rooks’  Nests,  36. 

Salt’s,  H.  S.,  Animals'  Rights,  18. 
Sawyer,  M.,  Plea  for  Goldfinch,  178. 
Science,  Popular,  58. 

Seedlings,  28. 

Selborne,  43,  187  ; J.  R.  Lowell  on, 
197;  Excursion  to,  21,  55,  II2, 
150;  Visit  to,  loi  ; Lodgings  at, 
155;  Column,  56;  Water  .Supply 
at,  1 14. 

Selborne  Society,  100  ; Badge,  114  ; 
Official  Notices,  20,  79,  99,  140, 


Index. 


V. 


159,  180,  200,  220,  244;  Branches, 
56,  60,  77,  1 15,  155,  178;  Annual 
Meeting,  108  ; Report  of,  1 10  ; 
Appeal  to,  138. 

Selbornian  in  the  Dials,  181  ; a Veteran, 
193- 

Selborniana,  34,  55,  79,  92,  113,  138, 
154.  177.  I97>  215,  240. 

Shakespeare’s  Flowers,  34. 

Simpson,  R.,  Stray  Pigeon,  116;  Dog 
and  Kittens,  198  ; Tomtits,  219. 

Simpson,  T.,  Monster  Minnow,  218. 

Smith,  H.,  Trees  in  Winter,  6. 

Smith,  H.  G.,  Bird  Life  in  New  Zealand, 
25  ; British  Wild  Flowers  in  New 
Zealand,  183. 

Smith,  T.,  Rooks’  Nests,  19. 

Smith,  W.  L. , Kingfisher,  179. 

Smith,  Z.  P.,  Dogs  Communicating, 
244- 

Sow,  Sagacity  of,  97. 

Sparrow,  78  ; and  Kingfisher,  38  ; at 
Window,  1 1 7. 

Spiders,  Two,  206  ; Fascination  by,  205. 

Spoonbills,  Visit  to,  123. 

Sport  without  a Gun,  69. 

Spring  Poetry,  41,  61  ; Flowers,  97, 
141  ; Visitors,  1 18. 

Stamford,  Earl  of,  G.  White’s  Ancestors, 
104  ; Relics  of  G.  White,  133  ; 
Relics  of  White  Family,  161. 

Startin,  J.,  Sir  R.  Owen  and  his  Birds, 
24. 

Steele’s,  R.,  Medieval  Lore,  234. 

Strawberries,  Queer,  167. 

Suggestion,  A,  186. 

Sussex  Notes,  116. 

Swallows,  18,  139,  218,  219,  242  ; in 
School,  145. 

Swann’s,  H.  K.,  Birds  of  London,  210. 

Swifts,  Orleton,  118. 

Symonds,  C.  M.,  Birds  in  Alpine  Gar- 
den, 3 ; Flowers  of  Winter  and 
Spring,  141. 

Tasmania,  Wild  Life  in,  22,  64,  106, 
125,  164. 

Tennyson’s  Flowers,  34. 

Theobald’s,  F.  V.,  British  Flies,  75. 

Thomson’s,  J.  A.,  Study  of  Animal  Life, 

86. 


Thomson’s,  J.  P. , British  New  Guinea, 

II. 

Thoyts,  E.  E.,  Cuckoo’s  Song,  119; 

Carnivorous  Caterpiller,  119. 
Thrushes  and  Drink,  78,  93. 

“ Timothy,”  197. 

Tit,  Behaviour  of,  96,  117. 

Toad  infested  with  Larv:e,  96. 

Tomtits,  219. 

Tortoises,  Starving,  177,  219. 

Town  Flowers,  153. 

Towndrow,  R.  F.,  Winter  Aconites,  51  ; 

Cockchafers,  57. 

Trees  in  Winter,  6. 

Tuck,  J.  G.,  To  Church  Decorators,  92. 
Turkey  Dance,  243. 

Urlin,  H.,  West  Sussex  Notes,  116. 

Vachell,  C.  T.,  Protection  of  Wild  Birds’ 
Eggs,  162. 

Viper,  219. 

Voles,  Plague  of,  134. 

Warner,  W.  H.,  Mountain  Ash  Berries, 
19  ; Cockchafers,  57  ; Squirrel  and 
Birds,  58  ; Natterjack,  58  ; Land- 
rail, 117  ; Bird  at  Window,  118; 
Spring  Visitors,  118;  Leaf-cutter 
Bee,  198;  Dogwood,  198;  Bird 
Queries,  243. 

Wasps’  Nest,  155,  219. 

Waste-paper  Nuisance,  180. 

Water-rats,  243. 

Watney,  H.,  Owls  and  Rats,  156  ; 
Gilbert  White’s  House,  178;  Tor- 
toises, 219. 

Watson’s,  J.,  Ornithology,  209. 

Ways  of  Work,  i. 

Weir,  H.,  Birds  at  Sevenoaks,  116. 
Wheatcroft,  W.  G.,  Bath  Spring  Flowers, 
97  ; a Veteran  Selbornian,  193. 
White,  Gilbert,  43  ; his  Plants,  210  ; 
Centenary,  21,  150  ; his  Sermon, 
I33>  178  ; Sonnet  on,  83  ; Punch  on, 
146  ; Lecture  on,  93 ; his  House, 
154,  178,  197;  Ancestors  of,  104; 
Relics  of,  133 ; Country  of,  187 ; 
his  Family,  161  ; Memorial  to,  114, 
172. 


VI. 


Index. 


White,  G.,  A Friendly  Cat,  158  ; 
“ Timothy,”  197  ; Thomas  Barker’s 
Note-books,  203. 

White,  W. , White  Memorial,  172. 
Whiting,  J.  E.,  Rooks  at  Hampstead, 
95;  Cuckoo,  156. 

Whitwell,  W.,  A Motto,  34. 

Wild  Flower  Classes,  56 
Wild  Flowers  in  New  Zealand,  183  ; in 
Japan,  217. 

Williams,  F.  N.,  Artificial  Edelweiss, 
155- 

Wilson’s,  A.,  Science  Stories,  52 
Window,  Birds  at,  96,  117,  118,  198. 
Winter,  Trees  in,  6 ; Flowers,  141. 


IVitk  the  IVoodlanders,  237. 

Wood  Notes  Tamed,  147. 

Wood  Pigeons,  Domestication  of,  38, 
94  ; Early,  78. 

Wood’s,  T.,  Field  Naturalists'  Hand- 
book, 153. 

Woodd,  G.  J.,  Cat  and  Jackdaws,  158. 
Work,  Ways  of,  i ; for  Naturalists,  86. 
W’ren’s  Nest,  159. 

Yeld,  G.  M.,  Talking  Canary,  159. 
Yonge’s,  C. , Hampshire  Village,  53- 
Young,  J.,  Domestication  of  W’ood 
Pigeons,  38. 

Young,  M.  S. , A Turkey  Dance,  243. 


IRatiue  IRotes: 

^bc  Selbovne  Society’s  flbaoasine. 

No.  37.  JANUARY,  1893.  Vol.  IV. 


WAYS  OF  WORK. 

By  the  Editor. 

E have  been  somewhat  disappointed  at  tlie  lack  of 
response  to  our  appeal  for  information  as  to  the  work 
undertaken  by  our  Branches  during  1892.  From 
various  sources,  however,  we  have  gleaned  some 
knowledge  of  the  work  in  progress,  and  we  propose  briefly  to 
indicate  a few  of  those  which  seem  capable  of  extended  adoption. 

It  seems  to  us  that  the  third  object  on  the  Society’s  pro- 
gramme, “the  promotion  of  the  study  of  Natural  History,”  is 
that  which  offers  the  widest  field  of  operations,  and  also  that 
which  will,  in  the  long  run,  produce  most  results.  Protests 
from  time  to  time  against  this  or  that  form  of  cruelty  or  thought- 
lessness, are  of  course  needed,  and  we  should  fail  in  our  duty  if 
we  did  not  make  them  ; but,  in  the  words  of  the  poet, 

to  the  solid  ground 

Of  Nature  trusts  the  mind  that  builds  for  aye. 

The  more  we  diffuse  a love  for  the  objects  of  Nature,  especially 
among  the  young,  the  less  frequent  will  become  the  manifesta- 
tions of  wantonness  or  cruelty. 

Reference  was  made  in  our  last  issue  to  the  Junior  Branches 
of  the  Society,  as  well  as  (p.  236)  to  the  means  taken  in  at  least 
one  Sunday  School  to  interest  the  scholars  in  our  wild  flowers. 
We  note  with  pleasure  that  the  Lower  Thames  Valley  Branch, 
which  is  taking  a very  leading  position  in  Selbornian  work,  has 
arranged  an  admirable  series  of  evening  meetings  for  the  winter 
session,  to  be  held  at  the  Athenaeum  and  High  Schools, 
Richmond,  at  many  of  which  lectures  by  competent  and  well- 
known  naturalists  are  to  be  delivered.  The  first  of  these  was 
held  on  November  gth,  when  Mr.  W.  D.  Wickes  delivered  a 
lecture  on  “ Spiders,”  illustrated  by  diagrams  and  microscopic 


NATURE  NOTES. 


slides.  On  December  14th,  ^Ir.  R.  T.  Lewis  gave  a lecture, 
similarly  illustrated,  on  “The  E}’es  of  Insects.”  On  January 
gth,  l\Ir.  W.  H.  Harris  will  lecture  on  “ Bees  and  their  Ways,” 
at  the  Athenaeum,  and  on  January  nth,  IMr.  R.  C.  Barrett 
addresses  the  meeting  on  “ Fur,  Feathers  and  Scales  : ” on  this 
occasion  there  will  be  an  exhibition  of  microscopes  and  objects 
of  natural  history.  On  January  25th  and  26th,  there  will  be  an 
exhibition  of  photographs  of  places  of  interest — buildings, 
historical  residences  and  scenery  of  the  Thames  Valley.  Later 
in  the  year, Air.  C.  H.  Wright,  of  the  Kew  Herbarium,  will  give 
“A  Talk  on  Mosses,”  and  Professor  F.  Wh  Oliver  will  lecture 
on  “ Natural  History  Jottings  in  the  Alps.”  It  will  be  remem- 
bered that  during  the  summer  this  Branch  organised  a successful 
series  of  excursions  in  which  members  and  other  branches  took 
part. 

Quite  a different  line  of  operations,  equally  excellent  in  its 
way,  is  that  laid  down  by  the  Rev.  Prebendary  Gordon,  who 
edits  a “ Selborne  Column  ” in  the  West  Sussex  Gazette.  This 
contains  varied  and  interesting  information  on  points  connected 
with  natural  histor}',  largely,  of  course,  of  a local  character.  We 
cannot  help  thinking  that  many  editors  would  be  glad  to  secure 
a column  of  this  kind,  and  there  must  be  man}^  Selbornians  in 
different  parts  of  the  country  who  would  be  capable  of  conduct- 
ing such  a column  ; and  we  cordially  commend  this  example  to 
the  consideration  of  our  members.  Prebendary  Gordon,  we 
observe,  has  also  given  a lecture  at  Arundel  on  “ Vvhld  Bird 
Life,”  which  was  largely  of  a Selbornian  character. 

The  distribution  of  suitable  literature  is  another  field  of 
labour  which  has  been  comparatively  little  worked.  The  bound 
volumes  of  N.^ture  Notes  should  be  found  in  all  our  school 
libraries,  clubs  and  free  libraries  ; and,  with  suitable  volumes 
of  the  same  class,  might  be  employed  largely  as  prizes.  We  are 
extremely  anxious  to  give  a list  of  books  suitable  for  a Selborne 
Library,  which  we  should  like  to  see  part  of  the  machinery  of 
each  branch  ; and  we  shall  be  grateful  to  any  one  who  will  under- 
take the  formation  of  such  a list.  It  should  contain  books 
which  are  fairly  cheap,  popular  in  style,  and  thoroughly  accurate 
in  every  particular. 

The  Clapton  Branch  of  the  Society  issues  an  excellent  form 
for  the  registration  of  observations  of  natural  phenomena,  of 
which  Mr.  R.  M.  Wattson,  14,  Narford  Road,  Upper  Clapton, 
N.E.,  will,  we  doubt  not,  suppty  a specimen  on  application. 
The  practice  of  recording  year  by  year  the  arrival  and  departure 
of  migratory  birds,  the  leafing  and  flowering  of  trees  and  other 
plants,  the  appearance  of  insects,  and  the  like,  is  an  excellent 
one,  admirably  calculated  to  further  the  habit  of  observation 
which  is  so  essential  to  the  would-be  naturalist.  We  learn  that 
it  is  proposed  to  form  a “ Rambling  Club,”  in  connection  with 
the  Clapton  and  Northern  Heights  Branches,  which  will  hold 
field  meetings  during  the  summer. 


BIRDS  IN  AN  ALPINE  GARDEN. 


3 


Those  who  want  a new  field  for  investigation  will  find  it 
readily  enough  in  the  seedlings  of  common  plants.  Mrs. 
Brightwen  told  us  something  about  seedling  trees  in  Nature 
Notes  for  last  August  (pp.  143-145),  and  we  hope  next  month 
to  say  something  about  the  two  large  volumes  which  Sir  John 
Lubbock  has  lately  devoted  to  the  subject.  Seedlings  are  easy 
to  collect ; they  dry  well,  and  take  up  but  little  space  ; and  the 
variety  among  them  is  remarkable.  Many  collections  of  dried 
plants  would  be  the  richer  for  the  addition  of  a set  of  seedlings. 

These  are  only  some  of  the  ways  in  which  the  objects  of  the 
Selborne  Society  may  be  carried  out.  The  present  year  is  the 
centenary  of  the  death  of  Gilbert  White : could  Selbornians 
observe  it  more  fittingly  than  by  making  a special  effort  tO’ 
advance  the  principles  which  are  associated  with  his  name  ? 


BIRDS  IN  AN  ALPINE  GARDEN. 


HIS  year  the  garden  was  unusually  full  of  flowers. 
During  the  three  summer  months  the  sun  was  brilliant, 
and  frosts  kept  away.  Alpine  poppies,  larkspurs, 
pansies,  made  a brilliant  show ; tall  blue  mountain 
holly  (Evyngium  alpimm),  saxifrages  shining  like  stars,  and 
gentians  and  tiny  drabas  mingling  with  St.  Bruno’s  lily  and 
veronica,  sweet  briar,  thyme  and  delicate  spiraea  ; these  also  lived 
which  is  more  than  five  thousand  feet  above 
luminous,  sweet  with  the  scent  of 
The  hues  of  flowers  and  butterflies 


in  the  walled  garden 


sea  level,  and  the  air  was 
hayfields  which  encircle  it. 
are  more  brilliant  in  these  high  regions  than  in  the  lowlands. 
Crowds  of  red  admirals,  peacocks,  and  humming-bird  moths 
floated  in  from  the  meadows,  and  were  busy  all  day  long  among 
the  pink  saxifrages.  The  tiny  stream  went  merrily  among  those 
most  cherished  primulas,  which  need  to  wet  their  roots  in  order 
to  live.  The  fountain  played  strange  melodies  to  the  intoxica- 
ting sunlight,  and  dragon-flies  would  come  occasionally  to  rest 
their  shining  wings  upon  its  brink. 

Autumn  came  with  sudden  frosts  in  the  early  weeks  of 
October.  Flowers  were  nipped  ere  they  could  burst  the  sheath, 
and  butterflies  retired  to  dark  crevices  disconsolate.  On  Sun- 
day, the  gth,  came  snow.  We  awoke  on  Monday  to  find  the 
mountain  ashes  bowed  down  to  the  ground.  Flowers  were  sunk 
from  sight.  A bitter  wind  went  screaming  down  the  valley. 
Six  days  of  snow,  alternating  with  a dry  chill  wind,  and  the 
mountain-ash  leaves  are  dead,  and  aspens  shiver  and  fall.  Yet, 
the  birds  somehow  persuade  themselves  that  life  is  worth  liv- 
ing even  up  here.  The  redstart,  who  built  his  nest  under  the 


eaves,  has  left  us  long  ago  ; his  song  was  a joy  to  hear,  so  ex- 
quisitely tender.  I heard  a mysterious  twittering  among  the 
elder  bushes  on  Saturday,  and  beheld  through  the  coral  berries' 


4 


NATURE  NOTES. 


a bird  with  ruddy  breast  and  proud  shy  eyes.  So  the  robin 
has  not  deserted  us  in  evil  days  ! A month  ago,  when  butter- 
flies were  still  dancing  above  the  saxifrages  and  thyme,  this 
robin  came  to  sing  ; he  looked  extremely  pert  and  happy  then. 
His  feathers  were  well  groomed,  his  song  was  as  sweet  as  his 
English  brother’s.  To-day  the  earth  was  cold,  and  Cock  Robin’s 
feathers  were  ruffled  ; his  voice  was  almost  harsh  in  its  clamour  for 
food.  Still,  he  is  too  proud  to  come  indoors  to  warm  his  frozen 
claws  on  the  green  stove,  though  the  windows  are  open  for  him. 
He  had  the  old  perky  look  in  his  eyes  when  I suggested  that 
he  might  honour  us  with  his  presence.  He  is  taking  care  of  a 
tiny  brown  creature,  a Jenny  Wren.  She  flutters  so  lightly  over 
the  frozen  snow  that  her  feathers  scarcely  brush  it.  She  also  is 
extremel}'  cold,  and  her  note  is  plaintive,  like  a shabby-genteel 
lady’s.  Two  chaffinches  peck  at  the  mountain-ash  berries — 
acrid  food  ! There  were  twenty  degrees  of  frost  last  night. 

We  saw  a hawk  fly  across  the  valley  yesterday  ; his  breast 
shone  like  silver,  and  the  span  of  his  wings  was  noble.  He 
floated  up  to  the  golden  larches  and  away  to  the  mountains 
deep  in  snow.  There  was  a water  ousel  resting  his  white  breast 
by  the  side  of  the  lake. 

Birds  are  not  over  plentiful  in  these  high  regions,  yet  there 
are  rare  and  beautiful  visitors  who  come  to  make  the  long  winters 
bright.  In  October  a large  white  bird  may  be  seen  passing  low 
over  the  meadows  in  the  valley — a grebe,  who  comes  up  from 
the  lakes  to  fish  along  the  river  and  over  the  surface  of  the 
Davosersee ; a flight  of  goldfinches  travelling  southward  ; a rush 
from  the  wings  of  departing  swallows,  golden-crested  wrens. 
Bullfinches  visit  us  about  Christmas  time.  They  arrive  in 
families  of  ten  or  twelve,  and  are  beautiful  and  gay,  greedily 
pecking  at  the  berries,  lively  even  in  the  zero  days.  They  will 
spend  a fortnight  here,  then  disappear  over  the  mountains. 
A bird  who  comes  to  stay  all  the  winter  is  the  alpine  accentor. 
About  the  size  of  a small  thrush,  he  is  brown,  with  bluish 
bands  upon  the  wings.  His  song  is  continuous  and  suppressed, 
rising  and  falling  like  the  note  of  a lark.  He  comes  in  Novem- 
ber usually,  and  takes  up  his  abode  under  the  eaves  of  this 
house.  He  disports  himself  upon  the  window  ledges,  singing 
from  sunrise  to  setting.  Hemp  seeds  and  berries  of  all  kinds 
await  his  coming  ; occasionally,  when  in  good  humour,  he  will 
walk  in  at  the  window,  and  strut  upon  the  sill.  As  soon  as 
spring  is  there  he  is  off  to  the  high  mountains.  A very  dear 
friend  is  the  alpine  accentor ; never  a winter  has  he  missed 
coming  ; we  hail  him  as  a cherished  guest.  His  liquid  note  and 
domestic  habits  are  extremely  pleasant. 

I must  not  forget  to  mention  the  ptarmigans,  who  descended 
upon  the  garden  one  snowy  winter,  and  who  took  refuge  under 
the  eaves  of  this  house.  These  birds  are  snowy  white  in  winter, 
with  red  rings  round  the  eyes,  and  lovely  furry  feet.  No  Paris 
dame  could  dress  more  daintily.  The  white  hares  alone  equal 


BIRDS  IN  AN  ALPINE  GARDEN. 


5 


them  for  purity  of  attire.  Snow-finches  (Montifringiila  nivalis) 
come  down  to  us  in  January  from  the  high  snow  pastures. 
Larger  than  chaffinches,  and  with  very  long  tail  feathers,  and  a 
flight  most  rapid,  they  shine  like  burnished  silver  in  the  sun- 
light. Snow-finches  do  not  often  visit  the  garden,  preferring 
coachroads  and  the  vulgar  comradeship  of  yellowhammers  and 
other  wayside  tramps. 

One  remarkable  winter  visitor  is  the  mountain  finch  (Frin- 
gilla  montifringiila).  For  beauty  of  colouring  and  for  brilliancy 
of  plumage,  this  bird  might  hold  a candle  to  his  cousin  the 
chaffinch,  whom  he  closely  resembles. 

Tomtits  stay  with  us  the  whole  year  round.  Fat  adorns  the 
garden  for  their  delectation  till  it  looks  like  a butcher’s  shop. 
Tomtits,  with  all  the  vivacity  and  none  of  the  noisiness  of  mice, 
with  merry  chirp  and  lively  habits,  clinging  with  marvellous 
certainty  to  the  frozen  fat,  head  downwards,  or  turning  somer- 
saults in  the  air. 

“ And  me,  and  me,”  says  a grating  voice,  louder  than  all 
other  voices  in  the  alpine  garden,  a harsh  and  penetrating 
voice,  an  annoying,  jarring,  rasping  voice — that  of  one  who 
is  always  to  the  fore,  who,  unbeloved,  will  ever  be  the  first  to 
■seek  the  prize.  Can  we  forget  the  sparrow  ? Three  years  ago 
the  Davos  valley  was  comparatively  free  from  the  bird.  Then,  in 
an  unlucky  fit  of  generosity  towards  the  feathered  race  at  large,  a 
bird  lover  introduced  this  graceless  species  of  the  finch  tribe  to 
■our  most  select  bird  society.  In  the  course  of  three  years,  how 
will  not  the  sparrow  tribe  increase  ? He  flocks  to  our  garden 
and  despoils  us  of  our  seed.  In  the  early  morning  we  wake  to 
the  knowledge  of  his  presence,  through  the  hectoring  tones  with 
which  he  upraids  his  numerous  progeny.  All  seasons  are  ren- 
dered livel}'  by  his  officious  habits.  He  is  indifferent  to  heat 
and  cold  alike,  thriving  as  the  wicked  alone  will  thrive.  One 
word  in  favour  of  this  most  persistent  chatterbox.  Bores  are 
oftenest  harmless,  and  the  sparrow  is  the  very  impersonification 
of  all  bores.  His  chirp  is  worse  than  his  peck.  There  is  little, 
if  any,  malice  in  him,  and  he  vastly  enjoys  life.  Provided,  then, 
that  he  will  leave  the  other  birds  in  peace,  we  will  throw  no 
more  stones  at  him  ; we  will  submit  to  the  noise  and  jabber  of 
his  morning  awakening,  and  will  allow  him  as  much  hemp  and 
.as  many  sun-flower  seeds  as  he  can  swallow. 

C.  M.  Symonds. 


Davos  Platz,  November,  1892. 


6 


NATURE  NOTES. 


TREES  IN  WINTER. 


HERE  are  two  conditions  under  which  trees  in  winter 
can  be  studied  with  the  greatest  advantage,  and  where 
their  individual  peculiarities  can  be  more  readily  ap- 
preciated. If  the  observer  is  fortunate  enough  to  be 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  a mass  of  woodland  trees  on  a surface 
more  or  less  flat,  and  bounded  by  an  open  country,  such  as  a 
common,  he  will  be  able  to  take  accurate  note  of  the  separate 
trees ; and  this  he  can  do  more  easily  if  the  undergrowth  has 
been  cut  away,  because  they  will  stand  out  more  clearly  and 
distinctly,  and  their  outlines  can  be  more  accurately  gauged. 

Again,  if  a mass  of  woodland  trees  is  placed  in  such  a 
position  that  the  ground,  instead  of  being  flat,  is  irregular, 
with  here  a hill  and  there  a depression,  slope  or  valley,  the 
observer  has  an  opportunity  not  only  of  studying  individuals, 
but  of  noting  the  effect  of  masses  of  unclothed  trees  when- 
grouped  together  under  such  conditions. 

It  is  difficult  for  those  who  are  in  the  habit  of  associating 
trees  with  their  spring,  summer,  and  autumnal  dress,  to  take 
much  notice  of  them  when  they  are  deprived  of  their  foliage, 
and  to  be  able  to  see  how  much  beauty  they  possess  during 
the  drear  and  cheerless  season  of  winter.  A careful  observa- 
tion, however,  of  trees  deprived  of  their  summer  foliage,  either 
arranged  together  in  masses  of  lesser  or  greater  extent,  or 
growing  singly,  will  soon  convince  us  that  the  interest  and 
beaut}^  connected  with  their  naked  architecture  is  as  striking 
as  when  they  are  clothed  in  their  summer  apparel.  At  no 
other  time  is  it  so  possible  to  study  the  various  ramifications 
of  trees  as  when  they  are  perfectl}^  naked,  and  so  allow  us  to 
bring  into  view  every  branch  and  every  twig,  and  take  cogni- 
sance of  the  extraordinary  and  striking  variations  in  the  features, 
of  our  trees  during  the  period  of  winter. 

In  illustration  of  this  let  me  refer  to  a few  of  the  trees  most 
familiar  to  us,  and  then  we  shall  see  how  much  there  is  to 
attract  our  attention. 

That  grandest  of  all  our  trees,  the  oak,  with  its  naked 
branches  presents  the  most  striking  appearance:  this  is  espe- 
cially noticeable  when  they  are  seen  together  or  mingled  with 
other  trees,  for  although  in  a measure  they  resemble  each  other 
so  much,  yet  by  the  eccentric  diversity  of  the  limbs  and  their 
ramifications  it  is  almost  impossible  to  find  two  of  them  exactly 
alike,  and  thus  it  is  that  the  observation  of  these  naked  trees, 
is  a source  of  so  much  interest. 

Beautiful  as  is  the  beech  in  summer  and  in  autumn,  it 
presents  in  winter  a most  striking  appearance,  when  iully 
grown.  Its  stem,  covered  with  its  smooth  shining  bark,  and 
consisting  of  two  or  three  main  trunks,  and  dividing  into  nu- 
merous pendent  branches,  affords  great  beauty  to  the  landscape, 
although  there  is  not  such  a variety  in  the  divisions  and  sub- 
divisions of  its  boughs  as  exists  in  the  oak. 


THE  DEATH'S  HEAD  MOTH  AND  BEES.  J 


A full-grown  lime  is  another  tree  which  in  its  unclothed 
state  presents  a grand  sight,  with  its  lower  branches  gracefully 
pendent,  and  the  upper  ones  springing  from  the  trunk  at  an 
acute  angle  and  arranged  in  a most  picturesque  manner.  An 
avenue  of  well-grown  limes  in  winter  is  a thing  of  beauty. 

Graceful  as  is  the  birch  in  summer  foliage,  its  appearance 
when  denuded  of  leaves  in  winter  affords  a beautiful  sight, 
in  consequence  of  the  pendent  form  of  its  branches.  The 
white  colour  of  the  bark,  in  some  of  the  larger  trees  espe- 
cially, adds  very  much  to  their  beauty. 

I need  hardly  refer  to  the  fine  appearance  of  other  trees 
familiar  to  us  in  winter,  such  as  the  elm,  ash,  chestnut,  syca- 
more, and  plane,  but  I should  like  to  draw  attention  to  one 
tree,  viz.,  the  larch,  which  attracts  so  much  interest  in  the 
early  spring,  when  it  sends  forth  its  beautiful  greenery.  In 
winter,  however,  a well-grown  larch  presents  a beautiful  ap- 
pearance ; its  branches  spring  trom  its  straight  and  towering 
stem,  bending  downwards  in  a uniform  manner  at  first,  and 
then  curving  upwards:  as  the  successive  branches  proceed  from 
the  trunk  to  its  extremity  they  become  shorter  and  shorter,  so 
that  the  tree  forms  a beautiful  cone,  which  is  very  pleasing  to 
the  eye. 

Of  course  the  various  kinds  of  fir  trees,  either  grouped  to- 
gether or  growing  singly,  add  much  to  the  picturesqueness  of 
the  landscape,  but  the  appearance  of  these  is  obvious  to  all, 
and  does  not  afford  the  changes  that  obtain  in  deciduous  trees, 
to  the  characteristics  of  which  I wish  more  particularly  to  draw 
attention. 

Henry  Smith. 


THE  DEATH’S  HEAD  MOTH  AND  BEES. 

FRIEND  of  mine,  who  is  living  in  one  of  the  suburban 
roads  of  Gravesend,  Kent,  and  who  is  a beekeeper,  had 
his  attention  drawn  to  the  hives  one  July  evening, 
by  a curious  sound  which  seemed  to  come  from  their 
vicinity,  and  which  was  not  like  the  humming  or  murmuring  of 
the  bees.  On  near  approach  he  discovered  the  cause  of  the 
sound  : it  arose  from  the  presence  of  a specimen  of  the  huge  moth 
called  the  Death’s-head.  This  insect  had  evidently  been  drawn 
to  the  spot  by  the  odour  of  the  honey,  and  it  was  endeavouring 
to  gain  access  to  a hive  in  order  to  regale  itself  with  the  sweet 
treasure  stored  therein.  The  insect  has  not  occurred  lately  in 
Gravesend,  though  it  has  been  taken  here  before,  and  also  the 
'Caterpillar  of  the  species,  feeding  in  potato  fields,  where,  by  the 
labourers,  it  is  oddly  named  the  “ lokus  ” (locust). 

The  fact  is  interesting,  because,  in  this  investigating,  sceptical 
age,  people  have  pooh-poohed  or  doubted  the  statements  made 


8 


NATURE  NOTES. 


by  some  of  the  older  entomologists  and  beekeepers,  that  this 
moth  was  in  the  habit  of  resorting  to,  and  entering  hives  when 
it  had  the  opportunity.  In  those  countries  where  it  is  commoner 
than  with  us,  and  where  hives  are  numerous  of  the  old-fashioned 
sort,  it  has  long  been  the  object  of  superstitious  dread,  and  its 
honey-hunting  peculiarity  is  an  added  reason  for  dislike.  To- 
the  credulous  it  has  for  centuries  been  a “ king  of  terrors.” 
The  Death’s-head  i\Ioth  bears  upon  its  thorax  a mark  which 
does  somewhat  resemble  a skull  and  cross  bones ; it  has,  besides, 
the  power  of  making  a plaintive  cry — quite  an  unusual  thing  with 
insects  of  this  kind — and  it  glides  about  mysteriously  in  the 
twilight,  not  only  out-of-doors,  but  occasionally  entering  houses. 
Some  people  believed  the  moth  was  actually  gifted  with  the 
power,  when  it  came  into  a house,  of  whispering  the  name  of 
the  person  next  to  die  there. 

But  as  regards  the  bees — there  is  one  evident  reason  w'hy 
such  a moth  should  be  attracted  to  their  hives ; it  has  a short 
tongue  which  prevents  it  from  drawing  the  nectar  from  many 
flowers  that  furnish  food  to  its  long-tongued  relatives.  Evidently 
the  construction  of  modern  hives  does  not  give  the  moth  any 
chance  of  getting  in  ; it  may  smell  the  honey,  but  it  cannot 
obtain  it.  A\’here  old-style  hives  are  used,  the  moth  can  and 
does  enter,  and  occasionally  one  has  been  found  dead  within  a 
hive,  the  bees,  being  unable  to  remove  so  bulky  an  insect,  having 
taken  the  precaution  to  embalm  its  body  with  what  is  called 
propolis.  Some  have  supposed  that  the  peculiar  noise  made  by 
the  Death’s-head  alarms  or  paralyses  the  bees,  thus  rendering 
them  unable  to  attack  it,  but  there  is  no  proof  of  this.  The 
courage  of  bees  is  remarkable,  and  the  Death’s-head  would  be 
treated  just  as  some  other  intruder  might  be,  if  the  bees  were 
able  to  sting  it  to  death.  But,  as  a skilled  entomologist  has 
pointed  out,  this  moth  is  well  protected  b}^  its  fur  and  skin,  so 
that  it  is  doubtful  whether  a bee  could  harm  it,  unless  it 
dexterously  selected  a vulnerable  part.  A dead  specimen  in  a 
hive  can  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  the  moth  may  get  in, 
but  find  it  not  at  all  easy  to  turn  round  and  get  out  again.  The 
moth  does  not  appear  to  be  afraid  of  the  bees  ; like  several 
others  of  the  same  tribe,  it  has  a wa}’  of  striking  out  with  the 
fore-legs  if  annoyed,  but  has  no  means  of  defence. 

Some  of  the  continental  beekeepers  have  discovered  that  the 
bees  are  aware  they  are  liable  to  the  intrusions  of  this  big  moth, 
and  when  they  are  located  in  the  old-fashioned  hive  the  insects 
erect  a kind  of  fortification  at  the  portal.  This  is  constructed 
with  a narrow  passage  and  a bend,  past  which  the  Death’s-head 
could  not  possibly  make  its  way,  and  which  it  has  no  jaws  to- 
bite  through ; the  bees  would  scarcely  attempt  to  erect  this  if 
the)’  could  settle  the  would-be  thief  outside  with  their  owa 
weapons. 


J.  R.  S.  Clifford. 


PETER:  A GOLDFINCH. 


9 


PETER:  A GOLDFINCH. 


ARDUELIS  ELEGANS”  is  his  full  name,  though 
the  dealer  of  whom  I bought  him  called  him  a “grey 
pate.”  He  was  not  much  to  look  at  then — hardly 
a bright  feather  on  him  ; just  a splash  of  yellow  in 
his  wings,  and  all  the  rest  a mottled  brown.  And  he  was  so 
wild  ! I thought  he  would  crush  his  little  head  in  trying  to 
force  it  between  the  bars  of  his  cage.  It  made  me  sad  to  see 
him,  and  had  it  not  been  severe  weather  I should  have  given 
him  the  liberty  he  wanted  so  much.  But  to  liberate  him  then 
was  to  send  him  to  a lingering  death  from  starvation,  so  I kept 
him. 

In  a week  or  two  he  became  more  reconciled  to  confinement, 
and  after  a lot  of  coaxing  ventured  to  take  a hempseed  from  off 
my  finger.  It  was  most  interesting  to  watch  the  struggle 
between  his  timidity  and  his  love  of  hemp.  When  the  tip  of 
the  finger  with  the  seed  was  introduced  between  the  rvires,  he 
would  slowly  sidle  along  the  perch  with  a most  unconcerned 
air,  looking  at  anything  but  the  tiny  seed;  but  just  as  he  got 
within  reach  his  courage  would  fail  him,  and  off  he  would  go 
with  a little  shrill  chirp,  only  to  commence  the  operation  again. 
The  hemp  was  an  attraction  he  could  not  resist.  He  was  soon 
back  on  the  perch,  working  his  way  slowly  along  towards  the 
coveted  morsel.  And  when  at  last,  by  stretching  his  neck  to  its 
utmost  length,  he  managed  to  capture  the  solitary  seed,  so  jubi- 
lant was  he,  that  he  had  to  make  several  circuits  of  the  cage 
before  he  could  settle  down  to  eat  his  prize. 

It  was  thought  now  that  he  might  be  allowed — as  his  prede- 
cessors had  been — the  freedom  of  the  breakfast  room,  but  though 
his  cage  door  was  left  open  for  some  days,  Peter’s  timidity 
would  not  permit  him  to  venture  outside.  So  hempseed  was 
again  resorted  to.  A few  seeds  were  spread  just  outside  the  open 
door,  and  after  he  had  tried  every  method  his  little  brain  could 
suggest,  and  stretched  his  limbs  into  every  conceivable  attitude 
in  the  endeavour  to  reach  them  from  off  his  cage,  he  ventured 
out,  and  after  one  or  two  experiments  he  became  as  much  at 
home  outside  as  in.  He  was  now  as  courageous  as  he  had  before 
been  timid.  He  became  a fierce  “ autocrat  of  the  breakfast- 
table.”  Buttered  toast  was  his  delight.  Hervould  settle  on  the 
edge  of  the  plate,  and  if  one  attempted  to  drive  him  away  before 
he  had  finished  his  repast  he  would  resist  by  force.  Up  would 
come  his  feathers ; with  wings  and  beak  open  he  would  peck 
furiously  at  the  presented  finger,  chattering  all  the  while  a de- 
fiance which  I presume  he  thought  effective,  for  he  was  always 
allowed  to  remain.  Then  he  would  take  up  a position  on  my 
shoulder,  and  reprove  me  with  a sharp  dig  in  the  neck  if  I dared 
to  eat  without  first  letting  him  have  a peck.  When  he  had  had 
his  fill  he  would  creep  round  my  coat  collar  until  he  could  nestle 
in  my  beard.  He  seemed  to  find  this  a cosy  spot,  for  he  would 


10 


NATURE  NOTES. 


remain  there  quite  quiet  until  driven  away.  After  he  had 
moulted  and  assumed  his  full  plumage  he  commenced  to  sing, 
the  edge  of  the  sugar  basin  or  the  back  of  a chair  being  his 
favourite  perch,  and  he  would  sit  and  sing  until  one  had  serious 
fears  that  he  would  injure  his  little  throat. 

Pitying  his  lonely  condition  I thought  I would  provide  him 
with  a mate,  so  I procured  a little  cheverel — whom  we  named 
“ Sally  ” — the  smallest  goldfinch  I had  ever  seen.  At  first  she 
was  put  into  another  cage,  and  hung  some  distance  away  from 
Peter,  but  he  soon  discovered  her  and  at  once  commenced  a 
spirited  flirtation.  He  quite  forsook  me.  He  now  spent  all  his 
time  on  Sall}'’s  cage,  feeding  and  caressing  her  through  the 
wires.  After  a few  days  she  was  put  into  his  cage,  and  con- 
sequently had  the  same  liberty  as  he  did,  the  door  being  nearly 
alwa5'S  open.  I never  succeeded  in  gaining  Sally’s  confidence 
as  I had  gained  Peter’s,  and  though  she  would  fearlessly  hop 
about  the  table  and  pick  up  crumbs,  I could  never  induce  her  to 
come  on  my  hand  or  shoulder.  But  never  did  wife  idolise  a 
husband  as  Sally  did  Peter.  When  he  was  singing  she  would 
sit  quietly  by  him,  with  her  head  turned  a little  aside,  as  if 
listening  intently,  and  when  his  song  was  finished  she  would 
wag  her  little  body  from  side  to  side,  and  chirrup  out  her  own 
little  song — she  had  a pretty  one  of  her  own — as  if  to  say  “ Isn’t 
m}-  husband  a fine  fellow!”  When  spring-time  came  I supplied 
them  with  nesting  materials,  and  had  dreams  of  home-bred  gold- 
finches, but  in  that  I was  disappointed.  Beyond  carrying  some 
of  the  material  from  place  to  place  they  never  exhibited  any 
sign  of  nesting,  and  though  they  would  often  sit  feeding  and 
caressing  each  other  the}^  never  made  a serious  attempt  to  set 
up  house-keeping  on  their  own  account. 

Like  many  other  couples  they  had  their  little  quarrels.  Some- 
times there  would  be  a terrific  chase  round  and  round  the  room, 
and  a chattering  that  would  have  done  credit  to  a famil}"  of  jays. 
They  always  roosted  as  far  from  each  other  as  the  cage  would 
permit — one  at  each  end  of  the  perch.  Peter  believed  in  the 
earl3'-to-bed  proverb,  but  Sail}'  was  of  a more  dissipated  dis- 
position, and  preferred  later  hours.  But  when  she  did  retire 
she  always  wanted  the  corner  Peter  had  chosen,  and  in  spite 
of  Peter’s  protest  she  would  evict  him  without  compunction. 
Sometimes  after  he  had  comfortably  resettled  himself  she  would 
assert  her  sex’s  perogative  of  changing  her  mind,  and  deem  his 
place  the  best,  and  proceed  to  evict  him  again. 

Poor  Sally,  her  fate  was  a sad  one ! One  morning  this 
autumn  we  found  her  dead.  She  had  somehow  managed  during 
the  night  to  squeeze  herself  through  the  hole  in  her  cage  in  to  the 
water  trough,  and,  unable  to  get  back,  had  died — probably  as 
much  from  fright  as  drowning,  for  we  found  her  little  body  quite 
out  of  the  water,  and  dry.  I thought  the  loss  would  be  a heavy 
one  to  Peter,  but — I almost  hesitate  to  tell  it,  for  it  may  be 
quoted  as  an  example  of  the  callousness  of  the  masculine  gender 


BRITISH  NEW  GUINEA. 


1 1 

— on  the  very  day  she  died  he  commenced  to  sing,  and  continued 
in  full  song,  almost  putting  to  shame  the  mocking-bird  whicli 
lives  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  room.  He  has  now  resumed 
his  old  familiarity  with  me.  He  greets  me  in  the  morning  by 
flying  around  my  head,  and  gives  me  no  peace  until  I have 
placed  half-a-dozeu  hempseeds  in  my  hand,  on  to  which  he  will 
fly  from  across  the  room.  During  breakfast  he  sits  either  on  my 
shoulder  or  close  by  me  on  the  table,  and  has  his  peck  at  nearly 
every  mouthful  I eat.  When  watercresses  are  on  the  table  he 
will  sometimes  insist  upon  bathing  in  the  water  which  has 
drained  from  them — an  inconvenient  habit  which  I have  tried 
in  vain  to  break.  But  this  is  one  of  the  few  blemishes  in 
Peter’s  character,  and  as  long  as  he  is  happy  I tolerate  it. 

It  may  be  questionable  if  it  is  right  to  deprive  any  bird  of  its 
liberty  in  order  to  make  a pet  of  it.  But  if  we  do  keep  pets  it  is 
clearly  our  duty  to  make  them  as  happy  as  possible.  I do  not 
think  Peter  has  had  one  unhappy  day — excepting  the  first  few — 
since  I have  owned  him,  and  kindness,  a little  patience,  and 
forbearance  will,  I believe,  make  any  bird  as  happy  and  as  tame 
as  mine.  The  pleasure  of  possessing  a pet  which  has  confidence 
in  you  is  a thousand  times  greater  than  owning  one  which  is 
frightened  every  time  you  approach  it. 

Fred.  W.  Ashley. 


BRITISH  NEW  GUINEA.* 

It  is  a remarkable  reflection  that,  though  the  shores  of  New  Guinea  were  first 
sighted  only  some  twenty  years  later  than  the  discovery  of  America  by  Columbus, 
this  land  still  remains  in  greater  part  as  little  known  to  us  as  the  planet  Mars, 
though  for  many  years  its  savage  shores  have  been  constantly  passed  by  Australian 
mail  steamers  with  all  the  resources  of  civilisation  aboard.  It  has  been  partitioned 
into  British,  Dutch,  and  German  territories  without  the  happy  possessors  knowing 
much  of  their  bargains.  The  exploration  of  British  New  Guinea  is  so  recent  (and 
in  part  only  complete)  that  it  is  a matter  more  of  newspaper  chronicle  than  of 
history.  In  the  German  portion  (Emperor  William’s  Land)  only  a few  river 
courses  and  mountains  appear  on  the  map,  while  the  Dutch  part  (quite  half  of  the 
whole  island)  is  a blank  of  the  kind  that  charms  the  youthful  chartographer  who 
has  to  “draw  a map”  to  satisfy  the  claims  of  pedagogic  justice.  In  fact  there 
is  probably  not  even  in  Africa  so  great  a land  untrod  by  the  foot  of  the  explorer  as 
exists  in  New  Guinea.  A book  on  this  country  might  therefore  be  expected  to 
rival  in  brevity  the  celebrated  account  of  the  Icelandic  reptiles,  and  it  only  adds 
to  our  interest  in  New  Guinea  to  find  that  the  small  portion  of  it  already  explored 
has  yielded  materials  for  a handsome  volume,  full  of  the  narratives  of  travellers, 
and  a statistical  account  of  their  natural  history  and  ethnographical  results.  Mr. 
Thomson,  as  Hon.  Secretary  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society  of  Australia,  has 
had  admirable  facilities  for  acquiring  the  facts  made  known  since  Australian 
exploration  has  done  so  much  towards  the  investigation  of  New  Guinea.  A 
dramatic  incident  in  connection  with  the  preparation  of  his  book  was  the  loss  of  his 
MSS.  and  illustrations  in  the  wreck  of  the  Quetta. 


* British  Neiv  Guinea,  by  J.  P.  Thomson.  Small  qto,  pp.  xviii. , 336,  with 
map  and  numerous  illustrations.  (London:  Philip  & Son,  1892.  Price  is.) 


12 


NATURE  NOTES. 


Apart  from  the  visits  paid  by  the  naturalists  of  early  surveying  ships,  the  first 
who  gave  us  a glimpse  into  this  land  of  many  other  marvels  than  the  bird  of 
paradise  was  Mr.  Wallace.  After  him  came  D’Albertis,  lleccari,  Mr.  fl.  O. 
Forbes  and  others,  but  there  is  still  a wide  field  for  the  research  of  the  enterprising. 
It  is  an  interesting  fact,  and  may  not  be  widely  known,  that  the  first  eye  to  sight 
the  great  Mount  Owen  .Stanley  range  was  that  of  Mr.  llu.xley,  then  surgeon  of 
II.M.S.  Rattlesnake,  who  named  the  mountains  after  the  captain  of  that  vessel. 

Mr.  Thomson  has  taken  the  country  in  sections  according  as  they  have  been 
explored  by  different  travellers.  First  in  place  and  in  honour  is  Sir  W. 
Maegregor,  the  indefatigable  administrator  of  British  New  Guinea,  who  made 
explorations  along  the  coast  in  his  yacht  the  Hygeia  and  also  in  the  interior. 
The  author  gives  an  interesting  and  instructive  sketch  of  these  explorations,  and 
the  numerous  illustrations  add  greatly  to  the  value  of  the  book. 


- The  natives  of  New  Guinea  are  Papuans,  not  belonging  to  large  tribes,  each 
governed  by  a chief,  but  dwelling  in  scattered  communities,  speaking  different 
dialects,  and  having  little  intercourse  beyond  that  of  murder  and  rapine.  They 
are  mostly  savages  of  almost  the  lowest  scale,  though  their  architecture,  weapons 
and  ornaments  seem  superior  to  those  of  many  other  races  of  similar  manners 
and  customs.  Not  even  in  the  days  of  the  justly  celebrated  MaePherson  of  Mr. 
Aytoun’s  ballad  could  the  highlands  of  Scotland  have  furnished  a parallel  for 
blood-thirstiness  to  the  present  so-called  social  state  of  New  Guinea. 


BRITISH  NEW  GUINEA. 


I3'. 

Each  Papuan’s  first  sentiment  as  regards  a casual  stranger  from  a neighbour- 
ing village  seems  to  be  that  of  the  Duchess  whose  customary  remark  on  similar 
occasions  was  “Off  with  his  head.’'  Head-hunting  is  the  relaxation,  and  canni- 
balism the  business  of  some  communities,  and  they  take  their  pleasure  first, 
though  not  with  frugal  minds.  As  the  redskin  counts  his  scalps,  the  muscular 
native  of  New  Guinea  preserves  the  more  substantial  skull  of  his  victim,  and  in 
one  house  in  the  cannibal  village  of  Maipua  “ no  fewer  than  two  hundred  aiul 
fifty  human  skulls  were  seen,  all  arranged  tastefully  along  the  dividing  partitions 
of  the  house,”  not  counting  the  skulls  of  alligators,  pigs,  dogs,  &c.  One  may 
perhaps  discover  in  such  an  exhibition  the  germ  from  which  our  Natural  History 
Museum  has  been  evolved,  since  we  are  told  on  high  authority  that  “from  pre- 
serving a specimen  to  studying  it  is  but  a step."’  So  soon  as  a community  begins 
to  go  under  its  doom  is  probably  sealed,  ami  the  inhabitants  have  to  revert  to 
such  arboreal  habits  as  the  accompanying  illustration  of  a tree-house  shows.  In 
some  villages  such  dwellings  are  used  as  sentinel  houses,  and  it  is  easy  to  imagine 
the  same  building  figuring  both  as  watch-house  and  place  of  refuge  at  different 
stages  of  the  misfortunes  of  a community.  It  is  scarcely  possible  to  imagine  a 
more  terrible  state  of  society  or  more  perfect  picture  of  anarchy  than  is  described 
as  existing  over  large  areas  of  this  land.  Even  a socialist  transported  thither 
would  prefer  a bloated  monarchy. 


It  is  some  comfort  to  reflect  that  the  energy  and  courage  of  .Sir  W.  Maegregor 
is  reducing  in  British  New  Guinea  such  lawlessness  as  is  described  above.  His 
manner  of  dealing  with  the  murderers  of  Captain  Ansell  of  the  ^lar  of  Peace  is 
well  calculated  to  inspire  a knowdedge  of,  and  respect  for  justice  very  different 
from  the  useless  shelling  and  burning  of  villages,  of  which  one  reads  in  other  lands. 

Our  other  illustration  is  of  virtual  “ lake  dwellings,”  or  marine  residences  on 
stilts — the  village  of  Kapakapa — the  inhabitants  of  which  no  doubt  find  it  com- 
bines utility  and  safety  with  salubrity.  Among  the  singular  burial  customs  is 
that  of  exposing  dead  bodies  on  elevated  platforms  such  as  Mr.  Forbes  describes 
in  his  lVanderi7igs  as  being  in  vogue  In  the  neighbouring  island  of  Timor  Laut. 

The  valuable  appendices  on  the  zoology  of  British  New  Guinea,  with  a sketch 
of  the  botany  by  Baron  von  Mueller,  and  the  lists  of  words  in  the  different 
dialects  are  all  valuable  features  of  this  beautiful  book,  which  is  a most  useful 
and  complete  summary  of  our  knowledge  of  an  interesting  land. 

Helen  J,  Murray. 


14 


NATURE  NOTES. 


MORE  ABOUT  WILD  NATURE.* 

HE  many  readers  of  Wild  Natuve  won  by  Kindness  will  hail 
with  delight  this  second  volume  prepared  for  them  by 
Mrs.  Brightwen.  When  we  say  that  it  is  a worth}^ 
companion  of  its  predecessor,  we  have  given  it  very 
high  praise.  We  cannot  have  too  many  books  of  this  kind — 
records  of  observations  of  living  creatures,  told  in  a simple, 
unaffected,  straightforward  way  which  charms  us  b}’  the  very 
absence  of  any  effort  to  do  so. 

To  the  many  delightful  personalities  of  the  former  book  (of 
which,  we  are  glad  to  learn,  a German  translation  with  specially 
prepared  illustrations  is  in  preparation),  we  must  now  add 
“ Katie,  the  Shrew,”  “ Inipey,  the  Bat,”  “ Ivey,  the  Kestrel,” 
Sylvia,  the  Woodmouse,”  and  many  more,  among  them  a Mon- 
goose, “ IMungo,”  who  must  have  severely  tried  the  patience  of 
his  mistress  and  of  every  one  else  with  whom  he  came  in  con- 
tact. A pet  who  can  slip  his  collar  at  any  moment,  who 
makes  equal  havoc  in  a drawing-room  or  in  a flowerbed,  who 
gnaws  his  way  out  of  his  cage,  and  intimidates  the  poultry  yard, 
needs  a considerable  number  of  compensating  qualities  ; and 
these  Mrs.  Brightwen  managed  to  discover.  “ Such  an  abso- 
lutely good-tempered  little  animal  I never  met  with  before,”  she 
says  ; and  we  can  well  imagine  that  IMungo  must  often  have 
attributed  the  same  amiable  qualit}’  to  his  indulgent  mistress. 

We  should  like  to  e.xtract  some  passages  from  the  delightful 
account  of  “ Ivey,  the  Kestrel,”  but  to  do  so  would  be  to  spoil  a 
charming  narrative.  IMoreover,  Selbornians  will  for  the  most 
part  obtain  the  volume  for  themselves,  or  for  the  school  or  free 
library  in  their  neighbourhood.  We  do  not  doubt  that  many 
a Christmas  has  been  made  happier  by  the  presence  of  IMrs. 
Brightwen’s  delightful  reminiscences. 

Besides  these  biographical  sketches,  the  volume  contains 
•other  papers — one  on  “ Footprints  in  the  Snow,”  with  man}' 
illustrations,  is  especially  suggestive  and  interesting.  “Why 
simple  things  give  pleasure,”  a tiny  essay  of  barely  five  pages, 
is  an  excellent  example  of  ^Irs.  Brightwen’s  style.  The  subject 
matter  is  simple  enough,  and  in  many  hands  its  treatment  would 
be  didactic  and  commonplace ; but  the  author  invests  the  most 
ordinary  material  in  a charm  which  is  all  her  own. 

The  papers  on  “ Home  Museums,”  and  “ Books  of  Feathers,” 
will  be  familiar  to  the  readers  of  these  pages,  and  we  are  a little 
disappointed  that  i\Irs.  Brightwen  has  not  mentioned  that  they 
originally  appeared  therein,  mainly  because  we  are  sure  that 
anv  reference  to  Nature  Notes  in  a book  of  this  kind  must 
tend  to  the  benefit  of  the  Selborne  Society  and  its  l^Iagazine. 

A word  must  be  said  in  praise  of  the  illustrations,  reproduced 


*Move  about  jy/M  N'ature.  l>y  Mrs.  Brightwen.  London  : T.  Fisher  Unwin, 
Svo,  pp.  xvi.,.261.  Price  3s.  6d. 


A MEN  DIP  VALLEY. 


15 


from  what  Mrs.  Brightwen  modestly  calls  her  “ rough  sketches,”' 
by  Mr.  Theo.  Carreras.  They  appear  to  us  more  pleasing  than 
those  in  the  earlier  volume ; we  regret  that  our  space  does  not 
allow  us  to  avail  ourselves  of  the  kind  permission  to  give  one  or 
two  of  them  here,  and  that  the  author  demurs  to  the  reproduc- 
tion of  the  portrait  which  most  fittingly  faces  the  title  page. 

We  hope  it  will  not  be  long  before  Move  about  Wild  Nature 
appears  in  as  cheap  a form  as  its  predecessor.  No  better 
shilling  book  exists  for  distribution  as  prizes  in  schools  of  alf 
kinds  ; and  if  it  were  possible  to  produce  an  edition  at  a 
slightly  higher  cost  bound  in  cloth,  we  think  its  circulation 
would  be  even  more  extensive. 


A MENDIP  VALLEY.* 

Such  is  the  title  of  a book  which  has  been  on  our  table  for  nearly  six  months, 
and  which  it  has  been  a source  of  regret  to  us  that  we  have  not  been  able  to  notice 
earlier.  Our  regret,  however,  has  been  somewhat  temjiered  by  the  fact  that  Mr. 
Theodore  Compton’s  work  has  deservedly  attracted  the  notice  of  the  press, 
generally,  and  indeed  by  this  time  there  are  probably  few  Selbornians  who  have 
not  at  least  heard  of  it. 

It  is  the  story  of  a residence  of  more  than  thirty  years  duration  in  a quiet  little 
village  hidden  away  in  a valley  among  the  Mendip  Hills.  It  is  “ purely  rural  ” — 
“we  can  boast  of  no  forest  scenery,”  says  Mr.  Compton;  no  ancient  trees  save 
the  churchyard  yew  link  together  the  various  ages  through  which  it  has  passed, 
'there  are  hundreds  of  places,  we  do  not  doubt,  which  present  to  the  seeing  eye 
fully  as  much  interest  as  Winscombe,  just  as  there  were  Selbornians  before  Gilbert 
White  immortalised  the  Hampshire  village  of  that  name.  Just  a year  ago,  indeed, 
we  reviewed  in  these  pages  the  forty  years’  history  of  another  parish  ; and  if  Mr. 
Compton  has  not  produced  a book  quite  as  fascinating  as  Dr.  Atkinson’s  Moor- 
land rUlage,  it  must  be  admitted  that  his  subject,  charming  as  it  is,  is  not  as  rich 
in  historical  associations  as  Danby-in-Cleveland. 

Such  a volume  could  only  be  written  by  one  who,  in  addition  to  the  advantage 
of  long  residence  in  one  locality,  is  possessed  of  a heart  in  sympathy  with  place  and 
people,  with  the  birds  that  fly  and  the  flowers  that  blow.  The  note  of  sympathy, 
indeed,  is  heard  in  every  page  of  Mr.  Compton’s  book.  He  is  perhaps  most  at 
home  with  the  birds.  “ 1 have  been  a lover  of  birds  all  my  life,”  he  tells  us, 
“and  from  my  youth  till  now  have  delighted  in  painting  their  beautiful  forms 
and  feathers,  and  have  vainly  tried  to  sketch  the  inimitable  grace  of  their  move- 
ments ; but  I never  desired  to  end  their  happy  lives.”  Not  among  those  to  whom 
the  shooting  of  a rare  bird  is  the  natural  sequence  of  its  appearance  .shall  we 
find  the  gentle  dweller  in  the  Mendip  Valley.  Our  readers  will  remember  the 
appreciative  “Note  on  Thomas  Bewick”  from  his  pen  which  appeared  in 
Natuue  Notes  this  time  last  year,  and  how  the  master  artist  of  birds  “ said  he 
loved  birds  too  well  to  kill  them  ; he  had  only  shot  one  in  all  his  life,  and  of  that 
shot  he  had  often  repented.”  Sketches  of  bird-life  such  as  the  following  (which 
in  the  volume  is  accompanied  by  an  admirable  illustration)  abound  : — “The  Grey 
Flycatcher  is  a familiar  garden  acquaintance,  building  in  the  trellis  over  the 
window  ; the  male  perching  on  the  back  of  a garden  chair,  while  the  other  is 
sitting.  Wishing  to  take  his  likeness,  I stuck  a walking  stick  into  the  ground  a 
few  yards  from  the  window  ; an  arrangement  that  seemed  to  please  him  very 
well.  There  he  perched  all  day,  and  every  day,  watching  lor  insects  ; every  now 


- A Mendip  Valley^  its  Inhabitants  and  Sttrroundings^  being  an  enlarged  and  illustrated 
edition  of  Winscombe  Sketches,  by  Theodore  Cgmpton.  London  ; Stanford.  Demy  8vo  pp.  2S8- 
Price  los.  6d. 


i6 


NATURE  NOTES. 


jmd  then  darting  after  a butterfly  or  other  winged  prey,  which  he  sometimes 
■carried  to  the  nest  and  sometimes  devoured  himself.  It  was  amusing  to  watch 
the  movements  of  his  head,  and  his  bright  eyes  ever  on  the  watch  for  game.  There 
seemed  also  to  be  a good  understanding  between  him  and  the  cat  ; for  it  was 
nothing  unusual  on  a sunny  day  to  see  him  at  the  top  of  the  stick  wide  awake, 
while  the  cat  slept  at  the  bottom.” 

I But  if,  as  we  incline  to  believe,  birds  are  Mr.  Compton’s  favourites,  other 
•created  things  cannot  complain  of  neglect.  The  flowers  and  butterflies,  the 
reptiles  and  wild  animals,  are  all  sympathetically  treated  ; and  the  sketches  of 
local  history  and  local  celebrities  are  admirably  done.  A word,  too,  must  be  said 
tor  the  beautiful  illustrations,  an  example  of  which  we  are  enabled  to  give. 


THE  GALLINUI.e’S  HAUNT. 


These  are  the  work  of  the  author’s  son,  iMr.  E.  T.  Compton,  who  is  evidently  a 
practised  hand,  and  to  whom  the  book  owes  some  of  its  charms. 

On  one  small  point  we  venture  to  differ  from  Mr.  Compton.  The  spelling 
“ Yellow  although  sanctioned  by  the  Natural  History  Museum,  is  not 

the  correct  one.  This  was  pointed  our  by  a correspondent  in  Nature  Notes 
for  1890,  p.  28,  and  we  are  not  aware  that  any  evidence  for  the  omission  of  the 
aspirate  has  since  been  adduced. 

Those  who  do  not  possess  Mr.  Compton’s  volume  had  better  lose  no  time  in 
doing  so.  It  is  emphatically  a book  to  buy  as  well  as  to  read,  and  to  none  should 
it  be  more  acceptable  than  to  those  “in  populous  city  pent,”  who  may,  by  means 
of  its  pages,  transport  themselves  in  fancy  to  this  valley 

Embosomed  in  the  silent  hills. 

Where  quiet  sleeps,  and  care  is  calm. 

And  all  the  air  is  breathing  balm. 


SHORT  NOTICES  OF  BOOKS. 


17 


SHORT  NOTICES  OF  BOOKS. 

The  Great  World's  Farm:  some  account  of  Nature’s  Crops  and  how  they  are 
grown,  by  Selina  Gaye,  with  a preface  by  G.  S.  Boulger,  F.  L.  S.,  &c.  (London  : 
Seeley  & Co.,  8vo,  pp.  365.  Price  5s.)  Glimpses  into  Nature's  Secrets;  or. 
Strolls  over  Beach  ami  Down,  by  Edward  Alfred  Martin.  (Svo,  pp.  131.) 
Amidst  Nature's  Realms:  a series  of  Zoological,  Botanical,  and  Geological 
Essays,  by  the  same.  (London:  Simpkin,  hlarshall  & Co.,  Svo,  pp.  157. 
Price  2s.  6d.  each.) 

“ Our  readers  expect  an  honest  estimate  of  the  books  noticed  in  these  pages. 
Perhaps  they  never  thought  of  the  pain  that  such  notices  often  bring  to  the 
reviewer.  It  is  hard  to  tell  a well-meaning  author,  who  does  not  apprehend  his 
own  ignorance  or  his  unfitness  for  the  task  he  has  undertaken,  that  his  work  is 
worthless.  On  the  other  hand  it  is  a real  pleasure  to  the  reviewer  to  introduce 
and  commend  a thoroughly  good  book  to  his  readers.  .Such  a pleasure  we  enjoy 
in  calling  attention  to  Miss  Gaye’s  work  on  The  Great  World's  Farm.  It  was  a 
happy  thought  that  led  her  to  look  at  the  world  as  a great  farm,  and  she  has 
ably  developed  her  idea  in  her  story  of  Nature’s  crops  and  how  they  are  grown. 
The  early  history  of  our  globe,  and  the  work  of  the  physical  agents  which  modified 
the  surface  so  as  to  fit  it  for  the  support  of  life,  are  clearly  explained.  Thereafter 
the  plants  which  hold  and  bind  the  soil  are  described,  as  well  as  the  vertebrate 
and  invertebrate  workers  which  are  ever  moving  and  rearranging  it.  The  relation 
of  water  and  climate  to  plant  life  are  dealt  with  ; the  structure  of  the  plant,  and 
the  functions  of  its  various  organs,  the  mysteries  of  cross  fertilisation  and  the 
assistance  of  animal  agents,  in  the  work  are  all  clearly  expounded.  The  appliances 
for  seed  distribution,  the  dangers  that  beset  the  living  organism  from  physical 
agencies,  and  from  the  attacks  of  enemies  belonging  to  both  the  animal  and 
vegetable  kingdoms,  and  the  influence  of  man’s  operations  are  all  fully  investigated 
and  clearly  recorded.  The  authoress  has  a thorough  apprehension  of  her  subject, 
and  having  a lucid  style  she  has  produced  an  admirable  introduction  for  students 
of  Nature,  and  an  interesting  and  instructive  volume  for  the  general  reader.  The 
illustrations  are  original  and  very  good. 

Mr.  Martin’s  two  little  volumes  are  very  different.  He  has  a facile  pen,  and  to 
a careless  or  ignorant  reader  the  perusal  of  the  works  may  afford  some  entertain- 
ment. but  it  is  scarcely  possible  that  they  can  give  much  instruction.  The  author 
is  no  doubt  fond  of  nature,  but  he  begins  too  soon  to  teach — words  and  phrases  are 
used  by  him  to  cover  want  of  knowledge  ; when  a teacher  has  nothing  to  say  he 
had  better  not  say  it.  Take  a specimen  from  his  chat  on  the  cod-fish.  “ In  both 
fishes  [the  cod  and  the  herring]  we  find  numerous  loose  bones  piercing  the  flesh 
which  do  not  seem  to  have  any  connection  with  the  backbone  at  all,  but  which 
give  us  considerable  trouble  in  dissecting  the  flesh  for  consumption.  Many  people 
have  almost  abandoned  fish  food  because  of  the  trouble  the  numerous  bones  give. 
If  they  knew  the  positions  of  the  bones  and  their  uses,  and  were  able  to  take  an 
intelligent  interest  in  the  creatures  set  before  them,  they  would  have  little  difficulty 
in  separating  them  from  the  llesh,  and  would  then  succeed  in  adopting  a semi- 
scientific  methodical  manner  of  doing  so.  These  seemingly  useless  bones  are  really 
the  supports  to  which  the  fins  are  fastened  as  to  an  anchor,  and  sometimes  they 
are  as  long  as  those  of  the  fins  themselves.  Now,  in  the  cod,  there  are  no  less  than 
ten  fins,  and,  of  these,  three  on  the  back  and  two  beneath  the  body  rec|uire  support 
from  these  inter-spinous  bones  as  they  are  called.”  'I'he  structure  of  the  internal 
organs  of  the  cod  is  thus  expounded  : “Who  has  ever  noticed  the  heart  of  a fish, 
and  how  many  know  where  it  is  situated  ? Its  flesh  is  so  valuable  to  us  for  food 
that  we  neglect  all  know  ledge  concerning  its  vital  organs.  Its  heart  is  situated 
just  beneath  its  head,  and  consists  of  little  more  than  a double  enlargement  of  the 
most  important  artery.  It  consists  of  only  two  chambers,  that  of  the  human  species 
consisting  of  four.  Yet  there  is  one  organ  which  the  cod  possesses  of  wdiich  all  have 
heard,  and  it  is  that  from  which  we  obtain  the  celebrated  cod-liver  oil.”  The 
“glimpses  into  Nature’s  secrets”  proceed  thus  throughout  the  two  volumes. 
Everything  is  freely  dealt  with,  but  no  information  worth  acquiring  is  supplied,  and 
there  are  not  a few'  positive  blunders  which  the  author  appears  to  be  unable  to 
detect,  as,  for  instance,  that  Limiioria  terebrans  is  an  acephalous  mollusc,  and  that 
Elephas  primigenius  is  the  mastodon.  W.  C. 


NATURE  NOTES. 


In  Animals'  Rights  considered  in  Relation  to  Social  Progress  (Bell  & Sons, 
8vo,  pp.  X.,  162)  Mr.  II.  S.  Salt  makes  out  a strong  case  for  “ the  beasts,  whose 
pains  are  scarcely  less  than  ours.”  With  much— very  much — that  he  writes  we 
tind  ourselves  in  entire  accord.  The  book  is  a scholarly  production,  and  the 
“ bibliographical  appendix”  is  especially  valuable  ; the  celebrated  sermon  of  John 
Wesley  on  the  future  life  of  animals  should  be  referred  to  in  the  next  edition.  It 
seems  to  us,  however,  that  the  assertion  that  “during  the  churchdom  of  the  middle 
ages,  froiii  the  fourth  century  to  the  sixteenth,  little  or  no  attention  was  paid  to  the 
question  of  the  rights  and  wrongs  of  the  lower  races  ” is  too  sweeping.  The 
practice  and  teaching  of  St.  Francis  of  Assisi  regarding  animals  must  have 
influenced  many  thousands  in  medieval  times — a period,  by  the  way,  which  is  not 
usually  considered  to  begin  so  early  as  “ the  fourth  century.”  Certain  chapters, 
such  as  that  on  “ Murderous  Millinery,”  are  so  Selbornian  in  tone  and  teaching 
that  one  wonders  why  Mr.  Salt  does  not  refer  to  the  Selborne  Society.  Such 
.sentences  as  “it  is  not  the  man  who  kills  the  bird,  but  the  lady  who  wears  the 
feathers  in  her  hat,  who  is  the  true  offender”  convey  important  truths  in  few  words. 
If  we  cannot  adopt  all  Mr.  Salt’s  views,  or  follow  him  in  all  his  details,  we  can 
promise  Selbornians  that  they  will  find  much  that  is  excellent  in  this  attractive 
little  book. 

The  Child-Life  Almanac  for  1893  (G.  Philip  & Sons,  is.),  aims  at  provid  ng 
teachers  with  suggestions  both  for  lessons  to  be  prepared  and  observations  to  be 
made.  The  Almanac  is  intended  to  hang  up,  and  for  each  month  a separate 
table,  containing  general  information  and  “ phenological  observations,”  is  pro- 
vided. The  idea  is  better  than  the  execution,  and  we  think  those  who  have 
supplied  the  compiler  with  hints  will  hardly  feel  that  their  suggestions  have  been 
carried  out.  There  are  misprints  in  the  popular  and  scientitic  names,  as  well  as 
elsewhere — e.g.,  “ Shillingfleet  ” for  “ Stillingfleet.”  AYe  should  like  to  know 
on  what  authority  it  is  said  that  May  has  been  in  flower  at  Bradford  on  the  1st  of 
the  month  of  that  name  for  twenty  years. 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES. 

Avadavats. — I should  be  very  glad  if  any  of  the  readers  of  Nature 
Notes  can  give  me'  information  about  the  habits  of  avadavats.  I have  had 
three  of  them  since  May,  and  in  that  time  they  have  twice  moulted  ; one  always 
remains  the  same  colour — a dull  brown  with  a little  red  above  the  tail— but  the 
other  two  alter  each  time.  AVhen  first  I had  them,  one  had  a brown  back  with 
white  spots  and  red  breast  with  .spots,  and  the  other  had  the  same  coloured  back, 
but  a beautiful  smooth  lemon-coloured  breast.  In  July  they  moulted  rapidly,  and 
became  exactly  like  each  other,  so  much  so  that  it  was  all  but  impossible  to 
know  them  apart.  Their  heads  and  backs  were  brown,  shot  plentifully  with  red, 
while  their  breasts  became  brilliantly  red  with  many  more  white  spots  than  before. 
Now  they  have  just  finished  their  second  moult,  and  the  one  which  had  a lemon- 
coloured  breast  has  donned  the  same  garb,  while  the  other  has  also  gone  back 
much  the  same  as  he  was  at  first.  I should  like  to  know  if  this  is  the  diflerence 
between  the  cock  and  the  hen,  and  also  if  it  is  summer  and  winter  plumage.  I 
should  also  be  glad  to  be  told  from  what  country  these  little  birds  have  been 
brought. 

Bath.  Catherine  Peuder. 

Swallotrs. — Shortly  after  the  arrival  of  swallows  at  Claverton  Manor  a pair 
entered  the  room  in  which  I was  standing  by  an  open  window  and  flew  leisurely 
round,  making  a double  circuit  near  the  walls  and  ceiling,  exchanging  lively 
felicitations  upon  the  safe  completion  of  their  long  journey,  or  babhling  a gusto  of 
delight  at  the  actual  recognition  of  familiar  surroundings.  On  the  26th  of  October 
I was  again  standing  by  tlie  window,  a pair  of  swallows  were  wheeling  about  ex- 
citedly outside  ; I whistled  to  them  and  one  immediately  flew  into  the  room,  made 
one  hurried  circuit,  twittered  an  earnest  husiness-like  farewell,  and  departed. 
Next  day  not  a swallow  was  to  be  seen. 

Clavcrto?i. 


R.  Baker. 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES,  QUERIES,  &c.  19 


A Plant  Bug. — During  the  past  season  I have  been  much  concerned  with 
the  depredations  of  a plant  bug,  known  to  scientists  under  the  name  of  Ly^iis 
lampestris.  He  is  a bright,  lively,  pale-green-coloured  little  insect,  remarkalrly 
agile,  with  a formidable-looking  snout  or  probo.scis,  and  is  much  given  to  roving 
about  the  buds  of  certain  of  our  favourite  flowers.  These  buds  being  punctured 
by  him — probably  in  the  performance  of  his  duty — become,  as  the  flowers  develop, 
disfigured  and  useless.  As  .so  little  seems  to  be  known  liy  gardeners  concern- 
ing his  life  history  and  habits,  except  the  fact  that  he  is  distinctly  destructive, 
especially  to  the  buds  of  chrysanthemums,  I am  desirous  of  eliciting  something 
further  respecting  his  functions  in  life,  or  the  economic  part  he  plays  in  nature. 

Acton.  C.  B.  G. 

Niglttingales. — Can  you  kindly  tell  me  what  sort  of  box  nightingales  like 
to  build  in,  and  in  what  position  in  a garden  the  box  should  be  placed  ? A 
nightingale  used  to  sing  every  season  near  the  bottom  of  our  garden  until  a new 
road  was  made  there  a year  or  two  ago,  and  I should  like  to  try  if  a suitable  box 
for  building  would  induce  it  to  return.  A pair  built  and  hatched  their  eggs  in  the 
ivy  on  a wall  adjoining  the  house  of  the  Kadcliffe  Observatory,  Oxford,  which 
shows  that  they  are  not  very  shy  birds.  I believe  in  Germany  their  numbers 
were  greatly  increased  by  suitable  boxes  being  put  about  in  the  parks  and  public 
gardens. 

Oxford.  Edith  Evans. 

Disappearance  of  Rooks’  Nests. — For  several  years  the  rooks  have 
built  their  nests  jn  an  elm  tree  which  stands  close  to  the  house,  and  this  year 
there  were  more  nests  than  usual.  All  went  well  with  the  rooks,  and  their  young 
were  not  shot  at.  But  during  the  last  few  weeks  the  nests  have  all  disappeared, 
and  the  gardener  assures  me  that  they  were  not  blown  down.  I may  add  that 
in  trees  distant  about  thirty  yards,  where  the  rooks  have  built  their  nests,  every- 
thing remains  as  usual. 

Whitchurch,  Salop.  Thomas  Smith. 

Mountain  Ash  Berries  (Nature  Notes,  1892,  p.  21S).— I should  think 
that  the  mysterious  disappearance  of  the  berries  might  Ise  attributed  to  the  depreda- 
tions of  a party  of  missel  thrushes,  which  I have  often  .seen  regaling  themselves 
on  berries  in  the  autumn  season.  At  the  time  referred  to  (August),  the  missel 
thrushes  collect  into  small  flocks,  and  are,  no  doubt,  often  mistaken  for  fieldfares 
and  redwings,  which,  however,  do  not  arrive  in  this  country  till  October  or 
November. 

Fyfidd,  Atnngdon.  W.  II.  W.akner. 

Mountain  Ash  Berries  (p.  218). —Some  years  ago,  when  residing  at 
Kenilworth,  in  my  garden  there  was  a mountain  ash  tree  loaded  with  rich- 
coloured  ripe  bervies.  The  entire  crop  disappeared  in  one  day.  In  this  instance 
the  robbers  were  starlings. 

J.  C.  Melliss. 

Field  Mice. — -During  the  winter  and  before  and  after  they  lay  up,  I have 
only  seen  single  mice,  and  the  nest  only  looks  as  if  it  would  hold  one.  Do  they 
winter  alone,  and  mate  again  in  the  spring  ? 

Rhyl.  F.  L.  Rawlins. 

Squirrel  and  Birds. — On  the  Sth  December  there  was  a great  commotion 
amongst  the  birds  in  our  garden,  and  on  looking  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  a 
squirrel  was  discovered  running  across  the  snow-cover.ed  lawn.  As  soon  as  the 
squirrel  reached  a tree  the  birds  made  such  a noise  in  the  branches  that  it  seemed 
afraid  and  ran  on  to  another,  when  the  same  thing  was  repeated  ; at  last  it  left  our 
garden  in  despair.  The  birds  were  mostly  sparrows,  a few  blackbirds,  thrushes, 
robins  and  two  rooks.  They  flew  quite  close  to  the  squiri'el  when  it  was  on  open 
ground.  Can  any  one  tell  me  if  birds  dislike  squirrels  as  a rule.? 

Rcigate.  Mary  S.  Powell 

Book  on  Spiders. — Can  you  recommend  me  a good  book  on  Spiders? 

M.  S.  P. 

W.  E.  P. — The  occurrence  is  not  very  unusual. 


20 


NATURE  NOTES. 

OFFICIAL  NOTICES. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Council  on  Wednesday,  December  7th,  the  resignation 
of  the  Misses  Fry  (who  are  leaving  London  for  Bristol),  as  members  of  the 
Council,  was  accejited  with  great  regret.  As  a result  of  this,  the  few  Members  of 
the  Society  living  in  Bayswater  have  been  transferred  to  the  Kensington  Branch, 
and  the  Bayswater  Branch  will  cease  to  exist.  A new  Branch,  however,  of  which 
Miss  Agnes  Fry  will  act  for  the  present  as  Hon.  Sec.  and  Treasurer,  will  be  formed 
at  Bristol  under  the  name  of  the  North  Somerset  Branch.  Miss  Fry’s  address  is 
Failand  House,  Failand,  near  Bristol. 

Mr.  Prince,  of  Windsor,  Melbourne,  was  appointed  a Corresponding  Secretary 
of  the  Society.  It  is  hoped  that  he  may  be  able  to  establish  a Branch  in  Mel- 
bourne. 

We  are  sorry  to  record  the  death  of  Miss  Isabel  de  Michele,  Hon.  Sec.  of  the 
Weybridge  Branch.  Miss  de  Michele  was  a very  ardent  Selbornian,  and  took  a 
great  interest  in  the  New  Forest  Bill. 

By  an  unfortunate  oversight  the  December  number  of  Nature  Notes  was 
insufficiently  stamped.  The  Council  regrets  the  inconvenience  thereby  occasioned 
to  Members. 


OUR  VOLUMES. 

We  desire  to  call  the  special  attention  of  our  readers  to  the  volumes  of 
Nature  Notes  of  1890,  1S91,  and  1892,  which  may  be  obtained  at  the  offices 
of  the  Society,  9,  Adam  .Street,  Adelphi,  W.C.,  at  the  cost  of  three  shillings 
each,  or  by  post,  three  shillings  and  tivepence.  By  the  variety  and  interest  of 
their  contents  these  volumes  nre  admirably  adapted  for  the  school  or  parish  library, 
and  we  would  urge  upon  our  readers  not  to  neglect  so  excellent  a means  for 
advancing  the  interests  which  they  have  at  heart.  Cases  for  binding  the  numbers 
for  1890,  1891  and  1892  may  be  obtained  from  the  Secretary  at  the  above  address, 
price  IS.  each  ; or  the  numbers  will  be  bound  and  the  case  supplied  by  Messrs. 
Bale  & .Sons,  87,  Great  Titchfield  Street,  W.,  at  the  cost  of  is.  3d.,  or  with  gilt 
edges,  IS.  lod.  The  name  and  address  of  the  sender,  with  stamps  to  the  above 
amount,  should  be  forwarded  with  the  magazines  in  order  to  prevent  mistakes  or 
delay. 


NOTICE  TO  CORRESPONDENTS. 

Contributions  for  any  number  should  reach  the  Editor,  James  Britten, 
F.L.S..  18,  West  Square,  London,  S.  E. , not  later  than  the  15th  of  the  month. 

When  it  is  particularly  requested,  MSS.  not  accepted  will  be  returned,  if 
stamps  sufficient  to  pay  the  postage  are  sent  for  that  purpo.se.  .Short  notes  on 
Natural  History  or  Selbornian  subjects  will  be  especially  welcome.  In  every  case 
contributions  must  be  accompanied  by  the  name  and  address  of  the  writer. 

Queries  on  any  points  connected  with  Botany,  Zoology,  or  other  branches  of 
Natural  History,  will  be  answered  if  possible,  and  advice  will  be  given  as  to  the 
best  books  for  students  in  any  department  of  Natural  Science  ; but  all  questions 
must  be  accompanied  by  the  names  and  addresses  of  the  writers,  not  for  publica- 
tion, if  this  is  not  desired. 

Specimens  sent  for  identification  will  be  named,  if  sent  carefully  packed  and 
in  good  condition,  and  if  sent  to  the  Editor,  but  we  cannot  undertake  to  return 
any  specimens.  Not  more  than  six  specimens  will  be  named  at  one  time,  and, 
in  the  case  of  conmion  plants,  it  is  suggested  that  correspondents  will  find  it  far 
more  useful  to  woik  them  'out  for  themselves  than  to  send  them  to  us  for  naming  ; 
w'e  shall  always  be  willing  to  confirm  or  correct  such  determinations. 

We  shall  be  glad  to  notice  any  books  hearing  upon  Natural  History  in  any  of 
its  branches,  and  to  direct  attention  to  magazine  articles  of  the  same  kind,  if 
these  are  sent  to  us.  Publishers  will  confer  a favour  upon  our  readers  if  they  will 
always  state  the  price  of  any  volumes  they  may  send,  in  order  that  it  may  be 
quoted  in  the  notice.  This  addition  is  much  appreciated  by  our  readers,  and 
is  desirable  in  the  interest  of  the  volumes  themselves. 

It  is  particularly  requested  that  subscriptions  and  letters  connected  with  busi- 
ness should  not  be  forwarded  to  the  Editor,  but  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
Selborne  Society,  9,  Adam  Street,  Adelphi,  W.C.  Flditorial  communications, 
specimens,  and  books  for  review  should  be  addressed  to  Mr.  Britten,  as  above. 


IRatuve  IRotes: 

Zhc  Selbovnc  Society's  ^ll>aoa3ine 


No.  38.  FEBRUARY,  1893.  Vol.  IV. 


THE  CENTENARY  OF  GILBERT  WHITE. 

^^ILBERT  WHITE  died  June  26th,  1793,  so  that 
I the  present  year  is  the  hundredth  anniversary  of  his 

j passing  hence.  To  those  who  have  learned  to  know 

Gilbert  White,  to  ramble  with  him  in  woodland 
glade,  in  forest  and  fen,  to  watch  Nature’s  many  shifting  scenes 
and  hear  Nature’s  many  voices,  the  present  has  appeared 
as  a fitting  occasion  to  do  honour  to  his  name.  To  know 
Gilbert  White  is  to  love  him  ; and  we  who  love  him  would,  as 
devout  votaries,  pilgrimage  to  the  scenes  of  his  mature  life,  and 
grow  more  familiar  with  the  actual  physical  environment  of  the 
house  of  one  to  whom  it  was  given  to  make  for  an  obscure 
hamlet  an  undying  name. 

Selborne,  then,  is  the  goal,  and  it  is  proposed,  since  June 
26th  in  this  year  falls  upon  a Monday — a rather  inconvenient 
day  for  many  of  us — to  adopt  Midsummer  Day,  June  24th,  a 
Saturday,  as  the  occasion  for  our  visit  to  Selborne.  It  is 
hoped  that  a very  large  contingent  of  Selbornians  will  keep  the 
day  free,  and  will  join  in  an  expedition  to  White’s  Selborne. 
A provisional  Committee  has  been  formed  and  sanctioned  by 
the  Council  of  the  Society,  with  power  to  add  to  its  numbers. 
We  hope  that  at  least  one  member  of  every  branch  will  join  it, 
and  whip  up  recruits  for  this  great  occasion.  It  would  be 
premature  to  formulate  any  definite  program,  but  it  may  be 
said  that  there  is  little  doubt  that  a most  delightful  day  in  a 
most  charming  part  of  Hampshire  will  be  spent,  and  the  more 
who  can  come  the  greater  will  be  the  success.  We  shall 
arrange  for  special  tickets,  trains,  carriages,  and  so  on,  when 
we  can  estimate  the  number  of  persons  who  will  come,  and  we 
hope  every  member  will  write  at  as  early  a date  as  possible 
to  our  Secretary,  Mr.  Western,  and  tell  him  whether  they  can 
take  part  in  the  expedition.  It  is  proposed  to  make  the  actual 
expenses  as  light  as  possible,  and  this  will  be  best  achieved  by 
obtaining  the  ])romise  of  a large  number  of  members  to  attend. 


'J 


NATURE  NOTES. 


It  must  be  added  that  through  the  influence  of  Mrs.  Myles 
— that  good  friend  of  the  Selborne  Society — Mr.  F.  W.  Read, 
the  present  tenant  of  Gilbert  White’s  house  (a  picture  of  which 
will  be  found  in  Nature  Notes  for  October  last),  has  most 
kindly  extended  hospitality  to  belated  Selbornians,  and  will 
facilitate  inspection  of  what  remains  of  the  old  house  and 
landmarks. 

Further  particulars  will  appear  in  Nature  Notes  for  March, 
so  in  conclusion  I will  only  urge  the  importance  of  early 
help  being  given  to  the  Committee  in  the  ways  I have  above 
indicated. 

Dudley  Wilmot  Buxton. 


WILD  LIFE  IN  TASMANIA. 


I. 

OR  two  days  past  the  wind  has  been  blowing  strongly 
from  the  east,  laden  with  moisture  from  the  sea, 
which  lies  in  that  direction,  only  three  miles  distant 
as  the  crow  flies.  The  sky  has  been  overcast,  and  at 
intervals  a drizzly  rain  has  fallen  upon  the  already  sodden  earth. 
This  afternoon  the  clouds  begin  slowly  and  unwillingly  to 
break,  and  the  sun  peeps  slowly  out,  as  if  half  afraid  to  show 
his  face  after  so  unusual  an  absence.  Immediately,  animal  life 
begins  to  awaken  from  the  drowsy  state  which  the  lately  heavy 
atmosphere  induced. 

I am  seated  upon  a log  at  the  back  of  a little  clearing;  behind 
me  is  a little  grove  of  gum  saplings;  in  front  and  to  the  left  is 
grassland,  dotted  with  stumps  of  the  musk  and  dogwood  trees 
which  formerly  grew  there ; to  the  right,  the  almost  trackless  bush. 
By  my  side  is  a gun,  brought  in  the  hope  that  some  of  the 
fevce  natuvce  in  the  shape  of  kangaroo  or  wallaby  may  venture  out 
to  the  grass  paddock  for  a feed.  But  my  attention  is  absorbed 
by  the  birds  which  the  sun  glimpses  have  called  forth. 

Most  energetic  of  these  is  the  little  flycatcher,  black  and  grey, 
with  small  streaks  of  white  about  the  wings  and  ta.il.  Perched 
upon  a dogwood  stump,  he  preens  his  feathers  with  his  tiny 
bill ; suddenly  he  darts  upward,  almost  perpendicularly,  alight- 
ing again  with  quite  a little  flap,  then  off  again  horizontally, 
turning  and  twisting  with  marvellous  rapidity  after  his  insect 
prey,  then  downwards  and  up  again,  sometimes  bringing  up  on 
his  old  stump,  sometimes  choosing  another.  Most  impudent 
is  he  too,  as  well  as  energetic,  sometimes  alighting  on  the  log 
close  beside  me,  and  sitting  there  for  half  a minute  or  so  (which 
is  his  utmost  limit  for  keeping  still)  with  as  much  confidence  as 
need  be,  as  if  quite  assured  of  the  benevolence  of  my  intentions 


WILD  LIFE  IN  TASMANIA. 


23 


towards  him.  He  is  dubbed  “ fantail  ” by  the  bush-folk,  from 
his  habit  of  spreading  out  his  tail  during  his  aerial  manoeuvres. 

Perched  upon  a stump  near  is  a native  sparrow,  much  resem- 
bling the  British  hedge  sparrow,  but  of  a somewhat  thicker 
build ; very  grave  and  judge-like  is  he,  with  his  head-feathers 
ruffled  up,  and  a generally  thoughtful  appearance  as  if  revolving 
some  important  scheme.  Self-contained  as  he  appears,  how- 
ever, his  weather-eye  has  been  wide  open ; with  a sudden 
dart  he  is  on  the  ground,  tugging  away  at  a huge  worm,  the 
other  end  of  which  is  still  fast  in  the  earth.  A few  vigroous 
jerks  loosen  the  anchored  portion  considerably,  and  he  is  now 
three-quarters  out.  Letting  go  for  a moment,  the  sparrow  seems 
to  draw  a deep  breath  for  the  supreme  effort  ; it  is  made,  and 
triumphantly  he  flies  off  to  the  bush  to  devour  the  dainty  and 
perhaps  share  it  with  his  mate,  who  is  probably  nest-building. 

Hopping  about  among  the  bracken  are  the  beautiful  little 
wrens,  tiny  things  with  short,  straight  tails,  compared  with  whom 
their  more  numerous  brethren  with  the  long  stick-up  tails  are 
giants.  It  is  a curious  thing  about  these  latter  that  each 
gentleman,  known  by  his  bright  blue  head  and  wings  with 
black  stripes,  seems  to  be  accompanied  by  quite  a harem  of 
soberly-attired  ladies.  But  to  return  to  the  tiny  ones  whose 
plumage  in  the  shade  seems  merely  light  grey  underneath,  and 
dull  brown  on  the  back  : seen  in  the  sun  this  dull  brown 
becomes  a beautiful  gold-bronze,  throwing  back  the  light  like 
a polished  shield.  They  clamber  about  among  the  tall  ferns 
and  dead  thistle-stalks,  each  of  which  is  quite  a tree  in  their 
small  estimation,  and  a happy  hunting-ground  too,  to  judge  by 
the  way  their  little  beaks  are  kept  going. 

But  soft ! what  is  this  ? A new  bird,  new  at  least  to  me, 
suddenly  emerges  from  the  thicket  and  squats  upon  the  fence, 
where  he  immediately  proceeds  to  open  his  mouth  in  a way 
which  would  delight  a singing  master,  and  gives  out  four  loud 
clear  notes ; we  have  just  time  to  notice  that  his  breast  and 
back  are  mottled  very  much  after  the  style  of  the  bush  thrush, 
and  that  he  is  only  about  half  the  size  of  that  bird,  when  he 
plunges  back  into  the  thicket,  and  is  seen  no  more. 

Overhead,  among  the  boughs  of  the  big  eucalypti,  the  green 
parrots  are  whistling,  and  far  away  back  in  the  gully  among 
the  myrtles  and  sassafras  sounds  the  strident  note  of  the  black 
jay,  warning  us  of  sunset  ; so,  shouldering  arms,  we  pick  our 
way  among  the  logs  and  stumps  and  over  the  hill  to  the  hut 
where  we  are  camped.  But  what  is  this  delicate  little  bird 
picking  about  among  the  billets  of  firewood  which  lie  strewn 
before  the  door  ? Another  stranger  ! This  is  indeed  a day  of 
surprises  ornithological.  It  is  the  graceful  emu  wren,  or  some 
closely  allied  species  ; very  much  the  same  cut  as  the  long- 
tailed wren,  previously  noticed,  but  a great  deal  smaller,  and 
having  the  light  grey  breast  marked  with  long  black  splashes. 

How  mild  it  is  this  evening  ! The  strong  sea-breeze  has  died 


24 


NATURE  NOTES. 


away  until  there  is  not  a breath  of  air,  and  the  sky  is  still 
covered  with  a thin  grey  cloud.  Nature’s  spring  has  already 
commenced  in  this  month  of  August,  although  almanack  spring 
will  not  begin  until  the  22nd  of  September.  The  birds  are 
mating,  the  grass  and  herbs  are  growing,  and  the  fruit  trees 
budding,  while  insect  life  is  also  to  the  fore.  We  notice,  as  we 
sit  down  to  our  frugal  supper,  that  a long-bodied,  long-legged, 
and  long-horned  beetle  is  sprawling  about  on  the  window  pane, 
which  is  further  adorned  with  a little  broad-winged  brown 
moth,  and  divers  specimens  of  the  gnat  tribe — a tribe  which, 
alas  for  human  comfort ! will  soon  display  itself  in  overwhelm- 
ing profusion. 

Hamilton  Stuart  Dove. 

Table  Cape,  Tasmania,  August  2^th,  1892. 


SIR  RICHARD  OWEN  AND  HIS  BIRDS. 

N intense  affection  for  animals  and  birds  was  a leading 
characteristic  of  the  great  naturalist  who  was  taken 
from  us  at  a ripe  old  age  shortly  before  Christmas. 
He  had,  indeed,  a love  for  Nature  in  all  her  aspects, 
and  almost  to  the  last  was  able  to  enjoy  his  daily  walk  in  his 
old-fashioned  garden  at  Sheen  Lodge,  on  the  borders  of  Rich- 
mond Park,  planted  with  trees  and  shrubs  from  all  parts  of  the 
world,  many  of  them  by  his  own  hands. 

Several  times  in  the  course  of  my  visits,  during  the  last  ten 
years,  I had  the  privilege  of  being  invited  by  him  into  his  garden, 
to  see  his  “ feathered  friends.”  And  what  a sight  it  was  ! never 
to  be  forgotten  by  those  who  love  our  birds.  Sir  Richard  de- 
lighted to  make  them  his  companions.  There  the  blackbirds, 
thrushes,  tits,  sparrows,  pigeons,  &c.,  would  hover  about  the 
kind  old  gentleman,  perch  on  his  hat  and  shoulders  when  he 
called,  and  feed  from  his  hand  and  lips.  What  a lesson  was 
there  to  those  who  so  ruthlessly  destroy  thousands  of  our 
small  birds  to  afford  gratification  to  the  milliner  or  the  dress- 
maker’s fair  customers;  or  to  the  “sportsmen,”  who  kill  the 
poor  pigeon  ere  he  can  rise  from  his  miserable  “ trap.” 

I am  a sportsman  myself,  but  I do  not  regard  this  and  many 
so-called  sports  of  the  present  day  as  sportsmanlike.  Why 
have  we  left  the  good  old  times  of  walking  after  our  game  with 
gun  and  dog  in  both  turnip  and  cover,  and  giving  them  a chance 
for  life,  instead  of  slaying  them  in  battues  of  thousands,  as  is  the 
fashion  of  the  day  ? Who  would  not  prefer  the  kindness  and 
beauty  of  spirit  of  this  old  philosopher,  round  whom  the  birds 
clustered  in  his  Richmond  garden,  to  the  materialistic  natures, 
whose  love  of  animal  destruction  is  raised  to  the  doubtful  dig- 
nity of  a fine  art  ? What  a delightful  and  idealic  picture  was 


BIRD  LIFE  ON  A NEW  ZEALAND  RUN.  25 


this  of  the  grand  old  gentleman  in  his  sylvan  retreat,  with  all 
kinds  of  garden  songsters  answering  his  call,  confiding  with  that 
“ trust  that  only  those  who  love  can  know,”  and  feeding  from 
a loving,  merciful  hand.  It  was  a picture  of  religion,  poetry 
and  music,  all  combined  ; seldom  seen  now-a-days,  but  read  of 
in  the  delightful  tales  of  a far-off  Arcadia. 

James  Startin. 


BIRD  LIFE  ON  A NEW  ZEALAND  RUN. 

natural  history  in  New  Zealand  is  at  present  in  a 
transition  stage.  The  balance  of  the  old  order  of  things 
has  been  overthrown  by  the  importation  of  new 
animals,  the  wide  distribution  of  fire-arms,  a foreign 
vegetation,  and  consequent  on  that,  to  some  extent  even  by 
a new  climate. 

Speaking  broadly,  forty  years  ago  the  North  Island  was 
densely  clothed  in  fern.  In  the  colder  and  damper  glens  that 
faced  the  south,  bush  grew,  and  in  some  parts  great  forests 
extended  for  miles.  The  undrained  swamps  were  covered  with 
flags  and  fla.x  {Phormium  tenax),  and  the  only  considerable 
tract  of  land  in  grass  was  the  sterile  country  about  the  vol- 
canic region  of  Taupo  and  Ohenemutu.  This  alone  remains  as 
it  was.  Hundreds  of  thousands  of  acres  of  fern  land  have  been 
burnt,  stocked,  and  sown  down  with  rye  grass  and  cocksfoot  ; 
forests  have  been  felled  and  swamps  drained  and  ploughed. 

The  descendants  of  imported  dogs,  weasels,  ferrets,  and  cats 
roam  the  remaining  wooded  ranges,  and  prey  upon  our  strange 
and  curious  ground  birds — the  kiwi,  the  kakapo,  the  blue  moun- 
tain duck  and  the  weka.  So  rapid  is  the  disappearance  of  the 
two  former  that  steps  are  being  taken  to  preserve  them,  and  on 
several  small  islands  they  have  been  successfully  established. 

The  natives,  too,  are  all  armed  wdth  breech-loaders,  and 
they  pay  little  or  no  attention  to  the  close  season,  so  that 
through  them,  also,  many  of  the  native  birds  are  in  danger. 
English  bees,  too — there  are  thousands  of  wild  swarms  in  the 
bush — gathering  the  honey  lessen  the  ancient  food  supply  of  the 
nectar-loving  birds.  They  also  usurp,  or  at  any  rate  occupy, 
the  holes  in  trees  where  kaka  parrots  or  parroquets  have  built  or 
would  have  built,  and  I have  twice  taken  out  egg  shells  in 
obtaining  the  honey  from  a wild  bush  hive.  While  some  species 
of  native  birds  increase  in  spite  of  these  changes,  to  many  more 
they  are  fatal,  and  only  those  survive  who  can  adapt  themselves 
to  their  novel  environments. 

On  the  run  where  there  is  still  cover,  and  weasels  have  not 
yet  appeared,  the  weka  holds  his  own,  having  taken  kindly  to 
his  novel  diet  of  English  mice  and  rats,  young  larks,  and 


26 


NATURE  NOTES. 


pheasants’  eggs.  Fortunately  for  themselves,  too,  these  birds 
are  of  no  use  for  human  food.  The  tame  and  confiding  blue 
ducks,  that  love  mountain  tarns  and  creeks  half  blind  with 
vegetation,  are  rapidly  disappearing.  With  the  stocking  of 
country  and  more  frequent  fires,  the  native  quail  has  vanished  ; 
its  extinction  has  reacted  on  the  quail  hawk,  which  is  a rare  bird 
now.  In  like  manner,  the  disappearance  of  the  native  rat  that 
fed  on  the  most  of  our  forest  trees  has  caused  the  whekan  or 
laughing  owl  to  become  very  scarce. 

Still,  many  rare  and  interesting  birds  remain  with  us,  and 
perhaps  the  most  beautiful  of  these  is  the  pure  white  kotuku  or 
heron.  It  is  so  seldom  seen  in  the  North  Island  that  among 
the  natives  “rare  as  the  kotuku”  has  passed  into  a proverb. 
Though  it  is  described  in  the  history  of  New  Zealand  birds  as 
very  shy  and  timid,  upon  the  two  occasions  on  which  it  has 
visited  our  lake  I have  been  able  to  approach  to  within  a few 
yards.  The  natives  frequently  follow  this  bird,  as  they  know 
from  experience  that  if  disturbed  from  one  lagoon  or  lake,  the 
kotuku  will  take  a route  that  never  varies.  In  the  old  days  the 
bird  was  eagerly  sought  by  the  natives,  its  long  white  fila- 
mentous dorsal  plumes  being  used  for  the  head  ornamentation 
of  chiefs. 

The  swamp  hen  or  pukako,  though  by  no  means  rare,  is 
another  very  handsome  bird — the  abdomen  and  back  deep 
black,  breast  indigo  blue,  legs  and  bill  red,  and  under  tail 
coverts  white.  It  becomes  very  tame  if  let  alone,  flirting  its 
tail  and  showing  the  white  feathers  beneath  as  it  walks  daintily, 
with  feet  raised  high  at  every  step.  Its  food  is  chiefly  the  tender 
stems  of  the  succulent  raupo  reed,  and  while  eating,  the  morsel 
is  held  in  one  claw  after  the  manner  of  the  parrot.  It  may  be 
seen  devouring  the  standing  corn  too,  and  some  years  ago  the 
swamp  hens  made  the  discovery  that  food  was  to  be  obtained 
from  our  oat  stacks.  With  their  powerful  bills  they  used  to  pull 
straw  after  straw  very  carefully  straight  out,  without  breaking 
them,  so  as  to  obtain  the  grain  at  the  inner  end. 

The  kingfisher  is  another  common  and  beautiful  bird,  and  in 
spring-time  we  are  visited  by  two  kinds  of  cuckoo,  hailing,  the 
one  from  Australia,  and  the  other  from  the  South  Pacific 
Islands.  Like  their  relative  of  Britain,  they  entrust  the 
hatching  of  their  eggs  and  the  rearing  of  their  3’oung  to  a 
stranger — the  little  gre^’  warbler.  Both  seem  to  be  endowed 
with  a natural  ventriloquism,  their  notes  sounding  “ at  once 
far  off  and  near,”  and  when  their  cries  are  first  heard  we  know 
that  once  more  spring  has  arrived. 

The  history  ot  the  little  wax-eye,  now  very  common  with  us, 
is  rather  remarkable.  These  birds  appeared  in  the  Nortli 
Island,  says  Buller,  for  the  first  time  within  the  memory  of  the 
oldest  natives  in  1856.  They  stayed  for  three  months,  and 
proved  of  great  service  in  preying  on  the  aphis  called  the 
“ American  blight.”  During  the  next  two  years  they  were  not 


BIRD  LIFE  ON  A NEW  ZEALAND  RUN.  27 


heard  of  in  any  part  of  the  North  Island,  but  in  1858  they  again 
■crossed  the  strait  dividing  the  two  islands,  and  in  much  larger 
numbers.  For  the  next  four  years  they  wintered  with  us,  re- 
crossing the  strait  upon  the  approach  of  spring.  Since  then 
they  have  become  permanent  residents,  and  their  ceaseless 
twitter  is  everywhere  to  be  heard. 

Many  English  and  a few  Australian  birds  have  been  im- 
ported and  most  successfully  acclimatised ; from  the  former 
country,  grouse,  robins,  nightingales,  blackbirds,  starlings, 
thrushes,  larks,  sparrows,  goldfinches  and  others,  while  from 
Australia  have  been  obtained  the  magpie,  minah,  and  black 
swan.  With  this  last  bird,  which  is  no  good  for  shooting,  and 
very  numerous,  the  experiment  is  being  tried  of  taking  away  its 
own  eggs  and  substituting  those  of  the  common  tame  goose. 
It  is  hoped  in  this  way  that  we  shall  obtain  a wild  goose ! 

Several  of  these  acclimatised  English  and  Australian  birds 
have  already  made  their  appearance  on  the  run.  Sixteen  5'ears 
ago,  when  first  it  was  taken  up,  larks  and  black  swans  had  pre- 
ceded us.  I remember,  however,  the  advent  of  the  first  brace  of 
sparrows,  and  how  pleased  we  were  to  hear  their  homely  chat- 
tering. The  earliest  improvements  on  the  run  were  done  by 
white  labour,  and  while  a number  of  men  were  resident  on  one 
spot  our  sparrows  increased  and  multiplied.  Later  on  our  work 
was  chiefly  done  by  native  contract,  the  Maories  camping  out  in 
various  parts  of  the  run,  and  then  the  sparrows  almost  entirely- 
disappeared.  They  increased  again  when  we  took  to  growing 
oats,  but  the  establishment  of  the  frozen  meat  trade  was  another 
serious  blow  to  them,  for  we  found  then  that  turnips  year  after 
year  were  the  best  paying  crop,  and  our  oats  were  bought  off 
the  run.  Now  only  five  or  six  couple  reside  at  the  homestead. 

Birds  do  not,  however,  always  come  in  pairs.  For  two 
successive  years  an  Australian  minah  appeared  on  the  run.  It 
arrived  in  spring  each  time,  and  used  to  sit  rather  disconsolately 
outside  the  fowl  yard,  seeking  to  chum  up  with  the  fowls,  who 
scornfully  rejected  its  advances.  Each  time  it  stayed  for  about 
three  days  and  then  disappeared.  This  present  spring  (August) 
of  1892,  seven  years  later,  a brace  have  appeared,  and  I have  no 
doubt  they  will  stay,  and  that  in  a few  years  we  shall  see  their 
descendants  sitting  on  the  lazy  longwool’s  backs  and  diligently 
searching  for  ticks.  Once  I noticed  one  of  these  Australian 
starlings  dead,  tangled  in  the  wool  of  a living  sheep.  About  six 
years  ago  in  early  summer  a cock  goldfinch  appeared  on  the  run ; 
I used  to  see  it  day  after  day  as  I went  over  to  the  wool  shed  at 
shearing  time;  it  was  always  alone,  and  I do  not  think  the 
female  was  sitting,  as  no  one  ever  observed  young  birds  later  in 
the  season;  next  year,  however,  it  reappeared  in  the  same  spot, 
this  time  with  a wife,  and  now  there  are  many  scores  of  these 
birds  in  different  parts  of  the  run.  In  1888  two  Australian 
magpies  took  up  their  abode  in  a patch  of  native  bush  close  to 
the  homestead ; unfortunately  they  were  shot,  and  none  others 


28 


NATURE  NOTES. 


have  taken  their  place.  In  1889  the  first  thrush  was  heard.  It 
sang  for  two  mornings  and  then  we  heard  and  saw  no  more  of  it. 
About  a week  ago  from  the  time  I write,  another  of  these 
English  songsters  was  heard  close  to  the  house. 

The  exceedingly  rapid  increase  at  first  of  imported  creatures 
is  very  remarkable ; climatic  conditions  are  favourable,  food 
abundant,  there  is  no  disease,  and  at  first  no  natural  enemies, 
indeed,  some  time  appears  to  elapse  before  it  dawns  on  the  more 
predaceous  creatures  to  make  experiments.  I know  that  at  first 
pheasants  did  well  in  New  Zealand,  partridges  increased  too, 
for  a few  seasons,  then  came  a check ; in  the  minds  of  wekas 
and  hawks  no  doubt  familiarity  had  bred  contempt.  The  former 
sucked  the  eggs  and  devoured  the  chicks,  while  the  latter  preyed 
on  the  older  birds.  Flock  owners  who  have  turned  sheep  for 
the  first  time  on  to  country  infested  by  wild  dogs,  have  told  me 
that  it  was  weeks  and  even  months  before  these  pests  left  the 
wild  pigs  they  had  been  accustomed  to  prey  upon,  and  took  to 
worrying  the  new  animal.  I think  it  is  not  unlikely,  therefore, 
that  the  first  rapid  spread  and  subsequent  decline  in  several 
species  may  in  this  manner  be  accounted  for.  But  although  our 
partridges  are  extinct,  and  our  pheasants  and  Californian  quail 
stationary  in  numbers,  yet  year  by  year  new  birds  arrive  ; and 
before  very  long  we  shall  hear  the  robin  whistling  from  our 
garden  crofts,  and  the  nightingale  of  Shakespere,  Milton,  and 
Keats  “ singing  of  summer  in  full-throated  ease.” 

H.  Guthrie  Smith. 

Tuiiva  Lake,  Hawkes  Bay, 

New  Zealand. 


SEEDLINGS.* 

If  these  two  large  and  handsome  volumes  did  nothing  else,  they  would  bear 
ample  testimony  to  the  inexhaustibility  of  the  material  for  observation  and 
research  which  is  spread  around  us  on  all  sides  in  such  lavish  profusion.  Folk 
sometimes  talk  as  if  there  were  a danger  of  the  subjects  for  our  study  coming  to 
an  end,  just  as  we  are  from  time  to  time  alarmed  by  prognostications  of  the 
failure  of  our  coal  supply.  But  such  fears,  at  any  rate  in  the  former  case,  are 
happily  groundless.  It  is  true  that  if  we  could  understand  all  about  the  “ flower 
in  the  crannied  wall  ” — what  it  is,  “ root  and  all,  and  all  in  all  ” — our  knowledge 
of  things  would  extend  far  beyond  those  of  this  earthly  sphere  ; but  of  such  know- 
ledge we  may  say  with  certainty  that  it  is  “ too  wonderful  and  excellent  ” for  us — 
we  “ cannot  attain  unto  it.” 

Everyone,  however,  who  is  not  a mere  collector  but  a true  naturalist,  knows 
well  enough  that  the  field  before  him  is  inexhaustible.  This  lesson  was  taught 
by  Gilbert  White  to  his  own  and  to  succeeding  generations  ; and  in  later  days- 
it  has  been  presented  to  us  in  new  aspects  by  Charles  Darwin  on  one  hand,  and 
Richard  Jefferies  on  the  other.  The  former  of  these  showed  us  the  interest  and 


* A Contribution  to  our  Knowledge  of  -Seedlings,  by  Sir  John  Lubbock,  Bart.,  M.P.,  &c. 
London,  i8q2  : Kegan  Paul,  Trench,  Tritbner  & Co.  8vo,  vol.  i,  pp.  viii.,  608 ; vol.  ii.,  pp. 
646  ; with  684  figures  in  the  text.  Price  i6s. 


SEEDLINGS. 


29 


value  of  careful  and  continuous  observation  of  the  most  common  things  ; and  even 
those  who  do  not  accept  his  conclusions  will  not  withhold  their  tribute  of  ad- 
miration for  the  steady  conscientious  work  on  which  they  were  based,  or  for  the 


Seedling  of  the  Bloody  Cranesbill. 
{Geranium  san^uineum.) 


Seedling  of  Good  King  Henry. 
{Chenopodi u m Bon  us-  Henrictts. ) 


temperate  manner  in  which  they  were  stated — characteristics  which  are  too  often 
conspicuously  lacking  in  those  who  claim  to  popularise  the  great  naturalist’s 
views. 


Seedling  of  Wallflower. 


Seedling  of  Fennel, 


Sir  John  Lubbock  ranks  high  among  those  disciples  of  Darwin  who  had  the 
advantage  of  intimate  personal  relations  with  the  great  man,  and  who  have  con- 
scientiously followed  him  in  the  laborious  accumulation  of  facts  and  observations. 


30 


NATURE  NOTES. 


He  is  a striking  illustration  of  the  apparent  paradox  that  the  busiest  men  can 
always  find  time  for  more  work.  Sir  John  Lubbock  might  fairly  consider  his  time 
more  than  fully  occupied  in  the  many  and  various  public  and  private  undertakings 
with  which  his  name  is  honourably  associated  ; nevertheless,  he  finds  leisure  for 


Seedling  of  Sycamore  {Acer  P$eudO’pIatanus\ 


conducting  experiments,  not  only  with  plants,  but  with  various  insect  tribes,  as  well 
as  to  contribute  to  literature  essays  which  receive  a ready  welcome,  the  last  of  which. 
The  Beatifies  of  Nature,  we  hope  to  notice  at  an  early  date.  As  in  the  case 
of  Darwin,  we  may  not  always  accept  his  conclusions,  but  as  records  of  observa- 
tion his  contributions  to  science  are  valuable. 


Seedling  of  Yellow  Vetchling  {Lathyrus  Aphaca). 

\ — showing  true  leaves.  B — the  stipules,  which  take  the  place  of  leaves  when  the  plant  is  older. 


The  introduction  to  these  volumes  has  already  appeared  in  print  in  the  Journal 
of  the  Linnean  Society,  and  the  forms  of  Flowers,  Fruits,  and  Leaves,  and  the 
causes  which  in  the  author’s  opinion  have  combined  to  produce  them,  are  dealt 
with  in  a small  popular  volume  bearing  that  title.  The  present  work  may  be 


TWO  BOOKS  OF  VERSE. 


31 


regarded  as  a storehouse  of  information  regarding  seedlings,  in  which  will  be 
found  minute  descriptions  of  numerous  types  of  the  principal  natural  orders  of 
plants.  These  descriptions  are  of  course  mainly  technical,  and  any  attempt  to 
deal  with  them  would  be  out  of  place  in  these  pages. 

Our  special  object  in  calling  attention  lo  this  book  is  to  point  out  to  Sel- 
bornians  a field  of  investigation  in  which,  if  there  is  not  much  left  for  them  to 
discover,  there  is  undoubtedly  plenty  to  observe.  It  is  one,  moreover,  suited  to 
these  earlier  months  of  the  year,  when  objects  of  interest  are  comparatively  few  ; 
it  is  open  to  all,  and  the  collector  as  well  as  the  observer  will  find  pleasure  in  it. 
This  is  the  observation  of  the  seedlings  of  British  and  common  garden  plants, 
some  idea  of  the  variety  of  which  may  be  gained  from  the  cuts  accompanying  this 
article,  for  which  we  are  indebted  to  the  publishers  of  Sir  John  Lubbock’s  book. 

Mrs.  Brightwen,  in  her  paper  on  “ Seedling  Trees,”*  directed  attention  to  one 
aspect  of  the  subject,  but  the  observation  and  collection  of  seedlings  in  general 
opens  up  a much  wider  field,  and  will  result  in  a great  widening  of  knowledge  of 
the  early  life  of  our  plants.  How  few,  for  example,  have  ever  seen  the  true  leaves 
of  the  gorse  ? Vet  the  young  plants  bearing  these  may  be  found  under  any  furze- 
bush  in  the  spring  by  anyone  who  will  trouble  to  look  for  them.  The  yellow 
vetchling  {Lathyrus  Aphaca),  figured  on  the  preceding  page,  is  another  plant 
which  only  produces  leaves  in  its  early  stage. 

Not  only  in  our  private  but  our  public  herbaria,  seedlings  are  very  slenderly,  if 
at  all,  represented,  and  a good  collection  of  them  would  certainly  be  a welcome 
addition  to  the  National  Herbarium  at  South  Kensington.  Anyone  making 
such  a collection  for  himself  would  find  the  seedlings  easy  to  dry,  and  they  would 
occupy  but  little  space  ; he  would  stimulate  his  powers  of  observation  and  increase 
his  knowledge,  and  would  probably  soon  accumulate  sufficient  information  for  a 
paper  for  Nature  Notes. 


TWO  BOOKS  OF  VERSE. 

These  two  dainty  little  volumes  should  have  been  noticed  sooner.  The  first 
place  is  claimed  by  a lady  who  is  an  old  friend  and  member  of  the  Selborne 
Society.  Her  anthology  of  the  robin  was  favourably  noticed  in  our  first  volume 
(p.  43),  and  in  1890  we  spoke  at  length  in  praise  of  her  Lyrics.  In  A String  of 
Beads  (A.  & C.  Black,  4s.  6d. ) Lady  Lindsay  has  given  us  some  delightful 
“verses  for  children.”  Whether  we  should  have  had  this  charming  little  book 
if  Mr.  R.  L.  Stevenson  had  never  written  his  Child'' s Garden  of  Verses  is  a 
matter  on  which  it  is  unnecessary  to  speculate  ; if  not,  we  owe  one  more  debt  of 
gratitude  to  Mr.  Stevenson. 

.Selbornians  will  turn  with  most  pleasure  to  the  sections  “ In  the  Garden  ” and 
“On  the  Sea-shore.”  Here  are  some  verses  from  the  former  suitable  to  the 
season 

Poor  pale  Snowdrop,  budding  in  the  Spring, 

Ere  the  golden  thrushes  yet  have  learn’d  to  sing  ; 

Poor  pale  Snowdrop,  drooping,  cold,  and  drear. 

Ere  thy  sister  flowers  on  the  earth  appear. 

Sweet  pale  Primrose,  blooming  in  the  Spring, 

When  the  callow  fledglings  from  the  nest  take  wing  ; 

■Sweet  pale  Primrose,  who  but  holds  thee  dear. 

Coming  in  the  springtime,  the  morning  of  the  year. 

Pair  pale  Violet,  given  by  the  Spring, 

From  the  perfum’d  South  a message  thou  dost  bring, 

Like  a herald  crying  : See,  the  .Summer’s  near  ! 

And  in  her  train  the  wild  rose,  queen-flower  of  all  the  year  ! 


Nature  Notes,  1892,  p.  142. 


32 


NATURE  NOTES. 


Occasionally  we  think  Lady  Lindsay  is  less  happy.  Her  verses  to  the  daisy 
do  not  please  us,  perhaps  because  so  many  poets  have  already  sung  so  well  about 
it  ; and  we  must  demur  to  the  depicting  of  “ lords  and  ladies  ” and  water-lilies 
on  the  same  canvas.  But  the  following  is  a good  children’s  rhyme  : — 

“ Cluck,  cluck,”  said  the  old  brown  hen, 

' “ Cock-a-roo-croo,”  said  the  cock  ; 

“ Surely  at  dawn,  every  now  and  then. 

There’s  something  amiss  with  the  clock  ; 

For  we  teach  the  time  to  the  tiniest  chick 
A vast  deal  better  than  he  can  tick  ! ” 

Here  are  two  beautiful  verses  : — 

Said  Day  to  Night : 

“ I bring  God’s  light ; 

What  gift  have  you  ? ” 

Night  said  : “ The  dew.” 

“ I give  bright  hours,” 

Quoth  Day,  “ and  flowers  ; ” 

Said  Night : “ More  blest, 

I bring  sweet  rest.” 

Mr.  Norman  R.  Gale’s  Country  Muse  is  a welcome  singer,  and  in  this 
“new  series  ” (D.  Nutt,  5s.),  her  strains  are,  if  not  sweeter  than  before,  at  least 
as  fresh  and  true  ; and  this  will  be  recognised  by  those  who  know  her  earlier 
warblings  as  no  faint  praise.  The  lines  entitled  “ The  Country  Faith  ” strike  us 
as  verj'  beautiful : — 

Here  in  the  country’s  heart 
Where  the  grass  is  green 
Life  is  the  same  sweet  li.'e 
As  it  e’er  hath  been. 

Trust  in  a God  still  lives. 

And  the  bell  at  morn 
Floats  with  a thought  of  God 
O’er  the  rising  corn. 

God  comes  down  in  the  rain, 

And  the  crop  grows  tall — 

This  is  the  country  faith, 

And  the  best  of  all ! 

Here  are  two  verses  from  “ My  Cherry  Trees”  : — 

O children  of  the  smoke  and  fog. 

With  faces  pinched  by  early  care. 

Would  God  you  might  adventure  forth 
To  breathe  this  country  air  ! 

Would  God  your  ears  might  drink  the  song 
Of  grasses,  birds,  and  singing  trees  ! 

Would  God  your  eyes  grew  round  to  see 
My  wealth  of  cherry-trees  ! 

A hundred  thousand  shining  lamps 
To  light  the  glory  of  the  green  ! 

The  rubies  of  my  orchard  hang 
The  sturdy  leaves  between  ; 

The  blackbird  pecks  them  at  his  will, 

The  brazen  sparrow  with  his  beak 
Attacks  some  swaying  globe  of  fruit 
And  stabs  its  ruddy  cheek. 

More  Selbornian  than  any  of  the  poems  in  this  little  volume,  however,  are  the 
following  lines  to  “ A Bird  in  the  Hand,”  with  which  we  must  conclude_tliis_too 
short  notice  : — 


THE  PROTECTION  OF  BIRDS. 


33 


Look  at  this  ball  of  intractable  fluff, 

Panting  and  staring  with  piteous  eyes  ! 

What  a rebellion  of  heart  ! what  a ruff 
Tickles  my  hand  as  the  missel-thrush  tries, 

Pecking  my  hand  with  her  termagant  bill. 

How  to  escape  (and  I love  her,  the  sweet  '.) 

Back  where  the  clustering  oaks  on  the  hill 

Climb  to  the  blue  with  their  branches,  and  meet  ! 

Nay,  polished  beak,  you  are  pecking  a friend  ! 

Bird  of  the  grassland,  you  bleed  at  the  wing  ! 

Stay  with  me,  love,  in  captivity  mend 

Wrong  that  was  wrought  by  the  boy  and  his  sling. 

O for  a priest  of  the  birds  to  arise. 

Wonderful  words  on  his  lips  that  persuade 

Reasoning  creatures  to  leave  to  the  skies 
Song  at  its  purest  a-throb  in  the  glade  ! 

Bow,  woodland  heart,  to  the  yoke  for  a while  ! 

Soon  shall  the  lyrics  of  wind  in  the  trees 

Stir  you  to  pipe  in  the  green  forest-aisle, 

God  send  me  there  with  the  grass  to  my  knees  ! 

See,  I am  stroking  my  cheek  with  your  breast. 

Ah,  how  the  bountiful  velvet  is  fair  ! 

Stay  with  me  here  for  your  healing  and  rest. 

Stay,  for  I love  you,  delight  of  the  air  ! 


THE  PROTECTION  OF  BIRDS. 

The  Second  Annual  Report  of  the  Society  for  the  Protection  of  Birds  is 
remarkable  for  two  things — the  steady  progress  in  organisation  which  it  is 
making,  as  evinced  by  the  long  list  of  local  secretaries,  and  the  entire  absence  of 
any  recognition  of  the  work  of  the  Selborne  Society.  The  first  feature  is  a very 
gratifying  one,  and  we  cordially  tender  our  congratulations  to  Mrs.  Phillips  and 
Miss  Poland,  on  the  success  which  has  attended  their  efforts.  As  to  the 
second,  it  seems  to  us  a matter  for  regret  that,  in  so  wide  a field  of  labour,  the 
efforts  of  fellow-workers  should  not  receive  hearty  recognition.  For  our  own 
part,  we  welcome  the  aid  of  the  many  organisations  which  take  up  the  same 
work  upon  which  we  are  employed.  The  more  channels  through  which  right 
views  about  Nature  can  be  disseminated,  the  better  ; there  is  room  for  all,  and 
abundant  occupation  for  each. 

The  Report,  though  not  long,  contains  many  excellent  things.  Nothing  can 
be  better,  for  instance,  than  the  following  extract  from  Bishop  ThirlwalPs  Letters, 
to  a Friend  (p.  213). 

“I  love  that  companionable  goldfinch.  I hope  he  has  strengthened  your 
abhorrence  of  the  infamous  persecution  of  his  sweet  race,  which  is  now  going  on 
with  redoubled  fury  under  the  basest  pretexts,  and  from  the  vilest  motives,  by 
land  and  sea,  and  which  threatens  some  branches  of  the  family  with  extermina- 
tion. The  systematic  destruction  of  small  birds  under  pretence  of  their  doing 
injury  to  agriculture,  to  which  they  were  doing  most  valuable  service,  was  bad 
enough.  . . . But  the  massacre  of  myriads  of  sea-fowl,  involving  the 

starvation  of  many  more  myriads  of  their  bereaved  young,  all  for  the  sake  of  a 
little  additional  ornament  for  ladies’  bonnets,  fills  me  with  grief  and  indigna- 
tion. I conjure  you  never  to  wear  a single  feather  that  has  been  so  obtained, 
and  to  use  all  your  influence  to  dissuade  your  friends  from  doing  so.” 

Plere  is  another  telling  passage:  “Certainly  nothing  can  well  be  more 
savage  in  design  than  a bonnet-trimming  bought  a few  weeks  ago  for  three 
shillings,  and  described  on  an  appended  paper  as  made  in  Paris,  sold  in  London, 
and  duly  numbered  for  further  orders.  The  chief  feature  is  the  lovely  little  head 


34 


NATURE  NOTES. 


•of  some  insect-eating  bird,  split  in  two,  and  each  half  stuck  aloft  on  thin  skewers, 
the  separated  tail  in  the  middle,  the  wings  on  either  side,  while  a tuft  of  the  buff 
plumes  of  the  Squacco  heron  complete  the  monstrosity.  If,  as  the  old  novelist, 
Richardson,  said,  ‘ we  do  but  hang  out  a sign  in  our  dress  what  we  have  within 
in  the  shop  of  our  minds,’  the  wearer  of  such  a decoration  as  this  must  have 
strange  notions  of  beauty  and  congruity.” 

\\  e wish  all  success  to  the  Society  for  the  Protection  of  Birds,  and  we  claim 
from  it  a like  sympathy  for  the  Selborne  Society. 


SELBORNIANA. 

Flowers  of  Avon  at  Aldworth. — Tennyson’s  love  of  flowers,  and  of 
old-fashioned  ones  more  especially,  reminds  me  of  an  incident  which,  like  the 
volume  of  Shakespeare  grasped  by  him  on  his  death-bed,  associates  him  tenderly 
with  his  great  predecessor.  Staying  at  Stratford-on-Avon  some  few  years  ago, 
I naturally  visited  Anne  Hathaway’s  cottage  and  garden.  Its  occupant  at  that 
time  was  a woman,  somewhat  advanced  in  years,  who  claimed  to  have  in  her 
veins  Hathaway  blood.  As  I went  there  more  than  once,  a certain  intimacy 
sprang  up  between  us,  and  when  I finally  said  good-bye  to  her  she  cut  some 
sprigs  of  lavender  that  was  not  yet  in  flower,  for  it  was  Midsummer,  as  a parting 
gift,  saying  with  a jingle  that  reminded  one  of  the  country  couplets  Shakespeare 
did  not  disdain  to  introduce  into  his  dramas — 

“ Plant  it  in  May, 

’Twill  grow  both  night  and  day.” 

It  was  not  May,  but  June,  and  I was  not  homeward  bound  for  another  week. 
But  as  I journeyed  on  through  Warwickshire  I kept  the  cuttings  moist  by  placing 
them  in  my  sponge-bag,  and  struck  them  without  difficulty  on  reaching  home, 
and  what  lavender  I now  have  is  descended  from  these  few  small  cuttings. 
I told  Tennyson  the  story,  asking  if  he  would  like  to  have  some  of  the  same 
stock  whose  former  flowers  had  sweetened  the  sheets  of  Shakespeare  and  Anne 
Hathaway.  The  idea  pleased  him,  and  Shakespeare’s  and  Anne  Hathaway’s 
lavender  is  growing  at  Aldworth  to-day. — Alfred  Austin,  in  National  Review  for 
X)eceinber. 

A Battue  of  Sea  Birds. — The  enclosed  cutting  is  from  a recent  Standard. 
Cannot  the  Selborne  Society  do  something  at  once  to  stop  this  disgraceful  whole- 
sale destruction  of  sea  birds  ? 

Annie  Jones. 

“ During  the  past  fortnight  of  severe  frost  a vast  number  of  sea  fowl  have 
been  seen  in  Morecambe  Bay.  The  fishermen  have  fixed  two  large  guns  on 
Chapel  Island,  and  a great  number  of  birds  have  been  shot,  and  sent  for  sale  to 
the  inland  towns  of  Lancashire.  At  a single  shot  from  one  of  the  guns  120  birds 
were  brought  down.” 

A Motto. — Here  is  a perfect  motto  for  juvenile  branches  of  the  Selborne 
Society.  I take  it  from  a book  entitled  Jesus  the  Carpenter  of  Nazareth. 

“ But  what  is  thy  duty?  Plurt  no  living  thing,  spoil  no  beautiful  thing,  say 
no  unkind  thing  ; forgive,  be  kind,  be  loving,  be  truthful,  be  joyful,  and  do  not 
.think  thyself  very  good,  but  be  good.” 

W.  Whit  WELL. 

Kew  Ait. — We  are  glad  to  see  that  the  condition  of  Kew  Ait  is  again 
attracting  attention.  In  our  volume  for  1890,  p.  130,  will  be  found  a forcible 
article  on  its  impending  destruction  ; and  during  the  last  two  years  its  condition  has 
^rown  worse.  The  following  paragraph  appeared  in  the  Star  of  January  14th  : — 

“Apparently  through  neglect  and  want  of  protection  the  island  on  the 
Thames  at  Kew,  known  as  Brentford  Eyot,  is  being  gradually  washed  away 
by  the  action  of  the  tide.  The  matter  has  been  brought  to  the  attention  of  the 
authorities  by  various  local  bodies  and  societies  interested  in  the  preservation  of 


SELBORNIANA. 


35 


the  islands  on  the  Thames.  Recently  a deputation  from  the  Richmond  Town 
Council  had  an  interview  with  the  Commissioner  of  her  Majesty’s  Office  of  Works 
on  the  subject  of  Brentford  Eyot,  and  in  the  result  the  Council  has  now  decided 
to  ask  the  Department  whether  they  would  be  prepared  to  rent  the  island  to  the 
corporation  at  a nominal  rent  for  a term  of  years,  with  option  of  purchase,  the 
object  being  to  protect  and  preserve  the  picturesque  character  of  the  eyot.” 

Butterflies  in  Danger. — Yesterday,  in  Cheapside,  I saw  what  cannot 
fail  to  grieve  all  right-minded  people.  In  a hosier’s  window  were  some  orna- 
ments lor  ladies,  made  up  of  feathers,  ribbon,  &c.,  and,  as  was  declared,  real 

butterflies.  These  were  very  pretty,  although  I cannot  give  their  names.  It 

seems  to  me  if,  as  they  state,  they  are  real,  it  is  a trade  as  deplorable  as  the 

milliners’  in  birds. 

Albert  C.  Ei.sdon. 

Feeding  the  Birds. — We  feed  the  birds  twice  a day  during  this  severe 
weather,  and,  as  one  of  the  valuable  articles  in  Nature  Notes  recommended, 
have  suspended  a lump  of  suet  and  half  a coco-nut  from  two  rose-trees  near  the 
window,  so  that  we  are  able  to  watch  the  birds.  Blue-tits  and  marsh-tits  much 
enjoy  the  suet,  and  occasionally  slide  down  the  string  to  reach  it.  A robin  or 
two  also  visit  it,  and  a blackbird  flies  up  and  pecks  at  it.  I have  seen  three  bull- 
finches at  a time  near  here,  but  they  never  come  near  the  house.  Of  course  we 
have  innumerable  house-sparrows,  a few  hedge-sparrows,  blackbirds,  starlings, 
chaffinches,  robins,  several  species  of  tit,  and  a missel-thrush  or  two.  I wish  we 
could  prevail  upon  everyone  to  remember  the  poor  birds. 

Katiileex  E.  Knocker. 

Hildenhoro',  Kent. 

Preservation  of  Birds  in  New  Zealand. — We  are  indebted  to  Baron 
Sir  Ferdinand  von  Mueller,  of  Melbourne,  for  an  interesting  article  from  the 
Evening  Post  of  Wellington,  New  Zealand,  of  November  loth,  1892,  from  which 
we  take  the  following  e.xtracts  : — 

“ Some  time  before  Lord  Onslow’s  departure  from  the  colony,  he  wrote  a 
memorandum  to  the  Premier  lamenting  the  rapid  destruction — in  regard  to  some 
species,  extinction — of  the  birds  peculiar  to  New  Zealand.  After  pointing  out 
the  extreme  scientific  value  of  the  avifauna  of  this  colony,  and  expressing  approval 
of  the  step  taken  in  reserving  Resolution  Island  as  a kind  of  preserve,  he  urged 
that  the  little  Barrier  Island,  near  Auckland,  should  be  acquired  from  the  natives 
and  reserved  for  a similar  purpose.  Mr.  Henry  Wright,  of  this  city,  was  in- 
structed by  the  Government  to  visit  the  island  a few  weeks  ago  to  report  on  its 
suitability  as  a preserve.  He  thinks  the  island  admirably  adapted  as  a habitat 
for  birds,  and  states  that  the  birds  to  be  found  there  now  number  forty  species, 
some  of  which  are  extinct  in  all  other  parts  of  the  colony.  Mr.  Wright  thinks 
the  island  well  adapted  not  only  for  preserving  the  avifauna,  but  also  the  flora 
of  New  Zealand.  He  has  done  something  to  direct  scientific  attention  in 
England  to  the  matter  of  preserving  our  native  fauna  and  flora,  and  an  excellent 
letter  from  him  on  the  subject  appeared  in  the  Spectator  of  24th  September. 
Two  days  after  this  a leading  article  on  the  subject,  evidently  founded  upon  Lord 
Onslow’s  memorandum,  appeared  in  the  London  Standard.  This  article  warmly 
commends  what  has  been  done  and  is  intended  to  be  done  in  the  matter  by  the 
New  Zealand  Government,  which  is,  it  declares,  ‘ wise  beyond  the  wont  of 
Colonial  Governments,’  adding  that  ‘ if  their  present  scheme  is  successful,  and. 
Museum  collectors  are  kept  off  the  preserves,  the  Government  of  the  colony  will 
be  honoured  by  naturalists  all  over  the  world.’  Mr.  Wright’s  visit  to  the  Little 
Barrier,  and  report  as  to  the  destruction  of  the  kauri  timber,  has  roused  up  the 
Government,  and  from  the  Auckland  Star  of  the  3rd  instant  we  learn  that  the 
Commissioner  of  Crown  Lands  and  a party  had  left  for  the  Island  to  eject  all 
the  bushfellers,  and  every  European  on  the  Island.  The  Government  have 
already  acquired  and  paid  for  one-third  of  the  interest  of  the  native  owners,  and 
negotiations  are  far  advanced  for  the  total  extinguishment  of  the  native  title.  In 
the  meantime,  the  Government  have  a sufficient  interest  to  give  them  legal 
power  to  prevent  the  further  destruction  of  cither  the  fauna  or  the  flora,  and  we 
are  glad  to  find  that  they  seem  determined  to  exercise  it.” 


NATURE  NOTES. 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES. 

Disappearance  of  Rooks’  Nests  (p.  19). — I may  mention  a circum- 
•stance  within  my  own  knowledge  which  may  throw  a little  light  on  this  subject. 
About  thirteen  years  ago,  when  we  were  living  in  an  old  house  in  Middlesex, 
which  was  surrounded  by  magnificent  elm  trees  of  great  age,  a series  of  violent 
autumn  storms  threw  down  several,  whose  full  verdure  had  masked  from  human 
eyes  all  signs  of  decreasing  vitality.  They  fell,  as  elms  generally  do,  without 
warning,  their  shallowly  imbedded  roots  tearing  up  a smaller  surface  of  ground 
than  one  would  have  supposed  likely.  I do  not  think  that  a rook’s  nest  was 
found  in  one  of  these  victims  to  the  wind,  although  their  neighbours  were 
thickly  peopled.  The  rooks  had  doubtless  detected  a suspicious  brittleness 
about  the  upper  twigs  in  the  previous  building  season,  and  had  decided  against 
trusting  them  for  their  homes.  I had  for  several  years  remarked  that  one  or  two 
of  the  trees  which  fell  that  autumn  had  been  avoided  by  the  rooks,  and  had 
watched  without  success  to  ascertain  the  reason.  My  ultimate  conclusion  was 
that  rooks  are  not  only  admirable  architects,  but  trustworthy  surveyors. 

Elinor  F.  Rummens. 

Eastbourne. 

[The  Rev.  Prebendary  Gordon  writes  in  the  Selborne  column  of  the  West 
Sussex  Gazette:  “ A writer  in  Nature  Notes  asks  how  to  win  rooks  back  to  a 
deserted  rookery.  Dr.  Buckland  was  once  asked  the  same  question  by  Sir 
Emerson  Tennent.  Frank  Buckland  has  labelled  the  letter,  showing  the 
favourable  result  of  following  the  Professor’s  advice,  with  the  triumphal  words 
‘ Rookery  restored.’  Sir  Emerson  Tennent  wrote  to  Dr.  Buckland  with  re- 
ference to  his  house  in  County  Fermanagh,  Ireland:  ‘You  will  see  that  the 
crows  (thanks  to  you)  have  begun  to  return  to  my  demesne.  The  plan  the 
steward  took  was  to  attach  the  old  nests  to  the  trees  where  he  wished  the  new 
crows  to  build.  They  have  taken  the  old  nests  to  pieces  (lawyer-like),  and  are 
building  very  near  the  spot.’  Perhaps  even  a more  excellent  way  was  that 
adopted  by  Sir  Percy  Burrell,  when  he  wished  to  establish  a rooker)’  at  West 
Grinstead  Park.  Mr.  Borrer  {E/rds  of  Sussex,  p.  151)  states  that  Sir  Percy 
procured  some  boughs  of  trees  with  nests  containing  young,  from  about  half  a 
mile  off,  and  fixed  them  in  a clump  of  old  oak  in  the  aforesaid  park.  The 
parents  came  there,  and  the  young  were  brought  up,  and  a considerable  rookery 
IS  now  established.  My  friend  Canon  Borrer,  rector  of  Hurstpierpoint,  told  me 
of  young  birds  being  brought  in  their  nest  from  a village  in  Hampshire  to 
Lincoln  Inn  Fields,  and  the  old  ones  fed  them  all  the  way,  and  settled  with  them 
in  the  metropolis.”] 

A Robin  Query.  — Can  any  of  your  correspondents  account  for  the  some- 
what curious  fact,  that  robins  never  seem  to  increase  in  numbers,  though  there 
are  always  at  least  four,  often  five,  and  sometimes  as  many  as  six  eggs  in  the 
nest,  and  not  seldom  two  broods  in  the  year,  and,  thanks  to  the  pathetic  story  of 
the  Babes  in  the  Wood,  they  are  protected,  and  favourites  everywhere.  Even  the 
mischievous  school-boy,  who  spares  nothing  else,  will  hesitate  to  kill  a robin  or 
rob  the  nest,  yet  they  never  seem  to  increase  in  numbers.  Can  there  be  an)’ 
truth  in  the  belief,  so  common  in  rural  districts,  that  they  fight  and  kill  one 
another  to  such  an  extent  that  their  numbers  never  increase?  It  is  certain  that 
two  cock-birds,  if  put  into  the  same  cage,  will  fight  till  one  is  killed. 

J.  A.  Kerr. 

The  Rectory,  Clyst  St.  J/ttry,  Devon. 

Welsh  Plant  Names. — Plant  names  in  Welsh,  as  in  many  other  language, 
maybe  roughly  classified  under  three  heads,  viz.: — (l)  Native,  or  peculiar  names 
(2)  translated  names,  and  (3)  corruptions  of  botanical  and  foreign  names.  A long 
and  indiscriminate  list  of  Welsh  plant  names  would  hardly  interest  the  readers  of 
Nature  Notes,  but  a selection  of  some  of  the  most  peculiar  and  expressive  may 
not  be  uninteresting. 

A common  name  in  the  Principality  for  the  Purple  Foxglove  is  Menyg  yr 
Ellyll  (Fairy’s  or  Folk’s  gloves);  it  is  also  known  in  some  parts  cxs,  Menyg  Mair 
•(Mary’s  gloves),  and  also  as  Bysedd  Cunt  (Dog’s  toes).  Cribau  St.  Efraid  (St. 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES,  QUERIES,  &c.  37 

Ffraid’s  combs),  Wood  Betony,  was  once  considered  a sovereign  remedy,  and  is 
still  in  high  repute  among  the  older  inhabitants.  Palf y Z/srt/ (Lion’s  paws)  is  not 
a bad  name  for  the  common  Lady’s  Mantle,  when  the  resemblance  in  shape  be- 
tween its  leaves  and  the  lion’s  paws  is  taken  into  consideration.  The  Tutsan  or  Park- 
leaves  is  familiar  to  every  country  schoolboy  as  Dail  tivrch  (Swine  Leaves) ; they 
put  them  between  leaves  of  books,  to  which  they  impart  their  scent.  Clychau^i' 
baban  (Baby’s  bells)  is  a pretty  name  for  the  Snowdrop,  and  LlysiaiC r (the 

.Soldier’s  Weed)  is  not  inappropriately  applied  to  the  Purple  Loosestrife.  Ribwort 
plantain  is  Sawdl  Crist  (Christ’s  sole).  Thrift  is  Clustoy  A/air  pillow), 

and  the  Cowslip  is  Dagrau  A/air  (Mary’s  tears).  The  imaginative  minds  of  our 
forefathers  saw  something  startling  in  the  Red  Poppy  peeping  through  the  corn  ; 
they  looked  upon  it  with  suspicion,  and  gave  it  the  name  Llys^ad  y Cylhraul 
(Devil’s  eye),  and  also  called  it  Drcivlys  (Stinking  weed).  The  Common  Vervain 
has  been  invested  with  the  name  Gasman  Gytkraiil  (VlaXtA  liy  the  Ltevil)  ; it  was, 
as  most  know,  one  of  the  plants  in  most  repute  as  a protection  against  evil  agen- 
cies of  all  kinds.  A curious  name  for  the  Cleavers,  or  Bedstraws  in  general,  is 
LlaiAr  'ffeirad  (parson’s  lice).  This  has  especial  reference  to  the  clinging  burrs, 
and  is  paralleled  in  several  English  names.  The  burrs  of  the  Burdock  are  called 
Bwm  .Zef/f  (Bumbailiff).  Herb  Parisis  favoured  with  the  charming  name  Cwlwn 
Canad  (Love’s  Knot).  Clych  yr  eos  (the  Nightingale’s  bells)  is  given  in  some 
localities  to  the  Wild  Hyacinth,  in  others  to  the  Harebells.  Another  becoming 
name  for  the  same  plants  is  Croeso  (Welcome  Summer)  ; the  former,  at  any 
rate,  is  a true  harbinger  of  summer.  Another  little  flower,  the  Michaelmas 
Daisy,  found  by  almost  every  cottage  in  Wales,  which  it  cheers  when  all  the 
others  are  faded  and  gone,  is  called  Fjarwel  Z7a/ (Farewell  Summer). 

A'bersytwith.  G.  Rees. 

Birds  at  a Lighthouse. — One  of  the  keepers  at  the  lighthouse  on  St. 
Catherine’s  Hill,  Isle  of  Wight,  told  me  on  the  occasion  of  a recent  visit  there 
that  on  several  nights  at  the  latter  part  of  October  large  numbers  of  blackbirds, 
thrushes  and  larks  had  been  observed,  attracted  by  the  light  during  their  migra- 
tions. I should  be  glad  to  learn  if  any  of  your  readers  are  aware  that  these  birds 
migrate  in  the  autumn,  and  do  they  leave  us,  or  are  they  new  arrivals? 

If  it  were  possible  to  supply  lighthouse  keepers  with  forms  for  the  purpose  of 
recording  the  different  species  of  birds  that  come  under  their  notice  at  the  seasons 
of  migration,  very  valuable  Information  might  be  obtained. 

M'.  Denne. 

[Dr.  Morris  Gibbs,  in  analysing  the  causes  of  the  decrease  in  the  numbers, 
or  the  absolute  extinction,  of  certain  of  our  birds,  says  that  the  lighthouses  of 
our  great  lakes  and  coasts  sacrifice  many  thousand  each  year,  and  possibly  hun- 
dreds of  thousands,  the  birds  killing  themselves  by  dashing  against  the  lights 
when  migrating  seasonally.  He  doubts  whether  there  exists  an  invention,  with 
the  exception  of  the  gun,  more  deadly  to  birds  than  the  electric  light.  Another 
indictment  is  brought  against  the  headlight  of  the  locomotive,  and  also  against 
the  telegraph  and  other  wires  which  form  a network  through  the  country.  All 
these  causes  unquestionably  contribute  in  a greater  or  less  degree  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  birds ; but  it  has  been  conclusively  proved  that  when  the  number  of  birds 
destroyed  at  any  particular  place,  by  any  of  these  agencies,  has  been  carefully 
determined  by  a series  of  daily  records,  the  result  has  inevitably  been  such  as  to 
lead  to  the  belief  that  the  accounts  generally  given  of  the  aggregate  destruction 
of  birds  by  various  forms  of  the  electric  light  have  been  greatly  exaggerated. — 
Chicago  WiSK'j.] 

Squirrels  and  Birds  (p.  19). — A correspondent  asks,  “.\re  birds  afraid  of 
the  squirrel  ?”  Yes.  A number  of  small  birds,  about  twelve  different  kinds,  come 
to  my  study  window  in  the  morning  when  I ring  a bell,  and  a squirrel  that  has  his 
“ dray”  in  an  evergreen  oak  just  opposite  has  learned  to  understand  the  meaning 
of  the  bell,  and  often  comes  to  share  the  meal.  He  looks  so  impudently  pretty 
and  self-satisfied  sitting  up  and  nibbling  a piece  of  cheese,  of  which  he  seems  very 
fond,  holding  it  daintily  in  his  paws,  that  one  cannot  help  admiring  him,  but  he  is 
a great  nuisance,  as  the  birds  all  leave  when  he  comes,  and  he  cannot  be  got  rid 
of  without  frightening  the  birds  at  the  same  time.  Is'ow  and  again  one  more 


NATURE  NOTES. 


daring — usually  a nuthatch,  great  tit,  or  sparrow — makes  a sudden  dash,  and  carries 
oft  some  food,  and  is  out  of  reach  before  the  squirrel,  which  always  makes  a dash 
for  the  bird,  can  catch  it.  All  the  other  birds,  even  the  thrushes  and  blackbirds, 
seem  afraid,  and  perch  at  a short  distance,  but  never  come  near  the  window  while 
the  squirrel  is  there. 

Clyst  St.  Mary  Rectory,  Devon.  J.  A.  Kerr. 

Birds  Mobbing:  a Squirrel. correspondent  of  the  Reading  Mercury 
writes:  “On  Sunday,  December  llth,  at  Earley,  I observed  a squirrel  which 
had  evidently  strayed  some  distance  from  its  native  woods — (with  which,  how- 
ever, there  was  a connection  by  means  of  a hedge-row,  with  trees,  and  a water- 
course)— followed  by  a number  of  small  birds,  chiefly  sparrows,  chattering, 
wildly  and  almost  venturing  to  the  attack.  The  squirrel  leaped  nimbly,  or 
rather  flew  from  tree  to  tree,  pursued  by  the  feathery  host.  Why  should  there  be 
this  antipathv  to  the  squirrel  ? Had  the  birds  mistaken  it  for  a sandy  cat  or 
kitten?” 

Sparrow  and  Kingfisher. — The  following  occurrence,  of  which  I was 
an  eye-witness,  may  interest  those  who  recently  discussed  the  character  of  the 
sparrow  so  energetically  in  these  pages. 

Shortly  after  nine  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  i8th  November  last,  a king- 
fisher flew  out  of  the  Royal  Humane  Society’s  boat-house,  in  Hyde  Park,  and 
perched  on  the  stern  of  a pleasure  boat  moored  a few  yards  from  the  shore.  A 
cock  sparrow  followed  it  and  perched  at  the  other  end  of  the  same  boat.  After  a 
few  moments’  rest,  the  kingfisher  flew  off  towards  the  Paddington  end  of  the 
water.  The  sparrow  immediately  set  off  in  hot  pursuit,  quickly  overtook  “ the 
sea-blue  bird,”  and  after  making  two  ineffectual  shots  at  it,  on  the  third  attempt 
knocked  it  down  into  the  water.  Luckily  no  harm  was  done,  for  the  kingfisher 
recovered  itself  and  flew  on  screaming  loudly,  and  the  sparrow,  apparently  well 
satisfied  with  the  result  of  his  expedition,  abandoned  the  chase.  This  incident 
confirmed  the  opinion  I have  long  held  of  the  London  sparrow,  that  he  is  an  ill- 
behaved  ruffian. 

Another  point  which  struck  me  was  the  comparatively  slow  flight  of  the  king- 
fisher. In  books  it  is  always  spoken  of  as  “darting”  or  “shooting”  over  the 
surface  of  the  water,  and  when  flying  by  itself  it  certainly  does  appear  to  go 
pretty  fast.  Possibly  the  metallic  hues  of  its  plumage  give  it  the  appearance  of 
travelling  at  a greater  pace  than  is  actually  the  case  ; at  any  rate,  this  kingfisher 
never  had  the  slightest  chance  with  the  sparrow. 

A.  Holte  Macphersox. 

Domestication  of  Wood  Pigeons.— When  a boy  I rescued  two  helpless 
young  wood-pigeons  from  some  village  lads  and  reared  them  by  hand,  forcing 
soaked  peas  down  their  throats.  I kept  them  in  a roughly  made  cage  some  three 
feet  square,  which  stood  in  an  enclosed  kitchen  garden  in  summer  and  in  a barn 
in  winter.  Their  wings  were  not  cut,  and  they  were  allowed  to  go  where  they 
liked.  In  the  morning  I threw  open  the  cage  door,  when  they  came  on  to  my 
arms  and  had  a feed  of  barley,  varied  by  wild  fruits  in  season,  viz.,  acorns,  holly 
berries,  &c.  The  number  of  the  former  they  would  swallow  was  appalling  ; after 
that  they  took  a digestive  pill  off  the  gravel  path  and  then  went  for  a fly,  which 
I should  think,  often  embraced  a radius  of  half  a mile  or  more.  The  shrubbery 
and  well-planted  grounds  around  the  house  covered  about  ten  acres.  Wild  wood- 
pigeons  nested  close  to  the  house,  but  my  birds  never  fraternised  with  them,  nor 
did  they  condescend  to  notice  in  any  sort  of  way  the  house-pigeons  in  a dove  cot 
a hundred  yards  off.  They  only  settled  in  trees  close  to  the  house,  and  would 
always  come  to  me  when  I whistled  for  them. 

During  their  flights,  which  took  place  from  time  to  time  during  the  day,  they 
often  recognised,  me  as  far  as  half  a mile  from  the  house,  and  would  dip  down  as 
they  passed  over  my  head.  At  first  they  wanted  to  alight  on  me,  but  I was 
afraid  of  their  being  shot  by  becoming  too  familiar  with  people  in  general,  so  I 
used  to  throw  my  cap  at  them  and  discharge  my  gun,  &c.,  and  they  soon  learned 
to  know  that  I was  not  to  be  trifled  with  outside  the  premises.  They  were  again 
fed  in  the  evening,  and  were  then  put  to  bed.  Their  “ time-keepers”  were  far 
better  than  mine,  for  if  I were  early,  they  were  handy,  and  if  I were  late,  they 
were  in  their  cage  and  ready  for  their  evening  meal. 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES,  QUERIES,  &c.  39 


I kept  them  for  two  years,  during  which  time  they  laid  eggs,  but  did  not 
hatch  them.  I was  much  from  home.  They  knew  me  after  a year’s  absence. 
Having  to  leave  home  permanently,  I recommended  that  the  cage-door  should 
always" be  left  open,  so  that  they  could  go  in  if  they  liked,  and  food  supplied.  I 
was  informed  that  they  gradually  left  ; no  doubt  they  missed  my  kind  caresses, 
which  they  seemed  to  thoroughly  appreciate. 

With  regard  to  the  wild  birds  in  Hyde  Park,  I may  relate  that  I have  been 
feeding  them  lately  with  maize,  and  that  they  have  learned  to  come  to  the  whistle. 
One  day  one  of  the  birds  flew  on  to  the  railings  and  looked  at  me.  I held  out  a 
handful  of  corn,  and  the  bird  immediately  walked  along  the  rail  and  took  the 
maize  out  of  my  hand.  They  have  now  mostly  left  town  for  the  winter  in  ac- 
cordance with  their  custom,  but  I hope  to  renew  their  acquaintance  in  the  spring. 

Bayswater,  J.  Youn'G. 

Wild  Life  in  Tasmania. — We  beg  to  call  attention  to  the  first  of  a very 
interesting  series  of  papers  on  “ Wild  Life  in  Tasmania  ” (p.  22).  For  this  we  are 
indebted  to  Mr.  H.  S.  Dove,  F.Z.S.,  who  writes  : — “ My  object  is  to  present  Nature 
as  she  is,  fresh  and  living,  and  not  from  a museum  point  of  view.  Most  people 
have  the  opportunity  of  studying  books  and  stuffed  specimens  ; only  the  few  can 
observe  the  quadrupeds,  birds,  and  insects  of  a country  like  this,  as  they  are  daily 
disporting  themselves.  It  is  mainly  because  I do  not  think  anything  of  this  kind 
has  been  written  on  the  'I’asmanian  fauna  that  I venture  to  think  a series  of 
such  papers  might  be  not  unacceptable  to  English  readers.”  Such  papers  as  this, 
and  the  one  from  New  Zealand  which  we  also  publish  in  this  number,  open  up 
new  fields  of  observation,  and  can  hardly  fail  to  prove  of  special  interest  to  the 
readers  of  Nature  Notes. 

The  Death’s  Head  Moth  and  Bees  (p.  7). — A relation  of  mine,  who 
has  travelled  much  in  South  Africa,  describing  his  experience  when  taking  a bees’ 
nest  that  had  been  found  in  the  Kaap  Valley,  writes  as  follows  : — “ In  the  act  of 
removing  the  honeycomb  from  the  nest,  my  companion  made  a sudden  dab  with 
the  knife  in  his  hand,  killing  a death’s  head  moth  just  as  it  emerged  from 
amongst  the  cells  ; it  was  a large  specimen,  being  two  inches  or  more  in  length. 
He  informed  me  that  they  are  frequently  found  in  bees’  nests,  and  that  he  him- 
self once  saw  no  fewer  than  four  in  one  nest,  but  he  could  give  no  explanation  of 
their  presence,  although  he  was  an  intelligent  observer.  The  Boers  alw'ays  keep 
a sharp  look  out  for  these  moths  in  their  hives,  and  in  robbing  wild  bees  of  their 
honey,  fully  believing  that  should  one  succeed  in  stinging  them  (by  flying  straight 
up  and  suddenly  darting  down)  the  result  would  be  certain  death  ! ” The  bees’ 
nest  mentioned  was  found  by  following  the  call  of  a honey-bird,  without  any 
faith  in  his  guidance,  which,  however,  proved  to  be  reliable  in  this  instance  ; an 
account  of  it  may  form  the  substance  of  a future  “ note”  for  this  Magazine. 

Marian  Penning. 

The  Parsonage,  Henfield. 

Magpies  Flocking. — Is  it  a common  thing  for  magpies  to  flock  together  ? 
One  day  I counted  sixteen  flying  from  a tree  on  which  they  had  been  holding  a 
conference.  They  are  very  plentiful  in  Cumberland. 

Alston.  J.  E.  Page. 

[We  have  submitted  your  question  to  Dr.  R.  Bowdler  Sharpe,  who  replies  : 
“ Ves,  it  is  not  uncommon,  but  w'hy  they  do  it  I do  not  know.  A friend  once 
told  me  that  he  saw  quite  forty  together  once  in  Hampshire.”] 

Cockcliafers. — Can  any  of  your  readers  tell  me  whether  cockchafers  are 
met  with  in  their  locality?  Years  ago,  in  the  Midlands,  they  were  plentiful  in 
the  warm  evenings,  but  for  many  years  1 have  not  seen  or  heard  of  any. 

Alston.  J.  E.  Page. 


40 


NATURE  NOTES. 


ANSWERS  TO  CORRESPONDENTS. 

Whether  by  starting  a special  department  under  this  heading,  and  placing 
beneath  it  certain  notices  which  have  hitherto  appeared  elsewhere,  we  shall 
succeed  in  getting  our  readers  to  observe  the  very  simple  rules  which  we  have 
laid  dow’n,  is  uncertain  ; but  the  experiment  is  worth  a trial.  In  spite  of  our  appeal 
to  the  contrary,  our  friends  persist  in  sending  us  communications  as  to  the  supply 
of  the  Magazine,  subscriptions,  &c.  ; while  MSS.  and  books  for  review  sometimes 
find  tbeir  way  to  us  by  a circuitous  route,  having  been  forwarded  to  the  publisher, 
then  sent  to  the  Secretary,  finally  arriving  at  l8.  West  Square.  Will  our  corres- 
pondents kindly  understand  that  we  decline  to  be  in  any  way  responsible  for  any 
communications  which  do  not  relate  to  the  editorial  side  of  Nature  Notes  ? 

Contributions  for  any  number  should  reach  the  Editor,  James  Britten, 
h'.L.S.,  iS,  West  Square,  London,  S.E.,  not  later  than  the  \^th  of  the  jnonth. 
The  Editor  cannot  undertake  to  insert  any  communication  in  the  number  for  the 
month  following,  in  cases  where  this  rule  is  not  complied  with. 

When  it  is  particularly  requested,  MSS.  not  accepted  will  be  returned,  if 
stamps  sufficient  to  pay  the  postage  are  sent  for  that  purpose.  Short  notes  on 
Natural  History  or  Selbornian  subjects  will  be  especially  welcome.  In  every 
case  contributions  must  be  accompanied  by  the  name  and  address  of  the  writer. 

‘ Queries  on  any  points  connected  with  Botany,  Zoology,  or  other  branches  of 
Natural  History,  will  be  answ'ered  if  jx)ssible,  and  advice  will  be  given  as  to  the 
best  books  for  students  in  any  department  of  Natural  Science  ; but  all  questions 
must  be  accompanied  by  the  names  and  addresses  of  the  writers,  not  for  publica- 
tion, if  this  is  not  desired.  Except  under  special  and  exceptional  circumstances, 
the  Editor  cannot  undertake  to  answer  questions  through  the  post,  even  when  a 
stamp  is  enclosed  for  the  purpose. 

Specimens  sent  for  identification  will  be  named,  if  sent  carefulU’  packed  and  in 
good  condition,  and  if  sent  to  the  Editor,  but  we  cannot  undertake  to  return  them. 

M.  S.  Y. — Your  letter  has  been  accidentally  overlooked.  The  variations  in  shape 

are  not  uncommon. 

K.  E.  K. — Mr.  W.  F.  Kirby  tells  us  he  has  never  heard  of  such  moths,  and 
suggests  that  there  may  be  some  confusion  with  Mayflies,  some  of  which 
live  only  a few  hours  in  their  perfect  state. 

H.  G.  W. — Many  thanks  for  the  offer  of  the  calendar,  but  we  see  no  prospect  of 
our  being  able  to  find  room  for  it  at  present. 

B.  asks  for  a reference  to  the  volume  in  which  she  will  find  Wesley’s  sermon 
‘■On  the  Future  Life  of  Animals,”  mentioned  on  p.  i8.  We  wrote  this  out 
in  full  many  years  ago,  but  our  copy  is  mislaid.  The  text  was  Romans 
viii.  22,  23. 

F.  L.  R. — We  have  already  expressed  our  opinion  of  rabbit-coursing  (AKY., 
1S92,  21). 

F.  W.  R. — We  are  much  obliged  for  your  offer,  but  are  afraid  the  particulars 
would  hardly  be  of  sufficient  general  interest. 

Rusticus. — The  Humming-bird  Moth  (Macroglossa  stellatarn?n)  is  not  un- 
co.Timon  in  warm  summers  : you  will  find  it  described  in  many  natural  history 
books. 

A number  of  articles,  reviews,  notes  and  queries,  are  crowded  out,  some  of 
which  will  appear  in  our  March  issue.  We  would  appeal  to  our  readers  to  do  their 
utmost  to  extend  the  circulation  of  Nature  Notes,  which  will  be  enlarged  in  size 
as  soon  as  the  number  of  subscribers  justifies  this  proceeding.  Advertisements  of 

N. ature  Notes,  suitable  for  distribution,  may  be  obtained  free  from  the 
publishers. 


Ittature 

Ube  Selbovne  Society’s  flHsagasine. 

No.  39.  MARCH,  1893.  VoL.  IV. 


A POET  OF  EARLY  SPRING. 

By  the  Editor. 

HI  BRING  has  always  been  dear  to  the  poets:  they  have 
lavished  upon  it  their  music  and  their  imagination,  and 

j the  result  is  that  ordinary  prosaic  mortals,  who  know 

by  experience  that  April  is  often  cold.  May  inclement, 
and  even  June  wet  and  shivery,  have  come  to  look  upon  both  the 
season  and  its  singers  as  equally  unreal.  The  modern  versifier, 
whose  refrain  is  “ May  has  set  in  with  its  usual  severity,”  is  at 
least  as  near  the  truth  as  was  good  Dr.  Watts  when  he  spoke  of 
the  rose  as  “ the  glory  of  April  and  May;  ” and  it  must  be  ad- 
mitted that  May  songs  and  carols  paint  Nature  in  a far  brighter 
aspect  than  she  usually  chooses  to  assume  at  that  season  of  the 
year. 

But  the  early  Spring  has  a charm  of  its  own.  The  time  “ when 
rosy  plumelets  tuft  the  larch  ” ; when  the  golden  flowers 

That  con'e  before  the  swallow  dares,  and  take 
The  winds  of  March  with  beauty 

are  out  in  the  meadows  ; is  one  of  beauty  and  delight  to  the 
seeing  eye,  in  spite  of  wind  and  sleet.  The  lengthening  days, 
the  opening  buds  that  will  not  be  kept  back — these  and  many 
more  signs  we  have  that  Spring  is  at  hand. 

The  lowest  boughs  and  the  brushwood  sheaf 
Round  the  elm-tree  bole  are  in  tiny  leaf ; 

and  before  these  we  have  seen  on  the  topmost  boughs  the 
blossoms  showing  red  against  the  sky. 

This  is  the  time — or  rather  it  is  a time  even  a little  earlier 
than  this — that  has  been  most  made  his  own  by  one  of  the  truest 
nature-singers  of  this  or  of  any  other  time.  He  is  not  of  those 
whose  verses  are  to  be  found  in  most  magazines,  and  whose 
volumes,  many  in  number,  are  to  be  found  in  every  bookseller’s 
shop.  He  is  silent  when  we  would  hear  him  sing  ; and  he  has 


4^ 


NATURE  NOTES. 


been  accused  of  wilfully  withdrawing  himself  from  the  public 
gaze.  His  utterances  hav’e  not  been  chorussed  by  reviewers,  and 
indeed  the  appreciation  that'  has  been  expressed  of  him  is 
but  small  : the  best  and  truest,  as  it  seems  to  me,  is  that  which 
appeared  in  the  Daily  Chronicle  on  the  2nd  of  January  last,  from 
the  pen  of  one  in  whose  company  I made  the  acquaintance  last 
summer  of  Mr.  Robert  Bridges’  Shorter  Poems.  Until  then  I had 
only  known  the  few  verses  cited  with  warm  approval  by  Mr. 
Andrew  Lang  in  his  Letters  in  Literature.  Even  among  the  readers 
of  Nature  Notes  ma}'  be  some  who  are  still  as  ignorant  as  I 
was  then  ; if  so,  they  will  be  grateful  to  me,  as  I am  to  him  who 
first  called  my  attention  to  the  Shorter  Poems. 

This,  however,  is  neither  the  time  nor  the  place  for  a detailed 
criticism  of  j\Ir.  Bridges’  music.  It  is  to  one  strain  only  that  I 
would  call  attention.  He  sings  well  and  truly  of  Nature  in  all 
seasons,  but  one,  hitherto  almost  unsung,  he  has,  as  I have 
already  said,  made  his  own.  This  is  early  Spring — 

whnt  time  of  year 
The  thrush  his  singing  has  begun, 

Ere  the  first  leaves  appear. 

The  poet  must  speak  for  himself ; and  he  shall  do  so  in  the 
verses  which  he  calls  “ Last  Week  of  February,  1890  ” 

Hark  to  the  merry  birds,  hark  how  they  sing  ! 

Although  ’tis  not  yet  Spring 
And  keen  the  air  ; 

Ilaie  Winter,  half  resigning  ere  he  go. 

Doth  to  his  heiress  show 
His  kingdom  fair. 

In  patient  lusset  is  his  forest  spread, 

All  bright  with  bramble  red. 

With  beechen  moss 

And  holly  sheen  : the  oak  silver  and  stark 
.Sunneth  his  aged  bark 
And  wrinkled  boss. 

But  neath  the  ruin  of  the  withered  brake 
Primroses  now  awake 
From  nursing  shades  : 

The  crumpled  carpet  of  the  dry  leaves  brown 
Avails  not  to  keep  down 
The  hyacinth  blades. 

The  hazel  hath  jiut  forth  his  tassels  ruffed  ; 

The  willow’s  flossy  tuft 
Hath  slipped  him  free  ; 

The  rose  amid  her  ransacked  orange  hips 
Braggeth  the  tender  tips 
Of  bowers  to  be. 

A black  rook  stirs  the  branches  here  and  there, 

Foraging  to  repair 
His  broken  home  : 

And  hark,  on  the  ash  boughs  1 Never  thrush  did  sing 
Louder  in  praise  of  Spring, 

\Vheir  Spring  is  come. 

In  assuring  my  readers  that  the  little  volume  whence  these 
lines  are  taken  is  full  of  pictures  equally  beautiful  and  true,  I 


WHITE  OF  SELBORNE. 


43 


believe  that  I am  rendering  them  a service  for  which  many,  at 
least,  will  be  grateful.  To  me,  apart  from  the  choice  of  language 
and  the  flow  of  the  music,  there  is  in  Mr.  Bridges’  verses 
the  quality  of  absolute  fidelity  to  Nature  which  I find  in  the 
prose  of  Richard  Jefferies,  and  which  gives  to  both  a special 
charm. 

I am  enabled,  by  the  kindness  of  the  author,  to  print  in 
Nature  Notes  a sonnet  dealing  with  the  same  period,  which  has 
hitherto  appeared  only  in  his  privately  printed  volume.  The 
Growth  of  Love.  Those  who  already  know  the  Shorter  Poems  will 
be  glad  to  add  this  to  their  collection. 

While  yet  we  wait  for  Spring,  and  from  the  dry 
And  blackening  east  that  so  embitters  March, 

Well  housed  must  watch  gray  fields  and  meadows  parch 
And  driven  dust  and  withering  snowflakes  fly  : 

Already  in  glimpses  of  the  tarnished  sky 
The  sun  is  warm  and  beckons  to  the  larch, 

And  where  the  covert  hazels  interarch 
Their  tasselled  twigs,  fair  beds  of  primrose  lie. 

Beneath  the  crisp  and  wintry  carpet  hid 
A million  buds  but  stay  their  blossoming. 

And  trustful  birds  have  built  their  nests  amid 
The  shuddering  boughs,  and  only  wait  to  sing 
Till  one  soft  shower  from  the  south  shall  bid 
And  hither  tempt  the  pilgrim  steps  of  Spring. 


WHITE  OF  SELBORNE.- 


i’HIS  year  is  the  centenary  of  White  of  Selborne,  the 
country  rector  whose  name,  like  Walton’s  and 
Herbert’s,  “ smells  sweet  and  blossoms  in  the  dust.” 
He  was  a naturalist  of  the  kind  that  every  man  may 
be  who  lives  in  the  country  and  is  not  short-sighted.  The 
advantages  of  short-sight  are  numerous,  but  no  one  who  is 
“ myope”  can  be  a naturalist.  To  such  a one,  most  birds  are 
much  alike  : a blot  or  a flash,  and  that  is  all.  He  cannot  tell  a 
missel-thrush  from  a mavis,  and  at  most  distinguishes  a hawk 
from  a hand-saw.  Consequently  the  excitement  into  which  an 
early  swallow  or  a martin  throws  his  neighbours  is  unfamiliar 
to  the  short-sighted  person,  and  how  anybody  can  distinguish 
one  of  these  fowls  from  another  is  what  surprises  him.  To  him 
a hoopoe  might  appear  with  perfect  safety — he  would  never 
think  of  shooting  it  ; nor  does  he  distinguish  between  a heron 
(except  on  the  wing)  and  a bustard.  The  capercailzie,  unless  it 
attacks  him,  as  this  ferocious  bird  is  fabled  to  do,  leaves  him 
cold ; and  he  would  not  discriminate  between  a cassowary  and 


* We  are  indebted  to  the  Editor  of  the  Daily  News  for  permission  to  reprint 
this  interesting  article  from  its  columns  of  January  21st — Ed.  N.N. 


44 


NATURE  NOTES. 


an  ostrich,  unless  indeed  the  creature  conspicuously  hid  its  head 
in  the  sand.  He  does  not  care  whether  swallows  hibernate  or 
not.  White  seems  to  have  believed  that  they  did,  and  perhaps 
they  do  ; all  sorts  of  things  may  happen.  These  are  questions 
into  which  a sensitive  mind  thinks  it  almost  indelicate  to 
inquire.  Swallows,  according  to  Theophile  Gautier,  sit  about 
on  railings  in  autumn,  afterwards  they  go  to  Athens,  Smyrna, 
the  First  Cataract,  and  elsewhere.  White  himself  did  not  think 
that  those  “ poor  little  birds,”  young  swallows,  go  to  Goree  or 
Senegal ; it  seems  too  much  to  expect,  though  Henri  Murger, 
on  the  other  hand,  declares  that  they  fly  a thousand  miles  at  a 
stretch.  “ Some  do  stay  behind  and  bide  with  us  during  the 
winter,”  says  White.  He  mentions  a clergyman  who  found 
some  torpid  swifts  (which  are  very  much  the  same  kind  of  bird) 
in  a church  tower  in  winter.  With  genuine  but  mistaken  kind- 
ness he  hung  them  up  in  a basket  near  the  kitchen  fire,  and 
they  never  recovered.  Sometimes  they  stay  late,  and  some- 
times they  go  away  earljy  and  to  chronicle  all  this  was  a matter 
of  interest  to  White  and  to  many  other  persons. 

As  to  cuckoos.  White  did  not  know  why  they  do  not  hatch 
their  own  eggs.  Recent  observers,  however,  record  instances  of 
maternal  devotion  in  the  cuckoo.  The  question  arises,  has  the 
great  emotional  wave  of  sentiment  reached  cuckoos,  and  are 
they  beginning  to  be  converted  characters,  or  are  we  to  suppose 
that  the}f  originally  hatched  out  on  their  own  account,  and  that 
a few  still  revert  to  the  ancestral  habit  ? The  American  cuckoo 
does  hatch  her  own  eggs,  but  that  ma}'^  be  owing  to  the  influ- 
ence of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  and  to  the  superior  morality  of  the 
American  continent.  White,  of  course,  was  not  a Darwinian, 
but  a Darwinian  would  easily  account  for  the  peculiar  morals  of 
the  cuckoo  (which  are  execrable),  and  for  its  want  of  maternal 
instinct.  Not  to  be  hatched  by  their  mothers,  on  some  acci- 
dental occasions,  agreed  with  the  young  cuckoos ; they  sur- 
A’ived  better  than  other  cuckoos,  but  acquired  loose  habits. 
Hence  they  gradually  left  off  hatching  their  own  eggs.  This 
theory  might  not  have  seemed  satisfactory  to  White,  but  it 
is  at  all  events  evolutionary,  as  far  as  it  goes.  Concern- 
ing cats — a creature  more  easil}'^  observed  than  a small  bird — 
White  remarks  that  they  are  “ violently  fond  of  fish,”  yet  in- 
expert as  anglers.  Some  cats,  however,  have  been  fishers,  in 
spite  of  their  native  dislike  of  water,  which  in  itself  accounts  for 
their  love  of  a fish  diet.  They  like  it  because  they  cannot 
usually  get  it  b}^  their  own  exertions.  Mr.  Buckland,  however, 
mentions  a cat  called  Puddles,  Avho  used  to  dive  out  of  a boat 
and  catch  dogfish.  Mr.  Buckland  thinks  a cat  on  the  roof 
might  catch  a young  swallow.  Probably  it  could  do  more. 
A cat  at  Whitchurch,  in  Hants,  used  to  lie  above  a SAvallow’s 
nest,  and  take  the  birds  at  the  wicket,  as  it  were,  Avhen  they 
flew  out.  It  never  injured  them,  and  seemed  to  act  thus  purely 
as  a matter  of  sport.  This  is  not  more  extraordinary  than  the 


WHITE  OF  SELBORNE. 


45 


fact  noted  by  White  of  a boy  who  ate  bees.  To  be  sure  he  was 
an  idiot  boy.  He  would  have  made  a fine  subject  for  Words- 
w'orth.  He  was  not  more  remarkable  than  a local  leper,  whose 
case  leads  White  to  form  conjectures  as  to  the  cause  of  the 
decline  of  leprosy.  He  attributes  the  disease  to  the  winter 
eating  of  salt  meat,  the  scarcity  of  vegetables,  and  the  salt  fish 
of  Lent.  We  are  apt,  perhaps,  to  think  of  White  as  a man  only 
interested  in  birds,  but  he  was  really  a kind  of  rural  Pepys,  and 
all  Nature  had  the  same  undying  interest  for  him  as  human 
nature  had  for  the  immortal  Samuel.  Living  in  a lonely  place, 
where  nobody  cared  to  talk  to  him  about  natural  history,  he 
wrote  his  pleasing  and  unaffected  observations  in  letters  to 
friends.  The  autumn  manoeuvres  of  rooks  were  food  for  his 
mind — 

Upon  a gate  he  leans  and  sees 

The  pastures  and  the  quiet  trees — 

not  reflecting  on  the  sum  of  all  things,  like  Mr.  Matthew  Arnold’s 
philosopher,  but  on  the  rooks  saying  their  vespers — “the  ravens 
call  upon  Him.’’ 

Selborne  possessed  antiquities  which  also  amused  White. 
Wolmer  Pond  was  fabled  to  contain  treasures,  and  in  the  dry 
summer  of  1741,  hundreds  of  Roman  coins  were  found  in  its 
bed.  White  bought  several  of  Marcus  Aurelius  and  Faustina. 
The  Empress  with  the  unlucky  reputation  (which  we  trust  Mr. 
Swinburne  exaggerates)  “had  a very  agreeable  set  of  features,” 
according  to  White.  How  the  coins  came  there,  like  the 
mystery  of  the  swallow’s  winter,  puzzled  him  entirely.  Lord 
Selborne  speaks  of  Roman  vessels,  capable  of  containing  30,000 
coins,  found  by  himself,  or  in  his  own  time.  No  fewer  than 
29,773  coins  were  actually  recovered  near  Wolmer  Pond  in  1873. 
The  Romans  interested  White  much  less  than  his  predecessors, 
the  Priors.  He  was  fortunate  in  living  in  one  of  those  old 
English  parishes  where  prehistoric  peoples  and  Romans  and 
the  mediaeval  Church  have  all  left  abiding  marks  of  their  occu- 
pation. An  intelligent  man  needs- no  more  than  the  run  of  such 
a parish  to  keep  him  happy  and  busy.  Many  of  them  are 
epitomes  of  the  history  and,  if  we  may  use  the  term,  the  pre- 
history, of  the  island.  Palaeolithic  and  neolithic  flints,  bronze 
arts  of  all  dates,  Roman  tiles,  mosaics  and  pottery,  foundations 
of  villas,  lie  on  or  near  the  surface  ; old  names,  tombs,  and  coats 
of  arms  on  the  walls  of  church,  manor,  and  farmhouse  speak  of 
the  years  since  the  Norman  Conquest.  All  is  old,  grey,  and 
bowered  in  beautiful  woods  and  slopes  of  hills,  themselves  vocal 
with  many  birds,  and  haunted  by  the  few  harmless  beasts, 
hedge-hogs  and  badgers,  perhaps  otters  if  there  be  a stream, 
which  mankind  has  spared.  Naturalist  and  historian  and 
antiquarian  may  all  be  happy  here,  and  bequeath  a book  as 
innocent  and  curious  as  White’s  to  the  world,  when  they  leave 
it  for  the  rural  grave  beneath  the  yew  and  the  “ G.W.”  on  the 
simple  tombstone. 


46 


NATURE  NOTES. 


HORSE  CHESTNUT  BUDS, 

Through  budding  woods  the  fair  young  Spring 
Laughing  and  gaily  carolling 

Trips  hither  on  her  wayward  feet  ; 

and  while  she  is  still  far  distant,  all  living  things  prepare  to* 
greet  her.  Nor  is  the  horse  chestnut  behindhand.  Before  the 
snow  has  disappeared  every  branch  has  lost  the  weary  down- 
ward curve  of  autumn,  and  springs  with  fresh  vigour  upwards, 
while  the  tip  of  each  twig  glistens  like  a star  in  the  sunshine. 
The  tree  has  decked  itself  in  diamonds  to  greet  the  coming 
Spring. 

When  we  look  more  closely  for  the  cause  of  this  brilliance 
we  see  that  the  large  oval  buds  are  sheathed  in  many  bracts  or 
leaf-scales  overlapping  each  other,  and  coated  on  the  outside 
with  a sticky  kind  of  varnish  which  reflects  the  light. 

If  we  dissect  a bud,  or  better  still,  watch  it  slowly  unfolding 
day  by  day,  we  shall  see  that  these  scales  are  not  all  alike. 
The  bud  contains  a central  stem,  on  which  these  scales  are 
arranged  in  sets  or  whorls  of  four,  each  whorl  alternating  with 
that  below  it.  The  lower  outermost  scales  are  broad,  hard, 
and  woody  ; each  whorl  becomes  longer  and  more  leaf-like  as 
it  approaches  the  apex  of  the  stem.  The  innermost  of  all  are 
very  transparent  at  the  edges.  They  are  generally  green  within, 
and  brown  or  pink  without.  The  outside  of  each  is  sticky,  the 
inside  lined  with  soft  hairs.  If  the  branch  is  in  a sheltered 
place  these  scales  remain  and  grow  longer  as  the  bud  slowly  un- 
folds, and  within  them  is  seen  a conical  mass  covered  with  fine 
pink  hairs  resembling  wool,  with  faintly  marked  green  ridges  on 
its  surface.  These  are  baby  leaves,  covered  on  both  sides  with 
“wool.”  They  are  folded  like  tiny  fans  ; each  leaflet  with  its 
under  surface  turned  away  from  the  centre.  Slowly  the  woolly 
cone  pushes  its  way  through  the  sheltering  scales,  and  very 
gradually 

Grey  boss  ches'nut’s  leetle  hands  unfold 
Softer  ’n  a baby’s  be  at  three  days  old. 

But  they  come  out  into  a cold  world,  and  for  some  days  the 
little  hands  droop  in  a miserable  fashion,  as  if  they  would  fain 
be  back  again  in  the  soft  warm  cradle  in  which  kind  old  mother 
Nature  has  hidden  them  so  long.  Then  the  warm  sun  kisses 
them,  and  the  Spring  winds  whisper  that  their  rough  play  is 
kindly  meant,  and  they  learn  confidence  and  spread  themselves 
upwards  and  outwards  to  meet  their  friends. 

Then  the  “ wool  ” gradually  disappears,  clinging  longest  to 
the  veins  on  the  under  side,  and  the  scales,  no  longer  needed, 
fall  away,  leaving  rings  of  scars  behind,  which  remain  as  long  as 
the  tree  lives,  each  set  marking  the  birthday  of  a branch.  The 
baby  stem,  hardly^  an  inch  long  in  March,  may  lengthen  out  two 
feet  by  midsummer  and  bear  many  leaves,  or  be  checked  in  its 
growth  by  a cluster  of  flowers. 


THE  DEATH  OF  CORTES." 


47 


The  buds  that  contain  the  flowers  are  always  at  the  apex  of 
the  branch ; they  generally  contain  only  four  leaves.  The 
young  flower  cluster  consists  of  an  upright  stalk  thickly  covered 
with  pinky  brown  “wool”  on  which  round  green  buds  are 
irregularly  scattered.  These  are  more  crowded  towards  the 
apex. 

Not  only  does  each  bud  contain  a stem,  many  leaves,  and, 
possibly,  a cluster  of  flowers,  but  sharp  eyes  may  discover  a 
tiny  swelling  at  the  base  of  each  tender  leafstalk,  and  if  you 
watch  it  you  will  discover  that  provident  Nature,  even  before 
the  buds  of  1893  fully  opened,  has  already  formed  baby  buds 
for  1894. 

Last  May  prizes  were  offered  by  the  Northern  Heights 
Branch  of  the  Selborne  Society  for  a description  of  an  oak, 
beech  or  horse  chestnut  tree.  The  first  prize  was  gained  by 
Miss  Dorothy  Gordon,  niece  of  Frank  Buckland — subject,  the 
•oak.  Most  of  the  competitors  came  either  from  the  Girls’  High 
School,  Swansea,  or  from  the  Technical  School  for  Boys,  Wal- 
sall, and  among  these  it  was  curious  that  nearly  all  the  girls 
chose  the  horse  chestnut  and  all  the  boys  the  oak.  -No  one  chose 
the  beech.  The  teachers  of  both  schools  are  to  be  congratulated 
■ on  the  warm  interest  their  pupils  showed  in  the  subject, 

Bessy  Holland. 


“THE  DEATH  OF  CORTES.” 

(Under  this  somewhat  misleading  title  the  Belize  Angelus  gives  an  account 
of  an  old  horse,  usually  known  as  “Tes,”  belonging  to  the  Mission  at  Corozal, 
British  Honduras.  The  Angehis  is  not  likely  to  come  into  the  hands  of  many  of 
our  readers,  and  we  think  they  will  read  the  account  with  interest. — Ed.  N.N.) 

EW  names  have  been  oftener  called  in  the  grounds  of 
Corozal  than  that  of  this  faithful  horse.  When  quite 
young,  some  seventeen  years  ago,  he  had  the  place  to 
himself,  the  school  children  being  familiar  with  him 
and  sharing  with  him  their  bread  and  butter.  They  would  pull 
his  chin  and  tail — run  under  him  for  a ball  or  a plaything — and 
he  seldom  made  any  show  of  annoyance  or  fear,  except  stones 
or  other  missiles  were  thrown  at  him,  and  then  some  one  in- 
variably paid  for  the  offence,  A little  boy,  on  a visit  to  Corozal, 
was  warned  on  no  account  to  molest  the  horse  in  this  way,  but 
we  found  out  that  the  warning  was  too  late,  for  Cortes  took  him 
by  the  arm  the  next  time  he  appeared  and  scared  him  well.  It 
was  unwillingly  owned  by  the  boy  that  he  had  indeed  pelted 
him.  Tes  took  no  further  notice  of  the  matter. 

'When  the  school-bell  rang  he  generally  put  his  head  in  at 
the  doorway  and  slept  there  an  hour  to  the  tune  of  A B C,  or 
to  the  humdrum  multiplication  table,  so  that  once  to  the  great 


48 


NATURE  NOTES. 


annoyance  of  the  head-teacher,  who  had  heard  tlie  name 
Caballo  Cortes  and  had  reckoned  his  name  on  the  list  as  present, 
he  had  to  repass  his  calculations  to  make  the  return  correct. 

He  knew  the  sound  of  the  dining-room  bell  as  well  as  the 
cat,  and  rested  his  chin  on  the  window-sill  in  expectation  of  a 
dole.  Bread,  meat,  fruit,  were  equally  acceptable  to  him,  and 
he  did  not  object  to  stronger  food.  More  than  once  he  waylaid 
the  cook  and  the  boy  as  they  passed  with  the  food  from  the 
kitchen  to  the  house,  knocked  the  rice-dish  out  of  their  hands, 
and  allowed  the  rest  to  pass. 

On  one  occasion  I told  the  boy  in  his  presence  to  go  and  pull 
a large  sour-sop  and  bring  it  in  for  lunch.  Two  or  three  friends 
were  talking  with  me  at  the  time,  and  the  horse,  as  was  usual 
with  him,  for  he  never  shunned  society,  joined  the  group  with 
attentive  ears.  Cortes  turned  his  eyes  on  the  boy  till  he  got  to 
the  tree,  and  then  swerved  round  into  position  to  observe.  Be- 
tween the  tree  and  the  door-way  at  which  w'e  were  talking  there 
was  a tacista  fence,  or  rather  screen,  as  at  each  end  there  was 
passage.  The  boy  had  hardly  begun  to  descend  the  tree,  when 
Cortes  started  to  intercept  the  fruit.  “ Run  behind  the  screen  ” 
I called  to  the  boy,  and  lo  ! a veritable  game  of  puss-iu-corner 
took  place ; the  boy  and  the  horse  running  hither  and  thither 
till  at  last  by  a feint  the  boy  got  the  start  for  the  door  at  the  end 
of  the  building,  with  the  horse  after  him. 

I w'as  one  day  lining  a board  to  cut  in  tw'O.  Cortes  stood 
and  watched  for  a minute  or  two,  then  took  the  pencil  between 
his  teeth  and  drew  the  line  with  me. 

At  the  time  -we  were  building  the  school-house  we  had  trou- 
ble from  time  to  time  to  keep  him  in  bounds  ; for  the  labourers 
carelessly  left  the  gate  open,  and  Cortes  was  always  on  the  alert 
for  such  neglect.  I w'as  at  my  window  shaving,  as  the  break- 
fast bell  rang,  and  the  men,  as  usual,  dropped  their  tools  and 
passed  hurriedly  out,  leaving  the  gate  ajar.  There  was  no 
helping  it ; before  I could  get  dowm  or  call  the  boy,  the  animal 
would  be  through  and  awa}To  the  street.  So  I opened  the  sash 
and  called  out,  “ Cortes,  come  back.”  He  turned  his  big  eyes 
up  to  the  second  storey,  as  if  expostulating,  but  proceeded.  Old 
INIaria,  the  cook,  topk  up  the  cudgels  for  me,  and  said,  “ Don’t 
you  hear  ? Father  tell  you  come  back  ! ” He  deigned  to  throw' 
an  inquiring  look  at  her,  but  continued  his  outward  bound 
course.  A few'  yards  more  and  he  would  be  beyond  my  pow'er. 
So  1 put  on  stress  of  language,  that  evidently  he  took  in  its  true 
sense,  and  bade  him  come  away  ; he  gave  one  more  look  at  the 
w'indow — one  neigh  of  vexation  attended  by  sundry  plunges  and 
wild  kicks,  and  returning  through  the  gate  rushed  to  the  far  end 
of  the  grounds  in  disgust  and  remained  there  the  rest  of  the  day. 

He  was  not  the  best  riding  horse,  but  there  are  many  which 
could  not  rival  him  as  ah  all-round  horse.  He  was  strong  and 
reliable  for  a journey.  If  your  hat  fell,  or  your  handkerchief 
dropped,  or  anything  became  deranged,  he  would  stand  un- 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  KINGFISHERS. 


49 


yielding  even  to  spur  until  you  had  put  things  straight,  so  that 
you  had  reason  to  look  about,  if  of  his  own  accord  he  stopped  on 
his  way.  A strange  Father  once  let  fall  his  overcoat  and  forced 
the  animal,  in  spite  of  his  good  intention,  for  he  could  not  talk, 
to  proceed  on  his  journey.  Within  half-an-hour  an  officer  came 
up  to  the  Father  bringing  his  lost  apparel — discovering  to  the 
unaccustomed  Padre  the  reason  of  the  horse’s  delay. 

During  the  rainy  season  once  I had  to  cross  a nasty  mud 
hole  which  extended  from  side  to  side  of  the  road.  Cortes  ob- 
jected to  mud,  and  walked  the  whole  line  to  find  a decent  pas- 
sage. But  it  was  mud,  mud,  mud,  except  at  one  place  where 
some  pedestrians  had  thrown  the  limb  of  a tree  across.  To  my 
amazement  and  dread  the  animal  carefully  placed  one  foot  after 
the  other  on  the  round  bough  and  landed  me  safely  on  the  other 
side  of  the  swamp,  as  much  to  his  own  satisfaction  as  to  mine. 

During  the  rainy  season  he  would  wait  his  opportunity  of 
stealing  into  the  house,  and,  as  if  conscious  of  being  in  the  wrong 
place,  would  sidle  up  against  the  wall  behind  the  door,  like  a 
beggar  asking  not  to  be  driven  out. 

He  never  was  cheated  of  his  corn,  for  nothing  short  of  a 
rope  could  ever  make  him  quit  the  doorway  till  he  had  had  his 
allowance. 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  KINGFISHERS. 


Inhuman  man  ! curse  on  thy  barbarous  art, 

And  blasted  be  thy  murder-aiming  eye  ; 

May  never  pity  soothe  thee  with  a sigh, 

Nor  even  pleasure  glad  thy  cruel  heart. — Burns. 

OME  ten  or  twelve  summers  have  flown  since  the  beau- 
tiful kingfisher  was  last  seen  sporting  over  tlie  spark- 
ling trout  streams  which  abound  in  Carnarvonshire  ; 
and  the  dipper  only  remains  to  remind  us  of  that 
glancing  flight,  those  gorgeous  plumes,  and  sprightly  motions 
which  characterise  the  former  bird.  The  eagle  is  no  longer 
observed  floating  above  the  mountain-tops,  and  the  sdlitary  croak 
of  a raven  is  a rare  occurrence.  The  boom  of  the  bittern  is  silent 
in  the  lonely  marsh,  and  the  woodcock  are  becoming  scarcer 
year  by  year.  Passing  mallards  are  seldom  observed  against  the 
rosy  sky  at  sunset,  and  the  gay  little  goldfinch  is  destined  to  be 
a victim  for  the  bird-catcher’s  lime.  But,  alas  ! the  kingfisher — 
the  pride  of  the  ornithologist — has  already  fled,  never,  I fear,  to 
return  again  to  its  favourite  haunts.  Though  it  may  be  plentiful 
enough  in  some  favoured  spots,  its  days  are  numbered,  and,  if 
something  is  not  done  for  its  protection,  it  will  surely  be  swept 
away,  leaving  only  its  dry  bones  to  remind  us  of  the  old  days, 
when  it  graced  our  rippling  streams,  and  flew  before  us  from 
stone  to  stone,  as  we  carried  the  rod  in  the  month  of  May. 


50 


NATURE  NOTES. 


Can  we,  as  naturalists,  shut  our  eyes  and  suffer  our  friend  to 
become  a target  for  the  loafing  gunner  ? The  laws  already  en- 
acted are  absolutely  worthless,  being  not  enforced  to  the  extent 
that  they  should  be,  neither  do  they  inflict  any  punishment  on 
the  ruffians  and  schoolboys  who  ransack  our  fields  and  hedge- 
rows daily  in  search  of  birds’  eggs,  in  the  spring  and  summer 
months.  If  some  influential  personage  would  stand  up  on 
behalf  of  the  birds,  protest  against  the  wanton  cruelty  and 
destruction  now  going  on,  and  place  the  state  of  affairs  before 
Parliament,  we  might  get  something  done  to  shield  our  feathered 
favourites.  Who  will  plead  for  the  kingfisher  ? 

I shall  ever  remember  the  first  time  I sighted  a kingfisher, 
not  because  it  was  the  last  time,  but  because  it  came  upon  me 
so  suddenly,  and  at  a moment  when  I never  dreamt  of  observing 
the  bird  which  I had  so  long  wished  to  see.  It  was  a lovely 
summer’s  day,  some  dozen  years  ago,  when  I strolled  down  to  the 
little  stream  which  ripples  under  the  willow  trees,  and  slowly 
meanders  between  the  yellow  flag-lilies,  ere  it  empties  its  waters 
into  the  Conway.  A reed-warbler  was  chattering  on  the  oppo- 
site bank  of  the  stream,  but  its  notes  were  toned  by  the  many 
sounds  of  summer  which  filled  the  air,  when  I was  attracted  by 
a shrill,  but  plaintive,  cry,  which  appeared  to  be  coming  nearer 
and  nearer  to  me  as  I listened  and  waited.  Suddenly  I caught 
a glimpse  of  a ruby  and  white  breast,  which  shone  in  the  raid- 
day  sun,  approaching,  and  in  an  instant  the  object,  for  which 
my  soul  had  so  long  yearned,  stood  before  me.  Perching  on  a 
mossy  stone,  in  the  midst  of  the  murmuring  streamlet,  was  a 
kingfisher.  Its  graceful  body,  clothed  in  the  most  resplendent 
plumage,  which  defies  the  pen  to  describe,  was  reflected  upon 
the  water.  For  a moment  it  remained  and  in  a moment  it  was 
gone!  Never  since  that  day  have  I observed  those  azure 
plumes,  and,  alas  1 I doubt  very  much  whether  I shall  ever  be 
able  to  welcome  that  king  of  birds  back  again.  I have  visited 
those  fern-clad  banks  and  mossy  stones  times  without  number 
since  that  cherished,  yet  painful,  summer’s  day,  like  one  who 
pays  a pilgrimage  to  the  resting-place  of  some  great  departed. 
It  all  seemed  like  a fairy  fancy — that  faint  chirp  which  had 
never  before  fallen  on  my  ear,  and  the  streak  of  light  which  fol- 
lowed it  as  it  sped  its  arrowy  course,  like  a meteor  through  the 
heavens,  away  over  the  reed-beds  and  green  alder  trees,  will  I 
never  forget.  Shortly  afterwards  I learnt,  to  my  sorrow,  that 
that  type  of  beauty  had  crossed  the  path  of  some  idle  so-called 
sportsman,  and  had  been  placed  in  the  hands  of  a local  taxider- 
mist. 

I trust  that  the  personal  details  given  in  this  short  article  may 
be  excused  ; they  are  given  solely  with  the  view  that  they  might 
catch  the  eye  of  some  thoughtless  individual  who  idly  wastes  his 
powder  and  shot  over  creatures  that  would  be  such  a source  of 
pleasure  and  gratification  to  those  who  delight  in  the  wondrous 
and  beautiful  sights  which  Nature  reveals  to  those  who  love  her. 

A.  T.  Johnson. 


FOOT  PA  THS. 


51 


WINTER  ACONITES. 

The  first  gold  gift  has  come  to  bless  the  year 
P'rom  Earth’s  abundant  bosom,  where  the  snow 
Seemed,  with  its  silent  folds,  a month  ago, 

To  still  all  pulsings  of  the  heart  that,  here. 

Asserts  a deathless  love  by  symbol  clear 

To  wistful  eyes,  long  watching.  Now  we  know 
Asleep,  she  dreams  of  waking — beating  low. 

That  faithful  heart  reminds  her  Spring  is  near. 
Death-like  she  wore  her  garments — we  were  sad ; 

In  solemn  dirge,  snow-laden  winds  her  fate 
Bewailed,  while  ran  the  year’s  remaining  sands. 
Birds  carol  her  awaking — we  are  glad, 

But  sing  ouY  songs  in  silence  ; longing,  wait 
Her  gifts,  like  children,  and  extend  our  hands. 

Richard  F.  Towndrow. 


FOOTPATHS. 

Two  or  three  pamphlets— small  in  size  but  important  in  contents — have  been 
awaiting  notice  for  some  time.  They  deal  with  the  subject  of  footpaths — one  of 
the  many  subjects  which  specially  appeal  to  Selbornians,  and  show  that  attention 
is  being  aroused,  at  a somewhat  late  period,  to  the  necessity  for  preserving  these 
invaluable  adjuncts  to  the  delight  of  a country  stroll. 

The  Northern  Heights  Footpath  Association,  in  its  two  reports,  shows  good 
work  done  with  regard  to  footpaths,  and  wisely  impresses  upon  its  subscribers  the 
importance  of  preserving  roadside  strips.  The  chief  work  of  the  Association, 
however,  has  been  the  production  of  an  excellent  little  “ map  of  public  footpaths 
north  and  north-west  of  London,”  which  shows  distinctly  the  public  and  disputed 
paths  in  the  district.  This  should  be  taken  as  a model  by  all  similar  bodie.s  ; 
and  such  bodies  should  be  much  more  numerous  than  they  are.  The  map  can  be 
had  for  sixpence  from  the  Hon.  Secretary,  Eirene  Cottage,  Gainsborough  Gardens, 
Hampstead,  N.W.  ; and  the  .same  sum  will  obtain  another  excellent  little  work 
from  Messrs.  K.  E.  Taylor  and  Sons,  19,  Old  Street,  Aldersgate,  E.  This  is  the 
first  series  of  Field-path  Rambles,  which  is  devoted  to  the  beautiful  country  round 
Bromley,  Hayes,  Keston,  Chislehurst,  Orpington,  &c.  The  author’s  name,’ 
“ Walker  Miles,”  is  extremely  appropriate,  and  a preface  is  contributed  by  Mr. 
R.  Ritherdon,  Hon.  Sec.  to  the  Bromley  Footpaths  and  Common  Preservation 
Society.  Nine  routes  are  given,  and  the  directions  are  so  full  and  clear  that  the 
pedestrian  will  be  able  to  find  his  way  anywhere  in  the  district  if  he  has  this  little 
book  in  his  pocket. 

The  i>reface,  though  short,  is  full  of  practical  suggestion,  and  concludes,  as 
we  would  do,  with  an  earnest  appeal  for  the  more  general  formation  of  “ societies 
for  the  protection  of  public  interests  of  this  kind.”  The  way  in  which  the  land- 
grabber  carries  out  his  dishonest  schemes  is  admirably  described  ; “ Many  will 
have  observed  during  their  walks,  and  particularly  during  a holiday  out  of  town, 
what  a vast  amount  of  wayside  waste,  common  land,  and  footpaths,  has  been 
stolen  from  the  public  in  past  times.  A low  wire  fencing  intended  to  create  as 
little  attention  as  possible  is  usually  erected  in  the  first  place,  and  is  probably 
allowed  to  remain  for  a year  or  two.  The  next  step  is  frequently  the  erection  of 
a somewhat  stronger  and  higher  wire  fencing  with  stouter  posts  than  at  first 
erected,  which,  if  allowed  to  remain  without  question,  in  due  course  give  way  to 
either  a wooden  or  unclimbable  iron  fence.  When  this  latter  has  been  suffered  to 


52 


NATURE  NOTES. 


remain  undisturbed  for  twelve  j-ears,  the  encloser  pleads  that  by  the  Statute  of 
Limitation  he  is  entitled  to  consider  this  land  as  his  very  own.”  We  are  "lad  to 
.'-ee  that  other  guides  on  the  lines  of  this  one  are  projected  ; they  cannot  fail  to 
be  very  useful  to  the  Londoner  during  the  coming  summer. 

The  Report  of  the  National  Footpath  Preservation  .Society  for  its  eighth  year 
(1891-92)  gives  a good  account  of  work  done.  A list  of  158  cases  of  interference 
with  public  footpaths  and  encroachments  on  roadside  wastes,  &c. , have  come  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  Society  during  the  year,  and  the  total  number  of  cases  now 
dealt  with  has  reached  880  in  a period  of  eight  years.  In  many  of  these,  action 
has  been  taken  with  satisfactory  results.  The  .Society,  which  we  have  more  than 
once  commended  to  the  notice  of  Selborn'ans,  now  numbers  nearly  1,000  mem- 
bers. Those  wishing  to  know  more  about  it  should  write  to  the  Secretary,  Mr. 
1 1.  Allnutt,  42,  Essex  Street,  Strand,  W.C.,  for  a Report,  which  we  should  like 
to  see  issued  in  a more  convenient  form  than  it  at  present  possesses. 


FIELD  PHILOSOPHY.* 

The  present  generation  ought  assuredly  to  be  distinguished  for  the  possession 
of  a large  number  of  observers  who  study  nature  in  the  fields,  for  it  evidently 
delights  in  books  on  the  subject,  just  as  fishermen  seem  never  to  be  weary  of 
reading  about  fishing.  Mr.  Grant  Allen  and  Dr.  Wilson  present  us,  in  the  work 
named  below,  with  good  specimens  of  the  class.  Bright  and  picturesque,  dealing 
with  very  various  scenes  and  subjects,  each  collection  of  papers  should  serve  as  a 
stimulus  to  the  reader  to  go  and  do  likewise,  to  turn  his  steps  to  some  point  in 
the  country  side,  and  see  whether  he  cannot  enjoy  for  himself  the  keener  charm 
of  doing  what  it  is  so  pleasant  to  read  about. 

One  remark,  however,  constantly  suggests  itself  as  we  study  the  descriptions  of 
both  authors.  To  our  own  taste,  it  would  be  still  more  interesting  to  be  told 
what  they  actually  have  seen,  inste.ad  of  what  they  deduce  from  the  objects  they 
observe  concerning  the  life  of  the  past  and  their  hypothesis  concerning  it.  It  is 
with  this  that  as  a rule  they  deal,  but  when  they  depart  from  the  rule  and  record 
mere  facts  the  result  appears  more  satisfactory.  Mr.  Grant  Allen,  for  instance, 
has  a p.iper  entitled  “ Eight-legged  Friends,”  in  which  he  records  his  observations 
of  two  spiders  which  he  had  the  opportunity  of  watching  in  circumstances  so 
singularly  opportune  that  they  cannot  fall  to  the  lot  of  many.  These  creatures 
spun  their  webs  outside  a window  that  did  not  open,  so  close  to  the  glass  that 
they  could  be  observed  from  within  with  a platyscopic  lens,  and  into  these  webs 
insects  of  the  most  various  kinds  appear  constantly  to  have  str.iyed — flies  and 
midges,  wasps,  bumble-bees  and  humming-bird  hawk-moths.  The  history  of  the 
architectural  achievements  of  the  pair,  of  their  individual  characteristics  and 
various  methods  of  treating  their  various  captives,  and  of  their  ghoulish  habit  of 
devouring  their  husbands,  for  both  were  females — is  as  good  as  a romance  of  the 
most  tragic  type  ; and  we  would  rather  have  more  of  the  same  sort,  in  place  of 
the  construction  of  hypothetical  genealogies,  which,  truth  to  tell,  become  a little 
monotonous  when  once  the  principle  becomes  apparent  on  which  they  are  framed. 

Dr.  Wilson  has  some  interesting  chapters  not  exclusively  based  on  his  own 
observations,  giving  information  about  common  objects.  In  “ Seal  Skins  and 
their  Wearers,”  for  instance,  he  tells  us  of  the  habits  of  the  animals  from 
which  these  valu.rble  articles  are  procured,  and  of  the  various  labours  and  process 
which  secure  them  for  our  use.  He  has  also  an  article  on  spiders,  whence  we 
gather  a number  of  curious  det.ails  concerning  their  susceptibility  to  music.  It 
would  appear  that  sounds  of  a certain  kind  suggest  to  them  the  buzzing  of  an 


* Science  in  Arcady,  by  Grant  Allen.  London  : Lawrence  and  Bullen,  1892, 
pp.  304,  price  Ss. 

Science  Stories,  by  Andrew  Wilson,  F.R.S.E.  London  : Osgood,  Mcllvaine 
and  Co.,  1892,  pp.  269,  price  5s. 


SHORT  NOTICES  OF  BOOKS. 


55 


entangled  fly,  and  that  they  therefore  rush  to  secure  the  booty.  Some  species 
will  under  this  impression  actually  tackle  a tuning  fork.  Others  take  it  for  a 
note  of  danger  and  drop  from  their  web,  or  otherwise  take  themselves  off. 

The  paper  entitled  “ Do  we  eat  too  much  ?”  a question  which,  as  it  implies, 
is  to  be  answered  in  the  affirmative,  concludes  with  a forecast  of  the  future,  when 
science  shall  enjoy  its  own,  which,  as  some  may  possibly  think,  suggests  the 
addition  of  a new  horror  to  life,  beside  which  dyspepsia  itself  will  pale  its 
horrors.  “ The  restaurant  (of  the  dim  future)  may  be  provided  with  its  diet 
tables,  and  our  waiters  (of  the  scientific  era  of  life)  may  produce  our  food  as  per 
scale  of  dietaries.” 

“ The  Actor’s  Art  among  Animals,”  is  somewhat  disappointing,  and  may 
seem  to  illustrate  the  remarks  already  made  as  to  the  comparative  dearth  of 
actual  observation  met  with  in  such  treatises.  The  author  confines  himself 
almost  entirely  to  what  may  be  learnt  from  books  and  museums,  concerning  the 
changes  of  colour  whereby  animals  assimilate  themselves  to  their  surroundings. 
But  we  hear  nothing  of  the  dramatic  skill  with  which  a hen  partridge  or  willow - 
wren  will  decoy  an  intruder  from  her  nest  by  feigning  to  be  wounded,  nor  of  the 
artful  mimicry  with  which  the  sedge-warbler  will  bewilder  a blackbird,  or  a 
black-cap  will  outdo  the  thrush  in  his  own  song.  These  are  the  things  for  a 
field  naturalist  to  study,  and  a faithful  and  vivid  record  of  such  would  enable  him 
to  produce  books  still  more  interesting  and  instructive  than  those  before  us. 

John  Gerard. 


SHORT  NOTICES  OF  BOOKS, 

Beautifully  printed  and  “got  up,”  as  Messrs.  Macmillan’s  books  always 
are,  we  must  confess  to  being  disappointed  with  Miss  Yonge’s  An  Old  IVomaii  s 
Outlook  in  a Hampshire  Village  (Macmillan,  3s.  6d.).  There  is  very  little  of  it 
to  begin  with,  and  yet  Miss  Vonge  has  shown  powers  of  observation  in  those 
many  volumes  which  have  been  the  delight  of  several  generations  since  the  Heir 
of  'Redclyffe  appeared,  just  forty  years  ago — volumes  in  which,  as  has  been 
observed,  even  “ large  families  have  been  made  interesting.”  When  we  go  on  to 
say  that  the  little  is  not  always  accurate,  we  do  so  with  a .sense  not  only  of  regret, 
but  of  surprise,  for  many  years  ago  Miss  Vonge  gave  us  a little  volume,  The  Herb 
of  the  Field,  which  contrasted  favourably  with  most  jiopular  books  about  wild 
flowers.  The  Outlook  is  arranged  in  twelve  monthly  portions,  which,  we 
imagine,  originally  appeared  independently — at  least,  this  seems  the  most  natural 
way  of  accounting  for  the  repetitions  which  occur  here  and  there.  But  the  errors 
of  fact  are  more  serious,  and  should  be  corrected  in  any  future  edition.  The 
spelling  of  the  names  of  plants  is  odd  enough,  as  when  we  are  informed  that 
the  Latin  name  of  the  hazel  is  “ Coryllaf  of  the  mistletoe,  ‘‘  I’iscits  albatusf 
and  of  the  woodsorrel,  “ Oxalis  acetosaR  But  this  is  nothing  to  being  told  that 
“ the  little  Banksia  roses  are  not  roses  at  all,  but  an  Australian  creeper”  (p.  49), 
and  that  the  tubers  of  an  arum  (apparently  Richardia  eethiopica)  “ afford  the  best 
starchpowder  or  arrowroot,  which  is  really  arum-root"  ! In  the  former  case. 
Miss  Vonge  seems  to  be  confounding  the  Herria,  commonly  called  “ Corchorus 
japonicus,”  with  the  Banksia  rose  ; in  the  latter,  there  is  some  confusion  between 
arrowroot  and  Portland  arrowroot,  which  was  at  one  time  prepared  from  the 
tubers  of  our  English  arum.  The  notion  that  the  M.ay  doll  is  “a  remnant  ol 
honour  to  an  image  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  on  the  opening  of  the  month  of  Mary  ” 
is  untenable,  as  this  dedication  of  May  is  comparatively  modern. 

There  is  a good  deal  of  pleasant  reading  in  the  book  of  a chatty,  sociable 
sort,  and  a certain  amount  of  local  observation.  But  Canon  Atkinson’s  Moor- 
land Parish  has  spoilt  us  for  inferior  works  of  the  kind,  and  Miss  Vonge’s  Outlook 
can  hardly  claim  as  high  a place  as  Miss  Mitford’s  Our  Village. 

Astronomy  for  Everyday  Readers,  by  B.  J.  Hopkins  (London  : George  Philip 
& Son,  IS.),  is  intended  for  those  who  wish  to  have  some  knowledge  of  the 


54 


NATURE  NOTES. 


heavenly  bodies,  and  their  relation  to  and  effect  upon  the  earth  in  which  we  live, 
yet  are  unable  or  unwilling  to  go  deeply  into  the  science  of  astronomy.  For  such 
it  is  well  suited.  Mr.  Hopkins  tells  his  story  simply,  clearly,  and  in  an  interest- 
ing manner,  interweaving  many  historical  incidents  with  his  explanations.  The 
solar  and  sidereal  systems  are  treated  in  an  introductory  chapter,  perhaps  less 
fully  than  some  “ everyday  ” students  might  desire,  and  we  have  not  found  any 
mention  of  multiple  stars,  an  interesting  subject  to  most  students.  On  the  other 
hand  day  and  night,  the  phases  of  the  moon,  the  tides,  eclipses,  have  each  a 
chapter  to  themselves,  and  meteors,  shooting  stars  and  comets  are  also  treated 
at  comparative  length.  The  explanations  are,  as  we  have  already  stated,  clear 
and  interesting,  and  there  are  several  useful  illustrations.  Perhaps  the  author’s 
observations  of  the  Hebrew  account  of  the  creation  would  not  meet  with  universal 
assent,  and  exception  might  be  taken  to  one  or  two  other  points,  but  we  can 
safely  recommend  Mr.  Hopkins’  book  as  a useful  primer  of  astronomy.  The 
prefatory  biography  of  the  author,  interesting  as  it  is,  might,  we  think,  have 
been  omitted  with  advantage.  W.  H.  C. 

We  have  delayed  our  notice  of  the  Rev.  H.  D.  Rawnsley’s  Notes  for  the  Nile 
(Heinemann)  because  we  had  hoped  to  devote  more  than  a paragraph  to  it.  But 
the  pressure  on  our  space  does  not  lessen,  and  we  must  not  further  postpone  the 
mention  of  this  very  interesting  and  readable  volume.  Mr.  Rawnsley  needs  no 
introduction  to  our  readers,  who  know  him  as  a warm  friend  of  the  Selborne 
■Society  and  its  magazine.  Even  in  Egypt  he  was  able  to  emphasise  Selbornian 
principles.  He  “examined  every  donkey  for  the  ‘ raw,’ and  refused  the  whole 
twenty  rather  than  encourage  donkey-boy  brutality.”  Here,  again,  is  a pleasant 
passage  : “ It  was  the  bird-life  of  Ra  Hotep’s  time  that  charmed  me.  The  great 
man’s  three  hawks  were  there,  but  these  were  of  small  account  when  compared 
with  the  interest  of  the  wagtails  drawn  to  the  life.  For  the  wagtail  befriends 
every  Nile  traveller  to-day,  lights  on  the  deck  of  his  dahabieh,  comes  into  his 
cabin,  and  as  they  are  in  colour  and  dress  to-day,  so  I gather  from  Ra  Hotep’s 
tomb  they  were  in  the  days  of  Seneferu  ; they  have  not  changed  a single  fe.ather 
of  their  dress,  and 'they  are  the  beloved  bird  of  the  family  of  those  who  dwell 
beside  the  Nile  to-day,  as  they  were  then.”  It  is  a very  interesting  book,  but 
we  like  Mr.  Rawnsley’s  original  verses  better  than  his  translations. 

Messrs.  Cassell  have  published  an  introduction  to  the  collection  and  preserva- 
tion of  Beetles,  Butterflies,  Moths,  and  other  Insects,  by  Messrs.  .K.  W.  Kappel  and 
W.  Egmont  Kirby.  It  is  a handsome  small  quarto,  with  twelve  capital  plates,  and 
is  very  cheap  at  its  price  of  3s.  6d.  A great  deal  of  care  has  been  shown  in  the 
selection  of  types,  and  there  is  a capital  introduction  dealing  with  the  classifica- 
tion, structure,  metamorphoses  and  collection  of  insects.  The  cover  is  the  least 
pretty  part  about  it,  but  there  are  two  excellent  indexes  (we  should  have  pre- 
ferred them  in  combination),  and  that  in  itself  is  no  small  recommendation.  It 
is  just  the  book  to  give  to  a young  Selbornian. 

“ Voices  from  Flowerland ; original  couplets  by  Emily  E.  Reader  : a Birthday 
Book  and  Language  of  Flowers,  illustrated  by  Ada  Brooke”  (Longmans,  2s6d),  is 
■one  of  those  little  volumes  that  make  one  wonder  why  they  are  produced,  and 
who  buys  them.  Do  any  sane  persons  employ  “ the  language  of  ffowers  ”?  Do 
they  really  burden  their  minds  by  remembering  that  “basil”  means  “ hatred,” 
for  example,  or  that  a “ red  primrose  ” signifies  “unpatronised  merit,”  or  colts- 
foot “justice”?  Why  should  “wild  sorrel”  signify  “ill-timed  wit,”  of  which 
Miss  Reader  observes  : — 

“ Ill-timed  jests  like  darts  at  random  fly. 

And  wound  alike  both  friend  and  enemy.” 

The  bilberry — that  harmless  if  somewhat  insipid  fruit — signifies  “ treachery”  : — 
“Around  you  treachery  binds  her  burning  chain 
To  cut  your  soul  and  tear  your  heart  in  twain.” 

If  anybody  wants  366  couplets  of  this  kind,  here  they  are.  Some  of  Miss 
Brooke’s  designs  are  pretty  (the  frontispiece  is  not),  and  the  volume  is  beautifully 
printed. 


SELBORNIANA. 


55 


SELBORNIANA. 

The  Excursion  to  Selborne. — It  has  not  been  found  possible  to  give- 
in  the  present  number  the  additional  particulars  as  to  the  Midsummer  Day  ex  • 
cursion  promised  in  our  last.  We  would,  however,  invite  all  who  can  do  so, 
and  who  propose  taking  part  in  the  excursion,  to  send  in  their  names  to  Mr. 
Western  at  9,  Adam  Street,  Adelphi,  W.C. , and  we  would  especially  urge 
Secretaries  of  Branches  to  bring  the  matter  before  their  members  at  as  early  a date 
as  possible. 

The  Birds  of  New  Zealand  (p.  35).— The  Standard  of  Feb.  loth 
says: — “We  are  sorry  to  hear  that  difficulties  have  arisen  in  reference  to  the 
negotiations  with  the  natives  for  the  purchase  of  the  more  important  of  the  two 
islands  which  it  is  proposed  to  use  as  a bird  reserve  ; and  that  unless  the  Colonial 
Government  be  stimulated  by  public  opinion  on  this  side,  there  is  some  danger 
that  the  matter  may  be  allowed  to  drop.  The  Zoological  Society  of  London  has 
just  passed  the  following  Resolutions  on  the  subject : — 

“ The  Council  of  this  Society  have  learned  with  great  satisfaction  the  steps  that 
were  proposed  to  be  taken  by  the  Earl  of  Onslow,  when  Governor  of  New  Zea- 
land, and  by  the  Houses  of  General  Assembly,  for  the  preservation  of  the  native 
birds  of  New  Zealand,  by  reserving  certain  small  islands  suitable  for  the  purpose, 
and  by  affording  the  native  birds  special  protection  on  these  islands. 

“ The  Council  much  regret  to  hear  that  difficulties  have  been  encountered  in 
carrying  out  this  plan  as  regards  one  of  these  islands,  and  trust  that  the  Govern- 
ment of  New  Zealand  may  be  induced  to  take  the  necessary  steps  to  overcome 
these  difficulties,  and  to  carry  out  this  excellent  scheme  in  its  entirely. 

“The  Council  venture  to  suggest  that,  besides  the  native  birds  to  be  protected 
in  these  reserves,  shelter  should  also  be  afforded  to  the  remarkable  saurian,  the 
Tuatera  lizard  (Sphenodon punctatns),  which  is  at  present  restricted  to  some  small 
islands  on  the  north  coast  of  New  Zealand,  in  the  Bay  of  Plenty.” 

Bird  Catchers. — A Bird  Protection  Secretary  from  Worthing  writes  : — 
“ We  are  infested  with  bird  catchers  from  the  first  thing  in  the  morning  to  the 
last  thing  at  evening.  I see  them  from  my  windows,  and  one  is  powerless  to 
interfere  ; I wish  a law  could  be  passed  to  stop  their  horrid  trade.  Then  these 
unhappy  birds  are  sold  to  boys  for  id.  each,  who  tie  strings  to  the  leg  and  pull 
thetn  backwards  and  forwards  till  they  die  from  exhaustion.” 

Lantern  Slides. — Can  any  reader  recommend  magic  lantern  slides  for 
■Selborne  .Society  purposes  ? I think  if  there  were  suitable  slides  it  would  be  a 
capital  way  of  interesting  country  people  and  children,  and  so  making  them  look 
at  things  out  of  doors  with  more  intelligence. 

Milford,  Lymtngton.  Herbert  E.  U.  Bull. 

Folk  Songs. — Should  any  readers  of  Nature  Notes,  or  their  friends,  be 
interested  in  old  ballads,  songs  and  tunes,  such  as  are  remembered  by  country 
people,  may  I draw  their  attention  to  the  fact  that  I have  for  some  time  past 
collected  traditional  songs  and  tunes  from  all  parts  of  England,  with  a view  to 
saving  much  ttiat  is  beautiful  and  curious. 

Thanks  to  kind  helpers  I have  already  several  hundred  songs,  a large  part  of 
which  will  very  shortly  appear  in  print,  words  and  tunes  given  exactly  as  noted 
down  from  the  singers.  If  any  of  your  readers  have  the  opportunity  and  wish  to 
contribute  at  any  time  towards  the  collection  I shall  be  most  gratelul,  and  every 
acknowledgment  shall  be  made  of  their  help.  The  love  for  old  ballads,  carols, 
game-songs,  harvest-healths,  &c.,  has  so  much  died  out  amongst  the  younger 
generation  that  the  older  country  folk,  amongst  whom  these  songs  still  linger,  are 
very  shy  of  confessing  that  they  know  them  ; it  is  therefore  necessary  to  begin 
inquiries  cautiously.  By  prefacing  that  “ the  old  tunes  and  songs  are  so  far 
better  than  the  new  ” one  often  unlocks  the  lips  of  the  timid  singer.  V^ery  few 
singers  have  the  power  of  discriminating  between  a really  old  ballad  and  a trashy 
modern  one.  Collectors  should,  therefore,  not  be  discouraged  by  having  ‘ I'he 
Miller  of  Dee,’  and  ‘No  Irish  need  apply!’  presented  to  them  as  equall)' 

“ ancient.”  The  best  way  of  saving  what  is  valuable  is  to  accept  everything,  and 
afterwards  to  patiently  sift  the  good  from  the  bad.  Questions  such  as  the  follow- 


56 


NATURE  NOTES. 


ing  are  useful ; — “ What  used  the  people  hereabouts  to  sing  at  harvest-suppers  ? at 
May  time  ? at  Christmas  time  ? ” i5i:c.  “ Are  there  any  old  singers  who  know  such 
ballads  as  ‘ Lord  Bateman  ’ or  ‘ The  Banks  of  Sweet  Dundee  ’ ? or  who  remem- 
ber old  game-rhymes,  carols,  healths,  &c.,  learnt  from  their  parents  in  byegone 
days  ? ■’  If  the  collector  cannot  note  down  the  simple  air  of  a song  there  is  usually 
to  be  found  some  schoolmaster,  organist  or  musical  friend  who  will  kindly  do  this. 
Words  or  tunes,  even  if  fragmentary,  are  valuable.  In  all  cases  the  name  of  the 
singer,  the  locality  and  other  particulars  of  interest  connected  with  the  contribution 
should  be  given.  May  I add  that  song-hunting  becomes  a most  fascinating  pursuit, 
and  well  repays  one  for  any  trouble  incurred. 

Lyne,  Horsham,  Sussex.  Lucy  E.  Bro.YDWOOI). 

A Plea  for  the  Skylark. — As  we  are  approaching  spring  once  more,  I 
would  plead  for  these  small  birds,  whose  lives  are  ruthlessly  sacriticed  to  epicu- 
rean appetites.  It  goes  to  my  heart,  as  I pass  the  poulterers’  shops,  to  see  scores 
•of  these  small  birds,  to  think  that  they  are  slaughtered  in  thousands  for  the  sake 
of  the  small  mouthful  upon  their  tiny  breasts.  Surely  these  little  birds,  whose 
voice  is  the  sweetest  earthly  melody,  and  whose  song  gladdens  the  hearts  of  eman- 
cipated city  toilers  when  they  are  fortunate  enough  to  get  a few  hours  among  the 
green  fields,  might  be  spared  from  the  universal  slaughter?  As  one  watches  the 
upward  Bight  of  the  skylark  from  earth  to  heaven,  and  listens  to  the  rich  song  he 
warbles  forth  of  joy  and  gladness,  who  shall  say  what  new  hopes  and  heavenly 
aspirations  he  may  inspire  in  the  hearts  of  his  listeners? 

Arthur  Dove. 

The  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Lower  Thames  Valley  Branch  was  held  at 
Richmond  on  the  251I1  of  January,  and  was  most  successful.  The  Mayor  of  Rich- 
mond, Mr.  C.  Burt,  took  the  chair,  and  moved  the  adoption  of  the  report,  which 
had  been  read  by  Mr.  John  Allen,  the  honorary  secretary.  Sir  Richard  Temple, 
M.P.,  in  seconding  this,  particularly  deprecated  the  destruction  of  the  local  flora, 
which  is  in  progress  all  around  London  on  its  open  spaces,  and  offered  to  use  his 
influence  with  the  Conservators  of  the  Thames  to  protect  from  undue  mutilation 
the  vegetation  on  the  banks.  Dr.  Dudley  Buxton,  in  moving  a resolution  recom- 
mending the  aims  of  the  Society,  drew  attention  to  the  projected  excursion  to 
Selborne  on  the  24th  of  June,  in  celebration  of  the  centenary  of  the  death  of 
Gilbert  White.  Mr.  Otter,  who  followed,  congratulated  the  Branch  on  the  work 
done  during  the  year,  and  held  it  up  as  a pattern  to  other  Branches.  A photo- 
graphic exhibition  of  views  of  places  of  interest  and  scenery  on  the  Thames  was 
held  concurrently  with  the  Annual  Meeting,  and  on  the  evening  of  the  following 
day.  It  was  largely  attended  on  both  occasions.  At  the  February  monthly  meet- 
ing, Mr.  C.  II.  Wright  lectured  on  “Mosses,”  at  the  High  Schools,  Richmond. 
By  the  aid  of  diagrams,  black-board  sketches,  dried  specimens,  and  microscopic 
slides,  the  lecture  was  very  fully  illustrated.  Mr.  Wright  went  fully  into  the  struc- 
ture of  some  of  the  typical  genera,  and  finished  with  some  references  to  the  uses  of 
these  plants.  Too  much  praise  cannot  be  given  to  the  energy  displayed  by  the 
officers  and  members  of  this  flourishing  Branch. 

We  are  sorry  to  see  that,  owing  to  “pressure  of  other  matter,”  Prebendary 
Gordon’s  “ Selborne  Column  ” in  the  West  Sussex  Gazette  is  to  be  discontinued 
“for  a few  weeks.”  We  note,  however,  with  pleasure  that  the  Hackney  Mercury 
is  now  devoting  considerable  space  to  “Natural  History  Notes,”  among  which 
we  find  local  Selbornian  information,  and  a kindly  reference  to  Nature  Notes. 
We  h.ave  to  thank  the  press  for  many  kind  notices,  and  especially  the  Sheffield 
Independent  for  the  long  and  appreciative  review  which  appeared  in  its  issue  for 
p'ebruary  10th. 

We  are  indebted  to  Mr.  Edward  J.  Tatum  for  a copy  of  the  Salisbury  Diocesan 
Gazette  for  January,  which  contains  an  account  of  the  “Wild  Flower  Classes” 
referred  to  in  last  year’s  Nature  Notes  (p.  236).  These  classes  have  been  held 
in  ten  parishes,  and  have  an  aggregate  of  seventy-nine  members.  Ten  prizes  have 
been  awarded  by  the  Bishop  of  Salisbury  to  the  most  promising  pupils — the  prize 
in  each  case  consisting  of  a book  on  some  branch  of  Natural  History.  We  are 
sorry  that  we  cannot  find  space  for  extracts  from  this  very  interesting  report,  which 
concludes  by  recommending  our  Magazine  “ to  the  attention  of  all  lovers  of 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES,  QUERIES,  &c.  57 

Nature,  and  the  Wild  Flower  Classes  in  particular.”  The  bound  volumes  of 
Nature  Notes  are  especially  suitable  as  prizes  for  classes  of  this  kind. 

We  regret  to  record  the  death  of  the  Rev.  F.  O.  Morris,  of  Nunburnholme, 
Yorkshire,  at  the  age  of  eighty-two. 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES. 

Daily  Flight  of  Rooks. — I should  much  like  to  know  why  countless 
thousands  of  rooks  should  be  attracted  from  this  north  side  of  London  to  some 
spot  lying  in  a south  or  south-easterly  direction.  These  birds  may  be  seen  every 
morning  by  daybreak,  flying  high  up  in  the  air  in  a steady  stream,  all  in  the  same 
direction,  and  this  goes  on  for  an  hour  or  more.  Then  in  the  evening,  about 
dusk,  they  return  in  the  same  business-like  fashion,  having  done  their  day’s  work, 
and  drop  down  to  their  respective  rookeries  on  their  way  home.  I have  been 
told  that  they  are  attracted  to  the  Thames  Valley  by  some  congenial  food,  to  be 
found  there  at  this  wintry  season.  Can  any  of  the  members  of  our  Thames  Valley 
Branch  throw  any  light  upon  what  the  attraction  is,  and  whether  the  rooks  are  to 
be  seen  there  in  great  numbers  in  any  special  locality  ? 

Ei.iz.a  Brightwex. 

Memory  in  Birds. — Six  months  ago  I had  a day  boy  who  was  happy  only 
when  in  mischief,  and  it  was  not  until  a day  or  two  after  the  escape  of  four  foreign 
birds  and  an  English  greenfinch  that  he  was  found  to  be  in  the  habit  of  opening 
a slide  in  one  of  my  aviaries,  and  letting  out  a bird  “ to  see  it  fly.”  A Virginian 
nightingale  and  an  Indigo  bird  remained  near  for  a few  days,  and  then  disappeared, 
but  the  greenfinch  was  never  seen.  A month  ago,  however,  during  the  late  severe 
weather,  I was  astonished  to  find  one  within  an  enclosed  portion  of  an  outdoor  aviary 
occupied  by  a hand-reared  starling  ; he  seemed  very  much  at  home,  and  evidently 
master  both  of  the  situation  and  starling,  and  as  this  was  the  home  of  my  escaped 
greenfinch,  I wonder  if  I am  wrong  in  supposing  he  has  voluntarily  returned  to 
captivity,  and  his  old  quarters.  The  starling’s  drinking-water  hangs  outside  his 
aviary,  but  has  lately  been  removed  at  night,  and  it  must  have  been  during  its 
absence  that  the  greenfinch  was  able  to  find  an  opening  large  enough  to  force  his 
way  through.  lie  has  still  the  same  means  of  egress  he  had  of  ingress,  but  has  no 
desire  to  avail  himself  of  it.  Ilis  perfect  contentment  (like  his  appetite)  is  very 
great,  and  his  old  habits  are  to  the  fore,  for  the  starling  may  not  eat  his  own 
special  food  until  the  greenfinch  allows  him  to  do  so. 

Watford.  M.  Osborn. 

Cockchafers  (p.  39). — Though  not  nearly  so  plentiful  as  they  were  twenty 
years  ago,  cockchafers  are  still  to  be  met  with  sparingly  every  year  in  this  part  of 
North  Berks.  Years  ago  the  small  species  known  as  the  “ summer  dor  ” literally 
swarmed  round  elms  in  some  seasons. 

Fyfield,  Abingdon.  W.  II.  Warner. 

The  cockchafer  (locally  called  “humbuz”)  is  still  to  be  found  here,  but  is 
far  less  abundant  than  formerly.  About  thirty-five  years  ago  it  was  rather 
unpleasantly  plentiful  on  May  evenings. 

.Malvern  Link,  Worcestershire.  R.  F.  Towndrow. 

I met  with  cockchafers  plentifully  at  Goring  (Oxon)  on  July  nth,  1892.  The 
insects  were  swarming  about  trees  and  bushes,  and  lads  were  endeavouring  to 
knock  them  down  with  their  caps  ; their  successes  enabled  me  to  identify  them. 

J.  F.  Cordon. 

I cannot  remember  having  seen  a cockchafer  in  this  part  of  North  Kent  for 
several  years,  nor  have  I had  the  larva  reported  to  me  as  destructive  hereabout. 
Some  ten  years  ago  it  was  very  plentiful  near  Gravesend,  flying  at  night  in  swarms 
round  elms  and  limes.  Along  one  road  they  were  to  be  seen  lying  by  scores,  crushed 
by  foot-passengers  or  vehicles,  for  they  strike  themselves  somehow  against  the 
branches,  then  drop,  and  when  down,  seem  to  have  great  difficulty  in  rising. 
The  irregularity  of  the  appearance  of  this  species  has  been  remarked  upon  in 


58 


NATURE  NOTES. 


scientific  and  gardeners’  journals.  One  circumstance  that  may  have  to  do  with 
it  is  the  slow  growth  of  the  larva,  which  is  supposed  to  be  three  years — some 
think  even  more — in  attaining  its  full  size. 

Gravesend.  J.  R.  S.  Clifford. 

Squirrel  Mobbed  by  Birds  (p.  38).— -The  squirrel  is  often  set  upon  by 
birds  when  he  strays  from  his  usual  haunts.  I have  seen  one  mobbed  by  sparrows 
when  in  this  predicament.  The  reason  for  this  dislike  on  the  part  of  the  birds 
arises,  I believe,  from  the  squirrel’s  penchant  for  robbing  nests.  Talking  to  an  old 
gamekeeper  last  year,  he  said  that  he  once  saw  a squirrel  cross  a woodland  path 
carrying  an  egg  in  its  mouth  ; he  shouted,  which  caused  the  little  animal  to  drop 
the  egg,  which  proved  to  be  a pheasant’s. 

I-y/icld,  Abingdon.  \V.  H.  Warner. 

Natterjack  Toad. — I should  be  greatly  obliged  to  any  reader  of  Nature 
Notes  who  would  inform  me  of  localities  where  this  interesting  amphibian  is  still 
to  be  found.  I greatly  fear  that,  like  many  of  our  birds  and  insects,  the  species  is 
gradually  disappearing.  Twenty  years  ago  the  natterjack  abounded  on  a small 
heath  about  two  miles  from  my  present  residence.  It  gradually  decreased  in 
numbers  year  by  year  till  it  became  quite  extinct,  though  the  situation  is  unaltered. 
I saw  my  last  specimen  in  the  spring  of  1890. 

Fyjitld,  Abingdon.  W.  H.  Warner. 

Birds  and  Lighthouses  (p.  37). — The  work  suggested  by  Mr.  W.  Denne 
in  Nature  Notes  for  February  has  been  done.  One  of  the  lighthouse  keepers 
at  Hurst  Castle  recently  lent  me  a copy  of  the  Report  for  1886  issued  by  the 
Committee  of  the  British  Association  appointed  to  enquire  of  the  lighthouse 
keepers.  A schedule  was  sent  out  to  lighthouses  round  the  coast  of  the  United 
Kingdom  to  be  filled  in  with  the  names  of  the  birds  observed,  their  numbers,  the 
(late,  weather,  wind,  &c.  It  was,  however,  issued  to  Hurst  Castle  only  for  one 
year.  The  head  keeper  of  the  lighthouse  wrote  to  say  that  so  few  birds  were 
attracted  to  the  light  that  it  was  hardly  worth  while  furnishing  the  schedule  ; it  is 
a comparatively  low  light  at  the  end  of  a shingle  beach  stretching  into  the  Solent, 
and  only  shines  seawards.  He  told  me  that  in  the  thirteen  years  during  which  he 
had  been  at  Hurst,  he  had  not  seen  as  many  birds  at  the  light  as  in  any  three 
years  at  his  former  station,  Flamborough  Head. 

Milford,  Lymington.  Herbert  E.  U.  Bull. 

May  I refer  Mr.  Denne  to  the  Reports  of  the  Committee  appointed  by  the 
British  Association  to  examine  into  the  migration  of  birds.  This  Committee  con- 
tinued its  researches  for  some  years,  and  put  itself  in  communication  with  the 
keepers  of  light-houses  and  light  vessels  all  round  the  coast,  who  filled  up  forms 
supplied  them.  I think  these  Reports  prove  beyond  all  doubt  that — strange  as  it 
may  seem — nearly  all  our  wild  birds  are  migratory.  Indeed,  to  quote  the  words 
of  the  .Sixth  Report  (for  1S84),  p.  69:  “With  very  few  exceptions,  the  vast 

majority  of  our  British  birds,  such  as  are  generally  considered  habitual  residents, 
the  young  invariably,  the  old  intermittingl}-,  leave  these  islands  in  the  autumn, 
their  place  being  taken  by  others,  &c.”  Blackbirds,  larks,  sparrows,  robins, 
chaffinches,  yellow  hammers,  &c. , are  included  in  the  published  lists,  and  their 
course  seems  principally  across  the  German  Ocean,  and  not,  as  one  might  expect, 
across  the  far  narrower  English  Channel.  These  Reports  are  sold  by  R.  II. 
1‘orter,  6,  Tenterden  Street,  W. , price  2S.  This  strange  migration  may  help  to 
answer  the  “ Robin  Query,”  of  the  Rev.  J.  A.  Kerr  (p.  36),  and  may  account  for 
what  I think  I have  noticed,  the  very  slight  increase  in  the  number  of  our  smaller 
wild  birds  since  the  passing  of  the  Gun  Act  and  the  Wild  Birds’  Preservation  Act. 

Costock  Rectory,  Loughborough.  C.  S.  Millard. 

Popular  Science. — The  Speaker  for  February  llth  contains  a notable 
example  of  the  “popular  science”  article,  in  the  form  of  a paper  on  the  Snow- 
drop. All  the  usual  unauthenticated  traditions  are  found  in  it — the  procession  of 
“girls  dressed  in  white”  on  Candlemas  Day;  the  “monkish  legend”  already 
called  in  question  in  these  pages  (Nature  Notes,  1892,  p.  154);  the  “curious 
ceremony”  (rightly  so  styled)  which  involved  the  removal  of  the  “image”  of 
“the  Virgin”  from  “above  the  altar,”  and  the  strewing  of  snowdrops  in  its 
“empty  place;”  an  “old  legend,”  recorded  on  the  high  authority  of  Mr. 


TO  CORRESPONDENTS. 


59 


Thiselton  Dyer — as  well  as  one  or  two  oddities  connected  with  its  names,  and 
(of  course),  a couplet — here  called  an  “adage” — from  T.  F.  Korster\s  well- 
known  spurious  antif|ue.  The  folk-lore  of  flowers  contains  much  that  is  charm- 
ing and  interesting,  but  the  continual  serving  up  of  more  than  twice-cooked 
■cabbage  palls  upon  the  appetite,  even  when  accompanied  l>y  such  sauce  as  the 
Speaker  cm  this  occasion  affords. 


TO  CORRESPONDENTS. 

B. — Mrs.  Suckling,  of  Ilighwood,  Romsey,  Hants,  writes  : — “I  can  lend  B. 
Wesley’s  Sermon  on  ‘ The  Future  of  Animals  ’ and  one  or  two  other  things  on  the 
same  subject,  if  they  will  be  returned.”  The  sermon  will  be  found  in  Wesley’s 
Works,  vol  vi.,  p.  226  (121110  ed. ) 

J.  H.  S. — 'J'he  latest  Report  of  the  .Selborne  .Society  is  that  given  in  Nature 
Notes  lor  June,  1892,  which  may  be  obtained  from  the  Secretary,  9,  Adam 
Street,  Adelphi,  W. C. , by  forwarding  2.jd.  in  stamps.  As  to  cockroaches,  they 
are  useful  as  scavengers,  but  that  is  about  all  that  can  be  said  for  them. 

J.  R.  T.  — We  regret  that  we  cannot  find  room  for  the  extract. 

G.  A.  M. — Your  note  was  forestalled  by  the  paragraph  from  the  Evening  Post 
given  at  p.  35. 

F.  G.  S. — The  butterflies  of  Malta  are  of  no  special  interest  ; you  will  find 
them  all  in  Kirby’s  European  Butlerjlies  and  Moths,  or  his  Manual  of  European 
Butterflies. 

F.  C. — (l)  Ramalina  Curnowii  Crombie  : (2)  R.  hreviuscula,  Nyl.  A sketch 
of  Gilbert  White’s  life  is  prefixed  to  most  editions  of  his  Selborne. 

W.  W. — Alnus  laciniata  is  a cultivated  form  of  the  common  alder.  We  do 
not  think  the  colouring  of  either  of  the  books  you  name  very  satisfactory,  and  that 
of  English  Botany  (ed.  3)  is  no  better.  The  book  you  name  should  fulfil  all  your 
requirements. 

Senex. — Agaricus  procerus. 

Contributions  for  any  number  should  reach  the  Editor,  James  Britten, 
F.L.S.,  18,  West  Square,  London,  S.E.,  not  later  than  the  15th  of  the  month. 

When  it  is  particularly  requested,  MSS.  not  accepted  will  be  returned,  if 
stamps  sufficient  to  pay  the  postage  are  sent  for  that  purpose.  Short  notes  on 
Natural  History  or  Selbornian  subjects  will  be  especially  welcome.  In  every  case 
contributions  must  be  accompanied  by  the  name  and  address  of  the  writer. 

Queries  on  any  points  connected  with  Botany,  Zoology,  or  other  branches  of 
Natural  History,  wdl  be  answered  if  possible,  and  advice  will  be  given  as  to  the 
best  books  for  students  in  any  department  of  Natural  Science  ; but  all  questions 
must  be  accompanied  by  the  names  and  addresses  of  the  writers,  not  for  publica- 
tion, if  this  is  not  desired.  Except  under  special  and  exceptional  circumstances, 
the  Editor  cannot  undertake  to  answer  questions  through  the  post,  even  when  a 
stamp  is  enclosed  for  the  purpose. ' 

Specimens  sent  for  identification  will  be  named,  if  sent  carefully  packed  and 
in  good  condition,  and  if  sent  to  the  Editor,  but  we  cannot  undertake  to  return 
them. 

We  shall  be  glad  to  notice  any  books  bearing  upon  Natural  History  in  any  of 
its  branches,  and  to  direct  attention  to  magazine  articles  of  the  same  kind,  if 
these  are  sent  to  us.  Publishers  will  confer  a favour  upon  our  readers  if  they  will 
always  state  the  price  of  any  volumes  they  may  send,  in  order  that  it  may  be 
quoted  in  the  notice.  This  addition  is  much  appreciated  by  our  readers,  and 
is  desirable  in  the  interest  of  the  volumes  themselves. 

It  is  particularly  requested  that  subscriptions  and  letters  connected  with 
business,  as  well  as  the  names  of  those  wishing  to  join  the  proposed  excursion 
to  .Selborne  on  June  24th,  should  not  be  forwarded  to  the  Editor,  but  to  the 
Secretary  of  the  .Selborne  Society,  9,  Adam  Street,  Adelphi,  W.C. 
Editorial  communications,  specimens,  and  books  for  review  should  be  addressed 
to  Mr.  Britten,  as  above. 


6o 


NATURE  NOTES. 


SELBORNE  SOCIETY. 

LIST  OF  BRANCHES,  WITH  NAMES  OF  HONORARY  SECRETARIES. 


ATALANTA.— Miss  M.  Par- 
nienter,  The  Limes,  Braintree, 

BATH.— W.  G.  Wheatcroft, 
Esc|.,  Abbey  Chambers,  Bath. 

B.4y.SWATER  (with  Kensing- 
ton). 

BIRMINGHAM.— Mrs.  M'indle, 
a;,  Clarendon  Road,  Edgbaston, 
Birmingham. 

BOLTON-LE-MOORS.  — Miss 
Heelis,  Markland  Hill,  Heaton, 
Bolton-le-Moors. 

BRIGHTON. — Miss  E.  Bourne, 
12,  Denmark  Terrace,  Brighton. 

CAMBRIDGE. — F.  A.  Hort, 
Esq.,  Emmanuel  College,  Cam- 
bridge. 

CLAPTON.— R.  M.  Wattson, 
Esq.,  14,  Narford  Road,  Upper 
Clapton. 

CROYDON,  E.  A.  Martin,  Esq., 
21,  Carew  Road,  Thornton  Heath. 

DORKING.— Yacant. 

DU  BLIN. — Vacant. 

EPPING  FOREST  (Forest 
Ramblers). — Percy  Lindley,  Esq., 
York  Hill,  Loughton,  Essex. 

FORTH.— Miss  I.  B.  Waters- 
ton,  45,  Inverleith  Row’,  Edinburgh. 

GUILDFORD. — Yacant;  tem- 
porarily with  Plaslemere. 

HALIFAX.  — .Miss  Marchetti, 
Manor  Heath,  Halifax. 

HASLEMERE.— Miss  A.  M. 
Buckton,  Wevcombe.  Haslemere. 

ISLE  OF  WIGHT.— Vacant. 

KENSINGTON. —Miss  M. 
Hope,  14,  Airlie  Gardens,  Kensing- 
ton. 

KENT  (North). — Yacant. 

KENT  (Weald  of). — Miss  K. 
Knocker,  Little  Hollanden,  Hilden- 
boro’. 

LAKES. — Miss  Rawson,  P'al- 
borrow,  Windermere. 

, LIVERPOOL.— -Miss  B.  Cro.ss- 
field,  24,  Ullett  Road,  Liverpool. 

LOWER  THAMES  VALLEY 
(Richmond  Division). — J.  Allen, 
Esq.,  8,  Clarence  Road,  Kew. 


LOWER  THAMES  VALLEY 
(Ealing),  with  Richmond  Division. 

MALVERN.  — Rev.  P'.  H.  Fow- 
ler, St.  Marv's,  Great  Malvern. 

MARKWICK.  — Miss  Borrer, 
Brook  Hill,  Cowfold,  Horsham. 

NESTON.  — Mrs.  R.  Bushell, 
Hinderton  Lodge,  Neston,  Chester. 

NORTH  SO.M  ERSET.  — Miss 
A.  Fry,  Failand  House,  Failand, 
near  Bristol. 

NORTHERN  HELGHTS.— 
Miss  Martelli,  6,  Prince  Arthur 
Road,  Hampstead. 

NOTTINGH.YM.— Miss  Foster, 
The  Park,  Nottingham. 

PINNER.— Lady  Watkin  ^Yil- 
liams,  Pinner,  Middlesex. 

RAPE  OF  LEWES.— Mrs.  A. 
Payne,  Hatchlands,  Cuckfield, 
Hayward’s  Heath. 

“ RICHARD  JEFFERIES.”— 
Miss  H.  Urlin,  The  Grange,  Rust- 
ington,  near  Worthing. 

ROME. — A.  J.  Aloriarty,  Esq., 
English  (College,  Rome. 

ROTH ER  VALLEY  (Chiches- 
ter).— Vacant. 

ROTHER  VALLEY  (Mid- 
hurst).— Miss  Richards,  Ease- 
bourne,  Midhurst,  Sussex. 

ROTHER  VALLEY  (Peters- 
FiELD  Division).  — Mrs.  Tice- 
hurst,  Petersfiell,  Hants. 

SELBORNE  AND  LIPHOOK. 
— Miss  Fowler,  Liphook,  Hants. 

SOUTHAMPTON  AND 
BOURNEMOUTH.- Miss  L.  G. 
Bull,  The  Elms,  Shirley,  Southamp- 
ton. 

SUTTON.  — R.  Hill  Blades, 
Esq. , The  Firs,  Sutton,  Surrey. 

TUDOR  (Bootle).—].  J.  Ogle, 
Esq.,  Free  Library,  Bootle-cum- 
Linacre. 

WE  Y BRIDGE.  — Vacant. 

WLMBLEDON  AND  PUT- 
NEY.—Miss  Ada  Smith,  Walcot 
Lodge,  Putney. 

^YENSLEYDALE.  — Miss  M. 
Dundas,  Thornburgh,  Leyburn, 
R.S.O.,  Yorkshire. 


IRatiue  IRotes: 

Zbe  Selbovne  Society’s  ^agasine. 

No.  40.  APRIL,  1893.  VoL.  IV. 


MR.  RODEN  NOEL’S  SPRING  POETRY. 

S there  any  poet  more  intimate  with  Nature  in  her 
various  moods  than  the  Hon.  Roden  Noel  ? any  whose 
song  more  rings  out  her  joy,  and  clarions  her  glory, 
and  basses  forth  her  awe  and  terror  ? His  song  of 
her  Is  no  strange  riiuHc  imperfectly  caught  and  more  im- 
perfectly reproduced  ; it  is  the  song  of  the  own  country,  the 
song  its  child  sings  because  he  cannot  choose  but  sing  it. 

The  present  article  deals  with  this  nature  poetry  only  so  far 
as  it  belongs  to  the  Spring,  to  “ the  sweet  o’  the  year,”  and  it 
is  assuredly  best  to  let  the  poet  himself  speak  rather  than  to 
make  comments  on  his  work.  “ Uncouth,  unkist,”  unknown, 
unloved — but  known,  how  loved,  indeed ! The  early  Spring  is 
over,  so  we  leave  his  snowdrops,  his  “ darling  spirits  of  the 
snow,”  which  have  softly  glided  away  from  us  until  next  year, 
and  we  listen  with  him  to  the  song  'of  the  “ lark  on  his  own 
music  lost,”  and  lose  ourselves  in  “ the  blind  bliss  buoying  up 
a lark,  floating  in  sunlight.” 

I have  said  that  Mr.  Roden  Noel  understands  the  terror  of 
Nature  as  well  as  her  joy,  for  he  is  at  one  with  her  in  all  her 
moods,  but  to-day,  this  spring-time,  he  shall  sing  to  us  only  of 
the  joy  of  nature,  the  bliss  in  the  blood  which  is  the  poet’s  very 
fount  of  youth,  renewed  with  the  renewal  of  Spring. 

Let  us  hear  him  tell  of  “ A Walk  in  Spring.”. 

VVe  passed  by  the  wicket-gate  you  know, 

To  the  tender-budding  wood, 

Dew  lingering  in  the  blooms  below, 

Where  intermittent  flowed 
Warm  sprinkled  sunlight  to  and  fro 
With  the  leaflets’  frolic  mood. 


<52 


NATURE  NOTES. 


By  the  broken  gate  that  idly  swung 
Near  umber  tilth  ajar, 

Our  eyes  to  faint  horizons  clung, 

Bloomed  as  young  wheat-sheaths  are. 

You  deemed  it  must  be  sea  that  hung 
Blent  with  yon  skies  afar. 

Lo  ! red  thorns  on  the  briar  fair. 

And  buds  uncurling  green. 

Bird-notes  flash  lavish  everywhere. 

Spill  water  brimmed,  or  lean 
Long  plainings  on  the  summer-air 
That  seem  to  sleek  the  sheen. 

A foal  lithe  frisking  round  his  dam 
In  cowslipped  meadow  plays  ; 

Pushing,  a weak-limbed  nestling  lamb 
Beneath  his  parent  sways  ; 

With  cool  slant  shade  each  blade's  green  flame 
A sister  blade  allays. 

* * * * 

Shy  secret  of  the  bud  and  leaf. 

Shy  secret  of  the  bloom. 

And  such  as  now  in  Springtime  flood 
■Sweet  nests  in  emerald  gloom 
Of  boscage,  where  some  finch  may  brood. 

And  a stray  beam  only  come. 

Let  us  hear  with  him  the  songs  of  the  birds.  Go  to  the  haw- 
thorn bush  wherein  there  hides  deep  “ A nest  of  pale  eggs  tiny 
with  a blush  and  mottle  of  wine.”  ....  There  is  the 
mother  chaffinch  sheltered — 

Whose  gay  mate  sits  nigh. 

And  chirps  to  her — yon  linnet  dipping  by 
Sings  as  he  flies,  and  perching  in  the  ash 
A runnel  long  of  melody  doth  flash 
From  him  and  wander  through  the  woodland  far. 

Whose  notes  impetuous  ecstatic  war 

Which  shall  be  first ; they  hustle  and  they  throng 

As  all  the  teeming  Spring  were  in  the  song ; 

That  little  elf  will  utter  forth  the  whole  ; 

Well  may  he  quiver,  and  beyond  control, 

The  rapture  whirl  him  from  the  leafy  shade 
With  shimmering  wings  adown  the  sunlit  glade  1 
But  he  is  not  alone — hark  1 trickling  notes 
From  the  hid  blackcap. 

Clear  pipes  the  blackbird,  and  a thrush’s  love 
Flutes  softer  — hark  1 the  lark  is  in  the  blue. 

Whose  music-sea  the  sunlight  eddies  through.” 

One  would  like  to  italicise  that  last  line,  and  many  another 
line  of  this  poet’s,  but  it  is  better  that  each  reader  should 
italicise  for  himself ! 

Here  is  the  nightingale’s  ecstasy. 

I who  longed  for  the  whispering  cool  of  the  grove. 

Stole  to  the  valley  of  verdurous  gloom. 

Where  a nightingale  sings  evermore  to  his  love. 

As  though  man  knew  no  sorrow,  nor  earth  e’er  a tomb. 


RODEN  NOEL'S  SPRING  POETRY. 


65 


A bird  hath  a nest  in  a twilight  of  leaves, 

All  woven  of  mosses,  and  lichen,  and  down  ; 

An  eye  there  is  glistening,  a bosom  there  heaves 

You  may  see  there  love’s  miracle,  when  she  hath  flown  — 

Four  delicate  ovals,  flecked  faintly  with  wine — 

She  is  guarding  the  mystical  marvel  of  life. 

The  wind-flower  illumines  her  bowery  shrine. 

And  the  pale  flame  of  primrose  around  her  is  rife. 

But  the  nightingale  sings  ! how  he  sings  ! w'hat  a song. 

Clear  water  that  falls,  or  meanders  in  day  ; 

From  a smooth  stem  of  sound,  that  is  mellow  and  long. 

Notes  of  fountainous  blossom  are  lavished  in  play  ; 

And  one  of  his  delicate  silvery  measures 

Recalls  one  who  whips  a clear  water  of  glass  ; 

* * * * * 

I am  sheathed,  like  a chrysalid  silken,  with  joy. 

And  again  in  “ The  Secret  of  the  Nightingale”  : — 

The  ground  I walked  on  felt  like  air. 

Airs  buoyant  with  the  year’s  young  mirth  ; 

Far,  filmy,  undulating  fair. 

The  down  lay,  a long  wave  of  earth  ; 

And  a still  green  foam  of  woods  rose  high 
Over  the  hill-line  into  the  sky. 

In  meadowy  pastures  browse  the  kine. 

Thin  wheat-blades  colour  a brown  plough  line  ; 

Fresh  rapture  of  the  year’s  young  joy  * 

Was  in  the  unfolded  luminous  leaf. 

And  birds  that  shower  as  they  toy 
Melodious  rain  that  knows  not  grief. 

They  allured  my  feet  far  into  the  wood, 

Down  a winding  glade  with  leaflets  walled, 

With  an  odorous  dewy  dark  imbued  ; 

Rose,  and  maple,  and  hazel  called 
Me  into  the  shadowy  solitude  ; 

Wild  blue  germander  eyes  enthralled. 

Made  me  free  of  the  garden  bowers. 

There  a wonderful  laughing  sisterhood  of  flowers  meet  him — 
anemone,  starwort, — so  he  called  the  Stellaria  (stitchwort),  a 
poet’s  licence — “and  pale  yellow  primrose  ere  her  flight,” 
cuckoo-flowers  and  wild  hyacinths ; and  the  flowers  promise 
to  show  him  the  bride-bed  of  Philomel,  their  queen,  and  they 
whisper  to  him  to — 


move  with  a tender,  reverent  foot 
Like  a shy  light  over  bole  and  root. 

Into  the  heart  of  the  verdure  stole 
My  feet,  and  a music  unwound  my  soul  ; 

Zephyr  flew  over  a cool  bare  brow — 

I am  near,  very  near  to  the  secret  now  1 
For  the  rose-coveis,  all  alive  with  song, 

F'lash  with  it,  plain  now  low  and  long  ; 

Sprinkle  a holy-water  of  notes. 

I might  go  on  and  on  quoting,  but  with  one  quotation  more  I 
must  close. 


64 


NATURE  NOTES. 


I thank  Thee,  Lord,  I may  enjoy 
Thy  holy  Sacrament  of  Spring  ! 

For  dancing  heart  when  leaflets  toy, 

Or  when  birds  warble,  and  wave  wing  ; 

For  tears,  for  April  tears  of  joy  ! 

The  cuckoo  thrills  me  as  of  yore. 

The  nightingale  is  more  than  wine  ; 

Bluebells  in  the  wild  woodland  pour 
Hues  purpler,  but  not  more  Divine 
Than  blithe  fresh  hues  of  Heaven  on  high  ; 

I thank  Thee,  Lord,  before  I die. 
***** 

May  we  all  join  in  thus  Returning  Thanks. 

E.  H.  Hickey. 


WILD  LIFE  IN  TASMANIA. 

II. 

N awaking  early  in  the  morning  of  a fine  spring  day, 
what  a chorus  of  bird  voices  greets  our  ear  ! The 
first  to  tune  up  soon  after  dawn  is  the  native  sparrow, 
with  two  oft-repeated  long  whistling  notes,  very  like 
those  of  the  quail,  but  with  this  difference — that  the  second 
note  of  the  latter  soars  upward  until  at  the  termination  it  be- 
comes almost  a little  shriek,  whilst  that  of  the  sparrow  descends. 
He  is  immediately  answered  by  other  sparrows  in  the  vicinity, 
until  the  place  resounds  with  these  notes.  There  is  a brown- 
plumaged  bird  here  with  a very  curious  whistle  which  pene- 
trates to  a good  distance,  and  somewhat  resembles  the  police 
whistle ; this,  however,  is  usually  heard  later  in  the  day. 

The  cuckoos  have  a cheerful  rippling  sort  of  note,  one  of  the 
pleasantest  sounds  in  the  bush  ; it  is  entirely  unlike  the  call  of 
the  English  bird,  although  one  of  our  cuckoos  (for  there  are  at 
least  three  species  here)  has  a double  whistle  which  bears  a very 
distant  resemblance  to  it.  The  robin  has  a short,  very  plaintive 
song,  and  the  long-tailed  wren  warbles  forth  a tiny,  though 
more  cheerful,  ditty.  The  melodious  piping  whistle  of  one  of  the 
larger  honey-eaters  is  an  early  morning  sound,  as  is  also  the 
distant  hoo-o-o,  hoo-o-o,  of  the  splendid  bronze-wing  pigeon. 
A pair  of  hawks  are  circling  overhead,  uttering  shrill  cries, 
while  from ' the  dark  green  myrtles  down  the  creek  comes  the 
ka-ka,  ka-ka  of  the  black  jayc 

Let  us  strike  through  this  little  patch  of  ti-tree  scrub  and 
so  out  on  to  the  road,  and  see  what  others  of  Nature’s  children 
are  bestirring  themselves.  A typical  bush  road  it  is,  partly 
“ corduroyed,”  or  formed  of  young  trees  cut  into  lengths  and 
laid  side  by  side  with  sand  thrown  upon  them,  and  partly  in  a 


WILD  LIFE  IN  TASMANIA. 


65 


state  of  nature.  On  each  side  the  scrub  is  growing  luxuriantly, 
and  our  attention  is  at  once  arrested  by  the  pretty  flowers  of 
the  epacris,  which  are  everywhere  in  profusion.  It  is  a grace- 
ful heath-like  plant,  growing  from  the  height  of  six  inches  to 
three  or  four  feet,  and  we  notice  here  three  species — a dark  red, 
a pink  and  a white.  It  is  called  by  the  bush  folk  “ native 
fuchsia,”  and  forms  a beautiful  b^rdering  to  our  rough  track, 
the  colours  of  the  flowers  being  \,ell  set  off  by  the  dark  green 
of  the  scrub  behind.  There  are  also  here  three  kinds  of  wattle 
{Acacia)  in  flower,  the  prickly  being  covered  with  long  spikes 
of  3mllow  blossom,  the  other  two  bearing  little  round  yellow 
sweet-scented  tufts.  Up  this  stem  of  young  ti-tree,  scarce  three 
feet  high,  is  climbing  a tiny  creeper,  with  no  leaves  that  we  can 
make  out,  but  abundance  of  little  oval  blue  flowers,  or  rather 
buds,  for  they  never  seem  to  get  beyond  that  stage.  The  young 
gums  {Eucalyptus)  are  also  in  flower,  bearing  bunches  of  small, 
yellowish,  feathery  balls,  and  some  kinds  of  ti-tree  are  showing 
their  white  blossoms. 

Intermingled  with  the  epacris  which  borders  our  track  are 
three  species  of  Boronia,  with  flowers  somewhat  resembling 
very  small  wild  roses,  the  colours  being  three  shades  of  purple, 
one  so  faintly  tinted  as  to  look  almost  white.  The  medium- 
shaded  variety  has  a very  sweet  scent.  They  are  sometimes 
called  “ native  roses,”  as  the  Epacris  is  styled  “ native  fuchsia 
but  higher  up  the  road  we  can  get  real  roses,  for  there  the  sweet- 
briar  flourishes,  and  disputes  with  the  bramble  the  right  of 
possession.  We  have  now  arrived  at  a gentle  dip  in  the  road, 
and,  descending  the  slope,  find  ourselves  in  a little  flat  of  ten  or 
twelve  yards  in  extent,  where  pools  of  rain  water  are  still  lying 
in  the  whitish  sand,  and  where  the  scrub  and  wild  flowers  are 
growing  luxuriantly. 

Here  our  attention  is  at  once  caught  by  the  pretty  birds 
commonly  styled  honey-eaters,  which  congregate  in  unusual 
numbers  just  at  this  spot,  attracted  perhaps  by  the  wealth  of 
floral  beauty.  Very  busy  too  are  the  pretty  creatures  on  this 
bright  spring  morning,  flitting  hither  and  thither,  playing  with 
each  other  in  their  rapid  flights,  and  making  the  air  musical 
with  their  clear  notes  and  melodious  pipings.  We  can  distin- 
guish three  separate  species  in  this  one  small  spot — all  birds  of 
a slender,  graceful  build,  with  long  delicate  curved  beaks.  The 
largest  is  about  the  size  of  a starling,  of  a soft  greenish  yellow, 
with  a patch  of  brighter  yellow  on  the  throat.  Next  comes  the 
handsomest  of  the  three,  slightly  larger  than  a hedge-sparrow, 
and  exceedingly  elegant  in  appearance.  His  head  is  dark,  his 
breast  a beautiful  chestnut  with  a white  streak  running  through 
it  from  the  throat,  and  along  each  wing  is  a broad  stripe  of 
bright  yellow.  It  is  very  pretty  to  watch  him  running  up  the 
bark  of  one  of  the  giants  of  the  forest,  picking  away  with  great 
energy  the  while  at  the  insects  concealed  in  the  crevices,  like  a 
miniature  woodpecker ; or  descending,  cling  sideways  to  one  of 


66 


NATURE  NOTES. 


the  epacris  stalks,  and  insert  his  slender  bill  into  each  blossom 
in  turn  until  the  whole  have  been  explored.  For  the  third 
species,  he  is  a good  deal  smaller  than  the  last,  and  his  plumage 
is  very  quiet  in  tone,  being  mainly  a dark  grey,  with  a some- 
what lighter  collar  ; he  is,  however,  no  way  behind  the  others 
in  energy,  either  at  work-  or  at  play,  and  makes  as  much  noise 
as  any  of  them. 

But  the  inner  man  is  reminding  us  that  breakfast  will  not 
be  unacceptable  at  this  stage,  for  the  fresh  morning  air  has 
sharpened  our  appetites  ; so  we  turn  our  backs  for  the  time 
on  our  feathered  friends,  and  trudge  back  through  the  boronias 
and  wattles  and  gum  saplings  to  the  hut  upon  the  hill,  where  a 
blazing  log  fire  soon  beams  from  the  capacious  chimney,  and 
the  bush  piano  (the  frying-pan)  plays  the  pleasantest  of  airs. 

Hamilton  Stuart  Dove. 

Table  Cape,  Sept.  lotJi,  1892. 


ANTICIPATIONS. 

How  slowly  winter  weeps  itself  away 
And  lingers,  while  impatient  for  the  spring 
We  watch  the  melting  snows,  and  thrushes  sing 
A hesitating  prophecy  of  May. 

Spring  comes  not  yet,  but  sometimes  there  arises 
From  the  warm  south  a gentle  air  that  sings 
Of  what  will  be,  and  softly  murmuring  brings 
A tale  to  us  of  summer’s  sweet  surprises. 

And  bright  there  comes  to  us  a golden  gleam 
We  see  before  us,  stretching  far  away. 

The  April  soon  to  be,  the  fairer  IMay, 

The  golden  shining  June,  and  in  a dream 

We  journey  far  aw’ay  from  winter  bare. 

We  taste  in  fancy  all  the  summer’s  pleasures 
We  see  beforehand  April’s  rarest  treasures. 

And  fly  with  wings  of  swiftest  fancy — where  ? 

Away  to  the  meadows  ! the  cowslips  are  sweet, 

The  morning  is  dewy,  and  up  from  my  feet. 

Springs  the  lark  with  his  love  song,  no  gladder  is  heard, 
’Tis  the  merriest  love  song  e’er  carolled  by  bird. 

Away  to  the  brookside  ! the  dragon  flies  skim 
Over  pools,  under  alders  so  dusky  and  dim. 

The  sunlight  gleams  on  shallow  and  reach. 

The  kingfisher  glows  past  the  shingly  beach, 


INSECT  COLLECTING. 


67 


The  water  sings,  and  the  busy  swallows 
Hunt  for  the  Mayflies  in  sunny  hollows. 

Here,  like  gold,  are  king-cups  growing. 
Forget-me-nots  close  to  the  waters  flowing. 
Anemones  pale,  here  tenderly  blows 
The  violet  sweet  and  the  pure  primrose. 

Away  to  the  woods  ! the  thrushes  sing 
All  day  long,  how  their  glad  notes  ring 
Among  the  larches  sweet  and  clear 
All  through  the  nesting  time  of  year. 

The  blackbird  warbles  loud  after  rain. 

The  cuckoo  calls,  again,  again. 

The  chaffinches  drop  from  their  silvery  throats 
A little  peal  of  merry  notes. 

As  though  they  laughed  with  pure  delight ; 

While  deep  wood  and  out  of  sight. 

Tenderly,  softly,  the  shy  wood  dove 
Murmurs  all  day  her  note  of  love. 

Away  to  the  forest  ! The  solemn  firs 
Stand  like  sentinels  dark  and  high. 

And  the  wind  continually  moves  and  stirs 
In  their  topmost  boughs  a gentle  sigh. 

And  a star  rises  up  in  the  evening  sky. 

And  like  the  temple  of  God  it  seems 

More  holy  and  grand  than  our  loftiest  dreams. 

And  the  pine  trees  murmur  of  peace  more  deep 
Than  dreaming  waters  or  infant  sleep. 

Here  I would  stay,  while  the  twilight  dies. 

Till  the  sunset  fades,  till  the  pale  moonrise 
Over  the  dark  woods  sheds  its  light. 

In  the  dying  day,  in  the  solemn  night. 

Here  there  is  always  a whisper  of  peace 
Ever  persistent,  it  does  not  cease. 

M.R.G.B. 


INSECT-COLLECTING. 

Y I venture  to  express  regret  that  the  author  of  Move 
About  Wild  Nature,  should  in  that  attractive  volume 
seem  to  advocate  (pp.  238,  239)  the  collecting  of  insects 
on  the  part  of  the  young,  in  their  pursuit  of  Nature- 
study.  As  a child  I was  myself  an  enthusiastic  entomologist 
and  collector.  There  does  not  now  seem  to  me  any  necessity 
that  the  two  should  go  together ; and  this  more  especially  when 
I recall  the  horrors  that  so  often  took  place.  Not  seldom  were 
the  larger  lepidoptera,  supposed  to  be  killed  quite  dead  over 
night,  found  next  morning  wriggling  on  their  pins — or,  far  worse. 


68 


NATURE  NOTES. 


having  laid  a quantity  of  eggs  on  the  strip  of  cork  where  they 
were  pinned.  This  was  a dreadful  business,  and  filled  me  with 
compunction.  It  was  also  always  a trial  to  have  to  pinch  the 
smaller  butterflies : but  it  was  supposed  that  all  this  had  to  be 
done,  and  done  it  was.  Coleop^era  fared  better  in  our  hands 
(we  were  three  ambitious  young  collectors),  for  the  boiling  water 
in  which  the  beetles  were  soused  was  bound  to  kill  outright. 

All  this  system  of  killing  may  or  may  not  deaden  the  sensi- 
bilities of  those  who  practise  it.  INIore  often  than  otherwise, 
with  advancing  age,  the  feeling  of  tenderness  grows  greater  for 
“ our  little  brothers  and  sisters.”  But  is  it  not  a pity  that  so 
many  short  lives  should  be  thus  uselessly  and  even  painfull}' 
shortened  ? That,  for  ourselves  we  should  have  this  remorse — 
small  though  the  pangs  of  it  comparatively  be — added  to  all  the 
rest  in  after  years?  And  then,  apart  from  the  squandering  of 
life  and  unmeant  cruelties  of  youth,  does  not  all  that  traffic  in 
chrysalids,  &c.,  with  the  Natural  History  shops,  serve  to  en- 
courage a trade  which  in  the  long  run  must  affect  the  continu- 
ance of  some  of  the  rarest  and  most  beautiful  of  our  English 
insects  ? IMay  not  some  much-sought-after  species  practically 
cease  to  exist?  Numbers  are  season  after  season  collected  in 
the  Cambridgeshire  fens  : lovely  green  and  brown  pupae.  At- 
tracted once  by  some  of  them  in  a “ naturalist’s  ” window,  I 
went  in  and  selected  two  or  three  from  several  drawers-full  that 
were  brought  out.  I believe  they  were  pupae  of  the  scarce 
swallow-tail,  but  they  never  came  to  anything,  and  they  were 
the  first  and  last  I ever  purchased. 

Instead  of  the  collections  laboriously  made,  of  stiffened 
fading  specimens,  doomed  eventually  to  be  tired  of  and  spoilt 
by  dust  and  mites,  how  far  more  healthy  and  pleasant,  for  at 
least  the  youthful  entomologist,  to  observe  the  habits  and 
manners  of  the  living  insect ! There  is  too  much  of  killing  in 
all  branches  of  Natural  History,  too  little  reverence  for  life, 
whether  in  its  higher  or  humblest  forms.  No  one  can  believe 
until  he  tries  it,  what  the  delight  is  of  watching  the  movements 
of  some  beautiful  or  curious  insect,  either  in  the  open,  or  kept 
for  a little  time  under  a glass  on  the  table.  For  those  who 
have  time  and  patience,  it  is  perhaps  still  better  to  make  a pet 
of  it  if  possible,  in  ways  Mrs.  Brightwen  knows  so  well  how  to 
teach.  A few  notes,  a word  or  so  describing  the  living  creature, 
with  its  name  and  family,  and  perhaps  a small  drawing  of  it 
carefully  made,  and  then  to  set  it  free,  uninjured,  to  go  where- 
soever it  will — this  surely  is  better  than  killing  and  pinning  a 
hundred  insects  amongst  the  dull,  forlorn  ranks  of  a collection. 

The  difficulties  which  apparently  belong  to  the  rearing  of 
insects,  are  always  rather  sickening.  In  that  most  interesting 
quarter  of  the  “ Zoo,”  the  insect  houses,  the  pleasure  and 
wonder  of  seeing  live  foreign  butterflies  is  too  much  tempered 
by  the  painful  spectacle  of  the  newly  born,  bred  to  misery. 
Some  with  fresh  unsullied  wings,  some  battered  and  dying,  all 


SPORT  WITHOUT  A GUN. 


69 


in  hopeless  discomfort,  either  crawling  up  and  down  their 
narrow  cages,  or  lying  wasted  and  lifeless  on  the  moss.  In  the 
windows  of  shops  where  they  are  kept,  one  too  often  sees  im- 
prisoned caterpillars,  faint  with  hunger,  roaming  over  stale  and 
withered  leaves.  Should  you  go  in  and  remonstrate,  you  are 
told  that  “they  will  be  fed  when  their  turn  comes;  there  are 
too  many  to  be  attended  to  all  at  once.”  This  perhaps  long 
past  3 p.m.  Reflecting  upon  the  neglect  and  wretchedness 
almost  sure  to  ensue  when  insects  are  either  kept  alive  or  killed 
for  collecting  purposes,  I cannot  but  conclude  that  simply  to 
watch  them  living  their  own  happy  wild  life  in  garden  or  wood 
or  road  side,  is  best  for  all. 

What  a splendid  visitant  (in  very  little)  recalls  itself  as  I 
write  ! It  rested  on  the  edge  of  a book  on  my  writing  table  one 
morning  in  June  last.  My  attention  was  aroused  by  the  waving 
of  its  long  green  antennae.  The  ample,  transparent  wings,  green- 
veined,  and  suffused  with  purest  prismatic  colours,  half  veiled 
a slender  person  of  fairy  green.  The  full  prominent  eyes  shone 
like  jewels  of  emerald  and  gold.  The  whole  radiant  creature  was 
an  embodiment  of  grace  and  exquisite  colour.  Alas  ! it  had  no 
speech  wherewith  to  tell  that  this  was  its  very  first  appearance 
in  winged  perfection;  that  it  still  was  soft  and  gluey.  Presently 
it  became  restless,  and  fearing  lest  it  should  take  flight  and  lose 
itself  within  the  room,  I lightly  took  it  up  by  the  two  wings  and 
placed  it  on  a leaf  outside  the  window.  The  dismay  with  which 
I found  the  wings  adhered  and  could  not  open  in  flight,  recurs 
whenever  I think  of  it — the  poor  maimed  lace-wing  fly  ! I tried 
gently  to  separate  the  wings  with  the  point  of  a small  penknife ; 
but  all  efforts  were  without  avail,  and  the  lace-wing,  running 
down  under  the  leaves,  had  to  be  left  to  its  fate.  It  would  have 
been  better  never  to  have  interfered  at  all.  For  the  handling  of 
frames  of  such  wondrous  delicacy,  human  fingers  are  all  too 
coarse.  You  wall  say  it  would  have  been  no  worse  to  have 
killed  the  fly  and  fixed  it  in  a cabinet ! I do  not  think  so. 

E.  V.  B. 


SPORT  WITHOUT  A GUN.- 

(HE  idea  that  no  opportunities  for  enjoyment  await  the 
rambler  through  woods  and  fields  except  in  the  use  of 
a gun  is,  happily,  passing  away.  To  maintain  it  is  to 
admit  that  one’s  eyes  and  ears  are  unable  to  appreciate 
the  pictures  and  music  with  which  woodland  and  wayside  are 
filled,  or  that  one’s  mind  is  not  to  be  affected  by  the  wonderful 
things  which  nature  is  constantly  disclosing  to  the  attentive 


* This  suggestive  and  thoroughly  Selbornian  article  is  quoted  by  The  Photo- 
graphic Nezvs  of  March  3rd,  from  Onr  Animal  Triends,  an  American  book  of 
which  we  should  like  to  know  more  ; will  any  transatlantic  reader  send  us  a copy, 
so  that  we  may  bring  it  to  the  notice  of  our  readers? — El).  N.N. 


70 


NATURE  NOTES. 


observer,  or  else  that  one’s  soul  can  be  satisfied  only  by  the 
brutal  delight  of  killing  something. 

I was  once  standing  at  a railway  station  in  Canada,  when  the 
winter  was  just  relaxing  its  icy  grasp.  INIasses  of  snow  were 
still  banked  in  the  fence  corners,  but  here  and  there  the  grass 
was  to  be  seen,  the  sun  was  shining,  and  every  one  stood  out  of 
doors  basking  in  its  warm  beams,  and  apparently  reflecting  joy- 
fully that  the  long  siege  of  cold  would  soon  be  over,  and  leaves 
and  flowers  would  enrich  the  landscape  with  colour  and  fra- 
grance. Yet  what  a shallow  and  ineffective  veneer  upon  the  char- 
acter this  gentler  mood  proved  to  be  ! At  that  moment  a bird 
came  flying  over  the  desolate  fields,  carolling  its  sweet  greeting, 
and  perched  upon  the  telegraph  wire.  “ Oh,  there’s  a blue- 
bird ! ” exclaimed  a half-grown  youth  to  his  companion  ; “ let’s 
kill  it  ! ” He  stooped  for  a stone,  and  when  I shouted,  “ Drop 
that ! ” all  the  people  stared  in  amazement. 

What  sort  of  a disposition  must  those  boys  have  had,  who 
were  eager  to  kill  the  first  bluebird  of  spring  in  a winter-beset 
region  ? And  what  shall  be  said  of  the  grown  and  presumably 
sensible  people  who  saw  no  reason,  or  were  too  weak-kneed,  to 
protest  ? 

The  blunting  of  the  sensibilities  in  a person  who  either  does 
or  acquiesces  in  an  inhuman  act,  is  one  of  the  worst  consequences 
of  the  action.  In  the  higher  and  farther-reaching  sense,  cruelty 
injures  him  who  inflicts  it  more  than  the  creature  on  which  it  is 
inflicted.  One  bluebird  more  or  less  in  Canada  may  be  of  small 
moment  ; but  no  community  can  afford  to  nourish  or  tolerate 
such  a sentiment  as  the  stoning  of  that  little  harbinger  of  spring 
implied. 

One  of  the  most  satisfactory  directions  in  which  amateur 
photography  has  turned  has  been  toward  the  “ taking  ” of  living 
animals  in  their  native  haunts.  Here  is  a substitute  for  the  gun. 
It  has  all  the  excitement  of  the  chase,  except  the  sight  of  the 
death-pang,  and  it  brings  back  a durable  memento  of  achieve- 
ment— a trophy  worth  having.  Like  the  hunter,  the  photo- 
grapher of  living  animals  must  know  their  habits,  find  their 
haunts,  outwit  their  vigilance,  and  lull  their  suspicions.  iModern 
long-range  firearms,  with  improved  powder,  make  it  a com- 
paratively easy  matter  to  get  within  shooting  distance  of  almost 
any  animal ; but  the  sportsman  who  seeks  to  take  the  picture 
instead  of  the  life  of  a wild  creature  must  stalk  it  far  more  care- 
fully, get  much  nearer  to  it,  and  obtain  a clearer  view  of  it. 
Those  who  have  tried  it  affirm  that  the  uncertainty,  cleverness, 
and  excitement  belonging  to  successful  photography  of  this  kind 
are  far  more  than  are  required  in  shooting  the  same  game,  and 
far  more  fun.  The  trophies,  too,  are  much  more  interesting.  A 
stuffed  hide,  no  matter  how  well  done,  requires  a tremendous 
strain  of  the  imagination  that  is  asked  to  make  it  real ; and  a 
skin  stretched  as  a rug  upon  the  floor,  or  a pair  of  antlers  hung 
against  the  wall,  are  useless  to  bring  back  the  scene  of  the  chase 


BEAST  AND  MAN  IN  INDIA. 


71 


to  any  one  except,  perhaps,  the  hunter  himself.  But  the  photo- 
graph of  a stag  browsing  in  his  native  glen,  of  a woodcock 
crouched  upon  her  nest,  or  a heron  intently  fishing  in  some 
reedy  pool,  unsuspicious  that  a camera  has  been  focussed  upon 
it,  forms  a vivid  memorandum  whereby  other  eyes  than  those  of 
the  artist  can  realise  the  scene  and  share  the  pleasure. 

What  can  be  more  sportive  or  sportsmanlike,  or  more  ex- 
citing and  enjoyable,  than  the  search  of  a botanist  for  some 
rare  plant,  with  the  constant  surprises  that  greet  his  observant 
eye,  and  the  eager  watch  and  hope  for  others  ? The  naturalist 
needs  no  gun  for  his  enjoyment,  and  only  to  a small  extent  for 
his  work.  As  he  ranges  the  woods  with  opera-glass,  note-book 
and  collecting-boxes,  his  hours  are  full  of  amusement,  his  facul- 
ties are  alert,  and  his  mind  is  as  pleasantly  occupied  as  if  he 
must  kill  everything  he  sees  in  order  to  satisfy  the  savagery  left 
in  him  from  the  childhood  of  the  race,  or  the  more  artificial  and 
meaner  feeling  of  rivalry  with  some  other  sportsman  who  has 
made  a big  bag. 

These  are  only  hints  or  suggestions  of  the  enjoyment  re- 
served for  him  who  leaves  his  gun  at  home ; and  he  will  find 
that  instead  of  losing  he  has  gained,  for  if  really  he  be  the  true 
“ sportsman  ” he  vaunts  himself,  he  cannot  but  feel  a twinge  of 
shame  whenever  some  innocent  creature  yields  its  life  in  agony, 
• that  he  may  experience  a momentary  thrill  of  savage  triumph. 
To-day  he  argues  or  crushes  down  these  troublesome  thoughts 
of  self-reproach  and  sympathy  ; but  having  laid  aside  his  gun, 
he  will  by  and  by  come  to  perceive  that  it  is  better  to  let  his 
nobler  instincts  prevail,  and  will  conclude  that  the  truest  sports- 
man is  he  that  is  true  to  himself. 

Ernest  Ingersoll. 


BEAST  AND  MAN  IN  INDIA.* 

Mr.  J.  I.ockwood  Kipling  writes  sympathetically  and  interestingly  about  the 
common  animals  of  India  and  their  treatment  by  the  natives.  In  the  introductory 
chapter  the  author  attempts  to  compare  the  East  and  the  West  as  regards  their 
treatment  of  animals.  The  verdict  seems  to  be  given  in  favour  of  the  West,  even 
though  in  the  East  religion  commands  humanity  to  be  more  humane  towards  the 
brute  creation.  But  this  is  judging  the  East  by  a European  standard,  which  is 
always  dangerous.  Mr.  Kipling  drops  the  judge  after  the  first  chapter,  and 
proceeds  to  give  us,  in  pleasantly  written  narrative,  the  results  of  many  years’ 
careful  observation  of  animal  life  in  India.  The  great  interest  of  the  subject — 
an  interest  which  the  author  makes  the  most  of  in  selecting  for  treatment  chiefly 
the  domestic  animals  of  India— lies  in  this,  that  in  India,  beast  and  man  are 
related  in  a peculiar  and  intimate  manner,  that  has  no  counterpart  in  Europe. 
Mr.  Kipling’s  extensive  experience  enables  him  to  bring  home  this  relation  to  his 
readers,  and  we  learn  how  much  such  humble  creatures  as  the  sparrow  and  the 


* Beast  and  Man  in  India  : a popular  sketch  of  Indian  Animals  in  their  relations 
with  the  People,  by  J.  Lockwood  Kipling,  C.I.E.,  with  illustrations.  Macmillan 
and  Co.,  8vo,  pp.  359.  Price  7s.  6d. 


72  NATURE  NOTES. 

crow,  the  monkey,  the  ass  and  the  cow,  influence,  and  even  form  part  of  the  life 
of  the  people.  This  peculiar  relation  between  man  and  beast  may  be  traced  to 
two  reasons  principally  ; we  exclude  the  influence  of  the  belief  in  transmigration, 
according  to  which  an  Indian  looks  upon  a bull  not  simply  as  a bull,  but  as  “a 
potential  grandfatber,”  for  tbe  belief  does  not  obtain  extensively.  The  two  chief 
reasons  are,  first,  the  precepts  of  the  Hindu  religion,  which  make  certain  animals 
sacrosanct,  and  give  them  so  far  an  equality  with  men ; and  secondly,  the  indis- 
pensable usefulness  of  certain  animals  to  men  for  the  support  of  human  life. 
These  two  factors  occasionally  give  rise  to  opposite  tendencies  ; where  com- 
promise between  the  two  is  impossible,  religion  generally  yields  to  necessity. 
Sacrosanct  oxen  have  a hard  time  of  it  when  yoked  to  a cart.  But  the  much- 
abused  cart  driver  is  not  breaking  the  law,  for  though  “ elaborate  damnations  are 
ordained  by  Brahminical  authority  against  cow  killing,”  no  provisions  are  made 
for  ill-treatment  short  of  death.  It  is  indeed  a mistake  to  suppose  that  the 
precepts  of  the  Hindu  religion  have  brought  about  that  system  of  kindness. 


A RUSTIC  KRISHNA. 

towards  animals  which  we  advocate  in  these  latter  d.ays.  But  the  Hindu  is  not, 
as  a rule  wantonly  cruel.  “ ^'iIlage  boys  are  not  there  seen  stoning  frogs,  or 
setting  dogs  at  cats,  nor  tying  kettles  to  dogs’  tails,  and  it  has  not  been  found 
necessary  to  forbid  bird  nesting  by  Act  of  Parliament.” 

Birds  indeed  are  well  off  in  India.  Many  of  them  are  sacred,  and  therefore  a 
nuisance.  The  sparrow  is  the  type  of  a thing  of  naught,  an  intrusive  feathered 
fly  to  be  brushed  aside,  but  on  no  account  to  be  harmed.  The  crow,  too,  is 
privileged,  but  he  scarcely  needs  protection,  for  he  is  endowed  by  nature  with  an 
alertness  and  cunning  which  enables  him  to  pursue  a career  of  “ variegated  crime  ” 
with  impunity’.  But  the  sacrosanct  of  the  feathered  tribe,  however  much  of  a 
nuisance  they  may  be.  are  harmless  when  compared  with  the  four-footed  creatures 
equally  privileged.  The  monkey,  who  is  protected  by  a grateful  people  for  the 


BEAST  AND  MAN  IN  INDIA. 


73 


services  Hanuman  (the  monkey  god)  rendered  Rama  in  the  old  Hindu  epic,  can 
be  ingeniously  destructive.  The  ox  is  sacred  and  inoftensive,  except  when  it 
takes  the  shape  of  a Brahininy  bull,  when  the  stoutest  heart  need  quail,  and  safety 
only  lies  in  flight.  The  ass,  as  may  be  expected,  is  outside  the  pale  of  religious 
protection  ; to  say  that  he  gets  more  kicks  than  halfpence  would  be  the  merest 
commonplace.  His  life  besides  is  made  more  miserable  by  the  unenviable  post 
to  which  Hindu  mythology  has  appointed  him,  as  the  vahan  or  steed  of  Sitala, 
the  goddess  of  small-pox.  His  usefulness  is  beyond  doubt,  as  the  potter  and 
washerman  abundantly  testify,  and  his  home-loving  nature  has  earned  him  the 
unique  privilege  that  when  his  day’s  work  is  done  “ he  is  not  plagued  with  tether 
or  heel  rope,”  like  his  big  brother  the  horse,  but  is  free  to  w’ander  over  the  village 
common. 


THE  POTTER  AND  IIIS  DONKEY. 


Mr.  Kipling’s  book  is  full  of  interesting  facts  and  stories  about  Indian  animals, 
but  space  will  only  permit  us  to  point  out  two  interesting  features  in  it  as  yet 
unnoticed  : first,  the  author’s  own  illustrations  (two  of  which,  by  the  kindness, 
of  the  publishers,  we  reproduce),  which  are  sometimes  veiy  instructive  ; for 
instance,  we  learn  how  very  different  in  appearance  is  the  Indian  cow, 
with  its  “hump  and  falling  hock,”  from  its  English  representative.  Then  the 
collection  of  Indian  proverbs  drawn  from  the  habits  of  animals.  The  Oriental 
mind  loves  to  express  its  thought  in  figurative  language,  and  it  naturally  takes  its 
metaphors  and  similes  from  the  animal  life  continually  present  before  it.  These 
proverbs  are  thus  the  small  coin,  and  very  often  the  sole  coin,  of  Indian  talk  ; and 
in  reading  them  we  are  familiarised  with  a leading  characteristic  of  the  national 
mind.  J.  J.  Platel. 


74 


NATURE  NOTES. 


LIFE  IN  THE  FIELDS.* 

It  has  been  found  possible  to  put  together  yet  another  volume  of  the  hitherto 
uncollected  essays  of  Richard  Jefferies,  and  one  which,  although  it  cannot  rank 
among  the  best  of  his  books,  is  by  no  means  the  least  interesting  of  them.  It  contains 
.some  of  his  earliest  and  some  of  his  latest  work,  the  former  dating  from  1872  and 
1S74,  the  latter  published  since  his  death;  while  one  of  the  essays,  “A  True 
Tale  of  a Wiltshire  Labourer,”  has  not  hitherto  appeared  in  print.  To  this  last,  and 
the  half  dozen  more  on  kindred  topics  the  volume  owes  most  of  its  bulk  and  nearly 
all  its  value;  the  remainder  are  mainly  fragments,  and  add  nothing  to  Jefferies’  repu- 
tation. These  last  are  of  the  style  which  we  usually  regard  as  characteristic  of  the 
writer — astylemore  adequately  displayed  in  the  Life  of  the  Fields,  of  which  we  are 
glad  to  welcome  a neat  edition  of  the  right  size  and  shape  for  the  pocket.  When 
shall  we  have  a similar  re-issue  of  the  Gamekeeper  at  Home  and  Wild  Life — perhaps 
his  best  books  ? 

The  life  of  the  field  to  Jefferies  however,  always  included  its  human  element. 
In  Hodge  and  his  Masters  this  prevailed  almost  to  the  exclusion  of  the  natural 
features,  although  in  other  books  it  was  kept  in  the  background.  Very  pathetic 
and  sad  in  many  ways  are  the  aspects  of  country  life  as  pourtrayed  by  this  man, 
who  wrote  from  intimate  knowledge,  and  was  in  keen  sympathy  with  his  subject. 
“The  Labourer’s  Daily  Life,”  in  which  “there  is  absolutely  no  poetry,  no 
colour,”  as  Jefferies  describes  it,  is  almost  as  hopeless  as  A Village  Tragedy, 
saddest  of  books  ; and  the  efforts  to  improve  it  do  not  seem  to  be  very  successful. 
“Field-faring  Women”  have  no  better  time,  although  Mr.  Jefferies  does  not 
adopt  the  view  that  field  labour  is  degrading  to  women  ; and  the  children,  “hardy 
young  dogs,  one  and  all,”  although  they  enjoy  life  at  its  beginning,  soon  settle 
down  to  hard  work  and  drudgery.  We  have  for  some  time  known  that  the  poetry 
of  rural  life  is  in  the  main  perceptible  only  by  those  who  regard  it  from  a distance, 
and  a course  of  Jefferies  cannot  fail  to  deepen  this  conviction. 

In  each  of  these  volumes,  much  of  the  information  is  conveyed  in  narrative 
form.  Jefferies  could  not  write  a novel,  but  such  sketches  as  “John  Smith’s 
Shanty,”  “ The  P'ield-Play,”  and  “ The  Wiltshire  Labourer,”  are  in  many  ways 
prototypes  of  the  short  story  which  has  of  late  been  so  much  in  vogue,  and — in 
that  curious  way  in  which  one  thing  sometimes  reminds  us  of  another  quite  unlike 
it — recall  the  graphic  narratives  of  Mr.  Rudyard  Kipling.  They  are  “realistic,” 
to  employ  a much-abused  word — perhaps  somewhat  too  much  so  to  suit  all  tastes — 
and  have  undoubted  power. 

But  it  is  in  such  sketches  as  “ The  Pageant  of  Summer,”  in  The  Life  of  the 
Fields,  foreshadowed  by  the  earlier  “ The  Coming  of  Summer”  in  Toilers,  that 
we  find  the  Jefferies  dear  to  Selbornians — the  man  who  not  only  saw  what  we  can 
all  see  if  we  choose,  but  who  set  it  down  so  accurately  that  to  read  one  of  his 
chapters  by  the  fireside  is  to  be  transported  into  the  fields  of  summer.  There  is 
no  need  to  quote  from  it,  if  we  began  it  would  be  difficult  to  stop,  and  half-a- 
crown  will  buy  the  whole  book.  The  “ Water-Colley,”  again — by  which  local  name 
the  water-ousel  or  dipper  is  intended — is  a delightful  piece  of  writing,  although  it 
contains  one  slip,  for  Jefferies  speaks  of  the  “early  purple  orchis,”  when  it  is 
clear  from  his  description  that  he  means  the  spotted  orchis  {O.  maailata).  In 
“ Village  Miners”  we  have  a delightful  talk  about  country  .words  and  old-time 
phraseology  ; even  in  a London  square  and  among  the  pigeons  at  the  British 
^Museum  the  life  of  the  fields  is  traced — “it  is  there  too,  if  you  w'ill  but  see.it.” 

The  great  charm  of  books  such  as  this  lies  in  their  absolute  simplicity  and 
straightforwardness.  Vears  back,  when  some  who  are  now  in  middle  life  were 
young,  essays  about  natural  objects  would  have  teemed  with  moral  and  religious 
teaching — would,  indeed,  have  been  written  mainly  with  a view  to  that  end. 
Xow-a-days  the  fashion  of  teaching  has  changed,  but  the  passion  for  it  remains, 
iind  we  have  many  delightfully  written  little  volumes,  the  only  drawback  to 
w'hich  is  that  the  author  is  all  the  while  paving  the  way  for  inferences  which,  if 
they  are  not  borne  out  by  facts,  may,  at  any  rate,  claim  the  merit  of  originality. 


• The  Toilers  of  the  Field,  by  Richard  Jefferies.  Longmans,  8vo,  pp.  327,  6s.  The  Li/e, 
of  the  Fields,  by  the  same.  Chatto  and  Windus.  8vo,  pp.  262,  2S.  6d. 


SHORT  NOTICES  OF  BOOKS. 


75 


The  compiler,  and  the  writer  who  has  nothing  to  say,  are,  and  so  far  as  we  can 
judge  will  be,  with  us  always,  and  need  not  be  mentioned  unless  duty  calls  upon 
us  to  notice  their  works.  But  a Jefferies,  like  a White  of  Selborne,  is  rare  ; his 
writings  .should  be  read  and  read  again,  and  cherished  as  a precious  possession, 
and  they  should  be  among  the  very  first  to  appear  on  the  shelves  of  that  Selborne 
Library  which  we  hope  will,  at  no  distant  date,  form  a prominent  feature  in  the 
work  of  every  branch  of  the  Selborne  Society. 


SHORT  NOTICES  OF  BOOKS. 

An  Account  of  British  Flies  (Diptera),  by  F.  V.  Theobald,  B.A. , F.  E.S.  (Vol. 
i.,  8vo,  pp.  XX.  215,  plates  and  woodcuts.  London  : Stock.)  The  Diptera,  or  two- 
winged  flies,  are,  as  far  as  known  at  present,  more  numerous  in  England  than  any 
other  order  of  insects  except  the  Hymenoptera  and  Coleoptera,  the  number  of 
existing  species  being  variously  estimated  at  from  2,500  to  3,000.  But  very  little 
attention  has  been  paid  to  them  in  this  country,  for — if  we  except  a small  number 
of  students  who  have  taken  up  their  study  within  the  last  few  years,  and  general 
writers  on  entomology  like  Curtis  and  Stephens — Haliday,  Walker,  Meade  and 
Verrall  almost  exhaust  the  list  of  English  writers  on  the  order,  and  even  their 
work,  except  Walker’s  Insecta  Britannica  Diptera  and  Verrall’s  Catalogue  of 
British  Diptera,  has  been  exclusively  confined  to  papers  in  periodicals.  Hence 
Mr.  Theobald  has  done  good  work  in  bringing  together  a large  amount  of  infor- 
mation which  will  be  very  useful  to  young  entomologists  who  wish  to  take  up  the 
study  of  Diptera,  especially  if  working  in  the  country,  at  a distance  from  large 
libraries  where  they  cannot  obtain  the  great  European  works,  even  if  they  should 
be  able  to  read  them.  On  the  Continent  things  are  much  more  satisfactory,  and 
the  great  works  of  Macquart  and  Robineau-Desvoidy  for  France,  Meigen  and 
Loew  for  Europe  generally,  Schiner  for  Austria  (perhaps  the  most  complete  and 
valuable  book  of  all),  Rondani  for  Italy,  Van  der  Wulp  for  Holland,  and  Zetter- 
stedt  for  Lapland,  leave  little  to  be  desired  ; though  the  number  of  smaller  books 
and  papers  on  Diptera  is  much  less  than  that  relating  to  the  more  popular  orders 
of  insects.  Too  much  should  not  be  expected  from  a book  of  the  character  of  Mr. 
Theobald’s,  but  we  notice  here  and  there  a slight  looseness  of  statement  which  he 
would  do  well  to  avoid.  Thus,  Walker’s  Diptera,  which  is  stated  to  have  been 
written  “more  than  fifty  years  ago”  bears  dates  1851,  1853  and  1856;  and 
Morris’s  Catalogue  of  British  Insects,  referred  to  as  published  nearly  fifty  years 
ago,  was  published,  we  believe,  about  1865,  or  perhaps  even  later.  W.  F.  K. 

Old  Rabbit,  the  Voodoo,  and  other  Sorcerers,  by  Mary  Alicia  Owen.  Illustrated 
by  Juliette  A.  Owen  and  Louis  Wain.  (8vo,  pp.  xv.,  310.  London;  T.  F.  Unwin. 
6s.)  Those  who  are  acquainted  with  “ Brer  Rabbit  ” — and  we  hope  all  the  readers 
of  Nature  Notes  are  reckoned  among  their  number — will  be  glad  to  learn  more 
of  his  adventures  from  the  pen  of  another  recorder.  But  in  Miss  Owen’s  delight- 
ful book  our  old  friend  meets  with  a formidable  rival  in  the  shape  of  “ Ole  Wood- 
pecker,” who  occupies  in  the  feathered  world  the  position  which  Brer  Rabbit 
fills  among  animals,  is  more  than  a match  for  “ Blue  Jay  ” — Mark  Twain’s  blue 
jay — and  is  as  unprincipled,  as  unscrupulous,  and,  we  regret  to  add,  as  successful 
as  that  “ lowdownest  watsizname  ” himself.  Of  course,  as  Mr.  C.  G.  Leland 
points  out  in  his  brief  but  suggestive  preface,  the  importance  of  such  a collection 
of  stories  as  this  is  to  be  found  in  its  scientific  aspect  ; and  the  student  of  folklore 
will  fully  appreciate  the  care  with  which  Miss  Owen  has  brought  together  so  much 
hitherto  unpublished  matter  bearing  on  the  mysterious  subject  of  Voodooism  and 
the  like.  But  just  as  the  Brothers  Grimm  provided  by  means  of  their  investigations 
a most  fascinating  collection  of  tales  for  children,  so  such  books  as  this  not  only 
gratify  the  learned,  but  add  various  delightful  beings  to  the  population  of  our 
playrooms  and  nurseries.  It  has  been  said,  both  of  Uncle  Remus  and  of  the  present 
volume,  that  the  dialect  in  which  the  stories  are  narrated  detracts  from  the  charm 
of  the  book.  We  do  not  think  so.  On  the  contrary,  it  appears  to  us  that  the 
stories  gain  by  this  quaint  medium,  which  really  presents  so  little  difficulty  that  we 


76 


NATURE  NOTES. 


are  inclined  almost  to  resent  Mr.  Leland’s  consideration  in  giving  “ in  parentheses 
the  correct  form  of  many  words.”  Those  who  experience  any  difficulty  will  find 
it  disappear  if  they  read  aloud  any  words  which  appear  to  them  strange.  Such 
books  as  this  offer  many  temptations  to  the  reviewer,  but  the  exigencies  of  space 
will  not  allow  us  to  dwell  at  length  upon  its  interesting  contents.  But  we  can 
at  any  rate — and  this  is,  after  all,  the  best  thing  that  a reviewer  can  do  for  a good 
book — recommend  our  readers  to  buy  the  volume  for  themselves.  In  the  present 
instance,  a word  must  also  be  said  for  the  quaint  and  unconventional  illustrations, 
some  of  which  are  extremely  funny. 

While  on  this  point,  a paragraph  in  the  “ Official  Notices,”  at  p.  8o,  seems  to 
render  it  necessary  for  us  once  more  to  say  that  the  value  of  reviews  appears  to  us 
to  depend  entirely  upon  their  honesty.  It  is  always  more  pleasant  to  praise  than 
to  blame  ; but  if  the  reviewer  is  not  to  say  honestly  what  he  thinks  of  a book,  he 
had  better  hold  his  tongue.  In  some  quarters  it  seems  to  us  that  other  influences 
than  the  value  of  the  book  under  notice  have  weight  with  the  reviewer.  This  has 
not  been,  and  so  long  as  we  occupy  the  editorial  chair  will  not  be,  the  case  with  the 
reviews  in  Nature  Notes.  We  cannot,  for  example,  extend  to  such  an  echo  of 
the  weaker  notes  of  Richard  Jefferies’  work  as  is  brought  under  our  notice  in 
Mr.  J.  H.  Pickard’s  Sunbeams  and  Summer  (Digby  and  Long,  no  date  !)  the  re- 
commendation which  we  have  given  elsewhere  to  Life  in  the  Fields.  These  Sun- 
beams are  too  feeble  to  penetrate  far  ; their  light  is  borrowed,  and  “ moonbeams  ” 
would  be  a better  title.  It  looks  a very  easy  matter  to  write  as  Jefferies  wrote ; 
but  try  it,  and  you  will  once  more  realise  how  deceptive  appearances  are.  Or  put 
a page  of  Mr.  Pickard’s  book  beside  a sentence  of  Jefferies — the  print  of  the 
former  is  so  large  that  the  proportion  is  fairly  accurate — and  you  will  at  once  see, 
if  you  know  “the  country  life,”  the  poverty  of  the  former  and  the  wealth  of 
the  latter.  Mr.  Pickard  knows  names  where  Jefferies  knew  things,  and  he  harps 
so  long  upon  one  string  that  his  melody  becomes  a monotone — a term  which  he 
rather  oddly  applies  to  the  note  of  the  cuckoo.  He  says  he  never  wearies  of  “ the 
exact  repetition  of  scented  bloom  and  flowercupali  around  but  the  “ repetition” 
in  real  life  is  not  “exact — ” if  it  were,  we  should  weary  of  it  as  we  do  of  Mr. 
Pickard,  and  as  we  do  7iot  of  Richard  Jefferies.  By  what  towing  path  did  the 
writer  find  at  the  same  time,  “ golden  iris,”  “ purple  loosestrife,”  and  “ great  beds 
of  marsh  marigolds  with  wide  expanded  blossoms  ” ? 


SELBORNIANA. 

Protection  of  Wild  Birds.  — An  admirable  poster  has  been  issued  by  the 
R.S.P.C.A.  It  may  no  doubt  be  obtained  of  the  secretary,  Mr.  John  Colam, 
105,  Jermyn  Street,  S.W.,  and  should  be  widely  distributed  in  suitable  places. 
We  hope  Selbornians  will  take  the  matter  up.  The  bill  runs  as  follows  : — • 
“Protection  oe  Wild  Birds. 

“ Any  person  who  shall  during  the  close  time  provided  for  all  wild  birds  (includ- 
ing nestlings)  shoot,  trap,  snare,  net,  or  otherwise  take  any  wild  bird  ; or  shall 
have  any  wild  bird  in  his  possession  ; or  shall  refuse  to  give  his  name  and  place 
of  abode  when  desired  by  any  person  who  may  discover  him  committing  either  of 
the  above  offences,  will  be  prosecuted  by  the  police,  or  by  the  above  .Society. 

“ The  close  time  for  Middlesex  (County  Council  area)  and  Hertfordshire  is,  from 
February  ist  to  August  31st ; for  Anglesey,  from  March  1st  to  October  1st  ; for 
Devonshire,  Durham,  Huntingdonshire,  and  Northumberland,  from  March  1st  to 
August  31st ; for  Yorkshire  (North  Riding),  from  March  ist  to  August  nth  ; for 
Essex,  Isle  of  Ely,  Liberty  of  Peterborough,  Lincoln  (parts  only),  from  March 
15th  to  August  31st ; for  all  other  parts  from  March  ist  to  July  31st. 

“ Owners  and  occupiers  of  land,  and  persons  authorised  by  either  of  them,  but  no 
one  else,  are  allowed  for  the  protection  of  their  gardens  or  field  crops  to  kill  or 
take  certain  wild  birds  on  such  land  (nowhere  else)  but  even  they  are  forbidden  to 
kill  or  take  any  bird  included  in  the  following  list,  viz.; — American  quail,  auk, 
avocet,  bee-eater,  bitterne,  bonxie,  colin,  cornish  chough,  coulterneb,  cuckoo, 
curlew,  diver,  dotterell,  dunbird,  dunlin,  eider  duck,  fern  owl,  fulmar,  gannet. 


SELBORNIANA. 


77 


goat-sucker,  godwit,  goldfinch,  grebe,  greenshank,  guillemot,  gull  (except  black- 
backed  gull),  hoopoe,  kingfisher,  lark,  lapwing,  loon,  mallard,  marrot,  merganser, 
murre,  nighthawk,  nightjar,  nightingale,  oriole,  owl,  oxbird,  oyster  catcher, 
peewit,  petrel,  phalarope,  plover,  plover’s-page,  pochard,  puffin,  purre,  razorbill, 
redshank,  reeve  or  ruff,  roller,  sanderling,  sandpiper,  scout,  sealark,  seamew,  sea- 
parrot,  sea-swallow,  shearwater,  shelldrake,  shoveller,  skua,  smew,  snipe,  solan- 
goose,  spoonbill,  stint,  stonecurlew,  stonehatch,  summer-snipe,  tarrock,  teal,  tern, 
thick-knee,  tystey,  whaup,  whimbrel,  widgeon,  wild  duck,  willock,  woodcock, 
woodpecker.  (43  & 44  Vic.  c.  35.)” 

A Plea  for  the  Primrose.— We  wish  to  renew  the  plea  which  we  have 
made  in  previous  years  to  those  who  wear  primroses  on  April  17th — the  death- 
day  of  Lord  Beaconsfield  and  Mr.  Darwin.  Many  who  live  in  the  country  send 
primroses  to  their  friends  in  town  ; if  they  will  content  themselves  with  gathering 
the  flowers  and  leaves,  no  harm  will  be  done,  but  too  often  the  whole  plant  is 
grubbed  up,  “ to  make  a [London]  holiday.”  Selbornians  should  by  precept  and 
example  deprecate  this  wanton  practice. 

Lantern  Slides  (p.  55).  I was  much  interested  in  Mr.  Bull’s  note  on  this 
subject  in  your  March  number,  having  tried  in  vain  to  discover  a set  of  slides  on 
British  birds.  I have  therefore  begun  the  formation  of  such  a set,  by  having 
photographs  taken  from  drawings  and  engravings,  and  should  be  very  glad  to 
hear  of  any  pictures  suitable  lor  reproduction,  especially  such  as  are  not  copy- 
right. I suppose  that  Bewick’s  answer  that  condition.  I have  obtained  per- 
mission from  the  S.l’.C.  K.  to  copy  Wolf’s  charming  brown  owl  and  wood 
pigeon  from  Johns’  British  Birds  in  their  Haunts,  and  am  now  anxious  to 
borrow  an  early  edition  of  the  work  for  that  purpose. 

IVavertree,  Liverpool.  (Rev.)  J.  E.  Kelsall. 

Pinner  Branch. — The  members  of  this  Branch  assembled  on  March  Sth 
in  good  number  at  Mrs.  Loveland’s  house,  Barrow  Point,  to  hear  a discursive 
lecture  by  the  Rev.  J.  Kirkman  on  Fungi.  The  lecturer  brought  many  of  the 
chief  books  on  the  subject  for  inspection,  and  some  coloured  charts.  More  im- 
portant, however,  was  an  ample  contribution  of  numerous  specimens  gathered  in 
the  neighbourhood  and  brought  by  the  members.  Mr.  Kirkman’s  address  was 
listened  to  with  much  interest,  and  spores  of  mushrooms,  &c.,  were  shown  under 
the  microscope.  Mrs.  Bright  wen  talked  pleasantly  on  several  departments  of 
organised  life,  giving,  with  her  specimens,  more  than  enough  to  set  all  the 
members  thinking  and  observing  until  the  next  meeting. 

Barbed  Wire. — A Bill  has  been  brought  into  Parliament  by  Mr.  A.  C. 
Morton,  Mr.  J.  T.  Brunner,  Mr.  John  Wilson  (Govan),  and  Mr.  Joicey,  with  the 
object  of  preventing  the  use  of  barbed  fences  in  roads,  streets,  lanes,  and  other 
thoroughfares.  The  penalty  for  contravention  is  fixed  at  ;^lo,  and  for  every 
day  thereafter  while  the  offence  is  continued. 

A Salutary  Lesson. — John  Thomas  Robinson,  Arthur  Robinson,  and 
Isaac  Tyrell  were  charged  with  damaging  a quantity  of  growing  furze  at  Putney 
Lower-common.  Michael  Rummey,  the  common  keeper,  said  he  saw  the 
prisoners  cutting  the  furze  down.  They  told  him  they  did  not  know  they  were 
doing  any  harm,  and  that  they  wanted  some  sticks  for  umbrella  handles.  Jesse 
Reeves,  the  head  common  keeper,  said  a large  number  of  trees  on  the  common 
had  been  permanently  injured.  Every  stick  which  could  be  made  into  a walking 
stick  was  taken  away.  Mr.  Denman  said  there  would  not  be  a tree  left  if  that 
kind  of  -thing  were  allowed,  lie  fined  prisoners  20s.  each,  or  fourteen  days. — 
Standard,  February  i8th. 

Why  Multiply  Societies  ? — We  noticed  recently  in  the  Echo  a proposal 
to  establish  a “ Skylark  Protection  .Society,”  to  which  an  amendment  was  sug- 
gested that  it  be  called  “The  Songbird  Protection  Society.”  Selbornians  would 
be  doing  good  service  to  the  cause  by  calling  the  attention  of  such  writers  to 
the  Selborne  Society,  which,  with  the  Society  lor  the  Protection  of  Birds,  amply 
covers  the  ground.  Nothing  is  gained  by  the  multiplication  of  bodies  having  the 
same  objects  in  view  : “ Union  is  strength.” 


78 


NATURE  NOTES. 


Thrushes  and  Drink. — Under  this  heading  a writer  in  the  Echo  of  March 
2nd  says  ; — “ It  has  come  to  my  knowledge,  not  for  the  first  time  I am  sorry  to 
say,  that  a nest  of  thrushes  can  be  obtained  for  a drink  at  a ‘ pub  ’ not  many 
yards  from  Battersea  Park.  The  birds  are  one  of  its  features,  and  their  nests 
should  be  protected.  There  are  some  of  the  employes  not  free  from  taint.  The 
writer  has  been  promised  a nest.  Try  and  stop  bird-nesting  in  the  park,  and  you 
will  be  thanked  by  those  who  ramble  therein.”  No  name  is  attached  to  the  letter, 
but  if  the  statement  be  accurate,  we  beg  to  call  the  attention  of  the  London 
County  Council,  on  which  Selbornian  views  are  represented,  to  an  occurrence 
which  reflects  seriously  upon  those  responsible  for  the  care  of  the  Parks. 

A Choice  Combination. — What  do  you  think  of  the  following  combina- 
tion ? I fancy  you  may  deprecate  more  than  one  part  of  the  simple  news.  The 
other  day  Lord  Ribblesdale  and  the  royal  stag-hounds  came  our  way  ; and, 
after  a long  and  devious  chase,  the  stag,  crossing  and  recrossing  the  Thames, 
was  at  last  caught  uninjured  ; but  a village  girl  saw  him  with  his  hind  feet 
“ hitched  ” on  a barbed  wire  fence  put  up  by  the  agents  of  an  absentee  land- 
owner  to  stop  up  a much-used  footpath  : hardly  fair  to  the  public  in  general,  or 
to  the  individual  stag  ! 

Berkshire  Village. 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES. 

An  Early  Wood  Pigeon. — On  February  loth  I picked  up  aywwy  wood- 
pigeon  (or  stock  dove,  I am  not  sure  which),  which  had  been  blown  out  of  an 
i%’y  clump  the  preceding  night.  This,  I think,  a very  singular  thing  so  early  in 
the  year.  The  bird  was  fully  fledged,  and  had  left  the  nest  some  little  time,  as 
the  crop  was  full  of  food  self  gathered — not  the  half-digested  substance  furnished 
by  the  parents  as  food  for  their  young  before  they  leave  the  nest.  The  contents 
of  the  crop  were  beech-mast,  and  an  equal  quantity  of  the  leaves  of  the  lesser 
celandine,  now  springing  up  under  the  beeches.  This  bird  must  have  been 
hatched  about  the  end  of  Decemoer,  and  on  referring  to  my  notes,  I find  that 
wood-pigeons  were  cooing  on  the  24th  and  28th  of  that  month,  in  spite  of  the 
sharp  frost  then  prevailing.  In  connection  with  this  fact,  a friend  of  mine, 
resident  in  Aberdeenshire,  writes  me  as  follows  : “ I wish  to  draw  your  attention 
to  what  I think  a strange  circumstance,  viz.,  wood-pigeons  cooing  at  night 
during  the  past  week  (the  end  of  January),  between  ten  and  eleven  at  night  ; they 
have  been  cooing  all  over  the  plantations  just  as  you  may  hear  them  in  the  early 
morning  in  the  month  of  April.”  My  friend,  I should  say,  is  a good  naturalist 
and  a keen  observer. 

Watford.  GeORGE  RoOPER. 

Natterjack  Toad. — Over  fifteen  years  ago,  I and  other  members  of  our 
country  local  “ Science  Gossip  Society  ” found  the  natterjack  toad  in  some  low 
sandy  cliffs  on  the  coast  of  Suffolk.  They  were  in  holes,  some  eight  or  twelve 
inches  deep  in  the  side  of  the  cliff,  perhaps  several  natterjacks  congregated  at  the 
bottom  of  one  hole.  I kept  some  specimens  alive  in  a bath  half  filled  with  light 
dry  earth,  and  it  was  most  interesting  to  watch  them  in  this.  They  worked  holes 
for  themselves  in  the  earth,  and  would  sit  in  them,  looking  out  in  a most  grave 
and  comical  manner.  They  readily  allowed  me  to  see  them  eat,  and  would  snap 
up  an  ant  dropped  in  front  of  them,  or  a small  spider  offered  hanging  at  the  end 
of  one  of  his  own  threads.  This  “snapping  up”  was  so  rapid  that  it  had  the 
appearance  of  just  a flash  of  a greyish  something,  coupled  with  the  disappearance 
of  the  insect.  In  reality  it  was  the  rapid  flicking  out  of  the  tongue,  and  its  as 
rapid  withdrawal  with  the  insect.  On  one  occasion  two  of  my  natterjacks  were 
sitting  solemnly  side  by  side  ; a small  fly  settled  on  the  eye  of  one,  he  gravely 
winked  the  eye,  causing  the  fly  to  crawl  a little  higher  up  ; his  brother  natterjack 
turned  half  round,  and,  with  a flick  of  the  tongue,  swallowed  the  fly. 

J.  A.  Eisdell. 

The  Sparrow  once  more. — I should  be  extremely  sorry  to  resuscitate  the 
word}’  warfare  prevailing  in  your  columns  last  year  anent  the  sparrow,  but  I 
think  it  would  interest  your  readers  to  note  what  Gilbert  M'hite  has  to  say  on  the 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES,  QUERIES,  &c.  79 


subject,  and  this,  I fancy,  has  been  overlooked  by  your  correspondents.  In 
Letter  XX.  (February  26th,  1774),  to  Uaines  Barrington,  he  remarks:  “When 
they  [the  sand  martins]  happen  to  breed  near  hedges  and  enclosures,  they  are 
dispossessed  of  their  breeding  holes  by  the  house-sparrow,  which  is  on  the  same 
account  a fell  adversary  to  house  martins.”  Also  in  I.etter  XXI.  to  the  same 
gentleman,  dated  September  28th,  1774,  ha  says,  “ I have  suspected  that  they 
[the  swifts]  sometimes  usurp  upon  the  house-sparrows  and  expel  them,  as  sparrows 
do  the  house  and  sand-martin  ; well  remembering  that  I have  seen  them  squab- 
bling together  at  the  entrance  of  their  holes,  the  sparrows  up  in  arms,  and  much 
disconcerted  at  these  intruders.” 

G.  W.  Kirkaldy. 

Horse  Chestnut  Buds.  — Those  who  read  the  delightful  description  of 
horse-chestnut  buds  (p.  46)  will  be  interested  to  know  that  if  they  are  gathered 
before  they  open  and  put  into  water  they  will  gradually  unfold  and  develop  both 
leaves  and  flower  buds.  The  bud  at  the  tip  of  a branch  which  I put  in  water  in 
the  middle  of  January  has  now  four  leaves  and  a spike  of  flower  buds.  The  first 
pair  of  leaves  measures  eight  and  a-half  inches  from  tip  to  tip,  and  the  second  pair 
rive  and  a-half  inches.  Another  branch,  though  its  leaves  are  less  advanced,  has 
grown  three  and  a-quarter  inches,  and  the  flower  stalk  has  about  100  tiny  buds 
on  it.  Many  other  buds,  especially  hawthorn,  lime  and  sycamore,  open  freely  in 
water,  but  the  horse-chestnut  is  best. 

Philip  Jones. 

A Census  of  London  Rookeries. — It  has  often  struck  me  that  the 
London  members  of  the  Selborne  Society  would  be  doing  a useful  piece  of  work 
if  they  would  accurately  note  the  number  of  rooks’  nests  in  the  various  small 
rookeries  that  still  exist  within  the  area  covered  by  the  London  Directory.  Only 
nests  that  are  inhabited  this  year  should  be  counted,  and  if  the  results  were  sent 
to  the  Editor  of  Nature  Notes  by  the  middle  of  April,  there  would  still  be  time 
to  compare  the  various  reports,  and,  if  necessary,  verify  them  before  the  leaves  are 
out.  Then  I would  further  suggest  that  the  results  should  be  published  from  year 
to  year  : and  I am  sure  that  the  facts  thus  collected  would  be  of  interest.  For  the 
rook  population  fluctuates  in  a very  curious  way.  Since  the  trees  were  felled  in 
Kensington  Gardens— I think  in  1881 — I have  noticed  no  nests  there  till  last  year, 
when  one  was  built  near  the  north  end  of  the  Broad  Walk,  but  was  soon  deserted, 
and  another  near  the  south-west  corner  of  the  gardens.  At  the  present  time,  how- 
ever, there  are,  I believe,  eleven  nests  in  process  of  building  near  the  north  end  of 
the  Broad  Walk,  and  it  is  an  interesting  question  where  the  rooks  have  come  from. 
They  must  have  migrated  from  the  country  districts  ; and  what  can  have  led  them 
to  do  that?  Other  spots  to  which  I should  like  to  direct  the  attention  of  your  readers 
are  the  grounds  of  Chelsea  Hospital,  where  several  pairs  were  building  last  year  ; 
Church  Street,  Kensington,  where  one  nest  was  built  last  year,  but  was  soon 
abandoned  ; Holland  Park  (where  a pair  of  magpies  were  also  noticed  last  year)  ; 
Albion  Street,  north  of  Hyde  Park,  where  there  was  one  nest  last  year,  and  where 
two  or  three  are  being  built  now  ; Connaught  Square,  which  had  five  or  six  nests 
last  year ; the  Marylebone  Road,  where  a dozen  years  ago  there  used  to  be  at 
least  a dozen  nests  ; Gower  Street,  at  the  back  of  which  one  or  two  nests  existed 
not  long  ago  ; and  lastly,  the  well-known  colony  in  Gray’s  Inn. 

J.  S.  M. 


OFFICIAL  NOTICES. 

Excursion  to  Selborne. — It  is  hoped  by  the  Council  that  the  travelling 
expenses  of  the  day,  including  the  railway  fare  and  conveyance  from  Alton  to 
Selborne  and  back,  will  not  exceed  five  shillings  a head.  Addresses  will  be  given 
during  the  day  by  influential  persons  acquainted  with  the  neighbourhood,  and 
parties  will  be  conducted  by  archteologists,  botanists  and  others. 

The  Annual  General  Meeting  will  be  held  at  the  rooms  of  the  Royal 
Society  of  British  Artists,  Suffolk  Street,  Pall  Mall,  .S.W.,  on  Wednesday,  3rd 
May,  at  8 o’clock.  Speeches  will  be  delivered  by  several  distinguished  members 


8o 


NATURE  NOTES. 


of  the  Selborne  Society.  The  annual  report  and  balance  sheet  will  be  presented, 
and  a new  Council  will  be  elected  for  the  ensuing  year.  All  subscribing  members 
of  half-a-crown  and  upwards  are  eligible  to  the  offices  of  the  Society  and  qualified 
to  vote  at  the  General  Meeting.  It  is  hoped  that  all  members  and  friends  of 
the  Society  who  live  in  or  near  London  may  be  able  to  attend.  The  galleries 
are  hung  with  pictures,  and  several  exhibits  of  special  interest  to  Selbornians  are 
promised. 

Mr.  Martin  having  written  to  resign  the  hon.  secretaryship  of  the  newly-formed 
Croydon  Branch,  the  Council  unanimously  resolved  that  he  be  asked  to  reconsider 
his  resignation,  and  hoped  that  he  would  not  allow  any  personal  feeling  in  respect 
to  recent  reviews  of  his  books  which  appeared  in  Nature  Notes  to  influence 
his  decision.  Mr.  Martin  has  kindly  consented  to  withdraw  his  resignation  in 
response  to  the  wish  of  the  Council. 

A.  J.  Western,  Secretary. 


TO  CORRESPONDENTS. 

E.  P. — If  you  apply  to  the  Director,  Royal  Gardens,  Kew,  he  will  probably 
forward  you  a ticket. 

S.  W.  T. — The  “Collector’s  British  Land  and  Freshwater  Shells,”  by 
Lionel  Adams  (Bell  & Sons,  7s.  6d.). 

J.  H.  T. — Mr.  W.  F.  Kirby  suggests  that  the  moth  was  probably  not 
Bruinata,  but  some  other  .species.  Will  you  kindly  note  that  the  Editor’s 
address  is  18,  West  Square,  S.E.,  and  not  care  of  the  publishers? 

Contributions  for  any  number  should  reach  the  Editor,  James  Britten, 
F.L.S.,  18,  West  Square,  London,  S.E.,  vot  later  than  the  i^th  of  the  7nonth. 
The  Editor  cannot  undertake  to  insert  any  communication  in  the  number  for  the 
month  following,  in  cases  where  this  rule  is  not  complied  with. 

When  it  is  particularly  requested,  MSS.  not  accepted  will  be  returned,  if 
stamps  sufficient  to  pay  the  postage  are  sent  for  that  purpose.  Short  notes  on 
Natural  History  or  Selbornian  subjects  will  be  especially  welcome.  In  every  case 
contributions  must  be  accompanied  by  the  name  and  address  of  the  writer. 

Queries  on  any  points  connected  with  Botany,  Zoology,  or  other  branches  of 
Natural  History,  will  be  answered  if  possible,  and  advice  will  be  given  as  to  the 
best  books  for  students  in  any  department  of  Natural  Science  ; but  all  questions 
must  be  accompanied  by  the  names  and  addresses  of  the  writers,  not  for  publica- 
tion, if  this  is  not  desired.  Except  under  special  and  exceptional  circumstances, 
the  Editor  cannot  undertake  to  answer  questions  through  the  post,  even  when  a 
stamp  is  enclosed  for  the  purpose. 

Specimens  sent  for  identification  will  be  named,  if  sent  carefully  packed  and 
in  good  condition,  a}td  if  sent  to  the  Editor,  but  we  cannot  undertake  to  return 
them. 

We  shall  be  glad  to  notice  any  books  bearing  upon  Natural  History  in  any  of 
its  branches,  and  to  direct  attention  to  magazine  articles  of  the  same  kind,  if 
these  are  sent  to  us.  Publishers  will  confer  a favour  upon  our  readers  if  they  will 
always  state  the  price  of  any  volumes  they  may  send,  in  order  that  it  may  be 
quoted  in  the  notice.  This  addition  is  much  appreciated  by  our  readers,  and 
is  desirable  in  the  interest  of  the  volumes  themselves. 

It  is  particularly  requested  that  subscriptions  and  letters  connected  with 
business,  as  well  as  the  names  of  those  wishing  to  join  the  proposed  excursion 
to  Selborne  on  June  24th,  should  not  be  forwarded  to  the  Editor,  but  to  the 
Secretary  of  the  Selborne  Society,  9,  Adam  Street,  Adelphi,  W.C. 
Editorial  communications,  specimens,  and  books  for  review  should  be  addressed 
to  Mr.  Britten,  as  above. 

We  regret  that,  owing  to  the  continued  and  increasing  demands  upon  our 
space,  we  are  compelled  to  hold  over  numerous  contributions,  and  to  decline 
others.  The  only  remedy  for  this  course  of  action  is  the  enlargement  of  Nature 
Notes,  which  will  take  place  as  soon  as  the  number  of  subscribers  justifies  this 
proceeding.  Advertisements  of  Nature  Notes,  suitable  for  distribution,  may 
be  obtained  free  from  the  publishers. 


■||•■lature  IFlotes: 

Ube  Sclbome  Society’s  ^Il>aga5inc. 

No.  41.  MAY,  1893.  VoL.  IV. 


THE  ABUSE  OF  ADVERTISING. 

By  the  Editor. 

HERE  can  be  no  doubt  of  its  existence,  and  it  is  grow- 
ing. Take  up  a magazine,  and  shake  it,  and  you  shall 
find  the  floor  strewn  with  fly-leaves  of  all  colours  and 
shapes  and  sizes,  each  advertising  “ ships,  or  shoes, 
or  sealing  wax,”  or  equally  miscellaneous  wares.  It  is  worse 
when  shaking  produces  no  such  effect,  for  then  you  shall  dis- 
cover them  sewn  or  otherwise  fastened  into  the  body  of  the  book, 
and  if  you  yield  to  your  first  hasty  impulse,  and  tear  them  out, 
either  you  will  damage  your  magazine,  or  horrible,  ragged, 
jagged,  untidy  fragments  will  remain  securely  fixed.  Atalanta 
does  this,  and  it  is  bad  enough,  but  the  illustrated  weekly  papers 
go  several  better — or  worse.  We  heard  of  some  one  the  other 
day  who  gave  up  the  Illustrated  London  News  on  this  account,  and 
ordered  the  Graphic ; but  we  did  not  hear  what  was  said  (and 
perhaps  it  is  just  as  well)  when  it  was  discovered  that  this 
resulted  in  no  improvement.  Does  any  one  bind  these  papers  ? 
Probably  not  ; no  one  would  perpetuate  the  advertisements  which 
gradually  are  usurping  the  pages  of  the  papers  named,  and  are 
making  their  way  into  every  imaginable  corner  of  others. 

Perhaps  this  may  be  considered  a matter  outside  the  scope  of 
the  Selborne  Society,  but  when  the  plague  extends  to  the  open 
fields  it  calls  for  a protest  on  our  part.  It  is  bad  enough  as  we 
wind  up  the  St.  Gothard,  or  walk  to  Andermatt  from  Goschenen, 
to  be  reminded  in  gigantic  letters,  displayed  on  some  suitable 
rock,  of  a certain  kind  of  chocolate  ; but  this  is  not  comparable  in 
extent  of  nuisance  to  the  almost  continuous  chain  of  advertise- 
ments which  we  noticed  at  Easter  in  the  fields  between  London 
and  Oxford.  These  hideous  erections,  usually  of  tin,  with  vile 


82 


NATURE  NOTES. 


glazed  inscriptions  setting  forth  the  names  of  some  popular 
remedy,  are  planted  in  the  fields,  so  that  you  shall  scarcely  be 
able  to  glance  out  of  window  at  the  country  without  seeing  one 
or  more  of  them.  A correspondent  last  year  [N.  N.,  1892,  p. 
235)  wrote  strongly,  yet  not  a whit  more  so  than  the  matter 
deserves,  about  this  practice,  which  has  hitherto  been  allow'ed 
to  increase  unchecked. 

Not  too  soon,  therefore,  and  yet  we  hope  not  too  late,  has  this 
abuse  of  advertising  attracted  serious  attention.  Last  month  we 
deprecated  the  multiplication  of  societies,  but  we  have  nothing 
save  encouragement  for  the  National  Society  for  Checking  the 
Abuses  of  Public  Advertising,  although  we  could  wish  that  it  had 
found  a shorter  name.  Formed  only  on  the  14th  of  last  February, 
it  already  numbers  in  its  ranks  many  representatives  of  art, 
science,  literature,  and  other  branches  of  culture — amongst  them 
Sir  W.  H.  Flower,  Sir  Edward  Fry,  Mr.  William  IMorris,  Mr. 
Robert  Bridges,  Mr.  Alfred  Austin,  Mr.  P.  G.  Hamerton,  Mr. 
W.  B.  Richmond,  Mr.  A.  Waterhouse,  Professor  Ray  Lankester, 
Mr.  Lecky,  Mr.  Walter  Besant,  Mrs.  Humphrey  Ward,  and  Mrs. 
Richmond  Ritchie. 

The  objects  of  the  Society  as  at  present  defined  are  only 
two ; — - 

(1)  Of  checking  the  abuse  of  the  practice  of  spectacular 
advertising. 

(2)  Of  protecting  and  promoting  the  picturesque  simplicity  of 
rural  and  river  scenes,  and  the  dignity  and  propriety  of  our  large 
towns. 

These  are  developed  in  an  admirable  little  circular  which  will 
be  forwarded,  with  list  of  members,  by  the  Hon.  Secretary  pro 
tan.,  Mr.  Richardson  Evans,  Camp  View,  Wimbledon.  The 
annual  subscription  is  only  half-a-crown,  and  we  trust  that  many 
Selbornians  will  enrol  themselves  as  members.  The  Rev.  Pre- 
bendary Reynolds,  5,  Amen  Court,  E.C.,  is  Hon.  Treasurer, 
and  will  receive  donations  and  subscriptions.  “ It  is  essential 
to  the  authority  and  efficiency  of  the  Society  that  it  should 
represent,  demonstrably,  a large  body  of  sober  opinion  through- 
out the  countr}?.  If  there  is  any  risk  of  failure,  it  lies  in  the 
diffidence  or  the  despondency  of  those  wdio  feel  the  need  of 
remedy.  The  number  of  those  who  can  give  active  personal 
help  may  be  limited,  but  all  who  join  are  thereby  contributing 
necessary  assistance.” 

.\lthough  so  young,  the  Society  has  already  set  to  work.  “ A 
legal  Sub-Committee  is  engaged  in  investigating  the  present 
condition  of  the  law  with  regard  to  the  powers  of  control  and 
the  rating  of  hoardings.  The  provisional  Committee  has  also 
been  in  communication  with  others  interested  respecting  Bills 
now  before  Parliament.”  A public  meeting  for  the  election  of 
officers  (all  of  whom  will  be  honorary),  and  for  other  business 
will  be  held  in  May,  but  the  date  has  not  been  fi.xed  at  the  time 
of  our  going  to  press.  It  will  doubtless  be  widely  advertised, 
and  we  trust  Selbornians  will  attend  in  full  force. 


THE  HARVEST  MOHSE. 


S3 


GILBERT  WHITE* 

Thou  wast  a poet,  though  thou  knew’st  it  not, 

Then  on  a merry  morning,  when  the  thrush 
Fluted  and  fluted  musical  in  the  bush, 

And  blackbirds  whisked  along  thy  garden-plot. 

Didst  watch  an  hour  beside  thy  hanger’s  foot. 

. The  quivering  kestrel  hung  aloft  the  skies 
To  mark  aught  stirring,  or  with  pensive  eyes 
In  cherry-orchards  didst  forecast  the  fruit. 

And  shall  I deem  it  idle  thus  to  scan 
The  myriad  life,  and  reverently  wait, 

A patient  learner,  auguring,  behind 
The  restless  hand,  the  unhesitating  mind? 

This  was  thy  daily  task,  to  learn  that  man 
Is  small,  and  not  forget  that  man  is  great. 

Arthur  Christopher  Benson. 


THE  HARVEST  MOUSE, 

{Mus  minutus.) 

S I think  that  this  little  being,  the  smallest  but  onef  of 
the  British  quadrupeds,  is  not  often  kept  as  a pet,  I 
have  made  a few  notes  on  the  appearance  and  habits 
of  one  which  was  in  my  possession  during  July  and 
August,  1892.  His  early  home  was  in  the  cornfields  of  Essex; 
when  full  grown  he  met  captivity  half-way  by  running  up  a 
mower’s  sleeve.  He  then  lived  two  months,  and  to  all  appear- 
ances, very  happily,  in  a larva  breeding-cage,  and  died  from 
the  effects  of  the  thunder-storm  of  August  i8th. 

I will  now  describe  the  species  so  far  as  my  personal  observa- 
tion of  this  tiny  individual  went.  His  whole  length  was  3.1  in., 
the  body  being  1.7  in.,  and  the  tail  1.4  in. — a creature  so  small 
that  the  very  turn  of  a hair  gave  or  subtracted  a beauty.  The 
fur  of  the  upper  part  of  the  body  was  of  the  colour  of  ripe  red 
wheat,  so  that  when  standing  on  the  ears  of  corn  he  could  hardly 
be  distinguished  from  them  ; the  fur  on  the  hind  legs  was  of 
a warmer  and  brighter  brown  than  the  rest  of  the  back.  The 
under  side  of  the  body  from  the  throat  to  the  tail  pure  white. 
The  ears  short  and  generally  pressed  back  ; the  eyes  not  so 
large  in  proportion  to  the  head  as  in  the  dormouse,  when  casually 
looked  at  their  expression  appeared  mild  and  inattentive,  but 


•Reprinted,  bv  kind  jx;tmission  of  the  author,  from  Lc  Cahicr  Jaime  (see 
p.  89).— Ed.  V.A: 

+ Sorcx  pygmatis. 


84 


NATURE  NOTES. 


with  a lens  could  be  seen  the  restless,  wideawake  pupil  directed 
sharply  this  way  and  that.  The  minute  incisors  were  light 
brown. 

The  hind  legs  were  much  longer  and  more  powerful  than  the 
fore  : owing  to  this,  many  of  his  attitudes  and  movements  strongly 
resembled  those  of  a kangaroo,  as  for  example  when  he  stood 
erect,  his  fore-paws  hanging  down,  his  sensitive  nose  snuffing 
the  air  as  if  he  would  by  smell  discern  the  boundaries  of  space 
into  which  he  was  about  to  make  a reckless  leap.  But  if  at  one 
time  he  looked  like  the  lowly  marsupial,  at  another  his  arboreal 
(1  should  say  gramineal)  habit  and  prehensile  tail  brought  the 
monkey,  far  above  him  in  rank,  to  one’s  mind.  1 could  not  watch 
him  for  five  minutes  without  seeing  how  useful  this  prehensile 
tail  was  to  him  : when  in  danger  of  slipping  from  a grass  stalk 
or  leaf  he  would  instantly  coil  it  once  or  twice  round  either  these 
or  a neighbouring  stalk  ; again  when  running  down  a vertical  or 
inclined  haulm  he  put  his  tail  on  as  a drag.  He  sometimes 
wound  it  round  my  fingers  to  steady  himself.  1 then  felt  a pecu- 
liar sensation  of  clinging  impact,  due,  I think,  to  the  rings  of 
short  stiff  hairs  on  the  tail,  the  points  of  the  hairs  directed 
towards  its  tip.  So  long  as  the  tail  was  wound  round  a support 
he  felt  secure  enough  to  wash  himself,  or  eat,  notwithstanding 
the  slenderest  foothold.  It  was  of  use  even  on  a level  surface, 
for  he  would  stand  like  a kangaroo  on  his  hind  legs  and  the 
lower  joints  of  the  tail, 

As  regards  the  habits  of  the  harvest  mouse  I can  only  offer 
a few  remarks ; I did  not  know  mine  in  the  capacity  of  nest- 
builder  and  parent.  We  can  all  remember  or  refer  to  Gilbert 
White’s  classic  description  of  the  nest  and  young  of  his  “ new 
mice  ” (vide  Letters  xii.  and  xiii.).  The  everyday  life  of  my 
mouse,  however,  I had  fair  opportunity  of  w'atching  through  the 
glass  front  of  his  cage.  What  chiefly  struck  me  was  his  inces- 
sant activity ; I never  saw  him  asleep.  Perhaps,  inasmuch  as 
he  fed  chiefly  at  night,  he  might  be  called  a nocturnal  animal, 
but  by  day  as  well  he  was  bewilderingly  lively  ; playthings 
seemed  a necessity  of  his  existence,  so  I gave  him  a constant 
change  of  furniture.  Wheat  stalks  tied  in  a bunch  would  form  a 
ladder  from  floor  to  ceiling,  then  hay  for  hiding  places  and  millet 
stalks  for  bridges,  and  various  wild  grasses  which  seemed  to 
furnish  him  with  interesting  problems  in  their  dissection.  His 
perseverance  and  energy  in  the  face  of  crushing  odds  were  most 
instructive  to  witness.  It  might  be  his  task  was  to  tear  into 
narrow'  strips  the  leaves  of  ribbon  grass,  or  to  shred  up  a cluster 
of  green  oats : the  work  was  done  in  spite  of  uncertain  foothold 
and  frequent  tumbles  and  the  hard  and  scratchy  nature  of  the 
materials  worked  on.  I may  here  add  to  the  list  of  his  accom- 
plishments that  he  w'as  a fearless  and  rapid  sw'immer. 

He  was  beginning  to  grow  tame  enough  to  jump  from  his 
cage  on  to  my  hand  (even  from  the  first  he  had  submitted  to 
my  rubbing  behind  his  ears),  but  if  by  chance  I handled  him 


THE  HARVEST  MOUSE. 


85 


roughly  or  disturbed  him  oftener  than  he  considered  reasonable, 
he  opened  his  mouth  menacingly,  uttered  a considerable  squeak, 
and  even  gave  me  a warning  bite  ; I cannot  imagine  what  tiny 
creature  of  the  fields  he  was  wont  to  keep  in  check  by  these  war- 
like demonstrations. 

Like  all  his  family  he  spent  much  time  in  the  care  of  his  fur, 
his  fingers  and  his  nails ; he  was  untiring  in  his  efforts  to  keep 
every  hair  in  order  and  to  keep  his  little  paws  free  from  every 
particle  of  sand  or  dust.  On  one  occasion  I saw  him  standing 
on  a corn-stalk  supported  by  one  hind  leg  and  his  tail  while  the 
two  fore  paws  were  dragging  the  other  hind  leg  to  his  mouth  to 
be  cleaned. 

So  far  as  my  experience  went  his  only  food  was  grain,  wild 
or  cultivated ; he  was  quite  indifferent  to  the  colours  of  juicy 
fruits,  while  every  part  of  a grass  seemed  familiar  to  him,  either 
as  furnishing  food  or  pastime.  He  held  a grain  of  wheat  by  the 
ends,  one  in  each  hand,  the  furrow  generally  kept  outward,  that 
is,  away  from  the  teeth ; a little  strip  or  bar  containing  this 
furrow  was  left  when  the  grain  was  eaten  ; judging  by  the  num- 
ber of  these  little  “ bones  ” that  I daily  cleared  from  his  cage 
he  must  be  a destructive  little  creature  in  the  corn-field  and  the 
barn.  He  was  as  fond  of  millet  as  of  wheat,  and  very  deftly 
fetched  the  small  seeds  out  of  their  envelopes.  I saw  him  once  or 
twice  lap  water  from  a little  dish,  but  he  seemed  much  more  to 
enjoy  licking  wetted  leaves.  He  died  when  I was  from  home, 
and  I cannot  tell  whether  the  cause  was  directly  the  lightning, 
or  indirectly  from  fright ; he  was  probably  unable  to  shelter  as 
he  would  have  done  in  a wild  state. 

Before  concluding  I will  make  one  remark  bearing  on  the 
distribution  of  the  species.  I am  strongly  inclined  to  believe 
that  the  mouse  which  appears  with  the  ear  of  corn  on  certain 
coins  of  Metapontum  of  the  fourth  century  b.c.,  represents  Mus 
jumutus,  although  the  southern  limit  of  the  species  is  now  about 
four  degrees  north  of  this  city.  I should  have  liked  to  enter 
into  more  detail  and  to  describe  the  coins  in  question,  giving  my 
reasons  for  the  identification,  but  I fear  the  point  may  be  con- 
sidered rather  of  archaeological  interest,  than  belonging  to  natural 
history.  If,  however,  any  of  your  readers  should  think  the  point 
worth  further  inquiry,  I would  very  gladly  give  these  details. 

Constance  Garlick. 


86 


NATURE  NOTES. 


WORK  FOR  THE  NATURALIST. 

T has  been  said  with  much  truth  that  to  take  awaj-  the 
hope  of  making  fresh  discoveries  is  to  deprive  the 
pursuit  of  natural  history  of  half  its  zest,  and  it  is 
sometimes  assumed  that,  in  consequence  of  the  in- 
dustry and  acumen  expended  in  the  field  of  recent  years,  there 
can  be  little  or  nothing  still  left  for  the  investigator  to  glean. 
It  would  seem,  however,  to  be  more  true  to  say  that  every  fresh 
discovery  does  but  multiply  the  questions  calling  for  settlement, 
and  provide  him  who  would  serve  the  cause  of  science  with 
abundant  matter  for  research. 

The  two  works  named  below*  are  a striking  testimony  to  this. 
Dealing  alike  with  the  subject  of  animal  life,  though  on  different 
plans,  the}'  both  present  a broad  view  of  our  discoveries  in  its 
regard,  and  of  the  conclusions  drawn  from  these  discoveries  as 
to  the  genealogical  connection  of  its  various  forms.  Here,  how- 
ever, the  resemblance  ceases.  While  Mr.  Thomson’s  Animal 
Life  is  content  to  set  forth  conclusions,  Mr.  IMivart  in  his  Types  of 
Animal  Life,  entering  more  fully  into  the  evidence  as  forthcoming 


in  sundry  representative  instances,  enables  us  to  understand  not 
only  how  much  has  been  done  towards  the  construction  of  a 
complete  history  of  life  developments,  but  how  much  more  re- 
mains to  do  before  we  can  speak  with  scientific  certainty  even 
upon  points  which  appear  most  clear. 

To  take  one  example  in  illustration.  Speaking  of  the  relation- 
ship of  different  forms  one  to  another,  Mr.  Thomson  says,| 
“indissolubly  linked  to  the  birds  are  the  reptiles,”  and  else- 
where,§ “ the  most  reptilian,  least  bird-like  of  birds,  is  the  oldest 
fossil  of  all,  placed  in  a sub-class  by  itself — the  Archaopteryx." 


* The  Study  of  Animal  Life,  by  J.  Arthur  Thomson,  F.R.S.E.,  &c. 

I.ontlon  : John  Murray,  1892,  pp.  375. 

Types  of  Animal  Life,  by  St.  George  Mivart,  F.R.S.  London:  Osgood, 
FlcIIvane  & Co.,  1S93,  pp.  374. 
t From  Types  of  Animal  Life. 


+ P-  9- 


§ P-  267. 


WORK  FOR  THE  NATURALIST. 


87 


But  on  this  subject,  giving  us  fuller  information,  Mr.  IMivart 
introduces  us  to  new  problems.  It  has  been  suggested,  he  tells 
us,  that  birds  were  derived  from  certain  e.xtinct  reptiles,  and 
that  these  were  akin  to  the  fossil  Iguanodon.  He  then  continues  : 
‘‘  That  the  iguanodon-like  reptiles  were  in  some  respects  like 
the  ostrich  and  its  congeners  is  not  to  be  denied  ; but  then  the 
ostrich  and  its  allies  are  not  creatures  on  the  road  to  become 
dying  birds,  but  seem  rather  to  be  degraded  descendants  of 
birds  which  once  tievv.  Moreover,  the  oldest  known  bird,  the 
archaeopteryx,  is  not  at  all  ostrich-like,  but  has  much  more 
affinity  with  ordinary  birds,  save  as  regards  its  hand  and  tail. 
Thus  the  origin  of  birds  is  a question  still  open  to  dispute,  and 
while  welcoming  gladly  light  from  any  side  upon  the  problem, 
we  would  carefully  eschew  a hasty'  dogmatism  on  that,  as  on 
every  other  subject.” The  light  for  which  an  accomplished 
naturalist  thus  asks  is  what  other  naturalists  should  seek  to 
supply,  and  it  is  not  only  the  relationship  of  class  and  class  that 
may  serve  as  a subject  for  their  investigations.  Instances  are 
numerous  where  the  true  position  of  a genus  in  its  own  class  is 
still  a perplexity'  to  classifiers.  Thus  the  crested  screamer  of 
South  America  has  been  variously  assigned  to  such  utterly 
different  groups  as  the  rails,  the  geese,  and  the  ostriches,  while 
our  own  water-ousel,  who  used  to  be  thought  an  indubitable 
thrush,  is  now  placed  between  the  fiy-catchers  and  the  tits,  and 
there  are  some  who,  and  not  without  reasons  appealing  es- 
pecially to  out-of-doors  naturalists,  would  rather  consign  him  to 
,the  family  of  the  wrens. 

To  take  a few  more  instances  from  the  books  before  us,  of 
things  yet  to  be  discovered,  why  is  it  that,  as  Mr.  Thomson 
tells  us, f the  insects  of  a certain  small  tract  in  Brazil  tend  to  be 
blue,  and  a few  miles  away  to  be  red  ? Whence  comes  the 
tendency  to  deck  themselves  with  “eyes”  wdiich  spangles  the 
train  of  the  peacock,  the  wings  of  the  allied  argus  pheasant,  and 
tail  and  wings  alike  of  the  peacock-pheasant  ? j;  How  is  it,  again, 
that  so  curious  and  complex  a piece  of  mechanism  as  the  fangs 
and  venom-bag  of  a poisonous  snake  counts  for  so  very  little  in 
the  tale  of  development,  that  a poisonous  snake  is  frequently  far 
more  closely  allied  to  non-poisonous  than  to  other  poisonous 
ones?Ӥ  To  this  may  be  added  the  still  more  puzzling  fact  that 
the  possession  of  the  terrible  power  which  makes  venomous 
snakes  the  most  dreadful  objects  in  nature,  appears  to  bring  no 
benefit  at  all  proportionable  to  the  cost  of  manufacture.  Mr. 
Hudson,  in  his  Naturalist  in  La  Plata,  gives  it  as  his  opinion  that 
no  creatures  get  so  little  good  towards  the  struggle  for  existence 
from  a special  organ  of  their  own  as  do  these  serpents,  and  it  is 
a plain  fact  that  the  non-poisonous  members  of  the  family  are 
far  more  numerous  and  seemingly  more  prosperous.  It  is  even 


* p.  95. 

I Types  of  Animal  Life,  pp.  69,  70. 


t p.  49- 


§ Ih.,  p.  129. 


88 


NATURE  NOTES. 


asserted  that  when  the  hostile  Caribs  introduced  into  the  West 
Indian  island  of  St.  Vincent,  which  contains  no  venomous 
snakes,  some  of  the  dreaded  “rat-tails”  of  St.  Lucia,  in  order 
to  injure  the  English  possessors,  the  intruders  were  promptly- 
devoured  by  the  indigenous  black  snakes,  though  these  in  our 
phrase  are  “ harmless.”  What  then  can  be  the  explanation  of 
the  enormous  venom-glands  of  the  Asiatic  AdenopJiis,  extending 
hack  for  fully  one-third  of  the  reptile’s  entire  length,  so  as  to 
push  the  heart  back  much  behind  its  usual  place  ? 

W'e  have  again,  as  Mr.  Mivart  tells  us,f  a very  remarkable 
resemblance  between  frogs  on  the  one  hand  and  tortoises  on  the 
other,  which,  however,  is  clearly  but  an  instance  of  the  in- 
dependent origin  of  similar  structures.  So,  too,  the  deceptive 
appearance  of  size  in  the  turtle’s  brain  is  paralleled  not  only  in 
the  case  of  two  frogs  but  of  an  African  rat,  j where  there  can  be 
no  question  of  common  descent. 

In  the  case  of  the  opossum,  we  are  told,  two  different  and 
contradictory  hypotheses  are  suggested  by  one  set  of  facts.  The 
recently  discovered  marsupial  mole  has  a pouch  like  the  rest  of 
its  class,  but  turned  backwards  instead  of  forwards,  that  it  may 
not  act  as  a dredge  while  the  animal  bores  through  the  earth. 
How  was  such  a development  effected,  and  how  did  the  pouch 
perform  any  functions  at  all  while  it  was  half  wa)'  between  the 
two  positions  ? 

These  are  but  a few  samples  of  the  mass  of  problems  which 
are  the  direct  product  of  our  increased  knowledge,  and  which, 
while  they  demand  solution  in  order  to  confirm  our  theories, 
serve  at  the  same  time  to  allure  the  naturalist  to  labour  by  hold- 
ing out  the  hope  of  making  discoveries.  These  points,  and  a 
multitude  of  others,  must  surely  be  capable  of  settlement,  but 
till  this  is  received  it  would  rather  appear  as  though  we  had  as 
yet  succeeded  far  better  in  exhibiting  the  extent  of  our  ignorance 
with  regard  to  the  inner  secrets  of  nature,  than  in  displaying  our 
knowledge. 

John  Gerard. 


TWO  BOOKS  OF  VERSE. 

We  owe  our  acquaintance  with  Le  Cahiei-  Jaune,  a privately  printed  volume 
of  poems  by  Mr.  A.  C.  Benson,  of  Eton  College,  to  a notice  which  appeared  in 
the  Star,  in  the  course  of  which  some  lines  from  a sonnet  on  Gilbert  White  were 
quoted.  Mr.  Richard  Le  Gallienne,  the  writer  of  the  notice,  was  good  enough 
to  send  us  the  remainder  of  the  sonnet,  and  through  his  kind  offices  we  obtained 
the  permission  of  the  author  to  reprint  it  in  these  pages  (see  p.  83).  The  book 
contains  several  poems  which  we  should  like  to  quote,  but  space  compels  a short 
notice.  Blended  with  the  notes  which  characterise  modern  jjoetry,  there  is  a true 
and  tender  appreciation  of  Nature  which  now  reminds  us  of  Wordsworth,  now'  of 
Tennyson,  but  which  is  no  imitation  of  either.  Nor  does  Mr.  Benson  take  his 
inspiration  from  the  flowers  which  usually  attract  the  poet’s  attention.  He  is  as  ap- 
preciative of  cherry-trees  as  Mr.  Norman  Gale,  and  he  finds  a source  of  inspiration 
in  the  Knapweed,  which  surely  no  poet  has  hitherto  selected  as  a subject  for  verse. 


Types  of  Animal  Life,  p.  135. 


+ p.  120. 


p.  121. 


TIVO  BOOKS  OK  VERSE. 


89 


“ By -copse  and  hedgerow,  waste  and  wall, 

He  thrusts  his  cushions  red  ; 

O’er  burdock  rank,  o’er  thistles  tall. 

He  rears  his  hardy  head  : 

Within,  without,  the  strong  leaves  press. 

He  screens  the  mossy  stone. 

Lord  of  a narrow  wilderness. 

Self-centred  and  alone. 

* -i;-  * * * 

“ .Mute  sheep  that  pull  the  grasses  soft. 

Crop  close  and  pass  him  by. 

Until  he  stands  alone,  aloft. 

With  added  majesty. 

No  fly  so  keen,  no  bee  so  bold. 

To  pierce  that  knotted  zone. 

He  frowns  as  though  he  guarded  gold, 

And  yet  he  garners  none.” 

The  sonnets  on  Gray  and  Cowper  are  beautiful  ; and  the  little  book  abounds 
in  pictures  such  as  this  of  “ an  English  home”: — 

“ Deep  in  a hazy  hollow  of  the  down. 

The  brick-built  Court  in  mellow  squareness  stood. 

Where  feathery  beeches  fringed  the  hanging  wood,  ‘ 

And  sighing  cedars  spread  a carpet  brown. 

“ Out  of  the  elms  the  jetty  treefolk  sent 

A clamorous  welcome : while  the  roses  made 
Their  vesper  offering,  and  the  creeper  laid 
His  flaming  hands  about  the  pediment.” 

The  Rev.  M.  S.  C.  Rickards,  whose  Lyrical  Studies  we  have  lately  received, 
is  already  known  as  the  author  of  books  of  verse.  Like  his  previous  volumes, 
this  one  is  largely  occupied  with  natural  objects,  about  which  he  writes  with 
knowledge  and  sympathy.  We  do  not  find  in  his  verses  the  note  of  distinction 
which  is  manifested  in  Lc  Cakier  Jaunc~  \niS.te.A,  we  are  inclined  to  think  that  if 
he  were  a less  facile  and  fluent  writer,  Mr.  Rickards  would  achieve  better  work. 
Many  of  his  poems  would  certainly  bear  condensation — the  “Ode  to  the  Wood 
Sorrel,”  for  example,  which  is  artificial  and  strained  in  sentiment,  and  in  which 
“ noontide  ” and  “ soon  died  ” appear  as  rhymes. 


FIELD-PATH  RAMBLES.- 

The  authors  of  these  three  little  books,  whose  titles  we  quote,  are  fortunate 
in  being  able  to  put  them  upon  the  market  at  such  an  unusually  favourable  time 
as  the  present.  Five  or  six  w-eeks  of  continued  drought  have  brought  the  fields 
into  a most  excellent  condition  for  walking,  and  the  publication  of  anything  that 
will  facilitate  the  enjoyment  of  the  beauties  of  nature  is  bound  to  be  most  welcome 
to  every  healthy-minded  citizen.  The  average  Londoner,  unmindful  of  the  rural 
paradises  which  railway  development  has  placed  within  his  easy  reach,  is  far  too 
apt  to  be  contented  with  the  limited  attractions  of  the  metropolitan  parks.  If  he 
is  able  now  and  again  to  break  away  from  the  monotony  of  bricks  and  mortar, 
the  intolerable  dust,  and  noisy  boredom  of  London  life,  and  is  willing  to  make 


* Field-Path  Rambles  in  West  Kent,  by  Walker  Miles.  Second  Series. 
Illustrated.  London:  R.  E.  Taylor  and  Son,  19,  Old  Street,  E.C.,  1893. 
Price  fid. 

Our  Lanes  and  Meadow  Paths,  or  Rambles  in  Rural  Middlesex,  by  II.  J. 
Foley.  Rambles  on  the  Herts  Border,  by  the  same.  Illustrations  and  map. 
London  : Truslove  and  Shirley,  143,  Oxford  Street.  Price  is.  each. 


50 


NATURE  NOTES. 


an  effort  to  escape  for  a few  hours,  he  cannot  do  better  fhan  buy  one  of  these  or 
similar  guide-books,  and  a railway  ticket,  and  follow  out  the  picturesque  routes 
indicated  for  his  guidance.  The  benefits  which  he  will  derive  from  his  excursion 
are  too  many  and  too  obvious  to  be  specified.  Let  it  suffice  to  mention  the  fresh 
air,  the  sense  of  rest  and  freedom,  and  the  ample  opportunities  for  peaceful  medita- 
tion in  the  lap  of  nature. 

As  to  the  comparative  merits  of  the  books  on  our  list,  that  by  Mr.  .Miles  deals 
with  the  country  lying  to  the  south-east  of  London,  and  is  most  practical  and 
precise  in  its  directions  how  to  avoid  the  high  roads  and  follow  the  prettiest  foot- 
paths. Broadly  it  describes  two  main  routes  from  Bromley  to  Gravesend  and  to 
Rochester,  which  may  be  broken  into  sections  suited  to  the  muscular  capacity  of 
the  pedestrian.  Attention  is  called  to  objects  of  interest. 

iSIr.  Foley  has  adopted  a more  picturesque  style  of  w'riting,  which  sometimes 
rather  obscures  the  description  of  the  route  one  is  following,  but  reference  to  the 
excellent  map  at  the  beginning  of  each  volume  speedily  makes  the  way  dear.  In 
these  maps  are  marked  all  the  principal  foot-paths  in  the  district  to  the  north-east 
of  London,  extending  over  an  area  of  some  eighteen  by  twelve  miles.  An 
immense  quantity  of  antiquarian  and  other  information  is  supplied,  but  we  must 
warn  the  reader  not  to  trust  too  implicitly  to  the  author’s  botanical  references. 
He  will  hunt  in  vain  for  the  bee  orchis  at  Mill  Hill  (p.  12)  ; the  ‘'brilliant  scarlet 
flowers  of  the  dock  ” (p.  31)  belong  to  the  sorrel  ; it  is  certain  that  “ each  variety 
of  the  wild  rose”  (p.  31)  is  not  to  be  found  in  the  Brent  valley;  and  we  are 
Mecidedly  sceptical  as  to  the  Willow-herb  “with  its  beautiful  crimson  flowers  as 
large  as  petunias  ” (p.  62).  A little  revision  of  this  part  of  the  work  w'ould  add  to 
its  usefulness,  nor  would  Mr.  Foley’s  volume  suft'er  if  certain  redundancies  were 
excised.  The  jjublishers  have  failed  to  state  on  the  title-pages  the  date  of  these 
two  volumes  and  the  fact  that  they  are  new  editions. 

.\XTONY  GePP. 


COMMONS  AND  OPEN  SPACES. 

In  this  little  pamphlet  the  history  of  our  commons  and  open  spaces  is  carefully 
traced  out.  The  author,  himself  a lawyer,  seeks  to  dispel  the  legal  theory,  which 
has  become  engrafted  to  a large  extent  in  the  public  mind,  that  the  rights  com- 
moners at  present  possess  are  held  of  the  lords  of  the  manors  alone,  and  date  from 
the  time  that  these  lands  were  granted  by  the  kings  to  his  under  lords.  That 
these  rights  can  be  traced  back  to  periods  far  more  remote  than  those  in  which 
the  manors  were  parcelled  out  is  Mr.  Birkett’s  main  contention.  -As  instances  of 
this  he  quotes  a manor  in  Hertfordshire,  Ashdown  Forest,  Dartmoor  Forest, 
Malvern  Chase,  Epping  Forest  and  the  New  Forest.  In  some  cases  several 
manors  and  villages  lay  in  the  midst  of  one  and  the  same  forest  or  waste,  to 
which  the  inhabitants  resorted  in  common  to  take  whatever  they  wanted.  .At 
various  periods  declarations  of  these  rights  were  made  before  Forest  Courts,  and 
the  lists  show  them  to  have  been  practically  limitless. 

But  the  struggle  to  keep  them  has  been  something  enormous.  Time  after  time 
did  the  lord  of  the  manor  attempt,  sometimes  successfully,  to  wrest  the  rights  from 
the  commoner.  With  equal  stubbornness  did  the  latter  strive  to  retain  them.  A 
short  cut  to  the  deprivation  of  commoners’  rights  was  found  in  inclosure  of  the 
waste  lands.  To  effect  this  the  aid  of  the  legislature  w’as  summoned,  and  statute 
after  statute  authorising  inclosure  of,  and  encroachment  upon,  commons  and 
forests,  was  passed.  Fierce  contests  took  place  between  the  lords’  men  and  the 
commoners  ; and  not  a few  rebellions,  recorded  in  the  most  elementary  history  of 
England,  arose  from  this  cause. 

Though  inclosure  by  statute  has  now  practically  ceased,  lords  of  the  manor 


•Commons  and  O/ien  Spaces:  their  Origin.  History  and  Utility,  suith  Suggestions /or 
/acilitating  their  Preserration.  By  Percival  Hirkett,  Hon.  Solicitor  to  the  Commons  Preserva- 
tion Society,  &c.  C.  F.  Roworth,  Great  New  Street,  Fetter  Lane,  E.C.  8vo,  40  pp.,  1893 


COMMONS  AND  OPEN  SPACES. 


91 


to  this  day  surreptitiously  filch  the  common  land.  Their  methods  are  slow 
hut  certain— a low  railing,  next  a wire  fence,  and  then  one  of  stout  oak — and 
the  patch  of  gorse,  ling  and  heather  is  shut  oft  for  ever  from  public  gaze.  To 
redeem  it  the  petitioners  must  undertake  an  expensive  and  often  ineffectual 
lawsuit.  Here  Air.  Birkett  steps  in  with  a suggestion,  lie  proposes  that  an  Act 
should  be  passed  enabling  inhabitants  of  a district  to  adopt  an  Act  for  the  preserva- 
tion of  their  commons,  in  the  same  way  that  they  adopt  the  Free  Libraries  Act  to 
enlighten  public  intelligence.  Such  an  Act  would  strike  a fatal  blow  at  the 
encroachment  system.  For  what  has  that  system  done  ? Words  cannot  measure 
its  evil  effect.  Where  it  has  been  in  force  in  the  country  side  it  has  driven  the 
peasants  to  the  town,  for  every  acre  encroached  upon  means  so  much  less  fuel  for 
the  cottager,  so  much  less  pasturage  and  litter  for  his  beast.  Daily  do  the  trains 
bring  the  labourer  from  the  eastern  counties  to  London  in  search  of  work,  but  the 
New  Forest  squatter  need  never  leave  his  home.  The  harmful  results  of  past  and 
present  encroachment  in  the  neighbourhood  of  large  towns  are  but  too  patent. 
Enfield  Chase,  Finchley  and  Hounslow  Commons,  are  such  only  in  name,  and  in 
reality  strongholds  of  the  suburban  jerry-builder.  The  lord  of  the  manor  still 
asserts  his  right  to  enclose  Fortune  Green  at  thickly  populated  West  Hampstead  ; 
and  Hayes  Common  to  the  south-east  of  the  metropolis  was  the  scene  of  stealthy 
encroachment  no  great  while  back.  A letter  recently  written  by  that  warm  friend 
of  the  cause  of  open  spaces.  Miss  Octavia  Hill,  which  is  quoted  here  by  her 
permission,  forms  a striking  commentary  on  the  whole  subject.  It  opens  up  a side 
of  the  (piestion  upon  which  Air.  Birkett  has  not  touched — the  fact  that  these 
encroachments  on  commons  and  footpaths  triumph  for  want  of  local  opposition. 

Let  an  ancient  footpath  be  threatened,  and  “ a meeting  of  the  inhabitants  in 
vestry  is  called  to  decide  on  whether  or  no  it  is  to  be  closed  ; the  law  allows 
the  question  to  be  decided  by  what  is  called  the  plural  vote,  unless  anybody  has 
spirit,  knowledge,  and  money  enough  to  oppose  at  quarter  .sessions.  The  plural 
vote  means  that  every  man  has  voles  according  to  the  value  of  his  property.  The 
matter  to  be  decided  involves  no  expenditure  of  rates,  where  a man  who  pays  most 
may  have  right  to  more  weight.  It  is  a (piestion  where  he  who  has  least  land  is 
most  concerned,  yet  a assessment  gives  one  vote,  and  every  additional 
assessment  gives  an  additional  vote,  with  a maximum  of  six.  So  that  this  year  we 
have  a footpath  being  closed — and  legally  closed — where  75  persons  voted 
against  the  closing,  and  46  for  it  ; for  the  46  cast  103  votes.”  Pending  alteration 
in  the  law,  the  only  thing  that  remains  to  be  done  is  to  intensify  local  opposi- 
tion by  meetings,  speeches  and  otherwise.  By  that  means  why  should  not  the 
75  be  doubled  and  the  footpath  saved  ? 

One  important  aspect  with  regard  to  open  spaces  has  been  overlooked  by  Air. 
Birkett.  The  sorry  part  played  till  lately  by  the  Commissioners  of  Woods  and 
Forests  with  regard  to  the  Royal  Parks  and  other  domains  has  been  matter  of 
indignant  comment.  Air.  Birkett  states,  truly,  that  the  War  Department  thought 
it  would  be  a nice  thing  to  place  a rifle  range  in  the  New  Forest,”  but  he  fails  to 
mention  that  the  Woods  and  Forests  Commissioners  had  a share  in  tiie  transaction. 
For  the  still  deplorable  condition  of  Kew  Ait,  the  latter,  too,  are  responsible. 

.Again,  let  us  suppose  that  by  order  of  the  same  body  Regent’s  Park  and  Rich- 
mond Park  were  to  be  shut  up  to-morrow.  Words  could  not  describe  the  just 
an'l  mighty  outcry  that  would  arise  ; illimitable  would  be  the  number  of  indignant 
epistles  daily  appearing  in  the  newspapers  ; crowded  the  meetings  nightly  held  in 
our  public  assembly  rooms  to  utter  one  and  the  same  protest,  and  to  pass  unani- 
mously one  and  the  same  resolution  against  such  an  act  of  tyranny.  The  recent 
happy  issue  of  the  New  Forest  difficulty  has  well-nigh  made  such  a contingency 
impossible  ; so  far  as  the  Royal  Parks  are  concerned,  the  gate  once  open  can 
never  be  shut.  But  what  about  the  gate  that  is  unopened  } 

Let  us  pass  down  the  High  Street  of  Kingston-on-Thames.  The  once  quaint 
old  borough  is  now  sharing  the  fate  of  all  neighbour  towns  and  villages  within 
twelve  miles  of  the  City.  Ugly  accretions  in  the  shape  of  monotonous  rows  of 
modern  villas  are  hemming  in  the  ancient  market-place,  and  the  venerable- church 
tower  that  keeps  guard  over  “ Father  Thames.”  The  river  crosserl,  we  soon  find 
ourselves  free  of  the  houses,  in  a road  overarched,  it  is  true,  with  trees,  but  flanked 
on  cither  side  with  ominously  high  walls  and  fences.  .-A  pleasant  walk,  indeed,  it 
is  along  this  road  on  the  evening  of  one  of  those  rare  days  in  spring,  which,  while 


92 


NATURE  NOTES. 


they  last,  make  our  climate  a paradise.  Pleasanter  still  would  it  be  if  those  lofty 
walls  could  be  scaled,  the  barred  gates  opened,  and  leave  be  given  to  stroll  at 
large  through  the  broad  meads  beyond  stretching  down  to  the  Thames.  Hampton 
Court  Paddocks  they  are  called,  but  Hampton  Court  Park  would  be  a nobler 
name.  By  all  means  let  the  dignified  pensioners  who  dwell  in  the  apartments  of 
the  once  royal  palace  continue  to  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  wandering  in  the  ample 
grounds  around  them,  but  let  them  share  their  delight  with  the  outer  world,  and 
especially  that  part  of  it  which  lies  just  across  the  stream  in  the  crowded  suburbs 
of  Kingston  and  Surbiton. 

It  was  but  the  other  day,  and  since  the  above  was  written,  that  a deputation 
of  the  leading  inhabitants  waited  on  Mr.  Shaw-Lefevre,  with  a petition  that  the 
paddocks  might  be  thrown  open  to  the  public,  and  the  result  was  a promise  that 
he  would  use  his  best  endeavour,  in  the  proper  quarter,  to  secure  the  opening  of 
as  much  of  the  domain  as  was  possible.  Such  a friend  of  the  Open  Spaces  Move- 
ment as  the  present  First  Commissioner  of  Works  may  safely  be  relied  upon  to 
give  the  matter  the  fullest  consideration — a consideration  that  will  surely. lead  to 
one  issue  only — the  abolition  of  such  an  anomaly  as  a royal  park  open  to  a select 
few  and  rigorously  barred  against  the  many. 

Here  we  leave  the  subject — one  fraught  with  deep  interest,  for  it  concerns  the 
welfare  of  the  nation  at  large.  Much  more  might  have  been  said,  but  our  only 
endeavour  has  been  to  throw  a side  light  on  some  of  the  difficulties,  encourage- 
ments, hopes,  and  fears,  of  those  who  work  in  the  cause  of  Open  Spaces. 

ARCIIIBAl.n  Cl.ARKE. 


SELBORNIANA. 

To  Chureli  Decorators. — May  I be  allowed  to  protest  against  what  seems  to 
me  to  be  a most  undesirable  novelty  in  church  decoration  ? I allude  to  the  digging 
up  of  primrose  plants — roots,  leaves,  flowers  and  all — and  using  them  embedded 
in  moss  for  the  adornment  of  the  base  of  the  font.  The  eventual  fate  of  the 
unhappy  flowers  I do  not  know,  but  as  they  were  used  in  a town  church,  it  is  not 
unlikely  that  they  were  simply  thrown  away. 

No  one  likes  to  see  a church  properl)"  decorated  more  than  I do,  and  of  all 
decorations  none  are  more  charming  and  cheering  than  those  of  the  Easter 
festival,  coming,  as  they  do,  after  the  gloom  of  Lent  ; but  surely  a line  might  be 
drawn  at  the  use  of  cut  flowers,  or  of  ordinary  plants  in  pots.  Moreover,  it  is 
quite  possible  that  the  primrose  roots  in  question  were  obtained  without  the  con- 
sent of  the  person  on  whose  land  they  grew,  and  were  like  some  holly,  of  which 
an  old-fashioned  clerk  once  said  in  my  hearing — “That’s  got  for  me,  and  I never 
asks  no  questions.”  Julian  G.  Tuck. 

Tostock  Rectory,  Bury  St.  Edmimds. 

Easter  Custom  at  Capri. — The  following  extract  from  a letter  just  re- 
ceived from  Capri  may  prove  of  interest : — 

“ They  have  a curious  custom  here,  w'hich  I believe  is  peculiar  to  Capri.  On  the 
Saturday  in  Holy  Week,  at  the  High  Mass,  the  people  bring  little  birds.  When 
the  ‘ Gloria  ’ begins  they  let  them  all  fly  in  the  church  as  a symbol  of  the 
Resurrection.  It  sounds  so  pretty  and  poetical,  but  we  went  to  see  it,  and  it  was 
so  sad  to  see  the  poor  little  birds — some  held  in  pocket-handkerchiefs,  some 
stuffed  into  boys’  pockets,  others  pinched  up  in  their  hands,  or  held  by  the  legs 
and  allowed  to  flutter  their  wings  ; some  could  not  fly  when  they  were  let  out, 
and  fell  down  to  the  ground  ; but  many  flew  up  to  the  roof  of  the  church,  trying 
to  perch  here  and  there.  What  happens  to  them  I do  not  know,  as  the  windows 
do  not  open.  They  say  the  priests  catch  them  and  eat  them  1 There  are  such 
lovely  little  birds  here,  and  they  shoot  them  all.  A man  brought  a quantity  (dead) 
to  sell  the  other  day — such  lovely  little  things  ! and  among  them  three  hoopoes.’ 

Is  there  no  branch  of  the  Society  in  Italy  which  might  use  its  influence  to  stop 
the  wholesale  slaughter  of  the  lovely  little  creatures? 

A'eiu/iouse,  Salisbury.  Mary  Eyre  Match.\m. 


SELBORNIANA. 


93 


A Merited  Rebuke. — The  Hackney  Mercury  of  April  Sth,  always  Sel- 
hornian,  contains  the  following  remonstrance  concerning  an  item  in  an  industrial 
exhibition  lately  held  at  Dalston.  The  exhibit  “ consisted  of  three  enormous 
cases,  the  butterflies  in  which  were  so  arranged  as  to  represent  respectively  a star, 
a Catherine  wheel,  and  an  heraldic  device.  To  say  with  any  degree  of  accuracy 
what  number  of  insects — and  portions  of  insects — must  have  been  used  in  the 
]jreparation  of  even  one  of  these  would  be  well  nigh  impossible,  but  we  should  not 
be  very  far  wrong  in  saying  that  they  could  be  reckoned  by  thousands.  As  a 
monument  of  industry  and  a marvel  of  constructive  workmanship  we  have  cer- 
tainly never  seen  their  etjual,  the  perfect  symmetry  of  the  insects  reminding  one 
of  nothing  so  much  as  the  carpet  bedding  which  is  so  familiar  a feature  of  our 
public  parks.  But  what  a terrible  carnage  is  represented  by  the  sum  total  of 
these  exhibits,  and  cui  bono  1 Nameless,  and  in  many  cases  mutilated  and  in 
unnatural  positions,  these  insects  are  valueless  as  an  aid  to  scientific  research, 
and,  so  far  as  we  can  see,  can  serve  no  earthly  purpose  than  that  of  giving 
evidence  of  indomitable  perseverance  and  skill  at  the  expense  of  some  of  the 
frailest  of  God’s  creatures.  It  is  just  this  wholesale  and  wanton  slaughter  of 
Nature’s  choicest  ornaments  that  the  Selborne  Society  seeks  to  prevent  a practice 
which  in  some  cases — notably  the  beautiful  swallowtail  butterfly — has  resulted  in 
the  partial  extinction  of  the  species.” 

A Selborne  Lecture. — On  Tuesday,  April  nth,  at  a meeting  of  the 
Young  -Men’s  Society  in  connection  with  Trinity  Presbyterian  Church,  Wimble- 
don, Mr.  G.  W.  Kirkaldy  read  an  essay  on  “Gilbert  White  of  Selborne.”  The 
essayist  briefly  sketched  White’s  life  history,  and  gave  a description  of  the  village 
and  the  more  outlying  parts  of  the  parish  ; also  a notice  of  the  various  animals 
mentioned  by  White  in  his  letters.  Reference  was  made  to  the  Selborne  Society 
and  the  good  work  it  was  doing,  and  prospectuses  were  distributed  among  the 
auditors. 

The  Egret  Again.  — The  Cornhill  Magazine  for  April  speaks  of  “ the 
miserable  fate  that  awaits  many  a beautiful  little  egret  just  when,  in  its  fairest 
dress,  it  sits  on  the  nest.  One  feather  firm,  we  are  told,  has  as  many  as  fifty  men 
employed  in  the  nesting  season  to  secure  those  feathers  that  milliners  call  aigrettes, 
which  are  so  much  worn  in  women’s  bonnets.  Some  will  tell  you  that  these  are 
chiefly  manufactured  from  goose  quills.  That  is  true  of  the  cheaper  ones,  but  the 
aigrette  in  a lady’s  bonnet  is  the  crowning  beauty  of  an  egret  mother.  The  col- 
lector waits  till  she  is  on  her  nest,  her  little  breast  full  of  peace,  and  the  young 
just  hatched,  so  that  the  mother  will  not  leave  them  easily,  though  alarmed.  He 
ruthlessly  seizes  her,  tears  off  her  crowning  plumes  and  her  wings,  and  then  throws 
her  down,  gasping,  torn  and  fluttering,  to  die  beside  her  little  ones,  who,  deprived 
of  her  fostering  care,  die  also  miserably.  Lately,  at  a meeting  of  anli-vivisec- 
tionists,  it  was  a curious  instance  of  ‘ the  evil  wrought  through  want  of  thought  ’ 
that  many  of  the  ladies  protesting  against  the  cruelty  of  vivisection  wore  those 
very  egret  plumes  in  their  bonnets.” 

Thrushes  and  Drink. — We  have  received  an  extremely  satisfactory  assu- 
rance from  the  London  County  Council  that  it  is  “ the  desire  of  the  Parks  Com- 
mittee of  the  Council  to  take  every  possilde  step  to  ]ireserve  bird  and  animal  life 
in  the  parks  under  their  control.”  The  Chief  Officer  of  the  Parks  and  Open 
Spaces  Sub-Uepartment  asks  for  .such  information  as  will  enable  him  to  investigate 
the  case  to  which  we  referred  at  p.  78.  Can  any  reader  supply  this? 

Lantern  Slides  (pp.  55,  77). — I do  not  know  if  it  would  be  possible  to 
photograph  cases  of  birds  successfully,  but  if  so  I cannot  imagine  a more  interest- 
ing lecture  than  one  that  could  be  illustrated  by  numbers  of  the  cases  of  birds  to 
be  seen  at  the  little  museum  belonging  to  Mr.  Mart,  of  Christchurch,  Hants.  The 
birds  are  just  as  you  would  see  them  in  life — the  stone-chat  on  the  top  of  a furze 
bush,  the  nest  of  eggs  in  the  mirlst  of  the  bush,  and  the  identical  piece  of  turf  the 
bush  grew  in  at  the  bottom  of  the  case  ; the  ringed  plover  on  the  pebbly  beach, 
her  four  babies  huddled  together,  evidently  about  to  disappear  in  the  sand  to  avoid 
the  intruder ; the  nightjar  nestling  amid  the  heather,  so  like  it  that  one  may  tread 
on  it  almost  without  seeing  it ; the  peregrine  in  the  haunt  it  has  frequented  for  at 


94 


NATURE  NOTES. 


least  a century,  the  exact  facsimile  of  its  present  surroundings  in  the  cliff  which 
Mr.  Hart  knows  so  well,  and  has  so  tenderly  watched  for  many  years.  And  so  I 
might  go  on  but  for  space.  I would  fain  take  all  nature-lovers  to  see  thi.s  collec- 
tion, and  if  possible  to  hear  the  thrilling  tales  of  bird  life  learned  in  Mr.  Hart’s 
own  experience.  The  next  best  thing  to  this  is  to  have  lantern  slides  of  them. 

Bournemoitth.  M.  E.  Cowl. 

[The  beautiful  cases  of  birds  similarly  treated  in  the  Natural  History  Museum 
would  serve  admirably  for  reproduction  on  slides.  We  hope  our  correspondent 
will  not  fail  to  pay  these  a visit  when  she  is  next  in  town. — Ed. 

A Plea  for  the  Hare.  — The  agitation  about  the  Royal  buckhounds  and 
the  hunted  hind  still  seems,  from  paragraphs  which  appear  in  the  press  from  time 
to  time,  to  hold  its  ground.  There  exists,  however,  a far  worse  form  of  cruelty, 
which,  so  far  as  I know,  is  ailowed  to  pass  unnoticed.  I allude  to  the  hunting  of 
hares  late  in  the  season.  That  this  w rong  is  wrought  solely  and  entirely  by  want  of 
thoughtis  not  questioned  for  a moment.  Thcpack  of  beagles  which  hunts  the  country 
lying  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Eton  belongs  to  a community  who  are  true  gentle- 
men all  round.  Were  they  convinced  of  the  unfairness  of  their  action,  it  is  certain 
that  they  would  be  the  last  to  practise  it.  Still,  year  after  year,  the  cruelty  goes 
on,  unheeded  and  unchecked.  For  the  poor  hunted  hare  there  is  neither  pity  nor 
closure  ; and  up  to  the  latest  days  in  Itlarch,  when  the  hare  is  breeding  and  often 
is  almost  too  heavy  to  run,  she  still  is  hunted.  This  very  season,  the  last  time  the 
beagles  were  out  in  the  tields  of  the  Dorney  and  Rurnham  Liberties  happened 
indeed  to  be  the  day  after  the  Easter  holidays  had  commenced.  It  is,  therefore, 
most  likely  that  the  master  of  the  pack,  being  absent,  knew  nothing  about  it. 

Hares  are  fond  of  wallflowers,  and  sometimes  they  feed  too  freely  upon  them 
when  they  run  into  tlie  garden  from  the  open  fields.  But  we  do  not  grudge  them  : 
and  to  discover  a hare  couched  snugly  in  the  orchard  grass  on  a sunny  March 
morning  is  always  a delight,  since  it  gives  a.ssurance  to  the  hope  that  our  territory 
is  often  as  a city  of  refuge  to  the  scared  and  panting  creatures. 

March  Hare. 

Domestication  of  Wood  Pigeons  (p.  38). — I was  much  interested  in 
lilr.  J.  Young’s  letter,  but  the  writer  confounds  “ domesticating  ” with  “ taming.” 
By  constant  care  and  attention  he  tamed  his  young  wood  pigeons,  but  they  were 
as  far  as  ever  from  being  domesticated.  As  in  a similar  case  recorded  by  Yarrell, 
the  eggs  laid  were  unproductive,  but,  had  they  been  fertile,  unless  subjected  to  the 
same  treatment  as  their  parents,  the  young  would  undoubtedly,  when  the  breeding 
time  arrived,  have  flown  away,  seeking  “ fresh  woods  and  pastures  new,”  never 
to  return.  So,  if  confined  and  continuing  to  breed,  would  their  children  and 
their  children’s  children  to  any  generation.  A wild  bird  may  be  tamed,  but  he 
never  can  be  domesticated. 

•Should  Mr.  Young,  however,  again  bring  up  young  wood  pigeons  from  the 
nest,  I venture  to  ofler  him  a hint.  He  says  that  in  feeding  them  he  “ forced 
boiled  peas  down  their  throats.”  In  so  doing  he  must  have  forced  their  deli- 

cate beaks  asunder,  for  I am  certain  that  they  would  never  have  voluntarily  opened 
them,  and  I wonder  that  he  did  not  dislocate  the  jaw  or  break  the  soft  beak 
in  so  doing.  Now  the  pigeon  feeds  its  young  in  a manner  the  exact  opposite 
to  that  of  any  other  bird.  Yarrell  says:  “The  parent  birds  insert  their  own 
beak  between  the  mandibles  of  the  young  bird,  thus  feeding  them  with  a pulpy 
mass  already  half-digested.”  This  is  entirely  wrong.  The  youn"  birds  insert 
their  mandibles  into  those  of  the  old  ones,  forcing  their  heads  half  down  the 
mother's  throat,  and  frequently  making  the  edges  bleed  in  their  frantic  efforts  to 
get  at  their  food.  Fifty  years  ago  I pointed  this  out  to  Yarrell,  but  though  a 
wonderful  compiler  he  was  not  much  of  a naturalist,  and  as  he  could  not  find  the 
fact  recorded  in  any  book  he  simply  ignored  it,  and  I daresay  the  error  has  been 
repeated  in  after  editions  of  his  really  valuable  work.  Other  difterences  are  these  : 
(l)  The  pigeon  has  no  gall-bladder  ; (2)  it  drinks,  not  like  birds  in  general,  lifting 
up  their  heads  to  let  the  water  trickle  down,  but  as  the  beasts  do,  by  suction.  Its 
mode  of  feeding  its  young  I have  mentioned.  The  droppings,  again,  are  void  of 
oft'ence,  and  are  used,  practically,  as  lining  for  the  slight  fabric  that  dees  duty  for 
a nest,  rendering  it  warm  and  solid  when  the  young  are  hatched.  Other  dif- 
ferences there  are,  but  to  class  the  bird  amongst  the  Rasores,  as  Yarrell  does. 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES.  95 


is  manifestly  absurd.  This  class,  of  which  our  barndoor  fowls  are  types— as  their 
name  (scratchers)  implies  — get  their  living  and  feed  their  young  by  scralchin^  la 
the  earth.  Pigeons  have  weak  legs  and  toes,  quite  useless  for  scratching  or  running, 
in  which  the  Kasores— partridges,  pheasants,  &c.  for  instance— excel.  Birds  of 
that  class  roost  and  nest  on  the  ground — pigeons  on  trees.  The  Rasores  lay 
many  eggs  — pigeons  two  only.  The  Rasores  are  polygamous — pigeons  mono- 
gamous. In  fact,  Mr.  Yarrell  might  just  as  well  have  classed  them  with  the 
Falconidre  or  the  Corvidae  as  with  the  Rasores,  with  which  they  have  not  any 
one  point  of  affinity. 

Geoiuie  Roofer. 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES. 

Rooks  in  Kensington  Gardens. — Mr.  T.  Digby  Pigott,  whose  book 
on  London  birds  we  noticed  last  December,  writes  to  the  Times: — “ If,  in  these 
crowded  days,  you  can  spare  a corner  in  your  columns  to  record  proceedings  ot  a 
London  Parliament  other  than  that  now  occupied  with  high  matters  at  West- 
minster, it  may  interest  some  of  your  readers  to  learn — if  they  have  not  ahead}- 
discovered  the  fact  for  themselves — that  the  rooks  have  decreed  that  nesting  is 
again  to  be  allowed  in  Kensington  Gardens. 

“The  Kensington  rookery  in  its  palmy  days  contained  a hundred  nests  or 
more  ; and  as  lately  as  1878  or  1879  from  thirty  to  forty  were  commonly  to  be 
counted.  But  the  wholesale  felling  of  ancestral  elms  a few  years  ago  was  a slight 
which  could  not  be  passed  over,  and  since  then — until  last  year,  when  one  pair 
built  obscurely  in  the  south-west  corner — not  a rook  has,  I believe,  bred  in  the 
Gardens.  At  the  present  time  there  are  eleven  nests  in  a more  or  less  ‘ forward 
state  of  preparation;’  and,  as  the  sun  set  behind  the  Palace  this  evening,  some 
tifteen  couples  were  indulging  in  their  usual  games  in  the  air  before  settling  in  for 
the  night. 

“The  tribal  laws  which  regulate  the  family  affairs  of  rooks  are  stringent  and 
rigidly  enforced  ; and  though  an  inexperienced  pair  may  every  now  and  then  be 
foolish  enough  to  fancy  themselves  free  to  build  outside  the  bounds  prescribed,  it  is 
commonly  only  to  learn  to  their  cost  that,  with  birds,  laws  are  made  to  be  obeyed. 
The  numbers  of  the  new  colony,  the  abandonment  of  the  last  year’s  nest  in  the 
corner,  and  the  bold  occupation  of  the  old  site,  are  proofs  presumptive  that  the 
return  of  the  exiles  is  with  the  sanction  of  constituted  authority,  and  we  may  look 
forward  with  confidence  to  seeing  the  re-established  rookery  increased  in  size  next 
spring.'’ 

Rooks  at  Hampstead. — The  suggestion  that  a census  should  be  taken 
of  all  new  nests  this  year  in  London  rookeries  is  a good  one,  but  I am  inclined  to 
think  that  in  some  of  the  larger  rookeries  it  would  be  somewhat  difficult  to  carry 
out.  A strict  observation  would  have  to  be  made  daily,  for  rooks  are  most 
capricious  in  their  nesting  operations,  often  beginning  a nest,  and  pulling  it  to 
pieces  when  finished,  or  deserting  it  for  another  locality.  They  also  make  use  of 
the  last  season’s  nests,  which  they  often  renovate  ; in  some  instances  they  build 
on  the  top  of  one  of  the  old  nests,  making  it  a difficult  matter  to  know  whether  it 
is  inhabited  or  not.  During  the  last  few  years  I have  noticed  a strong  migratory 
tendency  among  the  rooks  of  Hampstead.  The  largest  rookery  at  present  is  close 
to  the  High  Street  and  now  contains  fourteen  nests,  all  of  which  appear  to  be 
inhabited.  This  rookery  two  or  three  years  ago  was  almost  deserted,  when 
several  new  nests  appeared  in  the  trees  at  the  bottom  of  Haverstock  Hill,  built  no 
doubt  by  the  recruits  from  Hampstead.  Not  finding  this  place  all  they  desired 
they  have  been  gradually  coming  back  to  Hampstead,  and  this  year  there  has  not 
been  one  nest  make  at  Haverstock  Hill.  Last  year  for  the  fust  time  three  nests 
were  built  in  the  elms  at  the  top  of  the  grove  near  the  White  Stone  Pond, 
Hampstead,  which  seemed  a suitable  place  for  a rookery  to  be  established  ; but  for 
reasons  known  to  themselves  they  have  this  year  deserted  the  place,  and  have 


NATURE  NOTES. 


96 

now  established  themselves  in  the  trees  by  Christ  Church,  a few  hundred  yards 
away,  where  to-day  I counted  eight  new  nests.  In  the  early  spring  several  rooks 
were  to  be  seen  every  day  surveying  the  trees  in  Gainsbury  Gardens,  not  far  away, 
and  commenced  to  build  several  nests,  but  suddenly  in  one  of  their  capricious  moods 
they  forsook  the  place  for  the  trees  at  Christ  Church,  and  only  one  solitary  nest 
remains.  The  total  number  of  nests  now  occupied  in  Hampstead  is  twenty-three, 
being  six  to  eight  more  than  last  year.  James  E.  Whiting. 

Toad  infested  with.  Larvae. — During  the  summer  of  1891,  whilst  walking 
down  a Surrey  lane  near  Redhill,  I came  across  a toad  which,  on  my  approach, 
assumed  a very  curious  attitude,  placing  its  head  between  its  front  legs  and  under 
its  body,  precisely  as  though  it  was  about  to  turn  a somersault.  On  taking  it  up 
and  examining  it,  I observed  that  its  nose  was  sore  and  bleeding,  and  I concluded 
some  cat  or  dog  had  been  attacking  it.  Placing  the  poor  creature  in  my  handbag, 
I brought  it  home,  gave  it  a bath,  and  turned  it  into  the  back  garden,  expecting  to 
find  it  better  in  the  morning.  On  carefully  examining  it  again  I found  it  to  be 
much  worse,  and  that  its  nostrils  were  filled  and  partly  eaten  away  by  the  larva?  of 
some  dipterous  insect.  Getting  a pair  of  fine  forceps,  I extracted  no  less  than 
eleven  large  larvae  from  the  poor  creature’s  head.  These  eleven  larvae  had  doubt- 
less caused  the  poor  animal  much  pain  and  injury,  for  it  never  seemed  to  enjoy 
vigorous  health  afterwards,  eventually  dying  last  month.  I would  like  to  know  if 
toads  are  subject  to  the  att.icks  of  dipterous  insects,  and  what  is  the  particular 
species  which  thus  attacks  them.  Robert  Corner. 

[Mr.  W.  F.  Kirby  has  kindly  supplied  us  with  the  followdng  note: — “Many 
accounts  have  been  pulrlished  of  frogs  and  toads  having  been  found  with  their 
heads  infested  with  dipterous  larvce  on  the  Continent,  chiefly  in  France  and 
Belgium.  The  fly  is  called  Liicilia  l/tifoiiivoi-a,  but  is  believed  to  be  identical 
with  L.  sylvonan,  a species  found  in  most  parts  of  Europe,  including  England. 
It  is,  however,  very  probable  that  more  than  one  species  attacks  frogs  and  toads 
in  this  manner,  and  I think  it  is  still  undecided  w'hether  they  attack  healthy  or 
only  diseased  or  injured  individuals.  The  Entomologists'  Monthly  Magazine  for 
January,  1892,  contains  a paper  on  the  subject  of  dipterous  larva?  attacking  toads 
in  Wales.  In  this  case  the  insect  appears  to  have  been  a species  of  Calliphora 
(blowfly),  and  not  a I.ncilia  (flesh-fly).” — Ed.  rV.W.] 

Early  Hawthorn  Buds. — I enclose  some  well-developed  buds  of  hawthorn 
blossom,  gathered  from  the  west  side  of  a hedge.  Is  not  this  most  unusual  for 
March  ? Gooseberries  are  in  bloom  ; larches  are  green  and  ornamented  with 
scarlet  cones  well  formed.  E.  M.  Bell  Irving. 

Mayfield,  Sussex. 

Curious  Behaviour  of  a Great  Tit.— On  Sunday  morning,  March  19th, 
a great  tit  was  observed  pecking  and  tapping  at  a passage  window,  and  from  that 
time  up  to  the  present  date  (April  loth)  he  has  come  daily  at  dawn,  and  continued 
liis  operation  of  flying  up  and  down  and  pecking  at  the  glass.  The  bird  seems  to 
have  a preference  for  this  passage  window,  before  which  there  is  continual  passing 
to  and  fro,  but  he  often  visits  others,  and  until  late  afternoon  is  never  long  absent 
from  the  house.  Once  the  tit  came  into  a dressing-room  and  rested  in  a boot, 
and  has  twice  besides  entered  the  house  for  a few  minutes,  but  he  show'ed  no 
inclination  to  slay,  and  he  seems  to  prefer  closed  to  open  windows.  The  bird 
takes  no  notice  of  scraps  of  fat,  &c. , hung  out  for  him,  and  unless  he  comes  after 
insects  invisible  to  the  human  eye,  we  are  quite  at  a loss  to  discover  his  object. 
It  has  been  suggested  that  as  the  bird  seems  solitary,  he  is  attracted  by  his  own 
reflection  in  the  wdndow.  Can  any  other  reasons  be  suggested  for  the  bird’s  con- 
duct ? A.  F'.  B. 

Rogatc  Idcarage,  Petersfield. 

Cockchafers  (p.  57). — A species  of  cockchafer,  locally  termed  “ May-bugs,” 
swarmed  last  summer  about  the  high  ground  at  Hextable,  in  North  Kent,  appearing 
in  the  evening  after  sun  down  round  the  bushes  and  trees,  and  falling  down  the 
chimneys  of  the  house  where  I resided.  A.  CocKS. 

Rust  hail,  7'unOridge  Wells. 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES.  97 


Sagacity  of  a Sow. — We  are  indebted  to  the  owner  of  this  intelligent 
sow  for  the  following  account: — “Before  railway  communication  was  laid  to 
Prince  Albert,  Saskatchewan,  Canada,  the  settlers  were  very  careful  to  be  well 
supplied  with  live  stock,  and  the  many  and  large  farms  in  the  Saskatchewan 
District  possessed  some  very  fine  specimens  of  domestic  animals.  The  subject  of 
this  anecdote,  however,  was  remarkable  neither  for  breed,  appearance  or  any 
other  animal  qualifications.  She  was  a sow,  w’hose  owners,  as  is  often  the  case 
with  the  Irish  peasantry,  made  a pet  of  and  spoiled  her.  One  day  a bucket  of 
bran  mash  was  brought  to  the  yard  to  the  cow,  waiting  patiently  for  her  daily 
portion.  The  sow  showed  herself  slighted  at  not  being  served  first,  and  grunted 
and  sniffed  around  several  times,  vainly  trying  to  get  her  nose  near  the  coveted 
food.  After  a time  she  was  seen  to  disappear,  and  in  a few  moments  returned 
with  as  much  sweet  hay  as  she  could  carry  in  her  mouth.  She  placed  the  hay  on 
the  ground  close  to  the  bucket,  when  ‘Daisy’  the  cow  immediately  lifted  her 
head  to  see  whether  she  could  have  anything  better  than  bran.  This  was  all 
piggy  wanted:  she  took  possession  of  the  food,  and  soon  finished  the  contents  of 
the  bucket  in  spite  of  poke,  pushes,  &c.,  from  the  disappointed  and  vanquished 
cow.  ” 

The  Natterjack  Toad  (pp.  58,  78). — The  only  toad  found  in  Ireland  is  the 
Natterjack  or  Cornish  toad,  and  this  only  in  one  limited  district  at  the  east  end  of 
Dingle  Bay.  The  district  is  known  as  Ross  Begh  ; thirty  years  ago  it  was  plenti- 
ful there,  and  doubtless  it  is  so  still;  this  is  at  the  south  side  of  Dingle  Bay,  but  I 
have  been  told  that  the  toad  is  also  found  at  the  northern  side.  Our  common 
brown  toad  is  not  a native  of  Ireland,  and  there  is  a tradition,  although  a very 
doubtful  one,  that  the  frog  was  introduced  in  the  reign  of  (jueen  Elizabeth  by 
some  of  the  professors  of  Trinity  College,  Dublin,  who  brought  the  spawn  from 
England  and  placed  it  in  the  ditches  in  the  College  Barks,  having  previously 
failed  in  the  introduction  of  live  frogs.  There  is  no  snake  of  any  species  known  in 
Ireland  ; the  gieen  lizard  (Lacerta  agilis)  is  occasionally  found,  and  the  smooth 
newt  is  common  in  the  midland  counties.  I am  not  aware  of  the  waited  newt 
being  a native,  the  mole  is  not  a native,  the  badger  is  very  rare,  and  the  black  rat, 
if  not  extinct,  is  very  nearly  so. 

Robt.  J.  Lecky. 

Spring  Flowers  at  Bath. — As  the  time  of  the  flowering  of  plants  affords 
one  of  the  best  indications  of  the  mildness  or  otherwise  of  the  season,  and  as  the 
glorious  spring  weather  we  have  been  enjoying  of  late  is  quite  out  of  the  common, 
I have  jotted  down  a few  notes  of  Hovers  which  I have  seen  or  gathered  within 
the  last  few  weeks  in  the  neighbouihood  of  Bath,  which  I venture  to  send  think- 
ing that  they  may  be  useful  for  reference  in  years  to  come.  On  Good  Friday, 
March  31st,  I observed  in  flower  between  Bath  and  Kelston,  ground  ivy,  ladysmock, 
red  campion  ; blackthorn  and  bullace  were  in  full  flower  in  the  hedgerows,  and 
gave  an  indescribable  charm  to  a very  pretty  landscape.  Daffodils  and  marsh 
marigolds  have  been  in  flower  in  St.  Catherine’s  Valley  for  more  than  a month. 
Our  charming  little  park  is  looking  lovely  at  the  present  time.  The  almond  trees 
have  been  in  flower  for  some  ten  days.  Cherry  trees,  both  single  and  double 
flowered,  are  displaying  an  abundance  of  bloom.  Yesterday,  April  5th, I observed 
Darwin’s  barberry  {Berberis  Darwinii),  Pyrus  japonica  and  the  purple  magnolia 
(Magnolia  pitrpurea)  in  flower.  The  Glastonbury  thorns  (Crata:gus  Oxyacantita, 
var.  pracox)  will  soon  be  in  flower.  The  white  petals,  though  not  yet  unfolded, 
are  visible.  These  early  thorns  are  quite  a fortnight  in  advance  of  the  other 
whitethorns  in  the  park.  The  following  extract  from  Gilbert  White’s  Sdbonie 
will  serve  to  show  the  normal  time  of  the  flowering  of  some  of  the  plants  re- 
ferred to. 

“Naturalists’  Calendar:  — Daffodil  fl.  February  24th,  April  2nd.  Marsh 
Marigold  fl.  March  20th,  April  14th.  Wild  Cherry  fl.  April  l8th.  May  12th. 
Barberry  Tree  fl.  May  17th,  May  26th.  Ground  Ivy  fl.  April  3rd,  May  15th.” 
Bath.  W.  G.  Wheatcroft. 

A Pet  Lamb. — Last  March  the  shepherd  brought  home  two  little  lambs. 
They  were  half-starved  little  things  ; their  mother  had  been  unable  to  stand,  and 
was  now  dead.  They  were  kept  warm  and  dry  in  a small  shed  and  fed  by  hand 


NATURE  NOTES. 


98 

from  a bottle  of  milk.  One  of  them,  however,  grew  gradually  weaker  and  was 
soon  quite  prostrate.  The  little  sister  tried  in  vain  to  make  her  little  companion 
come  out  in  the  sun,  and  then  stood  bleating  at  the  gate.  “ Lily  ” (as  the  children 
called  her)  could  nibble  a little  grass,  and  might  be  seen  daily  on  the  Green.  She 
is  one  year  and  one  month  old  now,  and  her  fleece  is  splendid.  She  follows  the 
children  up  and  down  the  road,  walks  demurely  at  the  side  when  the  children 
walk  in  procession  from  the  school  gate  to  the  lych  gate  of  the  church  yard,  and 
seems  quite  hurt  and  astonished  at  being  turned  back  there.  If  the  school-gate  be 
left  open,  she  comes  bleating  up  the  path  and  into  the  school-room  if  she  finds  the 
door  open.  She  wears  a blue  ribbon  and  a bell,  and  the  children  pet  her  and  hug 
and  kiss  her,  and  save  their  money  to  buy  her  “ sweets,”  of  which  she  is  very  fond. 
She  feeds  on  the  Green,  but  is  fed  with  nraize  twice  a day.  If  she  is  hungry  she 
finds  her  way  into  the  house  and  into  the  pantry  and  “asks”  for  food,  even  sniff- 
ing at  the  bread-pan.  In  the  dinner-hour  she  has  gambols  with  the  children  on 
the  Green.  She  runs  after  them  and  then  leaps  in  the  air  for  pure  fun.  When 
she  finds  the  children  are  going  into  school,  and  the  gate  is  shut  in  her  face,  she 
gallops  off  home  and  calls  out  for  someone  to  come  out  and  talk  to  her.  If  any 
sl?-aage  hens  should  wander  into  her  little  yard  she  knows  them  to  be  intruders 
(though  there  are  many  hens),  and  promptly  drives  them  out.  She  follows  the 
children  up  and  down  the  lane,  and  sometimes  has  to  be  shut  up  in  the  yard  to 
keep  her  from  going  with  them  to  Aylesbury  ! In  the  holidays  she  misses  the 
children,  and  stands  bleating  at  the  school  gate.  Indeed,  last  Christmas  the 
children  told  me,  “ Lily  missed  you  so  much,  Governess,  she  would  not  eat  her 
food.”  It  was  certainly  curious  that  when  she  failed  to  find  the  children  in  the 
school,  she  went  over  to  the  church-yard  gate  and  listened  there  for  them.  And 
on  .Sunday  evening,  when  all  the  folks  are  gone  to  church  or  for  a walk  away 
from  the  village,  Lily  goes  disconsolately  up  and  down  in  front  of  the  cottages, 
bleating.  Ag.nes  W.  IIakte. 

Hulcoie,  Aylesbury. 

Disappearance  of  Rooks’  Nests  (p.  36). — There  was  formerly  a large 
and  historic  rookeiy  in  the  old  elms  of  Wombwell  Park,  near  Gravesend.  In  1887 
the  rooks  took  their  departure,  and  removed  by  degrees  every  vestige  of  their  nests. 
^Vs  during  the  succeeding  year  a new  rookery  was  formed  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
St-uthfleet,  about  a mile  distant,  it  is  presumable  that  at  least  part  of  the  rooks 
settled  there,  but  it  has  been  supposed  that  some  of  them  joined  another  rookery 
in  the  ground  of  Perrock  Hall,  a mile,  or  rather  more,  to  the  east  of  their  ancient 
settlement.  Various  were  the  conjectures  as  to  the  cause  of  this  migration,  but  I 
think  a very  probable  one  is  that  the  rooks  were  offended  at  the  noise  that  attended 
some  festivities  held  in  the  Park  on  the  occasion  of  Her  Majesty’s  Jubilee. 

Gravesend.  J.  R.  S.  Clifford. 

Hardiness  of  Canaries. — I have  had  these  last  two  winters  a proof  of 
the  hardiness  of  canaries.  I turned  out  a large  number  of  these  birds  into  an 
aviary  in  my  garden  after  the  breeding  season  was  over,  and  allowed  them  to 
remain  there  until  the  spring.  It  is  only  now  that  I have  brought  them  into  the 
house,  and  put  them  in  cages  for  pairing.  I should  say  that  the  aviary,  made  of 
thick  wire,  is  placed  against  a wall,  the  roof  only  partially  covered,  and  the  outer 
side  wholly  exposed.  This  last  winter  in  its  earlier  part  was  very  severe,  but 
though  there  was  a hard  frost,  and  snow  was  driven  through  the  wire,  and  a 
coating  of  ice  lay  on  the  drinking  pans,  the  canaries  did  not  sufler,  and  have  been 
.singing  as  merrily  for  some  months  just  as  though  there  were  no  winter  in  the 
world,  and  the  season  was  eternal  spring.  Last  summer  I left  some  pairs  in  the 
aviary,  and  they  built  nests,  laid  eggs,  and  hatched  their  young.  As  there  were 
other  birds  in  the  aviary,  bullfinches,  chaffinches,  and  greenfinches,  the  canaries 
were  a good  deal  disturbed,  and  their  nests  were  sometimes  pulled  to  pieces,  so 
that  I cannot  say  they  were  as  successful  in  rearing  their  young  as  they  are  when 
jilaced  in  separate  cages,  two  and  two.  This  year  1 have  only  left  one  pair  in 
the  aviary,  ami  there  are  in  it  fewer  English  birils,  for,  strange  to  say,  though 
what  are  considered  the  more  delicate  birds  survived  the  wind  and  rain  and  snow, 
two  or  three  goldfinches  and  chaffinches,  and  one  bullfinch,  died.  It  is  an 
interesting  question  whether  canaries  could  be  so  .acclimatised  as  to  live  out 
altogether  in  the  open  air  in  this  country,  though  one  fears  they  might  be  unable 


OFFICIAL  NOTICES. 


99 


to  find  proper  food  and  sufficient  for  their  wants,  and  no  doubt  they  would  meet 
with  enemies  from  which  they  would  find  a difficulty  in  escaping,  while  their 
colour  would  expose  them  to  the  cruelty  of  boys,  and  the  snare  of  the  bird- 
catcher.  Charles  D.  Bell,  D.D. 

7Ae  Rectory,  Cheltenham. 

Nightingales  in  Surrey. — I have  been  reading  Charles  Kingsley’s  “A 
Charm  of  Birds  ” in  his  Prose  Idylls,  which  has  created  a desire  to  hear  the 
nightingale — a pleasure  denied  us  Northerners.  As  I hope  to  spend  the  third 
week  of  May  “ tramping”  about  Surrey,  could  you  tell  me  through  the  pages  of 
your  Magazine  any  likely  places  where  I might  hear  Philomel  ? 

North  Shields.  J.  Dawson. 

[We  submitted  our  correspondent’s  inquiry  to  Mr.  J.  E.  I farting,  who 
kindly  sends  the  following  reply.  \\’e  believe  nightingales  may  still  be  heard  in 
Kew  Gardens.  “Your  correspondent  should  buy  a copy  of  the  late  Louis  Jennings’s 
pleasant  volume  Field  Paths  and  Green  Lanes;  being  country  -walks,  chiejly  in 
Surrey  and  Sussex,  published  by  Murray,  and  if  he  will  follow  the  routes  indi- 
cated in  chap.  xvii.  — Reigate,  Gatton  Park,  and  Pilgrim’s  Way  ; and  chap.  xix. — 
Ewhurst,  Albury  and  Chilworth,  he  will  doubtless  have  many  opportunities  of 
hearing  the  nightingale,  provided  that  the  weather  be  propitious,  and  not  windy. 
These  birds  like  the  still  warm  weather  best,  and  are  to  be  looked  for  in  tangled 
thickets  and  copses  rather  than  in  open  woods,  and  especially  in  proximit)'  to 
streams  with  woody  banks.”] 


OFFICIAL  NOTICES. 

Annual  General  Meeting. — The  date  of  the  Annual  General  Meeting  of 
the  Society  has  been  altered  to  Wednesday,  May  loth,  when  it  will  be  held  at 
the  rooms  of  the  Royal  Society  of  British  Artists,  Suffolk  Street,  Pall  Mall,  at  8 
o’clock.  An  address  will  be  given  by  the  President  elect,  and  it  is  hoped  that  Sir 
Richard  Temple  and  other  prominent  Selbornians  will  be  present.  The  rooms 
of  the  Royal  Society  of  British  Artists  now  contain  the  Spring  Exhibition  of  pic- 
tures, which  will  be  open  to  members  and  their  friends.  Mr.  J.  M.  Coward, 
assisted  by  some  well-known  artistes,  has  kindly  undertaken  to  give  a concert 
during  the  evening.  The  Council  hopes  that  all  members  who  may  be  in  town 
will  make  a point  of  being  present. 

Excursion  to  Selborne,  June  24TH. — Tickets  may  now  be  had  of  the 
Secretary,  9,  Adam  Street,  Adelphi,  W.C.  For  the  railway  journey,  4s.  ; for 
luncheon,  2s.  6d.  ; for  the  ride,  4s.  6d.  Tickets  for  the  ride  will  be  transferable. 
Two  persons  can  take  one  between  them  and  each  ride  one  way.  It  is  absolutely 
necessary  for  the  efficient  working  of  the  excursion  that  early  notice  should  be 
given  to  the  Secretary  by  persons  wishing  to  join.  Applications  should  in  every 
case  be  accompanied  by  a stamped  and  addressed  envelope.  The  excursion  is 
not  restricted  to  members  of  the  Society.  Any  person  introduced  by  a Selbornian 
will  be  welcomed. 

Badge. — Many  members  have  thought  it  desirable  that  they  should  have  some 
badge  which  may  be  worn  on  field  days,  general  meetings,  conversaziones,  tS:c. 
The  Council  have  adopted  the  forget-me-not  as  a suitable  token,  and  this  has  been 
woven  into  a design  as  the  badge  of  the  Selborne  Society.  The  Council  hopes 
that  as  many  members  as  possible  will  order  them  at  an  early  date,  so  that  they 
may  receive  them  in  time  for  excursion  and  general  meeting.  Orders  to  be  sent 
through  local  secretaries  to  Mr.  Fullwood,  Coomb  House,  .Stanmore  Road, 
Richmond,  .S.W.,  or  in  the  case  of  members  unattached  to  branches,  to  the 
Secretary,  9,  Adam  Street,  Adelphi,  W.C.  The  price  of  the  brooch  will  be  3s., 
and  of  the  pin  is.  6d. 


A.  J.  Western,  Secretary. 


ICO 


NATURE  NOTES. 


THE  SELBORNE  SOCIETY. 

The  object  of  the  Selborne  Society  is  to  unite  lovers  of  Nature  for  the  follow- 
ing purposes  : — 

The  protection  from  unnecessary  destruction  of  Wild  Birds,  Animals  and 
Plants  ; 

The  protection  of  places  and  objects  of  Antiquarian  Interest  or  Natural  Beauty  ; 
The  promotion  of  the  Study  of  Natural  History. 

The  mi/iimum  Annual  Subscription  (which  entitles  the  subscriber  to  a 
monthly  copy  of  the  Society’s  Magazine)  is  2s.  6d. 

All  particulars  as  to  membership  may  be  obtained  from  the  Secretary  of  the 
Selborne  Society,  9,  Adam  Street,  Adelphi. 


TO  CORRESPONDENTS. 

J.  L.  Brain. — (l)  Raumlina  farinacea ; (2)  Peltigera  canina  (a  lichen,  not 
a fungus)  ; (3)  Nectria  cinnabarma.  It  is  difficult  to  answer  your  other  question, 
except  by  saying  that  all  such  things  are  “ of  interest.” 

W.  J.  S. — It  is  impossible  to  guess  in  the  absence  of  specimens ; but  the 
stings  of  the  same  insects  differ  greatly  in  virulence  at  different  times. 

fcj.  P.  H. — Ves,  there  is  some  latitude  in  the  use  of  the  terms,  and  individual 
exceptions  (as  the  pimpernel  you  send)  often  occur. 

Wackford. — We  are  afraid  there  is  no  royal  road  to  the  knowledge  which 
you  seek ; the  only  way  is  to  become  well  acquainted  with  the  common  objects, 
and  then  to  obtain  some  recognised  text  book. 

E.  J.  Gorke. — It  is  Lamb’s  Lettuce. 

L.  L. — The  Balsam  Poplar  {Popiilus  balsamifera). 

E.  H.  C. — Yes,  the  Angora  and  Persian  cats  are  practically  the  same,  though 
the  latter  has  a longer  tail  and  larger  head.  See  Mr.  Harrison  Weir’s  Our  Cals, 
reviewed  in  Nature  Notes  for  September,  1890.  We  are  not  aware  that 
“ frogs  are  the  common  enemies  of  toads.” 

F.  G-.  S. — It  was  the  Blackthorn  (which  has  been  remarkably  fine  this  year), 
not  the  Hawthorn,  which  you  saw  in  full  bloom  on  April  5th. 

M.  A.  S. — Kindly  send  your  name  and  address. 

Contributions  for  any  number  shoidd  reach  the  Editor,  James  Britten, 
F.L.S.,  18,  West  Square,  London,  S.E.,  not  later  than  the  X’^th  of  the  month. 
The  Editor  cannot  undertake  to  insert  any  communication  in  the  number  for  the- 
month  following,  in  cases  where  this  rule  is  not  complied  with. 

When  it  is  particularly  requested,  MSS.  not  accepted  will  be  returned,  if 
stamps  sufficient  to  pay  the  postage  are  sent  for  that  purpose.  In  every  case 
contributions  must  be  accompanied  by  the  name  and  address  of  the  writer. 

Queries  on  any  points  connected  with  Botany,  Zoology,  or  other  branches  of 
Natural  History,  will  be  answered  ; but  the  Editor  cannot  undertake  to  reply 
through  the  post,  even  w’hen  a stamp  is  enclosed  for  the  purpose.  Specimens 
sent  for  identification  will  be  named,  if  sent  carefully  packed  and  in  good  con- 
dition, and  if  sent  to  the  Editor,  but  w-e  cannot  undertake  to  return  them. 

We  shall  be  glad  to  notice  any  books  bearing  upon  Natural  History  in  any  of 
its  branches,  and  to  direct  attention  to  magazine  articles  of  the  same  kind,  if 
these  are  sent  to  us.  Publishers  will  confer  a favour  upon  our  readers  if  they  will 
always  state  the  price  of  any  volumes  they  may  send,  in  order  that  it  may  be 
quoted  in  the  notice.  This  addition  is  much  appreciated  by  our  readers,  and 
is  desirable  in  the  interest  of  the  volumes  themselves. 

It  is  particularly  requested  that  subscriptions  and  letters  connected  with 
business,  as  well  as  the  names  of  those  wishing  to  join  the  proposed  excursion 
to  Selborne  on  June  24th,  should  not  be  forwarded  to  the  Editor,  but  to  the 
.Secretary  of  the  Selborne  Society,  9,  Adam  Street,  Adelphi,  W.C. 
Editorial  communications,  specimens,  and  books  for  review  should  be  addressed 
to  Mr.  Britten,  as  above. 


IRatiue  IRotes: 

Z[)c  Selborne  Society’s  ^lP)aoa3inc. 


No.  42. 


JUNE,  1893. 


VoL.  IV. 


A VISIT  TO  SELBORNE. 

T had  long  been  my  desire  to  visit  Selborne  and  see  the 
home  of  Gilbert  VVhite,  the  church,  the  village,  and  all 
the  surroundings  of  his  interesting  life.  It  was  there- 
fore with  a keen  sense  of  pleasure  that  I was  able,  this 
spring,  to  carry  out  that  desire. 

Starting  from  the  Royal  Anchor  Hotel  at  Liphook,  a charm- 
ingly quaint  old  hostelry,  where  a truly  Selbornian  spirit  reigns, 
we  were  soon  winding  our  way  through  the  shades  of  Woolmer 
Forest.  The  pine  trees  and  the  yellow  gorse  filling  the  air  with 
their  rich  spicy  fragrance,  drawn  out  by  a brilliant  sun,  while 
a slight  blue  haze  gave  a fuller  beauty  to  the  lovely  scenery 
around.  Woolmer  Forest  is  said  to  extend  seven  miles  in  length, 
and  takes  its  name  from  Wolf’s-Mere,  pointing  back  to  a time 
when  no  doubt  wolves  existed  here;  the  local  names  of  Cranmer 
and  Hogmer  have  a similar  origin,  although  cranes  and  wild 
boars  have  long  ceased  to  exist  in  our  island. 

The  prolonged  drought  did  not  seem  to  have  affected  Wool- 
mer pond,  which  has  an  area  of  sixty-six  acres,  and  is  a favourite 
winter  resort  of  many  kinds  of  v,^ild  fowl.  To  the  left  we  see 
a tree-crowned  height,  called  Hollywater  Clump  ; well-grown 
ancient  hollies  seem,  indeed,  to  abound  in  this  region,  and  doubt- 
less give  their  name  to  the  little  hamlet  we  are  passing  through. 
We  duly  visited  Blackmoor  church,  erected  by  Lord  Selborne, 
to  whose  liberality  also  the  vicarage,  schools,  and  neat  red- 
brick cottages  for  the  villagers  are  due. 

Through  pleasant  lanes,  decked  with  flowering  hawthorn, 
and  banks  of  primroses,  violets,  and  speedwell,  we  made  our  way 
for  eight  miles,  till  w'e  drove  into  Selborne  village.  The  great 
yew  tree  in  the  churchyard  is  indeed  a marvellous  patriarch, 


102 


NATURE  NOTES. 


measuring  twenty-six  feet  round  its” massive  trunk — so  at  least 
declared  our  guide,  but  Gilbert  White  gives  its  girth  as  being 
twenty-three  to  twenty-five  feet ; it  would  be  interesting  to  know 
if  three  feet  in  a century  is  the  usual  rate  of  this  tree’s  increase 
in  size.  One  cannot  but  look  with  deep  interest  at  a tree 
which  may  have  numbered  thirteen  hundred  years  of  existence. 


and  is  still,  apparently,  in  vigorous  health.  In  the  west  wall  of 
the  church  the  masons  have  inserted  small  pieces  of  ironstone  in 
the  plaster  between  the  courses  of  stone,  gndng  a curious  spotted 
effect  to  the  wall.'" 


[•  White  thus  refers  to  this  in  his  fifth  letter  to  Pennant  : — “From  a 
notion  of  rendering  their  work  the  more  elegant,  and  giving  it  a finish,  masons 
chip  this  stone  into  small  fragments  about  the  size  of  the  head  of  a large  nail, 
•and  then  stick  the  pieces  into  the  wet  mortar,  along  the  joints  of  their  free- 
stone walls.  This  embellishment  carries  an  odd  appearance,  and  has  occasioned 
strangers  sometimes  to  ask  us  pleasantly,  ‘ whether  we  fastened  our  walls  together 
with  tenpenny  nails.’” — Ed.  W.W.] 


A VISIT  TO  SELBORNE. 


103 


After  careful  examination  of  all  the  points  of  interest  in  this 
ancient  church,  we  went  round  the  outside,  and  saw  the  last 
resting-place  of  Gilbert  White.  In  a simple,  grass-covered  grave, 
with  a plain,  grey  headstone,  lies  the  good  man  whose  reverent 
love  of  the  Creator’s  handiwork  has  led  to  his  name  being  held 
in  affectionate  remembrance  by  all  true  naturalists.  Our  next 
visit  was  to  his  house,  where,  by  the  great  kindness  and  courtesy 
of  its  present  owners,  we  were  shown  the  various  rooms,  the 
private  study,  the  ancient  kitchen  and  hall,  each  in  perfect 
order,  evidently  preserved  with  reverent  care  in  their  original 
condition. 


Perhaps  most  delightful  of  all  was  our  walk  through  the 
garden,  where  the  fine  old  trees,  lit  up  by  the  evening  sun,  threw 
their  long  shadows  on  the  soft  turf.  The  vivid  tints  of  green, 
varied  by  the  brown  unopened  buds  of  some  of  the  later  beeches 
in  the  Hanger,  made  a lovely  picture.  We  were  shown  the 
ancient  sundial,  a venerable  looking  stone  pillar,  and  the  narrow 
brick  path  across  the  lawn  by  which  Gilbert  White  was  able  on 
dewy  mornings  to  reach,  dry-shod,  the  little  summer-house 
where  he  would  sit  in  quietude,  observing  the  habits  of  birds  as 
they  flew  to  and  fro  between  the  garden  and  the  Hanger.  The 
summerhouse,  alas  ! has  been  pulled  down,  to  the  great  regret 
of  the  present  owner  of  “ The  Wakes.” 

The  wych  elm  mentioned  in  the  history  of  Selborne  still 
exists  in  great  beauty  and  vigour,  a wonderful  instance  of  root 
vitality.  The  original  tree  became  hollow  from  extreme  age. 


104 


NATURE  NOTES. 


and  broke  down  with  the  weight  of  its  own  foliage ; but  after  the 
fashion  of  olive  trees  abroad,  the  root  has  sent  up  a multitude  of 
branches,  which  now  form  a tree  of  profuse  foliage  sixty  feet 
across.  It  seems  to  have  taken  a new  lease  of  life,  and  may 
again  go  on  to  a green  old  age.  It  was  hard  to  say  farewell  to 
such  a lovely  spot ; the  ivy-clad  house,  with  its  touching  associa- 
tions ; the  peaceful  garden,  bathed  in  sunlight ; the  pleasant 
converse  as  we  paced  to  and  fro  beneath  the  grand  old  trees, 
will  ever  remain  amongst  my  happiest  memories. 

On  our  homeward  drive  we  passed  through  the  village  of 
Greatham,  and  there  I was  glad  to  see  numbers  of  sand  martins, 
busily  at  work  in  a yellow  sandstone  quarry.  Gilbert  White 
speaks  of  several  colonies  of  these  birds  in  the  sand-banks  of 
Woolmer  Forest,  but  does  not  happen  to  mention  this  one, 
which  is  close  to  the  high  road,  and  extensively  populated 
by  these  interesting  birds.  Further  on  we  came  to  the  wide 
open  heaths,  where,  at  certain  times  in  the  year,  the  soldiers 
from  Aldershot  are  encamped.  They  have  left  a trace  of  their 
presence  in  a certain  bridge  of  most  curious  construction,  made 
by  them  in  their  leisure  time.  It  is  thrown  across  a valley 
in  the  woods,  and  is  made  entirely  of  fir  trunks,  cut  down  near 
by,  and  braced  together  so  as  to  form  a firm  substantial  structure 
of  picturesque  appearance.  The  camp  is  quiet  enough  at  this 
season,  tenanted  only  by  partridges  and  pheasants,  which  were 
running  about  quite  at  their  ease,  not  at  all  disturbed  by  the 
sound  of  passing  wheels. 

Our  pleasant  day  is  nearly  over,  and  as  we  drive  up  under 
the  shade  of  the  mighty  chestnut  which  graces  the  front  of  our 
hotel,  we  feel  we  have  had  an  ideal  day  of  pure  enjoyment,  long 
to  be  remembered. 

Eliza  Brightwen. 

[For  the  two  illustrations  accompanying  this  paper  we  are  indebted  to  the 
kindness  of  Mr.  E.  J.  Appleby,  the  Librarian  of  the  Bath  Branch  of  the  Selborne 
Society. — Ed.  N.N.'\ 


GILBERT  WHITE’S  ANCESTORS. 


[The  Earl  of  Stamford  has  kindly  sent  us  the  following  notes  of  that  portion  of 
his  speech  at  the  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Selborne  Society  which  referred  to  the 
ancestry  of  Gilbert  White.  The  facts  have,  we  believe,  not  hitherto  been  pub- 
lished, and  are  antecedent  to  the  genealogy  given  by  Prof.  Bell  in  his  edition 
of  The  Natural  History  of  Selborne. — Ed.  N.N.^ 


FEEL  that  I scarcely  have  time  to  write  a note  or 
article  for  Nature  Notes,  but  I will  endeavour  briefly 
to  indicate  the  points  on  which  I touched  at  the 
Annual  Meeting. 


(i)  As  to  fresh  sources  of  information  as  to  Gilbert  White, 
Dr.  J.  T.  White,  of  Campden  Hill,  is  a mine  of  wealth  hitherto 
almost  unworked.  He  distinctly  remembers  his  father  (Gilbert’s 


GILBERT  WHITES  ANCESTORS. 


105 


nephew)  having  told  him  that  in  the  frontispiece  of  the  quarto 
edition  of  the  Sdbovne  the  figure  coming  up  the  hill  was  intended 
for  Gilbert,  and,  though  not  exactly  a portrait,  was  in  general 
outline  very  like  him.  We  have,  then,  an  approximate  likeness 
of  Gilbert.  He  remembers,  too,  a saying  that  his  own  grand- 
mother— Rebecca  Luckin,  a vigorous  country  girl — “ brought  all 
the  health  into  the  family.”  The  two  bound  volumes  of  MS. 
correspondence  between  Gilbert  and  Tom  Mulso  form  the- great 
treasure — hitherto,  I believe,  unexplored — in  Dr.  J.  T.  White’s 
possession.  The  full  pedigree  of  the  family,  very  carefully 
compiled  and  tested  by  Dr.  J.  T.  White’s  father,  is  also  a 
valuable  document. 

(2)  The  early  lineage  of  the  Whites,  as  attested  by  this 
pedigree  and  by  the  monumental  evidence  in  South  Warn- 
borough  Church. 

Apparently  the  Whites  were  originally  settled  at  Farnham, 
whence  Robert  White  migrated  to  South  Warnbprough,  and 
was  lord  of  the  manor  there  in  the  middle  of  the  1 5th  century. 
His  wife  was  Alice  Lynholme.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son. 
Sir  John,  who  married  Alice,  daughter  of  Robert  Lord  Hunger- 
ford.  Sir  John  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Robert,  who  married 
Margaret  Gainsford,  and  died  August  4th,  1513.  A fine  brass 
in  South  Warnborough  Church  is  inscribed  : — “ Hie  jacet 
Robertus  Whyte  armig  filius  Johns  Whyte  militis  quondum 
duus  istuis  villae  qui  obiit  quarto  die  Augusti  a"  regni  Henrici 
octavi  quarto  cujus  ale  ppiietur  Deus.  Amen.” 

Then  came  his  son  Robert,  who  married  Elizabeth,  daughter 
of  Sir  Thomas  Inglefield,  and  died  1521.  Then  succeeded  his 
son.  Sir  Thomas,  Sheriff  of  London,  who  married  his  kins- 
woman, Agnes  White,  sister  of  Dr.  John  White  (of  Farnham), 
who  became  Bishop  of  Winchester,  and  who  made  himself 
extremely  objectionable  to  Queen  Elizabeth  by  his  steady 
adhesion  to  the  unreformed  religion.  Dr.  John  White  was 
imprisoned  in  the  Tower,  but  was  allowed  to  spend  his  last 
years  with  his  sister  at  South  Warnborough. 

Strange  to  say,  there  was  another  Sir  Thomas  White,  Lord 
Mayor  of  London,  1553,  and  founder  of  St.  John’s  College, 
Oxford,  who  was  almost  contemporary.  He  died  at  Oxford, 
February  nth,  1566. 

Sir  Thomas’s  monument  at  South  Warnborough  is  a striking 
one,  and  there  is  a singular  stateliness  and  pathos  in  the  in- 
scription : — 

“ Thomas  and  Agnes  crye  unto  God  and  saye.  We  trust  to 
see  the  goodness  of  God  in  the  land  of  life.  They  had  born 
xiii.  sonnes  and  v.  daughters.  Thys  sayde  Sir  Thomas  Whyte, 
Knight,  departed  this  present  life  the  second  of  November  and  in 
the  yeare  of  our  Lord  God  1560.  Dame  Agnes  yelded  unto  God 
of  the  works  of  His  hands  the  xv.  day  of  January  in  the  yeare 
of  our  Lorde  God  1570.  Lord  Jhesu  take  our  soules  unto  thy 
mercye.  Sir  Thomas  departed  in  London  and  my  Laydy  in 


io6  NATURE  NOTES. 

Caunlerbury  the  dayes  and  yeares  above  wryten.  God  save 
the  quene.” 

I suspect  that  the  last  words  must  have  been  inserted  to 
conciliate  Queen  Elizabeth,  who  probably  regarded  the  family 
with  suspicion. 

Sir  Thomas  had  a son  called  Richard,  who  married  Ellen 
Kerton.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son  John,  who  migrated  to 
Swan  Hall,  near  Witney.  He  died  1623,  and  is  buried  at 
Cogges,  near  Witney.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Sir 
Samson,  who  married  Mary  Soper.  At  this  point  Mr.  Bell’s 
pedigree  of  the  White  family  begins. 

In  Plot’s  Natural  History  of  Oxfordshire  the  arms  always 
borne  by  the  White  family  appear  in  the  frontispiece,  among 
those  of  other  county  families.  The  text,  “ We  trust  to  see 
3'e  goodness  of  God  in  ye  land  of  life,”  seems  to  have  beefi  a 
favourite  one  with  the  White  family.  It  appears  on  another  of 
the  family  monuments  in  South  Warnborough  Church. 

Stamford. 


WILD  LIFE  IN  TASMANIA. 


HI. 


NDER  the  benign  rays  of  the  early  spring  sunshine 
all  dormant  nature  seems  this  afternoon  to  be  waking 
into  active  life  once  more.  The  blades  of  grass  are 
losing  their  feeble  downtrodden  appearance,  and  are 
beginning  to  shoot  upwards  as  if  infused  with  fresh  vigour  ; 
the  young  gums  and  wattles  and  ti-tree  are  putting  forth  new 
and  tender  shoots,  while  from  the  dark  mass  of  sombre  myrtles 
and  lighter  sassafras  in  the  gully  comes  the  soft  coo  of  the  wild 
pigeon.  Let  us  take  a quiet  walk  to  the  back  of  our  little 
clearing,  and  try  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  such  of  Nature’s 
children  as  shall  chance  to  fall  within  our  ken. 

Here,  lying  within  a yard  of  the  rough  deadwood  fence,  from 
under  which  it  has  probably  crawled,  is  a large  fat  lizard  with 
a short  rounded  tail.  It  is  one  of  the  stump-tailed  species,  and 
is  so  drowsy  and  lethargic  after  its  long  hybernating  sleep  that 
it  takes  no  notice  of  our  approach,  nor  indeed  shows  any  signs 
of  lile  whatever.  We  can  detect  no  motion  as  of  breathing  in 
the  throat  or  sides,  and  the  body  is  of  a death-like  coldness 
to  the  touch.  We  give  him  a poke  in  the  ribs  with  a small 
stick,  and  at  this  indignity  he  slowly,  very  slowly,  raises  and 
partly  turns  his  heavy  head,  and  hisses  at  us.  Then,  as  if  the 
effort  had  been  more  than  exhausted  nature  could  bear,  his  head 
sinks  slowly  back  to  its  former  position  ; and  so  we  leave  him, 
to  drink  in  the  warm  rays  which  he  loves,  for  he  is  a harmless 
creature,  and  altliough  ruthlessly  massacred  when  met  with  by 


WILD  LIFE  IN  TASMANIA. 


107 


the  bushman,  who  calls  him,  erroneously,  iguana — or  “ goanner  ” 
for  short — he  has  not  as  much  mischief  in  him  as  a kitten.  And 
here,  on  the  side  of  this  huge  fallen  tree,  poking  out  his  head 
from  a crevice  in  the  bark,  is  another  lizard,  one  of  the  little 
brown  fellows  so  common  everywhere  in  the  summer,  running 
about  inside  the  house  as  well  as  out  of  doors,  and  abounding  on 
every  log  and  stump.  He  is  much  more  wide  awake  than  his 
big  relation  whom  we  have  just  left,  and  slips  back  his  sharp 
little  head  directly  he  notices  our  approach. 

VVe  remember,  while  digging  in  our  garden  patch  one  winter, 
unearthing  one  of  this  species  with  two  distinct  tails,  a freak 
which  we  have  never  seen  in  one  since.  Another  curiosity 
which  rewarded  our  delving  operations,  was  a specimen  of  the 
curious  wireworm — not  the  larva  of  the  click  beetle,  which  is  all 
too  abundant,  but  a curious  creature  wound  up  like  a watch- 
spring,  fine  as  a horsehair,  and  feet  long  when  uncoiled.  They 
are  generally  found  in  wet  ground,  especially  in  the  banks  of 
rivers  and  creeks.  And  here  let  me  explain  to  the  uninitiated, 
that  the  word  “ creek,”  in  colonial  parlance,  does  not  signify  an 
arm  of  the  sea,  but  a small  running  stream  of  fresh  water, 
a rivulet  or  brook.  This  little  island,  the  garden  of  the  south,  is 
well  supplied  with  such  perennial  streams,  and  so  does  not 
suffer  from  the  desolating  droughts  which  afflict  the  larger 
colonies. 

Now  here,  upon  the  crinkled  bark  of  this  dead  myrtle,  is  a 
curious-looking  thing — a dark,  roundish  object,  with  numerous 
knobs  and  rugosities,  looking  very  like  a rough  piece  of  bark 
itself.  It  is  the  so-called  “ elephant  ” — a large  kind  of  weevil, 
with  its  long  trunk  and  legs  tucked  under  its  odd-looking  body, 
and  still  in  the  enjoyment  of  its  winter  sleep.  We  pick  it  from 
the  tree  and  hold  it  in  the  hand,  and  after  a minute  or  two  the 
terminal  joints  of  the  legs  begin  to  feebly  move  to  and  fro,  but 
the  head  remains  immovable,  and  as  the  legs  are  apparently  in- 
capable of  further  exertions  at  present,  we  deposit  the  sleepy 
monster  on  the  knob  of  another  myrtle  in  the  full  blaze  of  the 
afternoon  sun,  to  see  if  its  beneficent  rays  will  move  the  frozen 
limbs  to  action.  This  effect  seems  to  follow  more  rapidly  than 
we  should  have  expected,  for  on  returning  in  about  ten  minutes 
to  have  another  look  at  our  torpid  friend,  he  is  nowhere  to  be 
seen  ; and  as  he  would  be  rather  a hard  morsel  for  a small  bird 
to  tackle,  we  conclude  that  the  lanky  legs  have  again  resumed 
work.  This  beetle,  when  in  good  working  order,  has  a habit  of 
“shamming  dead”  if  touched,  but  he  seemed  too  far  gone  when 
we  found  him  to-day  to  play  any  tricks  of  that  sort. 

Here  is  a huge  stringy-bark,  one  of  the  giants  of  the  forest, 
of  colossal  girth,  and  whose  head  seems  to  tower  almost  to  the 
skies.  One  of  the  primeval  trees  we  should  imagine  it,  the 
building  up  of  that  huge  frame  being  the  work,  certainly,  of 
hundreds,  perhaps  of  thousands,  of  years.  His  thick  coating 
of  tough,  woolly  bark  has  been  blackened  and  charred  by  bush 


io8 


NATURE  NOTES. 


fires,  and  as  we  draw  closer  we  observe  a curious  phenomenon. 
Pieces  of  this  black  bark  are  moving  slowly  about  on  the  surface 
of  the  tree,  as  if  endowed  with  life.  Upon  removing  one  of 
these  for  further  examination,  we  discover  that  they  are  flat 
cases  made  of  little  pieces  of  bark,  bitten  off  and  cemented 
together  by  the  caterpillar,  now  snugly  ensconced  inside.  Ver}’ 
comfortable  dwellings  do  these  little  artisans  make,  for  they  line 
their  abodes  with  fine  silk,  and  this  of  so  good  a quality  that  the 
cases  are  very  tough  indeed,  and  will  resist  a hard  pull.  These 
dark  homes  are  also  a capital  concealment  from  enemies,  for 
being  exactly  of  the  same  colour  as  the  bark  of  the  tree  itself,  it 
is  only  when  in  motion  that  the  larvae  can  be  detected,  and  then 
he  must  be  swallowed,  case  and  all,  if  swallowed  at  all,  for  no 
bird  can  extract  him  from  that  charred  and  lowly,  but  secure 
dwelling. 

Hamilton  Stuart  Dove. 

Table  Cape,  Tasmania,  Sept,  ibth,  1892. 


ANNUAL  MEETING  OF  THE  SELBORNE  SOCIETY. 

HE  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Selborne  Society  was  held 
in  the  evening  of  May  loth  at  the  Galleries  of  the 
Royal  British  Artists,  Suffolk  Street,  Pall  Mall,  and 
was  followed  by  an  interesting  conversazione,  which 
was  attended  by  a large  number  of  members  and  their  friends. 

Amongst  those  present  were  the  Earl  of  Stamford,  Mr.  Holt 
White,  Dr.  William  White,  and  other  nrembers  of  the  “ Sel- 
borne” White  family.  Dr.  Dudley  Buxton,  Mrs.  Buxton,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Geo.  A.  Musgrave,  Mrs.  Brightwen,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Otter,  Prof.  Hulme,  Mr.  Wakefield,  Miss  Buckton,  Miss  Hope, 
Mr.  Britten,  Mrs.  Sidney  Cooper,  Mr.  Fulwood,  and  many 
representatives  of  branches. 

Mr.  Musgrave,  who  was  voted  to  the  chair,  announced  that 
Sir  John  Lubbock  had  accepted  the  office  of  President  in  the 
place  of  the  late  Lord  Tenn3^son.  The  Report,  which  is  ap- 
pended, having  been  read,  the  Chairman,  with  the  object  of 
saving  time,  dealt  at  once  with  the  financial  report,  and  re- 
gretting the  outstanding  amount  of  £^0,  pointed  out  that  a 
mistake  in  returning  10  per  cent,  on  the  net,  instead  of  the 
gross,  receipts  to  the  central  fund  had  been  made  by  the 
treasurers  of  branches  ; that  there  had  been  a temporary  loss 
in  advertisements,  and  a slight  increase  in  the  cost  of  pub- 
lishing the  Society’s  organ.  He  strongly  appealed  to  the 
secretaries  of  the  branches,  and  to  the  members  generally, 
not  to  adhere  to  the  minimum  subscription  which  had  been 
wisely  fixed  at  half-a-crown,  but  to  strive  to  provide  about 
£qo  more  yearty,  for  reprinting  valuable  articles  for  wide 


ANNUAL  MEETING. 


109 

distribution,  the  further  improvement  of  Nature  Notes, 
and  the  payment  of  lecturers. 

The  progress  of  the  Society  had  been  necessarily  slow,  but 
it  was  very  satisfactory,  and  many  of  the  recent  movements  in 
favour  of  preservation  and  protection  of  natural  and  anti- 
quarian objects  were  due  to  the  teaching  of  the  Selbornians. 

The  Birds’  Protection  Society,  of  which  the  Duchess  of 
Portland  was  chief  patroness,  and  Mrs.  Phillips  the  moving 
spirit,  was  actively  carrying  out  work,  scientifically  advocated 
by  the  Selborne  Society.  Whilst  being  in  entire  sympathy  with 
the  Society  for  Checking  the  Abuses  of  Public  Advertising,  he 
regretted  that,  the  object  being  entirely  within  the  scheme  of 
the  Selborne  Society,  steps  had  not  been  taken  towards  amal- 
gamation, which  meant  not  only  economy,  but  strength  in 
working,  often  frittered  away  in  the  multiplication  of  small 
societies.  When  Miss  Frances  Power  Cobbe  and  a friend 
drove  out,  they  always  took  with  them  a watering  pot  and 
sponge,  to  remove  any  aggressive  advertisement  of  pills  or 
soap  they  might  meet  with.  Mr.  Musgrave  found  that  artisans 
in  the  North  of  England  took  more  interest  in  natural  history 
than  those  of  the  South,  and  gave  some  amusing  instances  of 
the  ignorance  of  these  subjects  he  had  met  with. 

Mr.  Musgrave  added  that  the  thanks  of  the  meeting  were 
due  to  Mr.  J.  L.  Otter,  for  his  services  as  honorary  treasurer, 
and  referred  to  his  long  connection  with  the  Society,  and  con- 
tinued interest  in  it.  The  Society  was  also  deeply  indebted 
to  Mr.  Britten,  who  gave  his  valuable  services  as  Editor  of 
Nature  Notes. 

The  Earl  of  Stamford,  who  introduced  himself  as  “ the  only 
son  of  the  youngest  daughter  of  the  youngest  son  of  Gilbert 
White’s  brother,”  gave  some  interesting  particulars  of  the 
White  family,  which  will  be  found  at  p.  104,  and  mentioned 
that  much  valuable  material  was  in  possession  of  Dr.  John 
White,  of  Campden  Hill,  which  had  never  been  made  public, 
such  as  an  epitaph  by  Gilbert  White  on  Thomas  Holt  of  Roch- 
ford,  Essex  ; a large  bound  book  of  letters  to  Tom  Mulso,  to 
whose  sister  he  was  attached,  pedigrees,  letters  to  his  brother 
the  vicar  of  Blackburn,  &c. 

Professor  F.  E.  Huhne  seconded  the  motion,  which  was 
carried,  and  gave  as  an  instance  of  their  new  President’s  public 
spirit,  that  he  bought  up  the  land  at  Avebury,  North  Wilts, 
whereon  ancient  Druidical  remains  existed,  which  neighbouring 
farmers  were  gradually  removing  for  building  purposes.  A vote 
of  thanks  was  passed  to  the  retiring  officers. 

Dr.  Dudley  Buxton  proposed  a vote  of  thanks,  seconded  by 
Mr.  Otter,  and  carried,  to  the  lenders  of  the  collection  of  relics 
of  White,  which  were  contributed  through  the  kindness  of 
members  of  his  family,  and  were  on  exhibition  during  the 
evening.  These  included  : — a malacca  cane  with  the  White 
crest,  rushlight  holder,  watch  stand,  green  spectacles  in  case. 


I lO 


NATURE  NOTES. 


and  magnifying  glass,  and  a picture : Gilbert  White’s  MS. 

Garden  Kalendar,  May  ist  to  November  i6th,  1759 — a careful 
record  of  garden  work,  with  notes  on  the  weather  throughout 
the  year  : letter  from  Gilbert  White  to  his  brother  at  Black- 
burn, on  family  affairs  and  natural  history  items,  August  12th, 
1775:  MS.  of  Letter  III.  to  the  Hon.  Daines  Barrington: 
Sermon  preached  by  the  Bishop  of  Peterborough,  Friday,  Feb- 
ruary 15th,  1750,  with  Gilbert  White’s  autograph — an  interest- 
ing record  of  early  missionary  work : MS.,  in  his  own  handwriting, 
of  one  of  Gilbert  White’s  sermons.  Dr.  Buxton  referred  to  the 
proposed  excursion  to  Selborne,  details  of  which  wall  be  found 
at  p.  119. 

Mr.  R.  Holt  White,  in  replying,  gave  further  interesting 
particulars  regarding  Gilbert  White.  Taking  Lord  Beacons- 
field’s  definition  of  a great  man  as  one  who  influenced  his 
generation,  he  said  Gilbert  White  was  not  one,  but  he  had 
had  an  influence  on  the  succeeding  generation.  He  alluded  to 
the  common  mistake  that  Gilbert  White  was  vicar  of  Selborne, 
and  mentioned  that  the  family  had  frequently  been  applied  to 
for  a portrait,  but  that  they  had  always  been  compelled  to  reply 
that  no  portrait  of  any  kind  was  to  be  had. 

The  meeting  then  proceeded  to  the  election  of  officers.  The 
election  of  Sir  John  Lubbock  was  confirmed.  The  existing 
Vice-Presidents  were  re-elected,  and  in  addition  the  Earl  of 
Stamford,  Dr.  G.  E.  J.  Greene,  Dr.  Dudley  Buxton,  and  R. 
Holt  White,  Esq.,  were  elected  Vice-Presidents. 

H.  Aldom,  Esq.,  J.  Britten,  Esq.,  ex-officio,  Archibald  Clarke, 
Esq.,  A.  T.  Craig,  Esq.,  H.  Barry  Hyde,  Esq.,  A.  Holte  Mac- 
pherson.  Esq.,  and  Mrs.  Myles  were  re-elected  members  of 
Council,  and  in  the  places  of  those  retiring;  J.  Allen,  Esq., 
Miss  Borrer,  J.  Fulwood,  Esq.,  F.  G.  Heath,  Esq.,  and  R. 
1\I.  Wattson,  Esq.,  were  elected. 

Through  the  kindness  of  Dr.  Dudley  Buxton,  an  excellent 
concert  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  J.  M.  Coward  was  then  pro- 
ceeded with.  The  badges  for  officers  and  members  of  the  Society 
were  exhibited  by  Mr.  Fulwood,  and  were  much  admired. 


Report  of  the  Council  for  the  Year  ending  April  30TH,  1893. 

“ By  the  death  of  Lord  Tennyson — its  first  President — the  Society  shares  in  a 
special  degree  the  sense  of  loss  common  to  most  English  people. 

“ There  has  been  an  increase  in  the  number  of  members,  and  the  work  of  the 
Society  progresses  satisfactorily. 

“The  following  new  branches  have  been  formed  during  the  year;  the 
Markwick  branch  for  the  neighbourhood  of  St.  Leonard’s  Forest,  in  Sussex,  of 
which  the  hon.  secretary  is  Miss  Borrer;  the  Croydon  branch,  of  which  the  Iron, 
secretary  is  Mr.  E.  A.  Martin  ; and  the  Pinner  Juvenile  branch,  of  which  the 
hon.  secretary  is  Lady  Watkin  Williams.  The  Council  continues  to  give  special 
attention  to  the  formation  of  branches,  in  the  belief  that  local  organisations  of  the 
Society  are  the  best  instruments  for  carrying  on  its  work.  It  is  expected  that 
new  branches  will  be  formed  at  Bristol,  Plymouth,  Southgate,  and  Ferns  (Co. 


ANNUAL  REPORT. 


1 1 1 


Wexford).  The  instructions  for  forming  and  working  branches  are  being  revised, 
and  will  shortly  be  ready  for  use. 

“ New  and  revised  leaflets  have  been  issued,  and  have  met  with  general 
approval. 

“ The  Council  takes  this  opportunity  of  asking  members  to  distribute  pro- 
spectuses, leaflets  and  copies  of  Nature  Notes,  as,  by  such  means,  knowledge  of 
the  Society  and  of  its  principles  is  extended  and  new  members  are  gained.  The 
Council  has  received  from  Mrs.  E.  Phillips  some  thousands  of  copies  of  her  ex- 
cellent leaflet  on  the  destruction  of  birds. 

“ The  Society  is  much  indebted  to  Mr.  Britten  for  continuing  to  edit  Nature 
Notes  during  the  past  year.  The  office  of  editor  is  not  an  easy  one,  and  the 
Society  is  fortunate  in  the  services  of  one  possessing  the  skill  and  knowledge  of 
Mr.  Britten.  A new  arrangement  has  been  made  with  Messrs.  Bale  for  the  supply 
and  distribution  of  Nature  Notes,  by  which  it  is  expected  that  the  Society  will 
benefit  financially.  A Committee  of  the  Council  has  been  appointed  to  attend  to 
matters  connected  with  the  Magazine. 


Financial  Statement  of  the  General  Fund  for  the  Year  ending  December  list,  1892. 


Dr. 

£ s.  d. 

To  Balance  from  1891  ...  9 ^9  9 

,,  Subscriptions  for  1892  108  19  8 

,,  Sale  of  “Nature Notes” 

to  Branches  ...  ..  113  4 

,,  Sale  of  “ Nature  Notes” 
through  Messrs.  Soth- 
eran  ...  ...  ...  3 

,,  Miscellaneous  Receipts  4 3 5j 

,,  Advertisements  in 

“ Nature  Notes  ” ...  15  I4  5 


, , C o n t r i b u t i o n s by 
Branches,  namely  : — 


d. 

Rape  of  Lewes 

J 

0 

Richard  Jefferies 

0 

4 

6 

Nottingham 

15 

3 

Weald  of  Kent  . 

0 

0 

Atalanta  . . 

0 

9 

0 

Bolton 

0 

I 

6 

Liverpool 

2 

17 

6 

Brighton  . . 

0 

1 1 

4 

Bayswater 

I 

2 

0 

Forth 

0 

10 

83 

Croydon  . . 

I 

6 

li 

Cambridge 

2 

14 

5 

Southampton 

2 

0 

0 

Sutton 

2 

6 

0 

Northern  Height 

2 

8 

0 

Haslemere 

0 

9 

10 

Clapton  . . 

I 

0 

0 

Dorking  . . 

I 

II 

Il| 

23 

9 • 

Other  Magazines  sold  to 

Branches,  not  paid  for 

10 

iS  I 

Balance 

70 

5 It 

Cr. 

^ s.  d. 

By  Rent  ...  ...  ...  20  o o 

,,  Secretary  ...  ...  25  o o 

,,  Postage  ...  ...  ...  12  o 8 

,,  Office  and  Miscellaneous 

Expenses  ...  ...  5 19  4 

,,  .Subscriptions  paid  over 

to  Branches  ...  ...  413  6 

,,  Messrs.  Bale  & Sons, 

General  Account  ...  24  10  9 

,,  Messrs.  Bale  & Sons, 

Printing  “Nature 

Notes”  250  4 II 

,,  Distribution  and  Postage 

of  “Nature  Notes”  ...  22  19  $ 

,,  Waterlow  & Sons  ...  5 5 o 


£yio  13  7 


LYIO  13  7 


“ The  Council  wishes  to  make  special  mention  of  the  work  done  by  some  of 
the  branches.  Early  in  the  year  the  Lower  Thames  Valley  branch  organised  a 
Field  Club  with  the  title  of  ‘The  Selborne  Field  Club.’  It  numbers  amongst  its 
members  many  competent  naturalists.  About  twelve  open-air  meetings  have  been 
held.  During  the  winter  season  this  branch  gave  a conversazione,  when  a very 
interesting  collection  of  microscopical  specimens  was  exhibited,  a series  of  lectures 
to  which  Professor  Flenslow,  Professor  F.  W.  Oliver,  and  others,  contributed,  and 


I 12 


NATURE  NOTES. 


a photographic  exhibition,  all  of  which  were  largely  attended.  The  annual  general 
meeting  of  this  branch  was  presided  over  by  the  mayor  of  Richmond.  A deputa- 
tion of  your  Council  was  present,  and  addressed  the  meeting,  as  did  also  .Sir  R. 
Temple,  the  representative  in  Parliament  of  the  Richmond  division  of  Surrey. 

“ The  Clapton  branch,  under  the  management  of  its  able  secretary,  is  organis- 
ing a Field  Club  upon  the  lines  of  the  Richmond  Selborne  Field  Club.  The 
Council  is  confident  that  this  will  be  found  a mean  of  strengthening  the  branch. 

“ The  present  year  being  the  centenary  of  the  death  of  Gilbert  White,  arrange- 
ments have  been  made  for  a visit  to  Selborne  on  Saturday,  June  24th.  The 
Council  is  glad  to  learn  that  several  of  the  branches  are  intending  to  celebrate  the 
anniversary  locally,  and  would  suggest  that  no  better  occasion  could  be  found  for 
calling  public  attention  to  the  Society. 

“ The  Council  hopes  that  the  Annual  Meeting  will  open  the  way  to  a series  of 
meetings  in  places  accessible  to  members  residing  in  London  or  its  vicinity,  and 
at  which  collections  of  special  interest  to  members  of  the  Selborne  Society  could 
be  exhibited. 

“ The  Council  regrets  that  it  is  unable  this  year  to  present  a satisfactory  balance 
sheet.  The  expenses  of  the  Society’s  Magazine  have  been  unusually  heavy,  and 
there  has  been  no  compensating  increase  of  receipts. 

“ The  Council  draws  the  attention  of  the  secretaries  of  branches  to  the  rule 
that  the  minimum  contribution  from  each  branch  is  one-tenth  of  its  annual 
receipts.” 


THE  EXCURSION  TO  SELBORNE. 

HE  arrangements  for  the  excursion  on  Midsummer  Day 
have  been  completed.  We  hope  that  the  gathering 
will  be  representative,  and  that  Selbornians,  and  all 
who  sympathise  with  them,  will  join  in  the  com- 
memoration. It  is  needless  to  tell  the  readers  of  The  Natural 
History  of  Selborne  anything  about  the  charms  of  the  country 
where  Gilbert  W'hite  lived  and  died  ; and  they  still  remain 
much  the  same  as  they  were  a hundred  years  since.  The 
house,  indeed,  has  been  altered,  as  will  be  seen  by  those 
who  compare  the  illustration  on  p.  103  with  that  at  p.  194  of 
our  last  year’s  volume  ; but  the  natural  features  of  the  land- 
scape are  unaltered.  If  the  weather  is  favourable,  the  day  can 
hardly  fail  to  be  one  which  will  be  marked  with  a white  stone 
in  the  memories  of  those  who  take  part  in  its  observance. 

Tickets  for  the  excursion  may  now  be  had  of  the  Secretary, 
9,  Adam  Street,  Adelphi,  W.C.,  or  of  the  local  secretaries.  For 
the  railway,  4s.  ; for  luncheon,  2s.  6d.  ; for  the  drive,  4s.  6d. 
Tickets  for  the  drive  will  be  transferable,  if  desired,  for  the 
return  from  Selborne  to  Alton. 

It  is  absolutely  necessary  for  the  efficient  working  of  the 
excursion  that  early  notice  should  be  given  to  the  Secretaries  by 
persons  wishing  to  join,  as  no  tickets  can  be  issued  after  June 
17th.  Applications  should  in  every  case  be  accompanied  by  a 
stamped  and  addressed  envelope.  The  excursion  is  not  re- 
stricted to  members  of  the  Society.  The  official  programme 
will  be  found  on  p.  119. 


SELBORNIANA. 


113 


SELBORNIANA. 

Brentford  Aits  saved. — It  has  been  an  open  secret  for  some  time  that 
the  two  islands  above  Kew  Bridge,  known  locally  as  the  Brentford  Aits,  but  of 
which  the  true  name  appears,  from  a departmental  document,  to  be  Mattingshaw 
Twig,  have  been  in  the  market.  There  is  no  need  to  enlarge  upon  the  natural 
beauties  of  these  islands,  as  readers  of  Nature  Notes,  and  those  acquainted 
with  the  river,  are  fully  aware  of  the  priceless  value  from  a scenic  point  of  view 
of  their  richly  wooded  surfaces.  Formed  originally  in  the  bed  of  the  Thames  by 
the  silt  brought  down  by  the  river  Brent,  which  enters  the  larger  river  just  above, 
they  appear  to  have  gained  in  extent  more  than  they  have  lost  during  the  last 
hundred  years.  The  length  is  about  a quarter  of  a mile,  and  they  comprise  about 
four  and  a-half  acres.  The  ceaseless  wash  of  the  tides  has,  however,  endangered 
the  safety  of  many  of  the  lofty  trees  which  now  overhang  the  stream,  and  made 
some  steps  imperative  to  safeguard  them,  and  the  public  using  the  stream.  The 
Government  have  been  unwilling  to  incur  the  considerable  expense  which  would 
have  been  necessary  before  long  if  they  had  kept  possession. 

Offers  by  the  Brentford  Gas  Works  and  a local  boat  builder  to  take  over 
the  land,  and  root  up  the  trees,  in  the  one  case  to  use  it  as  a storage  depot,  and  in 
the  other  for  the  erection  of  yards,  have  been  entertained  by  the  Government. 
Such  a step  would  have  been  disastrous  in  every  way.  The  Richmond  Corpora- 
tion is  to  be  congratulated  upon  the  public  spirit  which  has  led  them  to  purchase 
and  undertake  the  preservation  of  the  islands  and  the  trees  upon  them.  We 
understand  that  the  Government  originally  purchased  them  for  ;^2,ooo.  The 
first  offer  to  the  Corporation  was  for  the  sum  of  ^^1,500,  which  has  been  reduced 
to  the  terms  accepted  at  the  Council  meeting  held  May  9th,  for  the  sum  of 
^^400,  payable  by  instalments  within  the  next  ten  years,  and  subject  to  stipula- 
tions, the  insertion  of  which  will  gratify  every  Selbornian,  that  no  buildings  be 
erected,  and  that  the  islands  and  the  trees  growing  thereon  be  preserved  from 
damage.  There  is  no  reasonable  doubt  that  although  not  concerned  in  the 
immediate  negotiations  which  have  led  to  this  happy  result,  the  Selborne  Society, 
through  its  magazine,  and  the  local  branch  has  formulated  and  directed  the  public 
opinion  in  the  neighbourhood,  through  which  alone  corporate  action  could  be 
taken.  All  this  would  have  been  ineffective,  but  for  the  recent  inclusion  of  the 
royal  village  of  Kew  in  the  larger  borough,  by  which  Richmond  became  imme- 
diately interested  in  the  fate  of  the  Aits  ; for  although  known  as  the  Brentford 
Ails  they  are  in  the  parish  of  Kew,  and  were  consequently  transferred  with  it 
to  Richmond.  It  is  fitting  that  the  names  of  the  pre.sent  Mayor  of  Richmond, 
Mr.  Charles  Burk,  of  the  ex-Mayor,  Mr.  Skewes-Cox,  and  of  Sir  Richard 
Temple,  Bart.,  M.P. , all  of  them  connected  with  the  local  branch  of  the  Selborne 
Society,  should  be  associated  with  this  enterprising  action  of  Richmond.  That 
the  islands  will  be  safe  under  the  control  of  the  Corporation,  the  care  that  body 
takes  of  the  smaller  islands  below  Richmond  Bridge,  and  the  action  taken  by 
them,  almost  unanimously,  to  prevent  the  spoiling  of  Richmond  by  refusing 
permission  to  erect  over-head  wires,  are  sufficient  guarantee.  All  Selbornians 
will  unite  in  expressing  gratitude  for  the  preservation  of  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
spots  on  the  Thames. 

John  Ai.i.en. 

[An  article  on  the  Aits,  with  an  illustration,  will  be  found  in  Nature  Notes 
for  1891,  p.  130. — Kd.  W.W.] 

A New  Abomination.— About  three  hundred  acres  of  arable  land  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Hampton  Hill  and  Feltham,  and  between  those  places  and 
Twickenham,  have  recently  been  acquired  by  a London  firm  for  the  formation  of 
a fruit  farm  and  jam  factory.  Such  an  enterprise,  except  as  it  promotes  the 
welfare  of  a rural  neighbourhood,  in  no  way  concerns  us,  but  for  the  desolating 
action  taken  by  the  promoters.  A district  of  pleasant  lanes  and  by-ways,  hedges 
and  foot-paths,  by  the  felling  of  all  the  trees,  the  levelling  of  the  hedge-rows,  and 
the  erection  of  interminable  rows  of  corrugated  iron  fences,  about  seven  feet  high 
above  the  foot-ways,  as  level  and  regular  as  man  can  make  them,  has  become  a 
hideous  blot  on  the  country  side.  Not  one  road,  but  many,  are  affected  by  this 
thoughtless  and  cruel  step.  The  residents,  gentle  and  simple  alike,  have  been 


NATURE  NOTES. 


1 14 

despoiled  of  shady  walks,  the  nesting  and  roosting  places  of  birds  have  been  de- 
stroyed, and  the  unwilling  wayfarer  is  condemned  to  pursue  his  way  along  bare, 
dusty  roads,  with  metal  reflection  to  cast  a glare  into  his  eyes  and  radiate  the 
heat  upon  him.  With  a view  only  of  the  sky  above  him,  and  the  long  vista 
seeming  endless,  he  feels  as  if  in  a huge  tank.  No  words  can  express  a sense  of 
the  enormity  inflicted  upon  the  unconsenting  public,  thus  robbed  of  the  beauties  of 
trees,  hedges  and  fields  and  the  singing  and  movement  of  birds.  We  are  un- 
willing to  advertise  the  firm  which  has  perpetrated  such  a piece  of  vandalism, 
and  hope  that  it  will  not  be  a precedent  for  other  short-sighted  agriculturists 
who  would,  to  secure  partial  freedom  from  the  visits  of  fruit-eating  birds,  destroy 
the  enenues  of  much  worse  pests,  which  they  will  be  unable  to  exterminate  or 
control. 

A Sugs^estion. — Many  of  your  readers  might  like  to  contribute  to  a scheme 
which  will  be  a great  boon  to  the  pretty  village  of  Selborne,  and  at  the  same  time 
be  a delightful  tribute  to  the  memory  of  Gilbert  White,  now  brought  before  us  by 
your  proposed  pilgrimage  here  on  24th  of  June.  The  scheme  is  this:  to  supply 
the  village  with  the  water  from  the  famous  “ Well  Head.”  The  cost  of  this 
would  come  to  something  like  .£^400.  Substantial  help  from  all  lovers  of  Nature 
would  be  gratefully  acknowledged.  Annie  Read.  •/ 

The  IVakes,  Selborne. 

Lantern  Slides  (p.  93).  — I do  not  think  it  would  be  possible  to  photograph 
the  birds,  unless  removed  from  their  cases  and  placed  in  a suitable  light,  to  which 
the  owners  would  naturally  object.  It  has  occurred  to  me,  however,  that  good 
lantern  slides  might  be  obtained  by  copying  illustrations  from  books — asking  per- 
mission of  course  where  plates  are  copyright — and  I am  now  engaged  in  this  work 
myself,  in  order  to  provide  illustrations  for  natural  history  lectures,  which  I hope 
may  be  given  to  our  branch  next  season.  A few  hints  by  an  expert  on  the 
chief  characteristics  and  habits  of  our  common  English  birds  or  animals,  especially 
in  presence  of  an  illustration  on  the  screen,  would  do  much  to  enlist  the  sympathy 
and  rouse  the  energy  of  young  Selbornians  to  a study  of  natural  history,  and  to 
make  more  use  of  the  libraries  which  most  branches  now  possess.  If  I succeed 
in  getting  together  a decent  set  this  summer  I will  send  a list  of  the  birds,  which 
I shall  be  pleased  to  lend  to  distant  members  when  not  in  use,  or  make  duplicate 
slides  from  the  negatives  for  the  secretary  of  any  branch  at  the  mere  cost  of 
photographic  material  used.  E.  J.  Appleby. 

Bath. 

[We  are  glad  to  learn  that  “ most  branches  now  possess”  a library,  and  trust 
that  our  correspondent ’s  information  on  that  head  is  accurate. — Ed.  W.  rV.] 

The  Northern  Heights  Footpath  Association  are  preparing  to  publish  a second 
edition  of  the  map  mentioned  at  p.  51.  They  have  also  collected  materials  for  a 
map  of  the  district  next  to  that  covered  by  their  former  map.  For  both  these 
ventures  they  will  require  funds.  The  sale  of  the  first  edition  of  the  first  map 
(much  stimulated  by  the  notice  in  Nature  Notes),  justifies  the  Association  in  be- 
lieving that  their  work  has  been  useful  to  the  public,  and  that  they  have  therefore 
some  right  to  ask  for  additional  help.  .Subscriptions  should  be  sent  to  Miss 
Garlick,  the  treasurer  of  the  Association,  at  ll.  Well  Road,  Hampstead,  N.W. 

Our  Badge. — Reference  was  made  in  our  last  issue  to  the  badges  which  Mr. 
Fulwood  has  designed  for  the  members  of  the  Selborne  Society.  They  are  silver, 
decorated  with  true  enamel,  in  the  forms  of  pin,  brooch, 
solitaire,  and  rosette,  same  size  as  brooch,  for  officers  of 
the  Society  to  be  used  at  conversaziones  and  meetings  ; 
the  pin  or  brooch  may  be  worn  at  any  time.  These 
Radges  will  form  very  pretty  presents,  and  Hon.  Secs, 
and  Local  Committees  may  feel  disposed  to  give  them  to 
juvenile  members  as  prizes  for  the  best  collection  of 
plants,  iScc.  It  has  been  found  on  various  occasions,  at 
field  meetings,  &c.,  that  friends  and  members  of  the 
Selborne  Society  have  come  to  the  meeting  place,  but 
have  been  quite  unknown  to  the  members  who  have 
made  the  arrangements.  The  Badge  will  indicate  at  once  who  are  members, 
and  friendly  intercourse  will  take  place  immediately.  Orders  should  be  sent 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  & QUERIES.  115 


through  local  Secretaries  to  Mr.  Fulwood,  Coombe  House,  Richmond,  S.W., 
or  to  the  Secretary,  9,  Adam  Street,  Adelphi,  W.C.  The  price  of  the  brooch 
is  3s.,  solitaire  is.  gd.,  pin  is.  6d.,  to  which  3d.  for  postage  should  be  added 
to  cover  registration. 

Clapton,  Lower  Lee  Valley  Branch. — The  Rambling  Club  in  connec- 
tion with  this  branch  commenced  their  field  meetings  on  April  29th,  jointly  with 
the  Selborne  Field  Club,  by  a social  gathering  and  walk  through  Richmond  and 
Petersham  Parks.  The  second  meeting  was  held  on  May  6th,  when  members 
met  at  Theydon  Bois,  being  joined  by  representatives  from  the  Lower  Thames 
Valley  and  Northern  Heights  branches,  and  enjoyed  a delightful  ramble  through 
this  part  of  Epping  Forest,  a full  report  of  which  has  appeared  in  the  Hackney 
Mercury. 

Pinner  Branch. — A meeting  was  held  at  Clonard  on  April  l8th,  by  kind 
invitation  of  Mrs.  Skilbeck.  An  address  was  given  by  Mr.  Bland  Sutton, 
F.R.C.S.,  on  “Teeth  of  Animals — their  nature  and  uses.” 

North  Wexford. — We  are  glad  to  learn  that  a branch  of  the  Society,  to  be 
known  as  the  “Ferns”  branch,  is  about  to  be  established  in  North  Wexford. 
Dr.  G.  E.  Greene,  Ferns,  is  acting  as  hon.  secretary. 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES. 

In  a Vicarage  Garden. — Some  fifteen  or  sixteen  years  ago  I met  by 
the  road  side  with  a few  plants  of  lady’s  smock  [Cardamine  pratensis)  bearing 
double  flowers.  I took  up  a few  and  planted  them  on  a small  damp  lawn  twenty- 
five  yards  by  twenty,  in  a retired  part  of  my  garden,  and  hoped  to  see  the  pretty 
blossoms  in  the  following  year,  but  was  disappointed  and  thought  no  more  about 
them.  To  my  great  surprise,  last  year  but  one  I found  that  little  lawn  all  at 
once  beautiful  with  a great  number  of  fair,  large  and  vigorous  blossoming  stalks, 
the  flowers  not  only  double,  but  also  proliferous,  many  of  the  flowers  producing 
from  their  centre  other  smaller  flowers  on  slender  stalks.  This  year  again  the 
little  lawn  is  pretty  thickly  enamelled  with  these  beautiful  flowers,  and  of  course 
the  grass  is  not  to  be  mown  until  the  blossoming  time  is  over. 

An  explanation  of  this  phenomenon  may  be  proposed  in  the  fact  that  it  has 
been  observed  that  the  leaves  of  these  double-flowering  plants  arch  themselves 
over  down  to  the  ground,  rooting  and  producing  new  plants.  Possibly  those  I 
planted  so  long  ago  may  have  been  too  busy  spreading  themselves  by  layers  every 
year  to  find  any  inclination  to  flower  until  two  years  ago,  when  they  suddenly 
burst  into  flower.  But  the  ways  of  plants  are  very  mysterious,  and  past  finding 
out.  A similar  phenomenon  has  taken  place  in  my  garden  with  wdld  wood 
anemones,  of  which  I planted  some  a good  many  years  ago  on  a moist  shady 
bank,  when  they  disappeared  and  were  forgotten  until  two  years  ago,  when  they 
suddenly  burst  into  flower  in  some  abundance. 

May  I mention  another  interesting  fact  respecting  wild  flowers  in  this  pretty 
vicarage  garden.  Years  ago  visiting  Kydal  Mount,  there  were  pointed  out  to  me 
a few  plants  of  white  Herb  Robert,  which  Wordsworth  had  planted,  and  of  which 
he  had  been  fond.  I successfully  begged  for  one  small  plant,  which  I carried 
home  and  planted  by  a httle  shady  waterfall,  and  now  I have  the  white  Herb 
Robert  from  the  poet’s  garden  growing  in  abundance  in  my  own.  Selbornians 
who  have  anything  in  the  same  line  to  offer  in  exchange  are  promised  every 
attention.  F.  A.  Malleson. 

The  Vicarage,  Broughtoji-in- Furness. 

The  Kingfisher  (p.  49). — Will  you  allow  me  to  comfort  Mr.  A.  T.  Johnson 
over  the  supposed  extinction  of  the  kingfisher?  The  bird  is  by  no  means  so  rare 
as  he  seems  to  fear.  They  may  still  be  seen  frequently  on  the  upper  reaches  of 
the  Thames,  and  during  the  two  last  summers  I have  seen  specimens  repeatedly 
between  Marlow  and  Wargrave,  especially  near  Greenlands,  and  in  the  bushes 


NATURE  NOTES. 


1 16 


below  Medmenham  Abbey.  My  impression  is  that  they  are  more  plentiful  than 
they  were  some  years  ago,  when  the  home  of  my  boyhood  was  in  those  lovely 
scenes.  A.  C.  Almack. 

The  Vicarage,  Bowes  Park,  N. 

Notes  from  West  Sussex.  —A  few  words  from  West  Sussex,  the  home  of 
the  Richard  Jefferies  branch,  may  not  be  unwelcome  as  additional  proof  of  the 
unusual  earliness  of  dates,  which  all  Selbornians  must  have  enjoyed  chronicling 
in  their  spring  notes  this  year. 

With  us  Banksia  roses  were  out  in  March,  and  the  wistaria  on  a south  wall 
profusely  blooming  by  Easter  Day  (April  2nd).  I picked  cowslips  and  bluebells 
on  April  8th;  they  were  then  “in  prosperity”  (as  our  country  phrase  is),  and 
almost  over  by  .May-day.  The  young  thrushes  were  out  and  about  by  Easter, 
and  the  wryneck  arrived  three  weeks  before  his  time. 

I append  a list  of  birds  and  plants  whose  dates  I noticed  (adding  for  com- 
parison the  dates  recorded  in  the  Naturalists’  Diary).  By  very  small  observation 
one  may  easily  obtain  interesting  results. 

April  lo.  Lords  and  Ladies  (Artun  maculatum).  (April  22.) 

13.  Wild  cherry.  (April  18.) 

,,  Wood  spurge.  (April  25.)  j 

17.  May-blossom  (garden).  (May  13.) 

18.  Early  purple  orchis.  (April  22.) 

21.  Woodruff  (garden).  (May  3.) 

24.  Laburnum  (garden).  (May  14.) 

26.  Wood  sanicle.  (May  12.) 

27.  Guelder  rose  (garden).  (June  5.) 

29.  White  campion.  (May  20. ) 

April  9.  Nightingale  first  heard.  (April  24.) 

10.  Saw  swallow.  (March  23.) 

12.  Heard  wryneck.  (May  l.) 

13.  Saw  whitethroat.  (April  13.) 

16.  Heard  cuckoo.  (April  2.) 

19.  Heard  nightingale.  (April  24.) 

May  3.  Saw  house-martin.  (March  22.) 


Rustington,  near  Worthing,  Sussex. 


Hilda  Urlin. 


Birds  at  Sevenoaks. — It  may  interest  your  readers  to  know  that  I saw  a 
pair  of  swifts  on  April  21st  this  year  ; I have  never  before  known  them  to  arrive 
before  the  28th  of  April,  and  gener.ally  it  is  May  ere  they  come,  often  as  late  as 
the  4th  or  5th.  The  nightingale  sang  in  my  garden  strongly  on  the  19th  of  April. 
,\nd  now  I have  to  add  another  curious  fact.  Although  the  swifts  have  come  I 
have  not  seen  either  a swallow  or  a martin.  Thrushes  are  plentiful,  but  the 
blackbird  for  some  cause  is  somewhat  scarce.  Robins  had  a second  nest  here  on 
the  5th  of  April.  I hope  that  your  readers  have  put  out  pans  of  water  for  the  birds 
this  very  dry  time  ; I have  three,  and  they  are  much  resorted  to.  The  sparrows 
are  a sore  pest  this  year,  eating  off  my  primroses,  &c. , and  they  drive  off  my  other 
birds.  There  are  several  tame  Barbary  doves  flying  about  here,  and  the  sparrows 
attack  even  these.  I think  the  tits  are  among  the  best  friends  the  gardener  has. 
They  seek  for,  find,  and  destroy  so  much  insect  lifb  in  the  ova  state. 

Harrison  Weir. 


A Stray  Pigeon.— Early  in  the  month  of  February,  1892,  a pigeon  was 
observed  flying  about  the  back  of  my  house,  not  going  away,  but  occasionally 
alighting  on  the  roof  of  the  next  house.  At  length  he  perched  on  the  ledge  of 
the  upstair  window,  and  continued  thus  flitting  to  and  fro  for  more  than  two 
hours.  This  was  in  the  afternoon.  At  last  he  flew  against  the  window  of  our 
back  parlour,  as  if  trying  to  come  in  ; and  watching  him  closely  I observed  that 
ha  appeared  to  be  in  a very  exhausted  state.  Thereupon  I opened  one  of  the 
upstair  windows,  and  waited  awhile,  and  on  his  again  perching  on  the  window- 
ledge  I quietly  went  towards  him  and  put  my  hand  gently  upon  him.  He  let  me 
do  so  without  making  any  resistance — perhaps  being  unable  to  make  any — and 
I took  him  in  and  held  him  in  my  hands  until  I could  obtain  some  proper  food 
for  him,  and  a cage  to  put  him  in.  He  took  the  food  eageily,  being  evidently  in 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES.  117 


a half-starved  condition.  He  never  became  perfectly  tame,  and  would  not  let 
himself  afterwards  be  caught  by  hand  if  he  could  avoid  it,  though  now  and  then 
I contrived  to  surprise  him,  and  managed  to  catch  him.  He  was  daily  allowed 
out  of  his  cage  from  breaUfast-time  to  dusk,  and  would  generally,  when  we  were 
alone,  come  down  on  the  table  for  crumbs  which  were  always  put  for  him  at  meal- 
times, but  if  any  stranger  happened  to  be  present  he  would  not  come  down.  He 
never  seemed  willing  to  go  out  of  the  room,  and  try  to  escape,  though  the  door 
was  frequently  left  open  when  no  one  was  in  the  room.  His  favourite  perch  was 
on  the  top  of  a picture-frame  which  projected  a little  way  from  the  wall,  being 
hung  over  another  picture  ; and  he  would  settle  and  go  to  sleep  on  the  window- 
shutters,  which  did  not  quite  reach  to  the  top  of  the  window.  At  length  he  became 
quite  fat,  and  would  come  almost  close  to  us  when  on  the  table,  but  avoided  being 
touched.  He  remained  with  us  fourteen  months.  Having  been  assured  by 
several  persons,  some  of  whom  had  kept  pigeons,  that  if  we  gave  him  his  liberty 
(of  which  we  were  sorry  to  deprive  him)  he  would  come  back  again,  the  cage  was 
hung  up  in  the  garden  with  the  door  open.  For  several  days  this  was  done  with- 
out the  bird  attempting  to  leave  the  cage.  But  on  the  22nd  of  April  last  a man 
coming  suddenly  close  up  to  the  cage,  I believe  frightened  the  poor  bird  ; for  he 
at  once  escaped,  soared  up  above  the  houses,  and  flew  away,  and,  to  our  great 
regret,  we  have  seen  him  no  more.  Robert  Simpson. 

IVood  Green. 

Cleaning  Birds. — I should  be  glad  to  know  what  is  the  best  way  of  clean- 
ing birds.  I have  a German  canary  which  I have  repeatedly  put  into  water  and 
given  baths,  but  it  comes  out  just  as  black  as  when  I put  him  in.  M.  V.  \V. 

Daily  Flight  of  Rooks  (p.  57). — As  to  the  daily  flight  of  rooks  from  North 
London,  in  a southerly  direction,  there  is  little  doubt  that  they  are  flying  to  the 
cultivated  lands  to  the  south  of  Richmond  Park.  Large  numbers  roost  here,  an<l 
in  the  winter  season  they  may  be  seen  on  the  grass.  My  curiosity  was  aroused 
as  to  the  nature  of  their  food,  the  popular  idea  being  that  they  feed  on  grubs  or 
earth  worms  of  some  sort.  On  examination  I find  they  are  in  quest  of  the 
root  of  the  tormentil.  Although  the  greater  part  of  this  root  is  woody  and 
dry,  there  are  parts  of  it  soft,  resembling  a pea,  and  of  an  astringent  flavour. 
This  particular  part  of  the  root  the  rooks  appear  to  relish  extremely,  making 
great  havoc  among  the  grass  to  obtain  it.  M.  A.  S. 

Land-Rail. — Is  that  formerly  well-known  bird  the  land-rail  or  corn  crake 
disappearing  from  some  parts  of  the  country?  I have  not  heard  its  harsh  grating 
note  in  our  fields  and  meadows  since  1890.  In  Oxfordshire  it  is  said  that  when 
these  birds  are  more  than  usually  noisy  and  numerous  a hard  winter  will  follow. 

Fyjield,  Abingdon.  W.  11.  W.vrner. 

Curious  Behaviour  of  a Great-Tit  (p.  96).— This  was  no  doubt  actuated 
by  the  bird’s  belief  that  his  own  image  reflected  in  the  glass  window  was  his  lost 
mate  in  person.  A weasel  lately  made  away  with  the  wives  of  two  fantail 
pigeons  belonging  to  our  dove-cote.  The  widowers,  for  some  weeks  past,  sought 
consrjlation  in  the  attic  windows  of  the  house.  They  sat  on  the  window-sills  all 
day  long,  cooing  and  bowing  and  flirting  with  their  reflections  in  the  glass.  But 
for  this  all-engrossing  occupation,  I hardly  know  how  the  poor  pigeons  would 
have  endured  their  bereavement.  The  noise  of  this  empty  wooing,  which  began 
at  daybreak,  and  continued  until  evening,  became  at  last  unbearable.  Two  new 
brides  were  sought  and  found  for  the  widowed  birds,  and  the  renewal  of  their 
domestic  happiness  has  brought  relief  and  quietness  to  ourselves. 

E.  V.  B. 

Sparrotv  Tapping  at  Window. — Abour  six  weeks  ago  we  observed  a 
hen-sparrow  fluttering  outside,  and  continually  lapping  against  the  panes  of  a 
small  window  overlooking  an  upstairs  corridor.  This  was  continued  day  after 
day,  the  bird  coming  as  early  as  6.30  a.m.,  and  remaining  until  dusk.  Our  boys 
searched  closely,  but  no  nest  could  be  found,  and  we  concluded  that  it  was  a 
solitary  bird.  After  some  time  one  of  our  boys  opened  the  little  window,  and 
placed  a toy  bird  just  within,  which  had  the  desired  effect  of  frightening  the 
sparrow,  but  she  soon  re-appeared  at  another  small  window  close  by,  and  con- 


ii8 


NATURE  NOTES. 


tinuecl  the  same  strange  behaviour.  This  window  we  also  opened,  and  the  bird 
left,  but  only  to  appear  at  a third  window,  also  a small  one,  looking  into  a linen 
room,  and  there  she  began  flying  and  tapping  at  the  panes  in  the  same  unaccount- 
•able  manner  as  before.  This  still  goes  on,  and  I am  anxious,  if  possible,  to 
have  some  explanation  offered,  as  several  persons  to  whom  I have  mentioned  it 
speak  mysteriously  of  “warnings,”  “ill-omens,”  &c.,  and  therefore  for  their 
edification,  as  well  as  my  own,  I should  be  glad  to  hear  the  opinion  of  some 
naturalist.  The  tappings  of  our  hen-sparrow  are  so  loud  and  frequent  as  to 
awaken  sleepers  in  a bed-room  close  by. 

Chipphig  Sodbury  Vicarage.  Sara  W.  Harvey. 

Bird  at  Window  (p.  96).  — This  is  a tolerably  common  occurrence.  In 
the  autumn  of  1887,  a robin  which  haunted  these  premises  amused  himself  for 
three  consecutive  days  by  flying  against,  and  fluttering  up  and  down  some  large 
panes  of  glass  in  the  window  of  an  outhouse.  This  he  repeated  at  intervals  of  a 
few  minutes  nearly  the  whole  of  the  day.  A hat  and  coat  in  the  semblance  of  a 
man  was  hung  up  against  the  window,  but  this  did  not  seem  to  deter  him  in  the 
least.  At  last  we  put  a stop  to  his  amusement  by  w’hitewashing  the  insides  of  the 
panes.  It  was  doubtless  the  reflection  of  his  own  neat  little  figure  in  the  glass 
which  attracted  him.  He  possibly  fancied  he  saw  a rival  there  with  whom  to  do 
battle — robins  being  very  quarrelsome  little  birds,  and  always  ready  for  a 
pugilistic  encounter.  W.  II.  Warner. 

Fyfield,  Abingdon. 

Spring  Visitors. — Our  little  feathered  visitors  from  “ over  the  sea  ” have 
made  their  appearance  somewhat  early  this  year.  I noticed  the  following  species 
on  the  dates  named  during  my  rambles  about  the  neighbourhood.  Some  of  them 
may  possibly  have  arrived  a few  days  before.  Chiff-chaff,  March  25th  ; willow 
wren,  April  ist  ; redstart,  April  7th  ; tree  pipit,  April  8th  ; chimney  swallow, 
April  14th;  whitethroat,  April  15th;  nightingale,  April  15th;  grasshopper- 
warbler,  April  15th;  blackcap,  April  15th;  cuckoo,  April  15th;  turtle  dove, 
April  23rd  ; swift.  May  3rd.  Lepidoptera  are  coming  out  early  this  season,  and 
vegetation  is  also  very  forward.  W.  II.  Warner. 

Fyfield,  Abingdon. 

The  Orleton  Swifts — Four  of  the  Orleton  swifts  arrived  on  April  27th, 
five  days  earlier  than  I have  ever  known  them,  and  eight  days  before  their 
usual  time.  INI  ay  I ask  Selbornians  to  look  out  for  and  note  their  custom  of  soar- 
ing out  of  sight  shortly  after  sunset  ? The  Cheddar  pinks  are  in  beautiful  bloom 
now  on  the  top  of  the  brick  wall  of  the  garden.  The  seed  was  brought  here 
from  the  Cheddar  Cliffs  years  ago,  and  sown  in  the  mortar  between  the  bricks. 

Aubrey  Edwards. 

Nightingale  near  London.— This  charming  songster  may  be  enjoyed 
every  season  at  Wanstead,  Essex,  within  six  and  a quarter  miles  of  Aldgate 
pump.  This  year  nightingales  have  been  in  remarkably  fine  song.  Four  were 
heard  during  a walk  through  that  part  of  Epping  I'orest  lying  between  the  Eagle 
pond  and  Haggar  Lane  waterworks.  One  fine  bird  sings  in  the  first  clump  of 
trees  on  the  left  on  passing  the  Eagle  pond  on  towards  Whip’s  Cross,  whose  song 
is  so  persistent  that  a few  evenings  ago,  when  I took  a couple  of  friends  with  me 
close  up  to  the  bush  whence  the  song  proceeded,  it  continued  quite  unconcerned, 
though  one  of  us  made  several  attempts  at  imitation,  thereby  provoking  ill-timed 
but  irresistible  laughter.  John  W.  Love. 

Rooks  in  London  (pp.  79,  95). — Among  the  places  in  which  rooks  build 
in  London  may  be  mentioned  a garden  at  the  back  of  the  houses  in  Hyde  Park 
Place,  east  of  the  old  burying  ground  of  St.  George’s,  Hanover  Square.  One  of 
the  houses  is  partly  pulled  down,  and  through  the  opening  I could  see  three  nests 
a few  days  ago,  while  standing  on  the  gravel  walk  in  the  Park  near  the  railings. 
Between  this  garden  and  the  graves  stands  the  mysterious  hidden  house  set  back 
from  the  rest.  It  has  only  a door  to  the  street  leading  down  a long  passage 
between  the  red  brick  house  and  the  terra  cotta  one,  and  few  passers-by  know  of 
its  existence.  I am  told  that  rooks  began  to  build  in  the  graveyard  itself  a very 
few  years  ago,  but  were  supposed  to  have  been  scared  by  the  building  of  the  new 
chapel.  E.  S.  N. 


OFFICIAL  NOTICES. 


1 19 

Migrants  at  Weston-super-Mare. — The  summer-like  temperature  of 
March  and  April,  which  brought  to  such  early  maturity  the  flowering  shrubs  and 
fruit  blossoms,  did  not,  I believe,  draw  to  our  shores  earlier  than  usual  the  spring 
migrants.  The  swallow,  last  seen  in  this  neighbourhood  on  November  iith, 
did  not  arrive  much,  if  at  all,  before  March  31st.  The  marvellous  swift,  scream- 
ing with  joy,  was  here  numerously  on  the  evening  of  May  5th.  The  advent  of 
the  summer  warblers  agreed  also  more  closely  with  the  calendar  than  the  appear- 
ance of  the  winged  ancl  wingless  insects,  which  the  great  warmth  of  the  spring 
of  1893  awakened  so  early.  The  drought  has  told  hardly  on  the  thrushes,  mak- 
ing their  chief  food  scarce,  and  a difficult  task  the  rearing  of  their  young.  I see 
them  eating  with  avidity  the  green  ivy-berries.  The  mother  of  three,  born  in  my 
garden  at  the  end  of  the  month,  omitted  the  customary  duty,  owing  to  the  rlry 
weather,  of  lining  the  nest  with  clay. 

T.  P. 

A Carnivorous  Caterpillar. — Caterpillars  usually  live  upon  vegetable 
diet,  but  the  greeny  yellow  caterpillar  of  the  Dun  Bar  moth  preys  upon  smaller 
caterpillars,  twisting  his  fat  green  body  round  them  in  a fatal  embrace,  and  then 
biting  into  the  skin  and  sucking  out  the  juice.  The  first  time  I remarked  the 
operation  going  on  I fancied  it  was  an  accident,  but  I have  since  found  many 
indisputable  cases  of  it. 

^ Southanipstead  Park.  Berks.  Emma  Elizabeth  Thoyts. 

The  Cuckoo. — Every  one  is  familiar  with  the  cuckoo’s  song  or  cry,  but  it 
may  not  be  generally  known  that  while  on  the  wing  the  bird  utters  a curious 
gurgling  sound  between  its  calls.  What  is  the  reason  for  this  ? Is  it  part  of  its 
song  ? 

E.  E.  Thoyts. 

A Query.  — -What  bird  or  insect  is  it  that  at  this  season  bites  through  the 
stalk  of  sycamore  leaves,  which  in  a garden  near  this  town  are  littering  the 
ground  ? 

St.  Alba?ts.  Edward  Liddell. 

Early  May. — Miss  E.  II.  Hickey  writes  on  April  24th,  “To-day  I have 
seen  May  in  full  bloom  on  Hampstead  Heath  ; ” on  the  same  day  we  saw  a bush  in 
full  flower  in  a hedge  near  Pangbourne,  Berks. 


OFFICIAL  NOTICES. 

Excursion  to  Selborne  on  Saturday,  June  24th,  1893. 

Train  leaves  Waterloo  at  lo.  15  ; Clapham  Junction,  10.26  ; arriving  at  Alton, 
12.5  ; conveyances  will  be  in  waiting  (tickets  transferable)  for  drive  to  Selborne — 
.about  five  miles.  Carriages  at  6.30  for  return  to  Alton.  The  last  train  leaves 
at  7.44. 

Lunch  at  1.30;  Lord  Selborne  in  the  chair,  supported  by  Lord  Northbrook, 
the  Earl  of  Stamford,  and  Sir  John  Lubbock. 

Archceology : Mr.  T.  W.  Shore  of  the  Hampshire  Field  Club  will  conduct  a 
party  over  the  church  and  to  other  places  of  interest. 

Field  Parties  will  visit  the  Hanger,  &c.,  under  the  guidance  of  various 
naturalists. 

The  I Takes : Mr.  F.  M.  Read  has  most  kindly  offered  to  open  his  house  and 
grounds  for  the  inspection  of  members  of  the  Selborne  Society  only,  during  the 
day.  See  also  p.  1 12. 

A.  J.  Western,  Sec. 

At  the  Council  meeting  held  on  Wednesday,  May  3rd,  Mr.  Archibald  Clarke 
was  appointed  to  represent  the  Selborne  Society  on  the  Organising  Committee  of 
the  National  Society  for  Checking  the  Abuses  of  Public  Advertising.  Mr.  Britten 
has  also  been  placed  on  the  Committee. 


A.  J.  Western,  Secretary. 


3 20 


NATURE  NOTES. 


TO  CORRESPONDENTS. 

Strathmore. — Purple  Rock  Cre.ss  (Atibrictia  delloidea  or  A.  purpurea). 
The  specimen  was  a good  deal  withered. 

W.  B.  G. — We  do  not  particularly  require  notes  such  as  that  you  send,  but 
any  items  of  personal  observation  will  be  welcome. 

W.  R.  R. — Many  thanks,  but  the  information  is  too  late  to  be  of  service. 

F.  B.  D. — We  cannot  undertake  to  return  communications  unless  a stamped 
envelope  is  enclosed  for  the  purpose,  or  to  enter  into  correspondence  as  to  the 
merits  of  verses  which  do  not  seem  to  us  suitable  for  insertion. 

F.  G.  S.— Y es,  it  is  a white  variety  of  the  bluebell. 

Miss  L. — Unfortunately,  owing  to  an  unavoidable  delay  in  opening  the  box, 
the  specimens  were  indeterminable. 

E.  L.— It  is  impossible  to  determine  the  “fly”  without  seeing  a specimen. 
In  Rennie’s  Insect  Miscellanies  a swarm  of  gnats  is  recorded  so  dense  as  to 
lave  appeared  like  smoke  issuing  from  the  spire  of  Salisbury  Cathedral,  giving 
rise  to  an  alarm  of  Are. 

A.  L.  Champneys. — The  Smooth  Snake  (Coronella  lavis)  is  rare  in 
England.  Bell’s  British  Reptiles,  or  Our  Reptiles  by  M.  C.  Cooke,  would 
probably  meet  your  requirements. 

A.  L.  C. — (i)  Flowers  of  the  Fieldvs,  good  as  far  as  it  goes,  but  it  is  neither 
complete  nor  up  to  date.  (2)  Mr.  W.  F.  Kirby  says: — “There  are  plenty  of 
books  on  British  butterflies,  by  Coleman,  Newman,  Morris  and  others.  For 
British  Lepidoptera,  Stanton’s  Manual,  for  letterpress,  and  Morris’  Moths,  or 
Wood’s  Index  Entoniologicus  for  plates  are  the  most  complete  ; but  for  the  larger 
moths  only,  Newman’s  is  one  of  the  best.” 

Mr.  Roden  Noel’s  Spring  Poetry  (p.  61).— Miss  Hickey  writes:  “The 
pieces  or  parts  of  pieces  quoted  by  me  are  to  be  found  as  follows  : (i)  “A  Walk 
in  Spring,”  Beatrice  and  Other  Poems,  1868.  (2)  From  “ Blind  and  Deaf,” 

same  volume.  (3)  From  “Northern  Spring,”  q/"  the  Heights  and  Deeps, 

1885.  (4)  “The  Secret  of  the  Nightingale  ” is  included  in  the  Selections 

lished  by  Mr.  Walter  Scott).  (5)  “ Returning  Thanks,”  A Modern  Faust  and 
other  Poems.  1 888. 

Max  O’Leary. — Yes,  but  we  are  compelled  to  restrict  the  number  to  six, 
and  we  hope  common  plants  will  not  be  sent. 

H.  U. — We  are  always  glad  of  short  notes,  which  many  consider  the  most 
interesting  portion  of  the  Slagazine. 

S.  P.  H. — Yes,  there  is  ample  justification  for  your  criticism. 

J.  F.  C. — We  did  not  understand  our  correspondent  to  condemn  collecting 
for  scientific  purposes. 

Member  of  Selborne  Society. — Please  send  name  and  address. 


Contributions  for  any  number  should  reach  the  Editor,  James  Britten, 
F.L.S.,  18,  West  Square,  London,  S.E.,  )iot  later  than  the  \^th  of  the  month. 
The  Editor  cannot  undertake  to  insert  any  communication  in  the  number  for  the 
month  following,  in  cases  where  this  rule  is  not  complied  with. 

When  it  is  particularly  requested,  MSS.  not  accepted  will  be  returned,  if 
stamps  sufficient  to  pay  the  postage  are  sent  for  that  purpose.  In  every  case 
contributions  must  be  accompanied  by  the  name  and  address  of  the  writer. 

It  is  particularly  requested  that  subscriptions  and  letters  connected  with 
business,  as  well  as  the  names  of  those  wishing  to  join  the  proposed  excursion 
to  Selborne  on  June  24th,  should  not  be  forwarded  to  the  Editor,  but  to  the 
Secretary  of  the  Selborne  Society,  g,  Adam  Street,  Adelphi,  W.C. 
Editorial  communications,  specimens,  and  books  for  review  should  be  addressed 
to  Mr.  Britten,  as  above. 


The  necessity  of  affording  as  much  space  as  possible  in  this  number  for  matter 
connected  with  Selborne  and  the  Selborne  Society  has  caused  the  omission  of 
other  articles,  as  well  as  of  many  reviews  of  books,  natural  history  notes,  and 
other  communications.  The  Editor  claims  the  indulgence  of  contributors  and 
publishers  for  this  unavoidable  delay. 


IRature  IRotes: 

Selboune  Society’s  ^l^aoasine. 

No.  43.  ^ JULY,  1893.  VoL.  IV. 


A LONDON  FLOWER  SHOW. 

T was  held  in  the  heart  of  a district  of  many,  many  poor  ; 
a district  far  enough  from  the  West  End,  and  yet 
having  no  claim  to  the  name  of  East  End.  A district 
needing  help  and  sympathy  just  as  sorely  as  the  East 
End  needs  them,  and  yet,  curiously,  as  it  were,  leaped  over 
by  the  help  and  sympathy  bestowed  upon  the  East  End  by  the 
West  End  and  other  districts.  A dull,  depressing  place,  with 
thick  air  and  ugly  houses.  No  lovely  display  of  rare  orchids  ; 
no  splendour  of  form  and  colour  and  scent  ; and  yet  what  beauty 
and  suggestion  of  beauty  were  there  ! We  had  no  rare  flowers, 
nor  common  flowers  cultivated  into  the  kind  of  loveliness  we 
associate  with  rarity.  We  had  no  exquisitely-dressed  ladies, 
moving  rhythmically  about,  with  low,  clear  voices  and  graceful 
gestures.  We  had  no  music  of  a band,  military  or  unmilitary. 
We  were  occupants  of  the  covered-in  playground  of  a Board 
School.  The  arches,  at  the  back  and  at  one  side,  had  red  blinds 
and  yellow  blinds  ; one  end  was  wall,  and  in  front  ran  arches, 
two  of  which  divided  one  section  of  the  ground  from  another, 
or  united  these  sections — according  to  one’s  point  of  view.  Across 
the  centre  arch  ran  a line  on  which  hung  a good  number  of  tiny 
flags  and  pennons,  red  and  yellow,  red  and  white,  blue  and  white. 
Large  plants  in  pots  were  arranged  here  and  there,  which  had 
probably  been  hired  for  the  occasion.  The  competitors  and 
their  friends  were  in  the  undecorated  section  of  the  playground  : 
the  other  part  was  reserved  for  the  “ officials,”  i.e.,  those  who  had 
arranged  the  show,  and  the  lady  who  gave  out  the  prizes,  to- 
gether with  some  parishioners,  district  visitors,  and  stranger 
guests.  Behind  the  chairs  of  the  folk  I have  called  officials  ran 


122 


NATURE  NOTES. 


a long  stand,  on  which  were  arranged  the  flowers  which  had  been 
sent  in  for  competition. 

Before  the  proceedings  began  I walked  along  the  front  of  this 
stand,  and  looked  at  the  flowers.  They  were  a sight  truly  worth 
seeing,  a sight  of  deep  suggestion,  of  gladness  and  of  pathos. 
Small  variety  was  there.  Fuchsias,  geraniums,  creeping -jennies, 
ferns  and  musks.  Starved  flowers  one  saw  them  to  be,  the  best 
of  them,  even  the  creeping-jennies,  which  had  a good  deal  of 
foliage  though  no  blossom  was  to  be  seen.  It  was  sorrowful  to 
see  the  thinness  of  the  fuchsias,  trained  as  they  and  the  musks 
were  on  sticks  arranged  in  various  patterns,  the  poor  plants  tied 
up  with  oddments  of  wool — blue,  grey,  any  colour.  The  blossoms 
of  the  geraniums  were  wretched  enough,  and  the  first-prize  fern 
— poor  thing  ! — was  wilted  at  the  ends  of  some  of  its  fronds. 
It  was  sorrowful  in  one  aspect,  with  its  vista  of  unfulfilled  life  ; 
of  bloom  that  might  have  deepened  ; of  foliage  that  might  have 
been  lovely  in  its  richness  ; of  development  that  never  now  might 
be.  But  it  was  sweet  also,  for  these  flowers,  amid  all  the  disad- 
vantages of  poor  soil,  of  dirt,  and  of  darkness,  had  silently  helped 
and  comforted  in  more  ways  than  one,  in  their  dependence  on 
the  hands  that  had  tended  them  for  many  a day,  to  whose 
owners  the  red  was  the  fairest  red  and  the  green  the  loveliest 
green. 

There  were  prizes  for  plants,  and  prizes  for  window-gardens  ; 
prizes  for  women,  boys  and  girls.  These  prizes  were  in  variety, 
too  ; kitchen  tables  (one  small  boy  bravely  carried  off  one  of  these 
in  the  absence  of  his  mother,  the  prize-winner) ; chairs  which, 
went,  I think,  in  pairs ; trays  with  teapot,  cups  and  saucers,  &c., 
all  complete ; chair-bedsteads,  and  blankets.  These  for  the 
matrons.  For  the  boys  and  girls  ; dresses,  boxes,  bags,  and  bags 
that  were  furnished,  too.  I looked,  after  the  show  was  over,  into 
the  bag  of  a small  maiden,  and  saw  comb  and  brush,  hand- 
kerchiefs, and  a piece  of  gold  braid,  together  wth  something  to 
which  she  delightedly  drew  my  attention,  “ and  looking  glasses, 
too  ! ! ” 

There  was  plenty  of  noise  all  the  while,  to  make  up  for  the 
lack  of  music. 

One  of  the  first  prizes  was  taken  by  an  old  woman  who  hobbled 
up  to  the  table  with  a stick  ; and  one  of  the  prizes  for  girls  fell  to 
the  share  of  a tiny  child,  who  was  lifted  on  to  the  table,  and  given 
her  box  and  her  prize  flower.  Three  or  four  she  looked,  but  I 
was  told  that  she  was  older  than  that,  only  stunted  in  growth  ; 

“ a little  dwarf,”  they  called  her,  the  poor  wee  maiden  ! 

The  sister  of  one  of  the  prize-winners  advanced  to  receive  his 
prize,  and  on  being  asked  where  her  brother  was,  replied  that  he 
had  stayed  at  home  to  mind  the  baby.  I am  afraid  she  had  to 
listen  to  an  expression  of  opinion  as  to  the  propriety  of  her  having 
stayed  at  home  instead. 

There  were  eight  competitors  for  the  window-garden  prizes. 
A gardener  had  gone  round  with  the  vicar  to  see  these,  and  the 


A LONDON  FLOWER  SHOW. 


123 


first  prize  had  been  adjudged  to  the  owner  and  cultivator  of  what 
was  described  as  not  only  a window-garden,  but  a garden  spread- 
ing over  a roof,  forming  a bower  of  greenness  and  brightness. 
This  prize-taker  was  a young  man  of  about  nineteen. 

Was  it  not  well  to  see  a sight  like  this  ? Better  still  to  be 
one  of  the  promoters  and  encouragers  of  window-gardening,  and 
helpers  and  rewarders  thereof*- — a patch  of  fair  colour  in  the 
monotony  of  lives  of  toil,  too  often  pleasureless  toil ; a hint  of 
things  lovely  beyond  the  power  of  telling  ; a foretaste  of  good 
and  beauty  yet  to  be. 

E.  H.  Hickey. 


A VISIT  TO  SPOONBILLS. 


T is  not  often  that  the  White  Spoonbill,  Platalea  leucorodia, 
is  now  seen  in  England,  for  like  many  other  fen- 
frequenting  birds,  it  has  been  deprived  of  its  favourite 
haunts  in  consequence  of  the  extensive  draining  opera- 
tions carried  out  in  late  years.  This  has  been  especially  the 
case  in  our  eastern  counties.  The  Spoonbill  is  mentioned  by 
Sir  Thomas  Browne  in  1668  as  breeding  in  Norfolk  and  Suffolk  ; 
and  within  the  last  few  years  the  discovery  has  been  made  that 
it  formerly  bred  in  Sussex  and  Middlesex. 

The  nearest  nesting-place  to  our  shores  was,  until  1882,  the 
Horster  Meer  in  Holland,  about  an  hour’s  journey  by  rail  from 
Amsterdam,  in  the  direction  of  Utrecht.  In  that  year  the 
draining  of  the  meer  was  undertaken,  which  was  a signal  of 
departure  for  the  spoonbills,  and  we  were  very  glad  of  an  op- 
portunity of  paying  them  a visit  during  a short  stay  we  were 
making  at  Amsterdam  in  the  month  of  May. 

Having  a letter  of  introduction  from  Dr.  Sclater  to  the 
Curator  of  the  Zoological  Gardens,  we  went  to  call  upon  him 
and  to  ask  his  advice  and  assistance.-  The  curator  himself 
was  an  old  gentleman,  and  had  not  visited  the  Horster  Meer, 
but  he  most  kindly  entered  into  our  wishes,  and  sent  for  the 
sub-curator,  who,  on  hearing  our  errand,  was  good  enough  to 
propose  guiding  us  himself,  and,  as  he  spoke  English  well  and 
had  already  made  the  expedition,  nothing  could  have  been  more 
convenient.  Accordingly  he  arranged  with  my  father  to  meet  us 
the  next  morning.  May  23,  at  the  station  near  the  Amstel  Hotel, 
to  take  the  11.15  train  for  a village  called  Vreeland,  where  there 
was  a little  station  serving  also  for  the  village  of  Loena  and 
called  by  both  names. 


* The  prizes  given  at  this  flower  show  cost,  I was  informed,  about  twenty 
pounds.  But  who  can  estimate  the  value  of  the  time  and  thought  so  liberally 
spent  upon  it  ? 


124 


NATURE  NOTES. 


The  23rd  was  a beautiful  summer  morning,  and  we  set  out  at 
the  appointed  time  and  duly  arrived  at  Loena-Vreeland.  Passing 
through  the  latter  village,  a cheerful  little  place  amid  very  green 
meadows,  we  came  to  the  bank  of  the  little  river  \'echt,  along 
which  we  walked  on  the  towing  path  for  a long  distance.  The 
vegetation  along  the  edge  of  the  stream  consisted  principally  of 
reeds,  and  many  pollard  willows  and  small  herbage  forming  a 
sort  of  hedge,  and  among  them  we  heard  the  notes  of  the  great 
reed  warbler,  which  the  Dutch  call  Karra-karra-kwiet,  a name 
well  expressing  the  sound  of  the  first  portion  of  its  song.  We 
could  not  see  the  bird.  \\'e  now  arrived  at  the  small  village  of 
Overmeer,  very  near  the  lake,  which  was  entirely  concealed  from 
us  by  the  high  tangled  growth.  Havdng  had  some  luncheon  at 
the  little  inn,  our  guide  found  a boy  to  show  us  the  way,  and 
we  followed  him  some  distance  on  a narrow  path  through  the 
brushwood,  till  we  came  out  on  an  open  space,  where  some 
workmen  were  resting  and  taking  their  midday  meal,  on  the 
very  edge  of  the  meer.  The  draining,  however,  had  proceeded 
so  far  that  the  lake  had  practically  disappeared,  and  the  rough 
ground  was  covered  with  great  tussocks  of  coarse  herbage  which 
the  men  were  rooting  up  to  burn.  We  were  then  joined  by  the 
engineer  in  charge,  who  told  us  that  the  spoonbills  were  still 
there,  but  that  the  nesting-place  could  not  now  be  approached 
without  a boat,  as  it  was  on  an  island  formed  by  the  water 
drained  from  the  surrounding  ditches.  This  was  disappointing, 
as  we  had  wished  to  find  the  eggs  ourselves  ; however,  as  no  boat 
was  forthcoming,  there  was  nothing  to  be  done  and  we  were  told 
we  should  see  the  birds.  While  the  engineer  was  speaking  we 
had  seen  some  peewits,  a large  moor  buzzard  and  several  black 
terns.  Presently  a pair  of  spoonbills  came  in  sight,  then  two 
or  three  more  pairs,  and,  at  last,  a little  further  on,  an  immense 
flight  of  perhaps  three  or  four  hundred,  rose  suddenly  and 
silently  from  the  willows,  their  snowy  plumage  glistening  in  the 
sun.  They  settled  down  some  distance  off,  and  we  hoped  to  see 
them  again  and  walked  a little  further  over  the  rough  ground, 
passing  some  deserted  cormorants’  nests  which  had  been  occupied 
the  year  before,  but  the  spoonbills  we  beheld  no  more.  We  now 
returned  by  the  way  we  came  to  the  village  of  Overmeer,  and, 
being  rather  tired  with  the  walk,  between  four  and  five  miles, 
we  took  a little  row-boat  on  the  Vecht.  This  boat,  however, 
proved  to  be  so  leaky  that  the  waterman,  having  done  his  best 
to  bale  out  the  water  with  an  old  wooden  shoe,  thought  it  best  to 
put  us  ashore  on  the  outskirts  of  the  village,  and  procure  another 
boat. 

This  was  most  fortunate,  for  while  we  were  waiting  two 
of  the  villagers  came  to  see  what  had  happened,  and,  hearing 
that  we  had  been  to  see  the  spoonbills,  informed  our  guide  that 
they  had  some  eggs  taken  a few  days  before  from  some  outlying 
nests,  which  alone  were  accessible.  So  we  followed  them  a 
short  distance  to  their  cottage  ; there  they  produced  a large  hand- 


WILD  LIFE  IN  TASMANIA. 


125 


basin  containing  about  a dozen  good  specimens,  as  well  as  three 
eggs  of  the  marsh  harrier  and  two  of  the  heron.  My  father  was 
glad  to  buy  as  many  as  he  wanted  of  the  spoonbill’s,  and  we 
probably  have  the  last  laid  at  the  Horster  Meer,  for  it  was 
expected  that  the  next  year  it  would  be  deserted. 

The  eggs  we  have  are  about  the  average  size  of  a common 
hen’s  egg,  but  rougher  in  texture  and  not  really  white,  mottled 
with  rust  colour  and  grey,  especially  at  the  larger  end,  but  they 
are  said  to  vary  considerably  both  in  form  and  colour.  The 
flight  of  the  spoonbill  is  very  steady,  and  the  legs  and  bill,  both 
apparently  black,  stretched  out  perfectly  straight  before  and 
behind  present,  with  their  brilliantly  white  plumage,  a very 
striking  appearance. 

In  the  fourth  edition  of  “Yarrell”  (vol.  iv.),  Mr.  Howard 
Saunders  tells  us  that  the  spoonbills  of  the  Horster  Meer  re- 
moved thence  to  the  Naarden  Meer,  a tract  of  about  2,300 
acres  in  extent,  some  fifteen  miles  from  Amsterdam,  where  they 
were  visited  in  1884  by  Mr.  Alfred  Crowley,  but  as  the  drainage 
of  part  of  that  meer  had  already  been  begun,  the  birds  may  have 
since  quitted  that  neighbourhood.  Mr.  Harting  has  told  us  in 
the  Zoologist  for  1877  that,  in  a MS.  survey  of  certain  Sussex 
manors  taken  in  1570,  mention  is  made  of  spoonbills,  under  the 
name  of  “shovelers,”  breeding  in  the  woods  called  the  Westwood 
and  Haselette,  near  Goodwood  Park,  in  that  and  former  years  ; 
and  in  a subsequent  communication  [ZooL,  1884,  p.  81)  he  adduced 
some  interesting  evidence  of  the  previously  unsuspected  fact  that 
in  Henry  the  Eighth’s  time  spoonbills  nested  in  the  heronry 
in  the  Bishop  of  London’s  park  at  Fulham. 

M.  Borrer. 


WILD  LIFE  IN  TASMANIA. 


IV. 

NE  of  the  first  things  to  strike  our  notice  on  peering 
into  the  groves  of  small  gums  which  adorn  parts  of 
our  bush  road,  is  the  immensity  of  insect  life  supported 
by  one  small  sapling.  Each  of  them  is  a mine  of 
wealth  to  the  inquisitive  entomologist,  a source  of  never-ending 
delight,  a study  for  a life-time.  The  stem,  the  branches,  the 
twigs,  the  bark,  the  leaves,  the  tender  shoots — all  contribute 
their  quota  to  the  teeming  population  of  these  miniature  but 
favoured  eucalypti.  Perhaps  the  feature  which  impresses  us 
most  strongly  during  our  examination  is  the  effect  produced  by 
the  attacks  of  gall-flies  upon  the  leaves  and  twigs  of  our  ever- 
green beauties.  Scarcely  a leaf  but  shows  the  mark,  large  or 
small,  of  these  alert  and  industrious  insects  ; hardly  a twig  but 
is  disfigured  by  knobs  and  bumps  indicative  of  their  attacks. 


12  ) 


NATURE  NOTES. 


Many  of  the  galls  are  mere  little  pimples  upon  the  surface  of 
the  leaves,  swellings  not  much  larger  than  a pin’s  head  ; others 
rise  to  more  like  the  size,  and  very  like  the  colour,  of  small  ripe 
apples  and  pears.  Sometimes  the  whole  of  the  leaf  is  studded 
so  thickly  with  small  protuberances  that  scarcely  a bit  of  the 
natural  surface  is  discernible  ; we  have  ourselves  counted  one 
hundred  such  swellings  upon  the  quarter  of  a moderate-sized 
leaf.  The  large  ones  will  often  repose  in  solitary  grandeur, 
tlieir  red  and  yellow  cheeks  showing  off  beautifully  against  the 
dark  green  of  their  support.  Sometimes  the  leaf  will  be  pierced 
too  near  the  edge,  and  will  then  fail  to  close  up  at  one  end, 
forming  a pretty  cup.  The  inhabitants  of  these  vegetable 
bladders  are  themselves  very  quaint  looking.  With  a very  flat 
body,  quite  black  upon  the  upper  surface  and  white  and  fluffy 
underneath,  they  scuttle  and  roll  about  in  extreme  panic  upon 
being  disturbed,  and  evince  the  greatest  agility  in  eluding 
scientific  observation. 

Many  of  the  twigs  of  our  young  trees  are  swollen  from  the 
attacks  of  the  saw-fl}',  and  the  veins  in  some  of  the  leaves  are 
hard  and  knotty  from  the  same  cause.  If  we  carefully  slice  off 
a piece  from  the  top  of  one  of  these  woody  veins,  we  expose  to 
view  a series  of  cells,  each  of  which  contains  a minute,  yellow, 
fat,  helpless-looking  grub,  very  like  a baby  in  a cradle.  There 
are  on  some  leaves  of  these  gums,  small  oval  reddish  bodies, 
which,  if  pressed,  exude  a thick  red  liquid.  They  are  probably 
a species  of  aphis  in  one  stage  of  its  metamorphosis,  for  the  ants 
are  constantly  running  up  and  down  the  stems  of  these  saplings 
in  search  of  honeydew,  and  nothing  else  in  the  way  of  aphides 
is  visible. 

At  times  one  or  other  of  the  young  trees  is  afflicted  with  a sort 
of  smut,  the  twigs  and  many  of  the  lower  leaves  being  covered 
with  fine  black  dust,  and  the  whole  tree  presenting  a drooping 
and  forlorn  appearance.  This  black  substance  is  a fungus,  which 
adheres  to  and  grows  in  the  honeydew  dropped  from  the  aphides 
which  are  living  in  the  upper  part,  upon  the  lower  leaves  and 
branches  ; the  breathing  pores  are  thus  choked  up  and  the  un- 
healthy condition  of  the  plant  is  attested  by  its  woe-begone 
look.  The  ravages  of  the  small  mining  caterpillars  are  visible 
everywhere  upon  the  broad  leaves  of  these  saplings.  The 
attacks  of  one  species  will  be  marked  by  irregular  white  streaks, 
extending  nearly  the  length  of  the  leaf ; others  produce  white 
patches,  while  others  still  fasten  the  leaves  together  with  threads, 
and  in  this  snug  enclosure  will  eat  away  the  top  surface  of  both 
leaves. 

There  is  a little,  squat,  dark-coloured  spider,  shaped  very 
like  a triangle,  which  lives  in  a curled-up  corner  of  a leaf,  and 
scuttles  off  very  quickl}',  sideways,  like  a crab,  on  his  home 
being  broken  into.  There  is  a very  remarkable  isosceles  triangle 
of  a spider,  whose  body  is  quite  a work  of  art  ; the  ground- 
colour is  terra-cotta,  and  this  is  inlaid  with  white,  forming  a 


OUT  OF  DOORS. 


127 


pattern  like  a mosaic.  This  spider  has  no  regular  abode,  but 
stays  very  quietly  upon  a leaf,  keeping  the  one  position  for 
hours,  until  an  unfortunate  insect  settles  close  by,  when  it  is 
instantly  seized  by  the  long  fore-legs.  We  found  a brown 
spider  upon  one  of  these  same  gums,  sitting  upon  a clutch  of 
eggs  with  the  evident  intention  of  hatching  them  out,  like  the 
domestic  hen  ; and  there  is  a large  black  species  found  every- 
where in  the  spring  while  digging,  which  carries  a bag  of  eggs 
almost  as  large  as  itself  between  its  hind  legs,  and  gets  over  the 
ground  at  a surprising  pace  with  this  heavy  burden. 

One  very  curious  resident  upon  our  gums,  curious,  not  so 
much  in  itself,  as  in  its  work,  is  a very  small  brown  larva, 
which  lives  in  a little  silken  house,  and  eats  the  upper  surface 
of  the  leaf  alongside  this  dwelling.  The  strange  part  of  the 
performance  is  the  springing  up  of  a miniature  forest  of  brown 
threads  all  over  the  part  where  he  has  been  feeding,  and  on  the 
margin  of  it  also,  where  the  leaf  is  intact.  The  threads  appear 
to  be  vegetable  fibre,  but  how  they  are  made  to  assume  the 
vertical,  and  what  purpose  they  serve,  unless  to  assist  the  con- 
cealment of  the  larva,  we  have,  as  yet,  been  unable  to  discover. 
There  is  another  small  larva  which  constructs  a circular  wall 
upon  the  leaf,  and,  bringing  down  another  leaf  upon  the  top, 
securely  fastens  it  there,  and  in  this  simple  fortress  enjoys  perfect 
security. 

Of  birds,  the  honeyeaters  seem  the  great  frequenters  of  our 
young  grove,  coming  thither  probably  for  the  numerous  small 
insects  which  form  part  of  jtheir  diet.  Strange  to  say,  however, 
they  do  not  build  there,  always  choosing  in  preference  a clump 
of  young  ti-tree,  where  the  cleverly-constructed  nest  of  long  soft 
strips  of  bark,  often  delicately  lined  with  wallaby  hair,  is  made 
secure  between  three  or  four  stems  about  the  thickness  of  one’s 
finger.  In  this  are  laid  two  whitish  eggs,  spotted  with  pink 
upon  the  larger  end,  and  so  closely  does  the  hen  bird  sit  that  she 
might  be  almost  captured  with  the  hand. 

Hamilton  Stuart  Dove. 

Table  Cape,  Octobev  iith,  1892, 


OUT  OF  DOORS. 

By  the  Editor. 

HE  annual  exodus  this  year,  looked  forward  to  as  it 
doubtless  is  by  many  thousands,  will  perhaps  be  less 
keenly  relished  than  is  sometimes  the  case.  In  no  pre- 
vious season  of  the  century,  it  may,  we  believe,  be  stated 
without  fear  of  contradiction,  has  there  been  such  a marvellously 
fine  spring  and  early  summer  as  that  with  which  we  have  been 
favoured  this  year.  Never  within  our  memory  has  an  out-of- 
door  life  been  so  possible,  so  delightful,  so  enjoyable,  as  it  has 


128 


NATURE  NOTES. 


been  during  the  early  months  of  1893.  Never,  in  spite  of  drought, 
have  the  wild  flowers,  from  the  time  of  primroses  and  bluebells 
down  to  the  wild  roses  and  honeysuckle,  been  so  early  and  so 
numerous  as  we  have  had  them  during  the  last  months.  One 
effect,  and  that  a strange  one,  of  this  unusual  period  of  sun- 
shine is  not  likely  to  be  regarded  with  favour  by  an  important 
portion  of  the  community  ; for  it  is  said  that  the  depression  in  the 
book-trade  is  attributable  to  the  spell  of  fine  w’eather.  Be  this 
as  it  may,  those  who  are  preparing  to  spend  their  summer 
holiday  either  at  home  or  abroad,  in  country  houses  with  pleasant 
gardens,  away  on  the  moors  and  fells,  by  the  seaside,  or  further 
afield  in  the  various  continental  tourist  resorts,  are  certain  to 
lay  in  a store  of  books  w’hich  they  at  any  rate  intend  to  read  : 
books  of  all  kinds,  novels  and  poems,  travels  and  essays,  and,  we 
may  hope,  among  them  a certain  number  of  volumes  bearing 
more  or  less  closely  on  the  side  of  natural  history  which  it  is 
the  office  of  the  Selborne  Society  to  develop  and  promote.  To 
these  we  would  commend  two  or  three,  the  notice  of  which 
cannot  be  longer  delayed. 

Handsomest  of  these  is  the  new  edition  of  Mr.  William 
Robinson’s  English  Flower  Gar  den,  \Nhich  Mr.  John  Murray  issued 
early  in  the  year,  and  which  is,  in  our  judgment,  distinctly  the 
most  beautiful  book  on  gardens  which  has  come  under  our  notice. 
To  a thorough  knowledge  of  his  subject  from  a practical — -that 
is  to  say,  a cultural — point  of  view',  Mr.  Robinson  unites  a 
thorough  appreciation  of  the  artistic  side  of  gardening,  and  a 
faculty  for  seizing  the  most  striking  features  of  well-ordered 
gardens  and  bringing  them  before  his  readers.  No  man  has 
done  more  to  emancipate  the  country  dweller  from  the  tyranny 
of  fashion  and  of  the  professional  gardener ; to  liberate  him  from 
the  demon  of  “ bedding  out,”  and  the  Mephistophelian  glare  of 
the  scarlet  geranium  and  the  yellow  calceolaria.  The  ciiltus  of 
the  lily  and  the  sunflower  may  indeed  claim  another  origin  ; but 
we  who  have  lived  through  the  period  of  the  “ribbon  border” 
and  the  formalism  of  “pattern”  bedding,  cannot  be  sufficiently 
grateful  to  Mr  Robinson  for  having  stemmed  and  turned  the 
tide  of  popular  taste  in  a more  rational  direction.  “ Carpet- 
bedding”— that  system  by  which  at  the  cost  of  an  infinity  of 
trouble,  time,  and  money,  plants  are  degraded  to  producing  an 
effect  which  might  be  more  effectively  and  cheaply  obtained  by 
an  arrangement  of  coloured  chalks — is  indeed  still  to  be  seen  in 
our  parks  ; and  beds  of  the  open-jam-tart  order  may  yet  be  seen 
where  better  things  might  be  expected,  e.g.,  on  either  side  of  the 
broad  walk  in  Kew  Gardens ; but  their  reign  is  over,  and  the 
long  interminable  lines  of  blue,  yellow  and  scarlet,  which  used 
to  meet  our  gaze  everywhere  with  wearisome  monotony,  have 
almost  ceased  to  be.  For  this,  and  for  very  much  more,  Mr. 
Robinson  is  to  be  thanked. 

For  very  much  more  : for  the  danger  of  your  reformer  is 
that  he  will  begin  by  being  destructive,  and  end  there.  Now  it 


OUT  OF  DOORS. 


129 


is  just  as  easy  to  pull  down  as  it  is  difficult  to  build  up  ; and 
Mr.  Robinson  would  have  had  ample  precedent  had  he  con- 
tented himself,  as  many  reformers  have  done,  Avith  destroying 
the  faulty  structure,  leaving  the  erection  of  the  new  building 
to  others.  But  this  Avas  not  his  Avay  ; and  on  the  ruins  of 
“bedding-out,”  and  among  the  ashes  of  the  bygone  geraniums, 
calceolarias,  and  lobelias,  he  has  laid  the  foundations  of  the 
“mixed  border”  and  the  “ Avild  garden.”  He  has  restored,  in 
fact,  the  best  traditions  of  the  English  garden,  Avhich  had  come 


Branch  of  Hawthorn. 


doAvn  to  us  from  the  days  of  Bacon,  Gerard  and  Parkinson,  and 
Avhich  still  happily  lingered,  waiting  the  time  of  their  restoration, 
in  many  a country  manor,  and  above  all  in  the  little  floAver-plots 
before  the  cottage  door,  Avhere  the  early  violets  and  aconites  led 
the  Avay  to  the  daffodils,  snoAvdrops  and  polyanthuses,  and  so  on 
to  the  full  pageant  of  Flora’s  lovely  and  fragrant  train. 

In  this  delightful  Flower  Garden  the  owner  and  the  gardener 
may  take  equal  interest.  Mr.  Robinson  gives  tAvo-thirds  of  his 
book  to  an  alphabetical  enumeration  and  description  of  the  best 


130 


NATURE  NOTES. 


flowers  to  grow ; the  first  two  hundred  pages  he  devotes  to 
telling  us  in  a genial  way  what  to  have  and  what  to  avoid,  how 
to  design  our  beds  and  borders,  what  to  put  in  them,  what 
climbers,  and  shrubs,  and  trees,  and  bulbs  to  select,  how  to 
arrange  for  a sequence  of  flowers,  so  that  we  may  not  have  a 
blaze  of  colour  for  four  months  or  so  and  bare  beds  for  the  rest 
of  the  year.  All  this  he  illustrates  with  pencil  as  well  as  pen ; 
he  gives  us  visions  of  lovely  houses  and  delightful  gardens,  and 
these  are  no  unsubstantial  presentments,  but  actual  places  “ in 
their  habit  as  they  live  ; ” he  shows  us  the  effects  produced  by 
flowers — often  the  commonest — growing  in  a simple  and  natural 
manner — of  mulleins  on  a Surrey  heath,  of  evening  primroses 
by  night,  of  Japanese  aneniones  and  summer  snow’flakes,  and 
such  “beautiful  accidents”  as  this  “colony  of  sweet  cicely 
in  shrubbery,  with  white  harebells  ” (seemingly  the  too  often 


weedv  and  ineradicable  Campanula  raptinculoides)  which,  by  Mr. 
Robinson's  kindness  we  are  enabled  to  reproduce,  as  well  as 
another  cut  showing  the  treatment  of  an  individual  flower. 

We  would  willingly  dwell  longer  upon  this  charming  and 
suggestive  volume ; but  space  is  limited,  and  other  books  call 
for  notice.  We  welcome  another  instalment  of  essays  by  “A 
Son  of  the  Alarshes,”  who  might  surely  by  this  time  reveal  his 
identity.  In  Forest  Tithes  (Smith,  Elder  & Co.),  we  have  more 
of  those  records  of  accurate  and  loving  observation,  carefully  set 
down  in  straightforward  readable  English,  which  we  are  justified 
in  expecting  from  this  writer,  who  never  disappoints  his  admirers. 
Here  is  a new  sermon — would  that  all  sermons  appealed  as  for- 
cibly to  our  sympathies  ! — on  the  old  text  “ Eyes  and  no  Eyes  ; ” 
here  we  learn  what  to  look  for  “ In  the  Weald  ” and  “ Under 


OUT  OF  DOORS. 


131 

Green  Leaves;”  in  “Longshore  Memories”  the  writer  takes 
us  back  once  more  to  the  North  Kent  marshes,  where  he 
acquired  his  power  of  seeing  and  of  expressing  in  words  what 
he  saw ; we  have  chapters  dealing  with  individuals  or  groups, 
such  as  those  on  “British  Reptiles,”  “The  Otter,”  and  “Small 
Deer  ; ” and  two  story  essays,  “ The  Witch  of  Smoky  Hollow  ” 
and  “ Little  Jake  ” — the  former  marred  by  touches  of  invraisem- 
blance,  as  when  a “ Sister  of  Mercy  ” is  depicted  as  wearing  a 
large  crucifix  “ suspended  by  a golden  chain  ; ” the  latter  a 
short,  simple  and  beautiful  little  narrative.  Some  London 
readers  will  be  grateful  to  the  author  for  his  indication  of  “ one 
day’s  good  walk,”  starting  from  Dorking  at  7 a.m.  and  going 
round  by  Ranmore  Common,  Shefe,  Abury,  and  Chilworth, 
and  so  back  to  Dorking  again. 


Burnham  Beeches. 


Mr.  Robinson’s  book  is  for  the  garden;  Forest  Tithes  for  the 
woods  and  fields : the  third  on  our  list.  The  Beauties  of  Nature,  by 
the  new  President  of  the  Selborne  Society,  Sir  John  Lubbock, 
takes  a wider  range,  as  its  title  seems  to  imply.  It  is  a worthy 
companion  to  The  Pleasures  of  Life,  and  we  hope  the  companion- 
ship will  soon  be  rendered  more  intimate  by  the  production  of  a 
cheaper  issue.  Without  the  excellent  illustrations,  and  in  smaller 
type,  a pocket  edition  might  be  brought  out  at  the  cost  of  a 


132 


NATURE  NOTES. 


shilling,  and  we  can  promise  both  author  and  publisher  that  at 
such  a price  the  sale  would  be  enormous. 

Like  those  who  listened  to  the  Bellman,  Sir  John  Lubbock’s 
readers  are  presumably  “ all  of  them  fond  of  quotations.”  No 
writer  has  so  admirable  a knack  of  bringing  together  a number 
of  select  passages  from  the  most  diverse  writers  in  widely  differ- 
ing styles.  This  was  manifest  in  the  earlier  work  already  re- 
ferred to,  and  here  it  is,  if  anything,  more  remarkable.  Seneca, 
Keble,  Victor  Hugo,  W.  R.  Greg,  W'^ordsworth,  Kingsley, 
King  Alfred,  Cicero,  Aristotle,  Thoreau,  Spenser,  Hamerton, 
Jefferies,  Humboldt,  Darwin,  Wallace,  Belt,  Patrin,  Gray, 
Colvin,  Bernardin  de  St.  Pierre,  Emerson,  Shelley,  the  Song  of 
Solomon,  William  Howitt — ^these,  with  many  others  incidentally 
referred  to,  are  cited  in  the  introductory  chapter  alone,  and  so 
dexterously  are  they  dovetailed  one  into  the  other  that  the  result 
is  not  that  of  a mere  patchwork,  but  of  a tapestr}-  in  which  the 
various  coloured — a word  which  we  are  sorry  to  see  Sir  John 
spells  “ colored — threads  blend  into  a harmonious  whole.  The 
book  is  admirably  illustrated,  as  the  accompanying  example 
will  show. 

The  fact  that  it  is  the  busiest  men  who  can  always  find  time 
for  more  work  has  become  an  axiom,  and  in  no  one  surely  is  this 
better  exemplified  than  in  the  case  of  our  new  President,  who 
combines  various  avocations,  any  one  of  which  would  suffice  to 
keep  a busy  man  employed,  and  yet  finds  time  to  devote  to  a wide 
range  of  natural  history  observations  and  to  indulge  in  a course 
of  reading  of  the  extent  of  which  a volume  such  as  this  gives 
some  indication.  How  is  it  done  ? We  remember  in  our  youth 
having  had  held  up  to  our  admiration  the  example  of  a man 
who  wrote  “ a large  book  ” during  the  quarters  of  an  hour 
which  his  wife  kept  him  waiting  for  his  dinner.  Even  in  those 
early  days  we  were  somewhat  sceptical  as  to  the  accuracy  oi 
this  narrative  ; but  it  can  only  be  by  such  rigorous  economy 
of  fragments  of  time  that  Sir  John  Lubbock  can  carry  out  his 
various  enterprises.  In  this  volume  alone  we  have  chapters  on 
animal  and  vegetable  life,  on  the  woods  and  fields,-the  mountains 
and  rivers,  the  sea  and  sky,  all  of  them  evidencing  an  amount 
of  well-digested  reading  and  personal  observation  at  home  and 
abroad  which  makes  it  impossible  not  to  envy  the  possessor  of  a 
mind  so  comprehensive  and  appreciative.  Certainl}'  this  hand- 
some book  will  be  a delightful  out-of-doors  companion  wher- 
ever we  may  direct  our  steps  this  summer ; and  if  we  could  put 
it  in  our  pocket  without  materially  adding  to  our  encumbrances 
it  would  be  even  more  widely  used  than  it  is  certain  to  be  in  its 
present  form. 


RELICS  OF  GILBERT  WHITE. 


133 


RELICS  OF  GILBERT  WHITE. 

SHORT  account  of  some  relics  of  Gilbert  White,  now 
in  possession  of  the  Rev.  F.  Gilbert  White,  vicar  of 
Lensden,  South  Devon,  may  possibly  be  of  interest  to 
the  readers  of  Nature  Notes. 

(1)  A letter  from  Gilbert  White  to  his  sister-in-law,  Mrs. 
John  White  of  Blackburn.  This  I have  copied  as  exactly  as 
possible,  without  alteration  of  the  spelling. 

“ Selborne,  April  17. 

“ Dear  Sister, — 

“ By  both  your  last  letters,  for  which  I return  you 
thanks,  it  plainly  appears  that  my  brother  continues  gradually 
to  recover  strength,  and  that  air,  exercise,  and  bathing  are  of 
singular  service ; and  therefo^re  I hope  he  will  strive  against 
irresolution,  and  summon  up  all  his  manhood  to  pursue  the 
one  and  submit  to  the  other,  irksome  as  it  may  feel  at  times. 
You  talk  of  Bath  in  this  case  : and  those  waters  doubtless  have 
done  wonders ; but  brother  Thomas  says  while  the  cold  bath 
continues  to  be  so  serviceable  he  cannot  see  what  more  can  be 
expected  from  hot  ones,  which,  one  should  suppose,  would  rather 
relax.  He  thinks  at  present  you  had  better  pursue  your  home 
regimen.  In  town  I saw  Mr.  Fielden,  and  your  intended  Curate  ; 
the  former  had  lately  seen  my  brother,  who  to  his  thinking  was 
marvellously  mended,  and  looked  in  the  face  almost  as  usual. 
Yesterday,  if  I mistake  not,  Mrs.  Snooke  entered  into  her  84th 
year.  The  late  hot  weather  was  of  singular  service  to  her, 
and  relieved  her  from  a cough,  which  had  annoyed  her  the 
winter  thro’.  On  Easter  Monday  Bro'"  and  Sister  Harry  and 
several  of  their  children  are  to  go  up  to  South  Lambeth.  They 
have  just  inoculated  four  of  their  children  with  singular  success. 
My  neighbour  Yalden  has  just  got  a regular  smart  fit  of  the 
gout. 

“ My  new  parlor  now  dries  at  a great  rate  ; and  will  be 
fit  for  use  at  Midsum'',  but  I shall  not  be  able  to  compleat  it 
this  summer.  I must  not  put  on  my  upper  paper  ’til  another 
year.  With  my  best  wishes  and  prayers  for  my  brother’s 
recovery,  I remain 

“ Y''  affectionate  brother, 

“Gil.  White.” 

(2)  A sermon  of  Gilbert  White’s,  numbered  by  him  gg,  on 
the  text  I John  iv.  20.  According  to  the  endorsements,  it  was 
preached  by  him  on  thirty-eight  occasions  between  April  3, 
1748  and  I7g2  (nine  times  at  Selborne,  and  fourteen  times  at 
Farringdon).  It  then  passed  into  the  hands  of  his  nephew,  the 
Rev.  Glyd  White,  who  made  a few  alterations  in  it,  substituted 
a new  conclusion,  and  preached  it  at  Brightwell,  Oxon,  in  1813. 
With  some  slight  further  alterations  it  was  preached  twice  in 
that  year  by  the  Rev.  Samson  White,  at  Maidford  and  at  Cold 


134 


NATURE  NOTES. 


Higham,  Northants.  Finally  it  was  preached  at  Bussage, 
Gloucestershire,  in  1852,  with  some  further  alterations  by  my 
grandfather,  the  Rev.  F.  H.  White. 

(3)  The  original  water-colour  sketch  (ii^  in.  by  8 in.)  of 
the  Hermitage,  with  the  inscription  “ S.  H.  Grimm  fecit,  1777.” 
From  this  was  taken  the  somewhat  reduced  and  distorted  oval 
vignette  which  appears  on  the  title  page  of  the  Selborne.  The 
original  of  the  vignette  is  now  in  possession  of  the  Rev.  Edmund 
Field,  of  Lancing  College.  Much  has  obviously  been  lost  in 
the  process  of  reduction. 

Stamford. 


THE  PLAGUE  OF  FIELD  VOLES  IN  SCOTLAND. 

Z^^^HE  Report  of  the  Committee  appointed  by  the  Board 
Agriculture  to  enquire  into,  and  if  possible  devise 
means  for  combating,  this  evil,  has  recently  been 
published,  and  contains  much  interesting  information 
as  well  as  valuable  and  important  suggestions. 

As  is  the  case  in  former  recorded  instances  of  the  sudden  and 
alarming  increase  of  field  voles,  or  short-tailed  field-mice,  in 
Essex,  Kent  and  elsewhere,  large  numbers  of  owls,  particularly 
the  short-eared  or  “ woodcock  owl,”  were  attracted  to  the  scene 
of  devastation,  and  did  excellent  service  in  checking  the  plague. 
Through  the  senseless  persecution  of  gamekeepers,  collectors. 
Sac.,  the  woodcock  owl  rarely  nowadays  remains  here  during  the 
summer  to  breed,  even  in  those  districts  where  it  was  formerly 
known  to  do  so,  but  arrives  and  departs  with  the  woodcock. 
Yet  in  the  present  instance,  as  the  following  extract  from  the 
Report  will  show,  it  has,  owing  to  the  unusual  abundance  of 
food,  deviated  in  a remarkable  manner  from  its  usual  custom. 
The  Committee  state  that  ; “ Nests  in  ordinary  seasons  are  of 
comparatively  rare  occurrence  in  Great  Britain  ; but  in  con- 
sequence of  the  vast  multiplication  of  their  favourite  food,  the 
vole,  these  owls  have  not  only  arrived  in  unusual  numbers,  but 
have  remained  and  bred  freely  all  over  the  district  affected, 
laying  from  eight  to  thirteen  eggs  (though  Prof.  Newton,  in 
his  edition  of  Yarrell’s  British  Birds  mentions  seven  as  an 
unusual  number),  and  rearing  more  than  one  brood.  The 
shepherd  on  Crooked-stone,  near  Cranford,  counted  fourteen 
nests  on  his  ground.  The  small  wood  behind  the  farm-steading 
of  Howpasley  presented  a remarkable  appearance,  the  ground 
being  densely  covered  with  the  ‘ pellets  ’ or  ‘ castings  ’ of  owls, 
composed  of  the  fur  and  bones  of  voles.  The  fact  of  these 
owls  remaining  to  breed  means  of  course  an  immense  increase 
in  the  quantity  of  field-mice  destroyed  by  them,  the  numerous 
broods  of  young  birds  requiring  an  abundant  and  continuous 


THE  PLAGUE  OF  FIELD  VOLES. 


135 


supply.  The  number  of  mice  and  rats  killed  by  a single  pair 
of  the  common  white  or  barn  owl,  while  rearing  a family,  is  well 
nigh  incredible.  This  has  again  and  again  been  proved  and 
pointed  out  by  Mr.  Norgate  and  other  careful  observers,  who 
have  spared  neither  trouble  nor  pains  in  investigating  the 
matter  by  personal  observation,  in  order  that  the  pernicious 
practice  of  destroying  owls  might  be  put  a stop  to.  The  above- 
named  gentleman,  on  examining  more  than  thirty  barn  owls’ 
nests,  found  the  remains  of  only  one  bird — a blackbird — whereas 
one  nest  was  supplied  with  twenty  fresh  rats  all  killed  in  one 
night.  Other  nests  were  supplied,  some  with  rats  only,  some 
with  mice  only.  Zoologist  for  1881,  p.  314.” 

The  Report  proceeds  as  follows;  “The  short-eared  owl 
differs  from  most  other  owls  in  that  he  hunts  in  daylight,  and 
his  operations  can  be  observed ; but  there  is  no  doubt  that  the 
nocturnal  species  are  equally  useful  to  the  farmer  in  destroying 
small  rodents,  and  it  would  be 'difficult  to  condemn  too  severely 
the  foolish  and  cruel  action  of  those  who  allow  or  encourage  the 
destruction  of  this  useful  and  beautiful  family  of  birds.  It  is 
with  much  satisfaction  that  the  Committee  record  that  many 
landowners  and  game  preservers  seem  to  have  become  convinced 
in  late  years  that  owls  of  all  sorts  are  not  only  harmless  to  game 
but  most  beneficial  to  agriculturists,  and  have  issued  orders  for 
the  preservation  of  these  birds. 

“ Next,  and  hardly  second  in  merit,  as  a check  upon  voles 
and  mice,  comes  the  kestrel  {Falco  tinnunculus),  and  it  is  to  be 
deplored  that  popular  ignorance  as  to  its  food  and  habits  is  even 
greater  than  that  which  prevails  in  regard  to  owls.  This  bird, 
although  possessing  the  long  wings  and  dark  eyes  characteristic 
of  a true  falcon,  is  known  to  gamekeepers  as  a hawk — noscitxir 
a sociis ; its  death-warrant  is  a standing  order  in  most  preserves, 
though  here  again  there  has  been  some  improvement,  and  the- 
destruction  of  the  kestrel  is  forbidden  on  some  estates.  The 
food  of  this  bird  is  known  to  consist  almost  exclusively  of  mice, 
grasshoppers,  coleopterous  insects,  and  their  larvae  .... 
Buzzards  probably  destroy  large  numbers  of  voles  and  mice,  and 
are  too  heavy  on  the  wing  to  do  much  injury  to  winged  game  ; 
but  they  have  become  very  scarce  in  Southern  Scotland,  owing 
to  their  destruction  by  gamekeepers.”  Here  in  East  Anglia, 
and  indeed  in  most  parts  of  the  country,  these  fine  birds  may  be 
said  to  have  been  exterminated  as  a breeding  species,  though 
a few,  especially  of  the  rough-legged  species,  still  occasionally 
make  the  fatal  experiment  of  paying  us  a visit  in  the  autumn. 

The  Committee,  it  appears,  do  not  approve  of  the  use  of 
poison  in  dealing  with  the  “ vole  plague,”  but  among  the 
various  remedies  suggested,  great  stress  is  laid  on  the  preserva- 
tion of  owls  of  all  sorts,  buzzards,  kestrels  and  the  smaller  sea- 
gulls, respecting  which  they  say — “ Strict  injunctions  ought  to 
be  given  by  landowners  that  these  birds  should  not  be  destroyed. 
Their  presence  in  full  numbers,  though  inadequate  to  avert  an 


136 


NATURE  NOTES. 


outbreak,  would  undoubtedly  tend  to  mitigate  it,  and,  as  has 
been  proved  in  the  case  of  the  short-eared  owl,  they  have  the 
faculty  of  multipl}-ing  abnormally  in  presence  of  an  unusual 
supply  of  food.  They  are  at  all  events  most  useful  allies  to 
man  in  combating  attacks  of  ground  vermin.  The  Committee 
further  desire  to  deprecate  in  the  strongest  manner  possible 
the  use  of  the  pole-trap  for  the  capture  of  hawks.  Besides 
the  inhumanity  of  this  device,  it  is  indiscriminate,  and  harmless 
owls,  kestrels  and  buzzards  are  just  as  likely  to  be  taken  by  it 
as  are  the  more  mischievous  species.”  Respecting  that  inde- 
fatigable little  “ farmer’s  friend,”  the  common  weasel,  the 
following  remarks  occur  : — “ The  Committee  have  no  hesitation 
in  recommending  that  weasels,  which  are  persistent  mouse- 
hunters,  and  do  little  damage  to  game,  should  not  be  molested, 
at  least  |on  moorlands  and  hill-pastures,  where  they  can  do  little 
harm  and  much  good.”  I have  myself  seen  a weasel  swim 
across  a brook  carrying  a large  field-vole  in  his  mouth,  and 
have  found  dead  ones  laid  up  in  his  retreat. 

The  destruction  of  owls  (not  to  speak  of  kestrels)  is  still  far  too 
general,  and  by  no  means  confined  to  Scotland  ; though  why  it  is 
permitted  is  hard  to  understand.  Two  instances  occurred  only 
last  summer  to  my  knowledge,  in  each  of  which  a whole  family 
of  young  owls  were  done  to  death.  In  the  first  a nest  of  young 
barn  owls  were  allowed  to  remain  undisturbed  till  their  plumage 
was  considered  to  be  sufficiently  advanced,  and  then  taken  to 
the  bird-stuffers  to  be  killed  and  stuffed.  In  the  other  case  a 
family  of  that  beautiful  bird,  the  long-eared  owl,  hatched  in  an 
East  Suffolk  fir  plantation,  were,  I have  reason  to  believe,  all 
shot.  This  species,  if  protected  (as  indeed  all  the  British 
owls  nominally  are),  would  be  far  from  uncommon  in  some  parts 
of  Suffolk,  but  the  young  have  a habit  which  too  often  brings 
about  their  own  destruction.  After  leaving  the  nest  they  sit 
still  among  the  thick  foliage  of  some  fir,  holly  or  other  tree, 
where,  if  they  did  but  keep  silence,  they  would  be  comparatively 
safe ; but  as  darkness  comes  on,  hunger  prompts  them  to  call 
to  their  parents  for  food,  and  long  into  the  night  they  utter  from 
time  to  time  their  mournful  wailing  note,  which  borne  on  the 
gentle  summer  breeze  may  be  heard  to  a long  distance.  Too 
often  this  cry  proves  to  be  their  own  death-knell,  for  by  means 
of  it  they  reveal  their  whereabouts  not  only  to  their  anxious 
parents  but  also  to  their  arch  enemy,  the  keeper,  who  is  thus 
enabled  to  follow  up  and  murder  the  whole  brood. 

Though  the  “ vole  plague  ” has  generally  been  confined  to 
certain  limits,  yet  throughout  the  country,  rats  and  moles  have 
of  late  years  been  far  too  numerous,  and  from  the  game  pre- 
server as  well  as  the  farmer  owls  of  all  sorts,  kestrels,  buzzards 
and  weasels  deserve  the  strictest  protection  for  keeping  down 
one  of  the  worst  enemies  to  game— -the  common  brown  rat. 

G.  T.  Rope. 


THE  RESCUE  OF  OPEN  SPACES. 


137 


THE  RESCUE  OF  OPEN  SPACES* 

The  most  casual  reader  of  either  of  the  pamphlets  noted  below  cannot  but  be 
struck  by  the  immense  usefulness  of  the  work  carried  on  by  the  Commons  Preserva- 
tion Society.  The  first  is  a detailed  account  of  its  operations  throughout  Great 
Britain;  the  second  is  a record  of  persistent  energy,  triumphant  at  last,  in  one 
locality  alone.  The  work  of  the  Commons  Preservation  .Society  may  be  classified 
under  the  following  heads:  (l)  Threatened  appropriation  of  open  spaces  under 
private  Acts  of  Parliament.  (2)  Parliamentary  proceedings.  (3)  Proceedings 
under  the  Commons  and  Enclosure  Acts.  (4)  London  open  spaces.  (5)  Litiga- 
tion to  prevent  arbitrary  enclosure.  It  would  be  impossible  here  to  attempt  any- 
thing like  an  extended  comment  on  the  victories  won  or  reverses  sustained  in 
these  various  departments,  so  a choice  must  be  made  of  one  or  two  instances. 
The  rescue  of  St.  Margaret’s  Parish  Piece  at  Leicester  from  the  attempt  of  the 
.Select  Vestry  to  acquire  parliamentary  powers  to  sell  it  for  building  land,  points 
to  the  fact  that  large  provincial  towns  need  open  spaces  in  their  centres  nearly  as 
much  as  London,  since  facilities  for  escape  into  the  country  in  such  localities  are 
no  greater  than  we  in  London  enjoy.  The  chief  interest  in  the  Society’s  work 
centres  around  the  New  Forest  Ranges  Act,  in  the  demolition  of  which,  after  the 
Bill  had  become  law,  the  Commons  Preservation  Society  played  no  unimportant 
part ; but  that  subject  has  already  been  fully  discussed  in  these  pages. 

Another  good  piece  of  work  is  the  now  assured  preservation  as  an  open  space 
of  the  Bethnal  Green  Poor’s  Land  in  East  London.  Owing  to  the  lease  of  the 
land  falling  in  it  was  decided,  if  possible,  to  build  thereon  a Poor  Law  Infirmary 
and  a F^ree  Library.  The  area  between  the  Thames  in  the  south  and  Victoria 
Park  in  the  north  is  well  nigh  covered  with  an  unbroken  succession  of  dull  and 
dingy  dwellings,  and  the  Charity  Commissioners,  to  whom  the  .Society  referred 
the  matter,  wisely  determined  that  the  Bethnal  Green  Poor’s  Land  should 
remain  an  open  space,  in  accordance  with  the  original  intention,  as  expressed  in 
the  deed  declaring  the  Trusts  dated  1690.  Throughout  England  amt  Scotland 
jealous  guard  has  been  kept  over  footpaths  and  commons — with  varying  success, 
but  with  little  cause  for  discouragement.  The  sphere  of  operations  does  not 
appear  to  be  extended  to  Ireland ; but  one  would  surely  think  that  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Dublin  and  Belfast — in  the  case  of  the  latter  especially,  with  its 
rapidly  increasing  population — the  Society  would  find  plenty  to  do.  We  may 
note  that  Westerham  is  not  in  Sussex  as  stated,  but  in  Kent,  twenty  miles  from 
the  City.  ' 

Of  Mr.  Hunter’s  pamphlet,  giving  in  detail  the  circumstances  of  the  splendid 
struggle  which  lasted  thirteen  years,  and  resulted  in  the  rescue  of  Banstead  Downs 
and  Heath,  we  need  only  remark  that  if  the  lord  of  the  manor  had  endeavoured  to 
empty  a tray  of  quicksilver  with  his  fingers  he  would  have  found  it  an  easier  task 
than  his  industrious  attempt  to  buy  up  all  the  commoners’  rights  in  the  hope  of 
throwing  the  breezy  downs  of  Banstead  upon  the  metropolitan  building  estate 
market.  London  had  got  quite  far  enough  when  it  had  reached  Sutton,  in  Surrey, 
and  speculative  builders  may  now  console  themselves  with  the  unpleasant  reflec- 
tion that  their  progress  southward  in  this  direction  is  opposed  by  a barrier  several 
miles  deep. 

Archibald  Clarke. 


The  Excursion  to  Selborne. — Owing  to  its  occurrence  so  late  in  the 
month  it  is  impossible  to  give  any  account  of  the  excursion  to  Selborne  in  the 
present  issue  of  Nature  Notes.  We  hope  next  month  to  give  a full  report  of 
the  proceedings  on  this  interesting  and  important  occasion. 


* Commons  Preserz’aiion  Society^  Report  of  the  Executive  Committee  0/  Proceedings  during 
the  years  1888-92,  London.  Printed  by  Eyre  & Spottiswoode,  East  Harding  Street,  Fetter 
Lane,  E.C.  8vo.  Price  not  stated. 

Another  Chapter  in  the  Rescue  of  London  Commons.  The  Presenilation  of  the  Downs  and 
hi eaths  of  Banstead.  By  Robert  Hunter,  Esq.,  of  the  Commons  Preservation  Society. 
Printed  by  Eyre  Si  Spottiswoode,  East  Harding  Street,  London,  E.C.  8vo.  Price  not  stated. 


138 


NATURE  NOTES. 


SELBORNIANA. 


An  Appeal  to  Selbornians.— Last  year  at  this  season  we  gave  some 
“ Hints  for  the  Holidays,”  which  appeared  to  us  needed,  and  which  we  were 
glad  to  learn  met  with  general  acceptance.  We  have  no  intention  of  repeating 
them,  although  we  would  remind  our  readers  of  their  existence,  and  suggest  that 
their  re-perusal  might  prove  useful.  But  we  will  renew  the  appeal  we  then  made  on 
behalf  of  the  Children’s  Country  Holiday  Fund,  by  means  of  which  no  fewer  than 
25,568  London  children  were  sent  last  year  into  the  country  for  a fortnight  each, 
with  most  gratifying  results.  Space — or  the  want  of  it — will  not  allow  us  to  do  more 
than  commend  this  most  deserving  charity  to  the  warm  support  of  Selbornians, 
and  urge  them  to  send  for  the  report  of  the  work  during  1892  to  the  Secretary,  Mr. 
Cyril  Jackson,  10,  Buckingham  Street,  Strand,  W.C.  Fifteen  shillings  will  ensure 
a fortnight’s  country  holiday  for  one  child,  and  we  trust  that  many  readers  of 
Nature  Notes  will  take  this  means  of  assuring  to  others  the  pleasure  of  life  out 
of  doors,  which  they  themselves  so  greatly  enjoy. 

Lantern  Slides  (pp.  93,  114). — According  to  my  promise  in  last  month’s 
Notes,  I now  submit  a list  of  birds  which  I have  been  able  to  copy  from  books  by 
permission  of  the  publishers,  viz.,  from  Pouchet’s  Universe,  by  permission  of 
Messrs.  Blackie  & Sons  : — 


Magpie  and  nest. 

Longtailed  Titmouse  and  nest. 

Wren  and  nest. 

Barn  Owl  and  nest. 

Goshawk  and  nest. 

Cuckoo  killin’ 

And  from  Buckland’s  edition  of  White’s 
Macmillan  & Co.  : — 

Swallow. 

Swift. 

Housemartin. 

Wryneck. 

Gold  Crested  Wren. 

Cuckoo. 


Waterhen  and  nest. 

Reed  Warbler  and  nest. 

Swallow  and  nest. 

Golden  Oriole  and  nest. 

Redwing. 

; Wrens. 

Selborne,  by  permission  of  Messrs. 

Nightingale. 

Hoopoe. 

Bullfinch. 

Hawfinch. 

Butcher  Bird. 

Wheatear. 


Blackcap. 

From  all  these  I have  been  able  to  prepare  very  fair  lantern  slides,  and  some  of 
them  have  been  coloured  by  the  kindness  of  Mrs.  Wheatcroft,  the  wife  of  the  hon. 
local  sec.  of  our  branch.  I hope  to  have  some  other  British  birds  ready  very 
shortly,  and  by  the  time  the  lecture  season  begins  I shall  be  pleased  to  lend  a 
selection  of  the  birds,  together  with  my  lantern  slides  of  Selborne,  to  any  other 
branch,  provided  the  executive  will  undertake  to  pay  carriage  both  ways,  promise 
not  to  let  them  be  copied,  and  make  known  the  source  of  the  pictures,  with  due 
acknowledgment  to  the  publishers  for  their  courtesy,  as  these  are  the  conditions 
under  which  I obtained  permission  to  copy  at  all.  The  slides  are  of  such  density 
that  they  may  be  shown  in  the  lantern  or  as  transparencies  on  a proper  stand  on  a 
table  with  an  opal  shaded  lamp  behind,  or  in  a window  ; I find  the  latter  a very 
popular  and  convenient  way  of  showing  transparencies  when  a lantern  is  not 
available,  or  for  daylight  meetings. 

Bath.  E.  J.  Appleby. 


The  “ Osprey  ” again. — A correspondent  sends  us  the  following  letter 
“ I purchased  a hat  at  a London  milliner's  the  other  day,  and  on  objecting  to  the 
‘ osprey  ’ was  told  that  it  was  only  an  imitation,  not  the  real  osprey  at  all.  I 
enclose  two  pieces  ; the  grey  I think  is  unquestionably  genuine  osprey,  the  other 
certainly  does  not  look  like  the  same,  and  I am  inclined  to  believe  that  it  is 
made  from  some  finely  split  quill.  If  this  is  so,  the  outcry  about  the  amount  of 
osprey  worn  again  is  a false  alarm,  as  this  is  the  kind  almost  universally  worn  at 
present,  as  the  other  does  not  give  the  stiff  erect  effect  required.” 

We  forwarded  the  specimens  to  Mrs.  Brightwen,  who  expressed  her  belief 
that  both  were  “ osprey,”  but  forwarded  them  to  a professional  expert  for  his 


NA  TURAL  HIS  TOR  V NOTES. 


139 


opinion.  The  following  reply  was  sent: — “The  two  pieces  of  feather  received 
and  returned  are  undoubtedly  what  milliners  call  osprey — the  egret  of  naturalists. 
The  short  piece  is  the  quill  or  stump  of  a long  feather  of  the  large  egret,  and  cut 
into  two  or  three  lengths.  The  other  is  of  a smaller  and  inferior  bird,  with  the 
plume  feather  just  developing.  Being  wild  birds  they  are  killed  when  the  oppor- 
tunity offers.  If  they  were  domesticated  they  would  be  allowed  to  live  until  the 
plume  was  more  fully  developed.” 

Another  correspondent  begs  us  to  direct  attention  to  the  subject,  but  what 
more  can  be  said  ? It  is  only  too  evident  that  the  human  “ bird  of  prey  ” (see 
Nature  Notes,  1892,  p.  115)  has  hardened  her  heart  against  the  dictates  of 
humanity,  and  that  her  savage  instincts  are  stronger  than  her  instincts  of  pity. 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES. 

The  Kingfisher  (pp.  49,  115). — I am  pleased  to  find  that  my  old  friend, 
the  Rev.  A.  C.  Almack,  can  give  such  a good  account  of  the  kingfishers  of  the 
Thames.  I can  quite  bear  him  out  as  regards  the  Cherwell  and  Isis  ; many  have 
been  reported  to  me  in  this  neighbourhood  since  last  October,  and  I have 
frequently  seen  them  myself.  The  recuperative  power  of  the  species  seems  indeed 
quite  astonishing.  Hard  winters  reduce  their  numbers  and  bring  them  within 
reach  of  wanton  shooters,  yet  in  a couple  of  years  they  are  once  more  quite  com- 
mon. A correspondent  in  Nature  Notes  recently  lamented  the  diminution  of 
their  numbers  in  North  Wales.  I felt  inclined  at  the  time  to  ask  if  he  had  good 
grounds  for  believing  them  to  have  ever  been  abundant  there.  I have  asked  more 
than  one  North  Welshman  the  question,  and  can  learn  very  little  about  king- 
fishers, and  in  South  Wales  I have  the  evidence  of  my  own  e)’es.  Though  I have 
been  in  the  habit  of  prowling  about  by  Welsh  streams  for  the  last  thirty  years,  I 
have  very  rarely  met  with  the  bird.  And  the  reason  is,  I think,  not  that  they 
have  been  persecuted  there  more  than  elsewhere,  but  that  swift  streams  do  not 
answer  their  purpose  so  well  as  the  slow  rivers  of  England,  either  for  the  purposes 
of  feeding  or  nesting.  In  the  Alps,  for  example,  I never  saw  a kingfisher  bi^t  once, 
and  that  was  on  a bit  of  still  water,  an  inlet  off  a rushing  river.  But  it  would  be 
interesting  to  obtain  some  trustworthy  evidence  as  to  the  Welsh  kingfishers,  and  I 
hope  some  of  your  correspondents  may  be  able  to  supply  it. 

Oxford.  W.  Warde  Fowler. 

It  may  interest  your  readers  to  know  that  on  different  occasions  in  the  last  few 
years  I have  seen  kingfishers  in  my  garden  in  Edgbaston  (which  is  a residential 
suburb),  only  a mile  and  a-half  from  the  very  centre  of  Birmingham,  a small  pool 
of  water  containing  fish  being  the  cause  of  their  visits. 

Harriet  Peyton. 

Swallows. — This  evening  (June  13th)  while  sitting  in  Kew  Gardens,  opposite 
Sion  House,  1 saw  a flight  of  swallows,  about  a hundred,  alight  in  the  long  grass 
in  the  meadow  where  cattle  were  grazing.  Presently  one  of  the  company  came 
across  the  river  into  the  Gardens,  and  skimmed  about  and  went  very  low  down, 
as  if  to  see  what  sort  of  a place  it  was.  He  went  back  and  returned  with 
another  swallow,  and  they  did  the  same.  Then  those  returned  bringing  a third 
one ; they  went  a little  away,  then  came  back,  seeming  to  be  very  unsettled  and 
fatigued.  The  others  in  the  field  rose  and  fell  and  went  into  some  bushes  near, 
keeping  very  close  together.  To  my  great  regret  I had  to  leave  this  very  pretty 
and  interesting  sight. 

Richviond,  Surrey.  Maybell  G.  Fullvvood. 

The  Land  Rail  and  Early  May  (pp.  117-119).— We  have  never  been 
without  land  rails  here  in  summer  on  the  banks  of  the  Thames  ; and  this  season, 
since  the  rain  first  came,  the  land  has  been  full  of  them.  I believe  I saw  the  May 
in  bloom  earlier  than  Miss  Hickey ; and  it  has  been  more  beautiful  than  ever  this 
year. 

Buscot,  Berks. 


Oswald  Birchall. 


140 


NATURE  NOTES. 


A Book  for  Botanists.— One  of  the  last  articles  written  by  the  Rev. 
Percy  Myles  for  Nature  Notes  was  that  at  p.  171  of  the  volume  for  1891,  in 
which  he  described  at  length  the  Biographical  Index  of  British  and  Irish 
Botanists,  then  preparing  for  publication- by  Messrs.  Britten  and  Boulger.  For 
many  reasons,  more  especially  because  of  the  fulness  of  Mr.  Myles’s  account,  we  do 
not  purpose  to  speak  in  detail  of  the  volume,  but  some  who  read  the  notice  referred 
to  may  like  to  know  that  the  book  has  just  been  published  by  Messrs.  West, 
Newman  & Co.,  of  54,  Hatton  Garden,  E.C.,  price  6s.  6d.  net. 


OFFICIAL  NOTICES. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Council  held  on  June  7th  a vote  of  thanks  to  the 
members  of  the  White  family,  who  kindly  lent  the  relics  of  Gilbert  ^Vhite  which 
were  exhibited  at  the  annual  general  meeting,  was  passed. 

In  the  place  of  Messrs.  J.  Allen  and  R.  M.  Wattson,  who  were  elected 
members  of  Council  at  the  annual  meeting,  Mr.  R.  H.  Read  and  Mr.  W.  B. 
Gerish  were  elected  representatives  of  the  Lower  Thames  Valley  and  Clapton 
branches  respectively. 

The  formation  of  two  new  branches  was  authorised — the  Southgate  District 
Branch  (hon.  sec.,  Selborne  Boome,  Esq.)  and  the  Ferns  Branch  (hon.  sec..  Dr. 
G.  E.  J.  Greene).  Miss  M.  Dundas  having  resigned  her  office  as  hon.  sec.  of 
the  Wensleydale  Branch,  a vote  of  thanks  was  given  for  her  past  services.  The 
members  of  the  branch  who  have  not  yet  paid  their  subscriptions  for  1893  are 
requested  to  forward  them  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Society,  9,  Adam  Street, 
Adelphi,  W.C. 

The  Council  resolved  that  petitions  on  behalf  of  the  Society  should  be  presented 
to  Parliament  in  favour  of  the  Bills  for  Checking  the  Abuses  of  Public  Advertising 
and  for  the  Better  Protection  of  Wild  Birds. 

A Special  General  Meeting  will  be  held  at  9,  Adam  Street,  Adelphi, 
on  Monday,  July  17th,  at  five  o’clock.  At  this  meeting  a proposal  will  be  made 
that  the  minimum  annual  subscription  of  a member  shall  be  increased,  and  that 
Rule  6 shall  be  altered  accordingly.  Other  matters  may  be  considered  at  this 
meeting. 

A.  J.  Western,  Secretary. 


TO  CORRESPONDENTS. 

H.  P. — It  is  a fungus  {Mitrula  cucullata). 

Stratllinore. — The  specimen  was  hardly  sufficient  for  determination.  Can 
you  send  again  ? 

Felicitas. — Your  lines  are  scarcely  Selbornian  in  spirit,  and  you  give  no 
address. 

M.  E.  C. — Yes,  it  is  the  Great  Knapweed  [Centaurea  Scabiosa),  of  which  white 
varieties  are  occasionally  found. 

Contributions  for  any  number  should  reach  the  Editor,  James  Britten, 
F.L.S.,  18,  West  Square,  London,  S.E.,  not  later  than  the  i$th  of  the  month. 
The  Editor  cannot  undertake  to  insert  any  communication  in  the  number  for  the 
month  following,  in  cases  where  this  rule  is  not  complied  with. 

When  it  is  particularly  requested,  MSS.  not  accepted  will  be  returned,  if 
stamps  sufficient  to  pay  the  postage  are  sent  for  that  purpose.  In  every  case 
contributions  must  be  accompanied  by  the  name  and  address  of  the  writer. 

It  is  particularly  requested  that  subscriptions  and  letters  connected  with 
business  should  not  be  forwarded’  to  the  Editor,  but  to  the  SECRETARY  of  the 
Selborne  Society,  9,  Adam  Street,  Adelphi,  W.C.  Editorial  communications, 
specimens,  and  books  for  review  should  be  addressed  to  Mr.  Britten,  as  above. 


We  have  to  regret  the  holding  over  of  several  articles,  notes,  and  reviews, 
which  will  appear  in  our  August  number. 


IRature  IRotes : 

^be  Selbovne  Society’s  fll>aoa3ine. 

No.  44.  AUGUS*r,  1893.  VoL.  IV. 


FLOWERS  OF  WINTER  AND  OF  SPRING. 


AST  November  I sent  to  Nature  Notes  a short 
account  of  the  birds  which  come  to  our  garden  dur- 
ing the  winter  months ; and  to-day  I should  like  to 
speak  about  the  flowers  of  winter  and  spring  in  this 
snow-bound  valley. 

Early  in  January  we  drove  across  the  frozen  Davos  Lake  in 
a hay  sledge.  Following  the  path  which  the  wood-carts  make, 
we  passed  the  pool  where  men  were  cutting  ice,  and  so  came 
to  the  garden  of  frost  flowers.  Half  a foot  of  snow  lies  upon 
the  lake,  and  the  crystals  have  grown  here  like  flowers  in  a 
garden  where  the  colours  are  varied  and  beautiful,  ever  shifting 
m the  sun’s  rays.  These  children  of  the  frozen  mist  are  some- 
times pointed,  like  tiny  wings,  when  they  will  flutter  to  the 
slightest  breath  of  wind.  Again  there  are  spiked  stars,  dancing 
all  night  beneath  the  moon.  Sometimes  they  cling  to  the  reeds 
like  delicate  blossoms ; or  else  they  float  in  the  half-congealed 
pools  of  water,  or  they  are  frozen  into  the  solid  ice ; and 
wherever  the  mist  rises  from  the  river’s  mouth,  there  you  wall 
find  the  flowers  with  their  six  petals,  shining  bright  in  the  sun- 
light, settling  on  the  blades  of  grass  like  butterflies  whose  wings 
are  at  rest. 

During  the  last  days  of  January  we  walked  up  a side-valley 
and  along  beside  the  stream.  Here  again  the  frost  had  played 
some  pranks  with  the  mist  at  night:  for  he  caught  the  rising 
vapour  and  made  a bridge  from  bank  to  bank  across  the  water. 
It  was  a lovely  cave  of  ice,  and  hung  with  great  stalactites  to 
which  the  frost-flowers  clung,  and  there  were  besides  ridges  of 
thin  ice  with  spaces  of  air  in  between.  But  here  it  was  danger- 
ous to  walk,  because  you  were  for  ever  breaking  through  the 


142 


XATURE  NOTES. 


crust  and  scraping  your  ankle  against  the  sharp  little  splinters. 
(Such  are  the  charms  of  “ cat-ice  ! ”) 

I remember  how  we  crossed  many  of  these  frozen  bridges, 
and  how  the  spears  of  ice  rose  from  that  polished  field,  and 
again,  how  the  icicles  hung  down  from  their  cold  shelf.  They 
were  as  fine  and  as  long  as  the  hair  of  an  ice  maiden.  The 
stream  was  dammed  in  places,  too,  and  broke  its  snowy  banks 
and  ran  over  the  meadows,  where  again  the  frost  held  it ; and 
the  stones  on  the  stream  bed  were  coated  with  glittering  ice,  so 
that  when  the  water  rushed  over  them  it  beat  strange  tunes 
against  their  sides.  But  often  that  ice-music  was  more  like 
a peal  of  muffled  bells  than  anything  else.  So  on  one  walk  we 
crossed  many  bridges  and  could  always  hear  the  torrent  groan- 
ing beneath  us.  It  was  pretty  to  see  the  alders  fringed  with 
rime,  as  fine  as  the  down  upon  a moth’s  wing.  Then  a water- 
ouzel  scudded  past  us  up  towards  the  glacier,  and  he  brushed 
the  crystals  with  his  snowy  breast.  But  the  sun  had  set  and 
the  glacier  fields  high  up  were  starting  into  sudden  flame 
where  the  after-glow  had  awakened  them,  and  down  beyond  the 
western  mountain  a mock-sun  arose  like  a golden  column  from 
out  the  mist.  It  was  too  cold  to  linger  any  longer  on  those 
fascinating  bridges  of  ice,  and  we  turned  our  footsteps  homewards. 

March  4th. — March  has  come,  and  still  the  frost-flowers 
grow  beside  the  lake,  and  three  feet  of  snow  cover  those 
other  flowers  which  made  their  buds  in  autumn  and  are  only 
waiting  for  the  sunlight  and  Fohn  wind  to  free  them  from  their 
load.  For  the  heather  buds  and  gentians  have  their  eyes 
tightly  closed,  and  anemones  have  laid  their  downy  heads  to 
sleep.  They  are  all  waiting  now  for  the  snow  to  disappear,  when 
they  will  suddenly  wake  to  the  joy  of  springtime  and  will  greet 
us  with  the  delight  of  long-lost  friends. 

In  April  on  a very  hot  bank  the  star  gentian  {Gentiana  veyiia) 
has  been  bold  enough  to  open,  and  beside  him  grows  the  yellow 
coltsfoot  with  moisture  oozing  from  his  stem.  Heather  banks 
are  deepening  in  colour  up  in  the  ravine,  and  just  above  the  level 
of  the  pines  the  spring  anemone  {A . vernalis)  shakes  his  downy 
wings  like  a young  bird,  and  bares  his  golden  breast  to  the  sun. 
This  lilac  anemone,  or  Basque  flower,  grows  always  on  those 
banks  which  are  most  exposed  to  the  sun,  and  mingles  with  that 
ever-green  arctostaphylos  or  bear-berry  about  whose  honey  the 
bees  are  so  greedy.  Then  there  are  oxlips  in  the  meadows, 
crocuses  as  white  as  snowfall,  and  soldanellas  shaking  their 
dainty  bells,  and  grey  violets  with  delicious  fragrance,  are 
wedged  in  the  granite  boulders  and  nod  from  the  crevices  of  the 
rock  to  the  primulas.  The  mountain  sides  are  carpeted  with 
polygala  white  and  red,  with  cup  gentians  (G.  acaidis)  a.nd  poten- 
tillas  and  auriculas,  and  the  tortoiseshell  butterflies  and  clouded 
yellow  are  floating  over  them. 

The  Fohn  wind  is  greatly  responsible  for  this  sudden  awaken- 
ing. He  it  was  who  first  in  March  loosed  the  snow  upon  the 


FLOWERS  OF  WINTER  AND  SPRING.  143 

mountains  and  sent  it  thundering  down  into  the  gullies  ; and  he 
it  was  who  gave  the  ring-thrush  that  liquid  note  of  his.  For  the 
P'dhn  drove  up  to  us  from  Italy,  over  fields  and  fields  of  snow, 
and  at  his  voice  the  lazy  pines  stretched  their  branches,  whilst 
the  sap  rose  once  again  within  them. 

In  May  the  alders  break  into  blossom,  and  the  spruce  pines 
are  crowned  with  crimson  flowers.  Chaffinches  are  calling  to  each 
other  in  the  forest.  Woodpeckers  shout  and  laugh,  and  even  a 
hoopoe  has  arrived,  but  he  is  only  passing  through.  Golden- 
crested  wrens  and  goldfinches  stay  with  us,  and  the  cuckoo  comes 
to  tell  us  about  England.  The  larks  are  singing  in  the  meadows, 
where  there  are  patches  of  snow  left  from  yesterday’s  storm. 

One  evening  a swallow  came  through  my  open  window  and 
settled  on  the  curtain  pole  quite  comfortably,  tucking  his  head 
under  his  wing.  He  awoke  me  in  the  morning  with  that  sw'eet 
and  fitful  warbling  of  his  ; but  he  would  not  stay  with  me,  and 
when  the  sun  was  up  he  passed  through  the  window  and  out 
into  the  valley,  skimming  over  the  crocus  flowers  in  his  rapid 
flight.  Good-bye,  then,  dear  swallow  ! You  will  come  again 
later — in  June,  perhaps. 

May  17. — Snow  is  with  us  again,  for  May  is  not  always  a 
merry  month  in  the  high  Alps.  Snow  and  a wind  which  cuts  your 
face  till  it  smarts.  There  are  frosts  at  night,  and  the  poor  sol- 
danellas  and  auriculas  are  bowed  to  the  ground.  But  the  chaf- 
finches continue  to  line  their  nests  with  the  hair  from  the  tails  of 
Swiss  horses  (how  hard  must  be  the  beds  thus  supplied !).  The 
breeding  season  is  here,  and,  in  spite  of  snow  or  harsh  winds, 
birds  are  singing  in  the  forest.  Never  sang  the  thrush  more 
persistently  than  when  his  throat  was  wet  with  snow ; and  the 
woodpecker  laughed  at  those  mortals  who  arrayed  themselves 
in  muffler  or  grey  veil  to  climb  the  forest  paths — then  his  head 
was  scarlet  and  he  looked  so  handsome,  and  spring  is  spring,  and 
comes  but  once  a year ; it  is  the  season  for  courtship.  The 
woodpecker  is  not  one  to  quake  and  shiver  for  a blast  of  wind  or 
a mouthful  of  snow. 

I would  like  to  say  more,  but  have  already  trespassed  beyond 
the  limits  of  Nature  Notes.  I have  tried  to  tell  of  the  winter 
among  our  mountains,  and  of  that  Spring  whicli  is  very  dear, 
though  often  sad.  Is  it  the  struggle  of  Nature,  perhaps,  which 
gives  the  beauty  when  it  comes  a deeper  joy  ? Is  it  because  the 
air  is  so  keen  that  the  violet  has  such  a powerful  scent  ? 

C.  M.  Symonds. 


Davos  Platz. 


144 


NATURE  NOTES. 


THE  HARVEST  MOUSE  AT  METAPONTUM. 

N my  Notes  on  a Harvest  Mouse  in  the  May  number, 

I stated,  over-boldly  perhaps,  my  belief  that  the  mouse 
on  certain  coins  of  Metapontum  is  a representation  of 
the  harvest  mouse  (dAis  whnhws).  The  idea  first  occur- 
red to  me  when  once  happening  to  see  my  pet  mouse  standing  on 
the  broad  over-turned  leaf  of  a green  oat,  the  remembrance  of 
the  coin  came  to  my  mind,  for  the  real  mouse  and  the  mouse  of 
the  coin  were  in  exactly  the  same  position  and  attitude. 

This  coin  of  Metapontum  may  be  roughly  dated  about  450 
B.c. — a time  when  the  Greek  cities  round  the  Gulf  of  Tarentum 
were  very  prosperous  ; among  them  Metapontum  specially  owed 
her  wealth  to  her  fertile  corn-lands.  A large  number  of  her 
varied  and  beautiful  coins  have  been  preserved  to  our  day. 

The  coin  I propose  to  comment  on  just  from  one  limited 
point  of  view  is  No.  123  in  the  British  IMuseum  catalogue  ; it  is 
about  the  size  of  a sixpence,  but  thicker.  I only  note  in 
passing  the  beautiful  head  of  Demeter  on  the  obverse ; on  the 
reverse  is  a stalk  of  barley,  the  ear  in  high  relief.  Ear  and  stalk 
fill  one  diameter  of  the  coin,  the  letters  m e t a are  on  the  right ; 
on  the  left  is  a barley  leaf  starting  from  the  stalk  a little  below 
the  ear ; this  leaf  turns  back,  and  on  it  stands  a little  mouse. 
The  whole  length  of  the  mouse  is  about  one-third  that  of  the  ear 
of  corn;  the  length  of  this,  not  including  the  awns  or  “beard,” 
is  f in.  It  will  be  seen  that  the  mouse  is  a very  small  object  on 
the  coin  ; I do  not  think  stress  is  to  be  laid  on  the  actual  pro- 
portion of  mouse  to  ear  of  corn. 

Now  the  barley  ear  is  so  finely  marked  that  the  outer  glumes 
can  be  traced  round  each  corn  and  the  roughness  of  the  awns 
is  distinctly  marked  by  fine  and  regular  indentations — indeed 
it  is  evidently  such  a transcript  of  nature  that  the  species  has 
been  determined  to  be  Hordeum  hcxastichon  (see  Imhoof  and 
Blumer,  Animals  and  Plants  on  Classic  Coins  and  Gems,  1889). 
This  is  in  favour  of  our  attempt  to  identify  the  species  to  which 
the  mouse  on  the  same  coin  belongs,  in  so  far  as  it  shows  that  a 
very  close  copy  of  nature  was  not  alien  to  the  art  of  Greek  coins. 

It  may  here  be  remarked  that  the  hletapontum  coins  furnish 
such  a rich  and  varied  series  of  natural  objects,  treated  with 
minute  detail,  as  to  show  that  the  designers  were  keen,  apprecia- 
tive, and  practised  observers  of  nature.  The  mouse  in  question 
stands  on  its  leaf  in  such  a natural  attitude  for  that  position  as 
to  make  it  highly  probable  that  the  artist  had  seen  one  just  so 
placed.  If  so,  the  mouse  must  have  been  very  light  and  small, 
and  a grain  feeder — all  characters  of  Mus  minutus.  This,  how- 
ever, is  a presumption,  not  an  argument  in  favour  of  the  identi- 
fication. 

The  attitude  of  the  little  animal  must  now  be  considered.  It 
is  standing  firmly  on  the  leaf  on  its  hind  legs ; the  fore  paws 


SWALLOWS  LN  SCHOOL^. 


145 


do  not  rest  on  the  leaf,  the  body  is  inclined  forwards,  it  is  not 
erect  like  a squirrel ; this  is  just  the  position  I have  seen  the 
harvest  mouse  take  when  eating,  and  not  on  the  ground.  Such 
conditions  would  be  the  artist’s  opportunity  for  watching  so  shy 
and  lively  a creature.  The  tail  is  raised,  and  curved  like  an  S ; 
the  curve  at  the  tip  is  very  close  and  small,  like  a tendril  ; it 
almost  touches  the  ear  of  corn  which  is  obliquely  above  the 
mouse  ; the  lower  curve  is  part  of  a much  larger  circle.  I 
observed  that  my  own  mouse  generally  tried  to  wind  his  tail 
round  a support  higher  up  than  that  on  which  he  was  standing. 

As  to  the  curves  above  mentioned,  I can  think  of  no  more 
characteristic  representation  of  a prehensile  tail  in  use  than 
this  in  its  suggestion  of  suppleness,  strength,  and  purpose. 
Fortunately  for  my  argument  we  here  come  upon  a diagnostic 
character  of  Mus  minutus  ; this  species  is  the  only  member  of  the 
mouse  tribe  in  Europe  which  has  a truly  prehensile  tail  (see 
Transactions  of  the  Zoological  Society,  1888,  p.  237). 

Thus,  as  I believe,  an  artist,  by  means  of  trained  hand  and 
observing  eye,  so  seized  the  points  which  the  individual  life 
before  him  made  most  salient,  as  to  figure  accurately  a species 
2,000  years  before  systematists  gave  it  a name. 

Constance  Garlick. 


SWALLOWS  IN  SCHOOL. 

R several  years  two  pairs  of  swallows  have  built  their 
nests  and  reared  their  broods  inside  our  schoolroom — 
one  pair  in  the  infants’,  and  one  in  the  school  for  older 
scholars.  They  always  build  at  about  the  same  height, 
though  not  in  the  same  place,  in  the  rafters  of  our  old-fashioned 
building.  The  matter  of  site  is  not  settled  without  survey  and 
amicable  discussion  between  the  pair.  Two  or  three  places 
were  carefully  investigated  this  spring,  before  the  one  chosen 
was  fixed  upon.  It  is  conveniently  situated  at  the  same  level 
as  the  ventilator  in  the  gable,  through  which  they  pass  in  and 
out.  The  matter  of  site  having  been  settled,  the  happy  pair 
indulged  in  a few  vocal  duets  before  proceeding  to  the  serious 
business  of  house  building.  These  were  charming  little  per- 
formances, ending  with  a “ chree,  chree,  chree.”  It  was 
amusing  to  note  that  when  they  did  not  make  a fair  start  they 
politely  began  again. 

This  year’s  nests  have,  of  course,  been  built,  and  the  broods 
hatched  off  (June  4th),  and  the  old  birds  have  small  leisure  now 
for  music.  The  school  children  are  not  much  disturbed  by 


* The  two  species  of  Dendromys  are  the  other  examples;  they  belong  to  South 
Africa. 


NATURE  NOTES. 


146 

them,  though  I must  confess  at  times  to  feeling  a trifle  less 
Selbornian  than  I ought  when  young  eyes  wander  upwards  at 
the  birds  instead  of  being  directed  horizontally  at  black-board. 
And  discipline  is  not  quite  so  exact  as  it  ought  to  be  at  the 
exciting  time  when  the  young  birds  first  show  their  trim  white 
waistcoats  above  the  edge  of  their  mud-built  parapet,  and 
survey  things  and  people  below.  The  excitement  increases  as 
the  young  birds  are  encouraged  to  make  their  first  flight.  The 
inevitable  last  nervous  one  afibrds  matter  for  a good  deal  of 
conjecture.  Youthful  naturalists  are  not  wanting  who  assert 
that  “the  old  un  give  him  a push  offer  the  nest;”  but  I am  not 
positive. 

Before  the  eggs  are  hatched  they  are  not  above  helping 
with  the  singing,  and  the  children  take  it  as  a matter  of  course. 
This  good-natured  assistance  proves  sometimes  embarrassing, 
■when  prayer  meetings  are  held  in  the  schoolroom.  They  join 
very  heartily  in  the  hymns,  and  come  in  with  a tremendous 
flourish  at  the  close. 

A year  or  two  ago  one  of  the  poor  little  things  met  with  a 
mishap  and  hurt  its  wing — probably  through  flying  against  a 
pane.  It  was  perfectly  tame,  and  did  not  struggle  in  the  least 
when  picked  up.  It  used  to  perch  on  the  rim  round  the  front 
of  my  desk,  and  ride  about  the  school  on  the  collar  of  my  coat, 
often  creeping  confidingly  on  to  my  shoulder.  But,  alas  ! it  was 
a cold  early  summer,  and  flies  were  scarce.  It- greedily  snapped 
up  those  on  the  windows,  grasping  my  fingers  with  its  weak 
claws.  The  children  assisted  me  in  attempting  to  feed  it,  but 
our  efforts  were  vain — either  owing  to  lack  of  its  natural  food  or 
to  its  unfortunate  accident,  our  tiny  friend’s  life  came  to  a 
premature  end,  and  it  was  found  one  morning  dead.  I keep  a 
green  place  in  my  memory  for  it  still. 

Swanton  Motley,  East  Dereham.  J.  Lewtok  Brain. 


GILBERT  WHITE.=’= 

Author  of  the  Immortal  “ Natural  History  of  Sel borne.” 
Died  June  26,  1793. 

Centenaries  come  and  go. 

Times  for  talk,  and  scenes  of  show, — 

Heroes,  conquerors,  poets,  sages, — 

But  thy  book’s  perenuial  pages. 

Gentle  Gilbert,  shall  outlast 
Many  a Fame  whose  brazen  blast 
Tortures  ears  that  would  far  rather 
Close  to  their  thrasonic  blather. 


From  riinch,  July  1st,  1893. 


JVOOn  NOTES  TAMED. 


M7 


And  in  Selborne's  grassy  hollows, 

List  the  twitter  of  thy  swallows  ! 
Chronicler,  afar  from  strife. 

Of  the  quiet  country  life. 

Naturalist  as  sage  as  simple. 

While  leaves  whisper,  and  brooks  dimple. 
While  bird-song  and  blossom-story 
Still  bewitch,  thy  gentle  glory 
Shall  be  the  peculiar  pleasure 
Of  all  lovers  of  wise  leisure. 

Time’s  moss-growths  hide  not  thy  name 
On  the  tablets  of  true  fame. 


WOOD  NOTES  TAMED.- 


HE  title  of  this  book  is  a most  unfortunate  one.  It 
should  have  been  called,  not  “ Wood  Notes  Wild,” 
but  “Wood  Notes  Tamed."  It  is  an  attempt  by  a 
musical  American  gentleman,  a very  lovable  cha- 
racter it  would  .seem,  to  catch  the  wild  notes  of  wild  birds,  and 
to  crib,  cabin,  and  confine  them  within  the  lines  and  spaces  of 
our  musical  stave.  They  are  chiefly  the  songs  of  American  birds, 
and  therefore  I am  unable  to  say  how  much  of  their  wild  nature 
still  cleaves  to  them  in  their  pitiable  captivity,  but  wherever  the 
song  of  an  English  bird  is  represented  in  this  volume,  as  happens 
in  the  additional  notes  by  Mr.  Cheney’s  son,  I am  able  to  say 
with  confidence  that  when  put  to  the  torture  on  our  scale  the 
life  of  the  song  vanishes  at  once.  Nothing  is  left  of  it  but  a 
ghastly  caricature,  or  at  best  in  one  or  two  cases  a pretty 
musical  phrase,  which  has  not  as  much  resemblance  to  the 
birds’  song  as  a woollen  sock  has  to  the  human  foot. 

I hope  no  musical  Selbornian  will  ever  be  tempted  to  waste 
his  time  in  any  such  attempt  to  put  the  voices  of  the  birds  to 
shame.  Nothing  can  be  gained  by  it  either  for  natural  history 
or  for  art.  I do  not  think  it  is  my  nature  to  be  over-positive 
about  anything,  but  here  is  a point  on  which  I will  for  once 
venture  to  say  that  I know  I am  right.  Birds  do  not  sing  or 
converse  on  our  musical  scale,  and  any  attempt  to  represent 
their  songs  in  this  way  must  be  futile  ; at  best  it  can  only  be  a 
translation,  as  it  were,  into  a different  language.  I should  not 
write  thus  if  I did  not  understand  music;  my  knowledge  and 
love  of  music  is  much  older  than  my  knowledge  and  love  of 
birds. 

Last  winter,  with  the  kind  help  of  my  friend  Mr.  Pyecraft, 


* IVood  Notes  JVt/d,  by  Samuel  Pease  Cheney. 
Sheppard,  1892. 


Boston,  U.S.A.  ; Lea  and 


148 


NATURE  NOTES. 


who  was  dissecting  birds  in  the  Oxford  Museum,  I was  able  to 
show  the  Oxford  Natural  History  Society  that  though  the 
musical  mechanism  of  a bird  is  essentially  the  same  as  that  of  a 
clarinet  or  oboe,  it  is  played  on  in  a manner  so  entirely  different 
that  its  music  cannot  be  produced  on  our  musical  scale.  As  I 
write  these  very  lines,  the  voice  of  a thrush  comes  in  from  my 
garden  through  the  open  door,  and  seems  to  say,  “ Tell  them  so; 
tell  them  so  ; it  can’t  be  tamed,  it  sha’n’t  be  tamed.”  While 
reading  this  book  I have  listened  to  the  black-cap,  chiff-chaff, 
yellow  hammer,  tree  pipit,  and  many  others,  and  they  all,  with 
one  consent,  implore  me  to  be  loyal  to  their  wood  notes  wild. 

What  Mr.  Cheney  really  did,  as  the  accounts  of  his  pro- 
cedure clearly  show,  was  to  listen  to  a bird’s  song  patiently 
until  it  suggested  to  his  mind  a phrase  or  phrases  of  our  artificial 
and  artistic  music.  This  may  very  well  be  so,  as  cases  are  on 
record  where  a bird’s  song  has  thus  suggested  the  leading  phrase 
of  a great  musical  composition,  as  in  the  first  movement  of 
Beethoven’s  Symphony  in  C minor.  But  such  phrases  are  not 
truly  what  the  bird  actually  sings,  and  this  explanation  of  Mr. 
Cheney’s  method  quite  accounts  for  certain  absurdities  in  this 
volume,  such  as  the  “ wild  melody  whirled  out  by  a clothes  rack,” 
which  is  strongly  suggestive  of  Wagner,  or  the  reduction  to  our 
musical  notation  of  sounds  which  are  not  really  musical  at  all, 
such  as  the  purring  of  a cat  or  the  braying  of  an  ass.  Yet  the 
book  is  an  interesting  one,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  it  is  based  on 
a delusion ; and  it  has  one  great  merit,  for  it  contains  a pretty 
complete  account,  with  quotations,  of  all  that  has  recently  been 
Avritten  on  the  subject  of  birds’  songs,  whether  favourable  or  not 
to  the  point  of  \deAV  taken  by  the  author. 

W.  Warde  Fowler. 


MISS  NORTH’S  FURTHER  RECOLLECTIONS.- 

It  is  a pity  that  Messrs.  Macmillan  did  not  place  more  confidence  in  the  healthy 
taste  of  the  public  for  the  strong  personal  character  and  dry  humour  of  Marianne 
North,  and  boldly  publish  her  Recollections  of  a Happy  Life  in  their  natural 
order  with  an  index  and  appendix,  as  we  suggested  in  a former  notice,  instead  of 
making  the  reader  pul  down  the  first  volume  at  page  38,  take  up  these  Further 
Recollectio7is,  and  return  after  their  conclusion  to  the  year  1870.  The  supplemen- 
tary volume  contains  fascinating  impressions  of  persons,  places,  and  things,  seen  in 
Spain,  Italy,  Syria,  Egypt,  Sicily  and  elsewhere,  between  the  years  1859  and  1870. 
With  varied  knowledge,  a good  memory,  and  a dry  odd  way  of  regarding  her 
fellow  creatures,  the  authoress,  carrying  us  from  peak  to  plain,  makes  the  well- 
known  byeways  of  fresh  interest  by  recalling  the  forgotten  or  unnoticed  geological 
formation  and  its  characteristic  flora  and  fauna.  In  the  towns  and  villages  we  are 
introduced  to  people  of  flesh  and  blood,  become  acquainted  with  them,  live 
with  them  and  the  writer,  panting  under  the  southern  sun,  half-stifled  in  Sicilian 
quarries,  or  frozen  on  Mount  Lebanon. 


* Some  Further  Recollections  of  a Happy  Life,  selected  from  the  Journals  of 
Marianne  North.  Macmillan  & Co.,  8s.  6d.  net. 


M/SS  NORTH’S  RECOLLECTIONS. 


149 


Mr.  North  was  a good  example  of  the  talkative,  peppery,  jolly  English  squire, 
with  a liking  for  well  informed  people,  a taste  for  science  and  art,  and,  with  the 
exception  of  German,  a reckless  disregard  for  foreign  languages  : — “ Signor 
Direttore,  j’ai  voyage  con  mia  figlia  in  tutta  la  terra,  and  hang  it  all,  tell  him  I 
never  was  so  shamefully  treated,”  cried  this  irascible  M.P.  to  the  agent  of  the 
Austrian  Lloyd’s  Company  at  Corfu.  lie  was,  however,  an  excellent  fellow- 
traveller,  able  to  rough  it  if  necessary,  eager  to  fraternise  with  everybody,  read)' 
for  anything,  from  a bath  with  the  crocodiles,  a quiet  day’s  trout-hshing  or  a tent 
“ at  home  ” to  the  Governor  of  Safed. 

Although  Miss  North  began  her  flower  painting  in  her  youth  (we  have  her  two 
first  finished  pictures  in  our  drawing  room  at  Torquay),  she  was  no  doubt  greatly 
influenced  by  Edward  Lear,  and  was  most  anxious  to  paint  landscapes  and  objects 
of  architectural  and  archreological  interest  during  these  tours  ; she  did  not  devote 
herself  to  botanical  painting  until  two  years  after  her  father’s  death. 

After  this  event,  which  really  saddened  her  throughout  life,  she  went  to  Men- 
tone and  there  lingered,  sketching  until  she  felt  able  to  proceed  with  her  faith- 
ful Elizabeth  to  Sicily.  The  description  of  the  daily  life  amidst  the  Moorish 
palaces,  the  valleys  of  almonds  and  vines,  the  temples  at  Girgenti  and  Syracusa, 
forms  one  of  the  most  interesting  parts  of  the  book. 

( 


Alderi.ey, 

Miss  North’s  home  in  Gloucestershire. 


Miss  North  sets  a fine  example  to  men  of  many  words,  for  whilst  doing  a mass 
of  useful  work  she  affected  no  knowledge  of  science  or  art,  but  rejoiced  modestly 
in  her  gifts,  bestowing  them  only  to  give  pleasure  to  others.  We  venture  to  say, 
as  her  name  has  been  mentioned  lately  in  the  Geographical  Society,  that  this  useful 
work  of  hers  as  an  artist  and  an  observant  traveller  is  far  more  meritorious  than 
the  special  pleading  of  the  misogynist  Fellows,  who,  in  common  with  most  men, 
obtain  such  intelligence  as  they  possess  from  their  mothers.  Miss  North  would 
have  undoubtedly  been  one  of  the  Fellows  of  the  Royal  Geographical  .Society,  and 
have  derived  intense  amusement  from  the  “ fuss  ” made  by  one  of  the  younger 
Fellows  and  his  friends  over  the  danger  to  the  status  of  the  Society  through  the 
admission  of  “ women — ladies,  if  you  like  it  better.” 

In  conclusion,  we  advise  our  young  Selbornian  readers  to  follow  the  example 
of  her,  who  was,  as  the  women  of  Mount  Hermon  exclaimed  (p.  193),  “ born  in  a 
garden,”  and  ever  to  be  ready  to  note  the  unwise  destruction  of  trees  and  plants. 


NATURE  NOTES. 


150 

\\  e stayed  next  at  Aranjuez,  where  our  eyes  were  refreshed  by  the  sight  of  green 
trees  in  the  royal  park,  all  the  centre  of  Spain  (where  any  irrigation  exists)  being 
given  up  to  corn,  and  all  trees  cut  down  for  fear  of  harbouring  birds  to  eat  the 
corn— killing  Peter  to  rob  Paul,  as  locusts  and  caterpillars  have  it  all  their  own 
way”  (p.  17).  The  young  Selbornian  should  have  no  idle  moment,  but  be  con- 
stantly on  the  alert  to  observe  a new  plant  or  animal,  to  consider  its  ways  and  to 
learn  what  to  search  for  in  various  districts.  At  Hermagor,  in  Carinthia,  Miss 
Ivorth  at  once  strove  to  obtain  a flower  of  IViilfenia  cartiithiaca  from  its  only 
European  localit)'.  W hen  we  were  travelling  with  Miss  North  in  Australia  she 
always  knew  beforehand  what  she  wanted,  and  could  thus  economise  her  valuable 
time  for  painting  and  research. 

There  was  one  peculiarity  which  is  worth  recording,  and  that  was  her  power 
of  attracting  the  leading  experts  in  science,  as  well  as  humble  folk,  to  her  side. 
^Ir.  Lear’s  Egyptian  Pilot  well  describes  one  whom  all  her  friends  always 
sadly  mourn.  “ This  Bint  was  unlike  most  other  English  Bints,  being  firstly 
white  and  lively  ; secondly,  she  was  gracious  in  manner  and  of  kind  disposition  ; 
thirdly,  she  attended  to  her  father,  whose  days  went  in  rejoicing  that  he  had  such 
a^Bint ; fourthly,  she  represented  all  things  on  paper,  she  drew  all  the  temples  of 
Nubia,  all  tbe  sakkiabs  and  all  the  men  and  women  and  nearly  all  the  palm  trees  ; 
she  was  a valuable  and  remarkable  Bint.” 

George  A.  and  Theresa  Musgrave. 


THE  GILBERT  WHITE  CENTENARY. 

It  would  have  been  difficult  to  convince  Gilbert  White  that  he  was  a great 
man.  If  one  had  told  that  “ sweet-souled  gentleman”  that  his  book  would 
become  a classic,  and  that  his  memory  would  be  cherished  with  an  almost  per- 
sonal affection  by  countless  thousands  of  the  English-speaking  race,  he  would 
probably  have  laughed  at  the  prophecy,  as  Sarai  laughed  at  the  prophecy  of  the 
angel.  But  all  that  has  come  to  pass  in  a hundred  years,  and  it  was  but  fitting 
that  the  centenary  of  the  great  naturalist’s  death  should  not  be  allowed  to  pass 
unmarked  by  those  who  most  delight  to  honour  his  memory.  It  is  seldom  that 
the  associations  of  a famous  name  are  so  completely  centred  in  one  spot  as  those 
of  Gilbert  White  are  centred  at  Selborne.  The  quiet  Hampshire  village  was  the 
home  of  his  family  and  his  birthplace  ; it  was  the  scene  for  many  years  of  his 
clerical  ministrations  ; in  its  lanes  and  fields  the  materials  for  his  book  were 
gathered  ; and  in  its  sheltered  churchyard  his  bones  were  laid  to  rest.  A pious 
pilgrimage  to  Selborne,  therefore,  seemed  the  most  natural  and  appropriate  cele- 
bration of  the  Master’s  centenary,  and  the  fitness  of  the  scheme  was  demonstrated 
by  the  numerous  company  who  assembled  at  Selborne  on  June  24th. 

Members  of  the  Society  and  their  friends  left  Waterloo  for  Alton  by  the  11.50 
train,  and  on  arrival  at  Alton  a formidable  line  of  brakes  and  carriages  were 
ready  waiting  to  convey  the  party  across  country  to  Selborne.  It  is  matter  for  no 
small  congratulation  that  the  railway  has  not  yet  penetrated  to  .Selborne  to  destroy 
its  rural  simplicity  and  charm,  and  on  this  particular  Saturday  the  five-mile  drive 
along  the  pleasant  Hampshire  lanes  was  one  of  the  most  enjoyable  incidents  of  the 
day.  At  .Selborne  the  rendezvous  was  the  famous  “ Plestor,”  in  the  centre  t/f 
which  grew  the  “ vast  oak  ” mentioned  by  White  as  having  been  blown  down  in 
the  great  storm  of  1703.  The  place  of  the  oak  is  now  occupied  by  a spreading 
sycamore  of  no  mean  dimensions,  and  beneath  its  shade  the  Selbornians  found 
awaiting  them  a goodly  detachment  of  the  members  of  the  Hampshire  Field  Club, 
and  of  other  bodies.  From  the  “ Plestor  ” the  party  then  took  their  way  along 
the  only  street  of  the  village,  past  the  “Wakes,”  and  on  to  a field  in  which  a 
large  marquee  had  been  erected  for  luncheon.  In  the  adjacent  field  a country 
fair  was  found  to  be  in  full  swing — at  least,  as  far  as  it  could  be  without  any 
people.  It  appeared,  on  enquiry,  that  some  passing  gipsies  had  noticed  our  tent ; 
had  learnt  that  it  was  erected  for  the  entertainment  of  the  Selborne  Society,  and 


THE  GILBERT  WHITE  CENTENARY.  151 

thinking  that  that  august  body  was  some  benefit  club,  they  erected  their  circus 
in  the  hope  of  turning  an  honest  penny  by  affording  us  simple  amusements. 

The  arrangements  for  the  luncheon  were  admirable,  and  it  is  no  small  thing  to 
provide  for  more  than  200  people  so  far  from  any  base  of  supplies.  The  Earl  of 
Selborne  presided,  and  he  was  supported  by  the  Earl  of  Stamford,  Mr.  Darwin, 
-Mr.  Otter,  Mr.  Wakefield, Mr.  Whitaker,  Dr.  Dudley  Wilmot  Buxton,  and  the  Rev. 
II.  D.  Gordon.  The  celebration  was  honoured,  too,  with  the  presence  of  several 
members  of  the  White  family,  including  iSIr.  Rashleigh  Holt  White,  and  the  Rev. 
G.  White,  Archdeacon  of  (Queensland.  The  Earl  of  Northbrook  and  Sir  John 
Lubbock  were,  unfortunately,  unable  to  be  present. 

The  Earl  of  Selborne,  in  proposing  the  memory  of  Gilbert  W’hite,  gave  a 
most  interesting  and  suggestive  appreciation  of  White’s  character  and  work.  He 
pointed  out  that  it  was  White’s  very  modesty  and  simplicity  of  character  which 
prevented  the  world  from  knowing  much  about  him.  The  strongest  note  of 
White’s  character,  however,  was  his  love  of  God’s  creatures,  especially  for  birds, 
and  in  that  he  reminded  one  of  Melampus,  the  Greek,  who  learnt  to  understand 
he  languages  of  the  birds,  and  of  St.  Erancis  of  Assisi,  whom  tradition  asserts  to 
have  preached  sermons  to  feathered  congregations.  Family  letters,  recently 
discovered,  had  let  in  a good  deal  of  light  upon  White’s  private  life  and  habits  ; 
and  there  was  on  record  the  testimonjj  of  Mr.  Edward  White,  a nephew  of  the 
naturalist,  to  his  uncle’s  humane  manner  of  addressing  his  poor  neighbours,  which 
always  assured  them  that  they  had  in  him  a true  friend.  Further,  it  appeared 
that  W’hite’s  life  was  not  one  of  the  absolute  leisure  which  many  people  supposed, 
but  that  it  was  passed  in  the  diligent  fulfilment  of  the  duties  of  his  holy  office. 
Lord  Selborne  then  quoted  very  aptly  from  “ My  Garden  Acquaintance,”  the 
first  essay  in  My  Study  Windoius,  wherein  Lowell  speaks  so  tenderly  and 
eloquently  of  White’s  book,  and  gives  it  the  happy  title  of  “The  Journal  of 
Adam  in  Paradise.”  Lord  Selborne  also  read  some  charming  verses  on  White’s 
grave  which  were  written  for  his  daughter  by  Lowell  when  he  was  stopping  at 
Wolmer.  It  is  greatly  to  be  regretted  that  these  verses  are  not  published. 
Speaking  finally  of  the  suggested  memorials  to  White,  Lord  Selborne  urged  that 
the  best  memorial  was  the  book.  White  could  surely  say  with  Horace,  Exe£t 
momunentinn  are  perenuius.  ” 

Mr.  Darwin,  in  proposing  success  to  the  Selborne  Society  and  its  branches, 
pointed  out  how  gratifying  the  growth  of  the  Society  has  been,  since  it  now 
numbered  3,000  members  all  over  England.  He  further  dwelt  on  the  very  high 
ideal  which  the  Society  set  itself — the  preservation  of  the  beauties  and  amenities 
of  the  country  not  only  for  the  gratification  of  the  present  generation,  but  for  the 
gratification  and  enlightenment  of  future  generations. 

Mr.  Otter,  in  responding,  referred  to  the  dangers  that  were  to  be  feared  from 
the  ambitious  collector  without  a conscience,  whose  only  aim  was  to  stock  his 
collection  with  rare  and  valuable  specimens,  careless  of  the  destruction  he  might 
cause.  A proper  and  ever  present  restraint  should  be  exercised  by  collectors,  so 
as  to  preserve  instead  of  exterminating  rare  species. 

The  Earl  OF  Stamford  next  proposed  “Prosperity  to  the  Hampshire  P'ield 
Club.”  He  expressed  the  hope  that  the  Selborne  Society  might  become  the  centre 
of  communication  for  the  field-clubs  throughout  the  country.  As  a connexion  of  the 
White  family  he  had  busied  himself  lately  with  collecting  reminiscences  of  Gilbert 
White,  and  with  diving  into  hitherto  unexplored  documents.  Some  of  the  results 
of  his  research  threw  a good  deal  of  light  on  the  character  of  Gilbert  White. 
One  old  woman  had  thus  described  White  : — “ He  used  to  walk  about  the  lanes 
tap-tapping  with  his  cane,  and  stopping  every  now  and  then  to  brush  the  dust  from 
his  shoes.”  This  neatness  of  White  he  illustrated  in  another  story  relating  to 
White  as  a Proctor  at  Oxford.  Having  caught  an  undergraduate  lying  in  the 
gutter  overcome  with  liquor.  White  called  the  offender  before  him  next  day  and 
admonished  him,  adding,  “ Young  man,  I see  there  is  some  hope  for  you,  for  I 
observed  that  your  clothes  were  neatly  folded  up  and  laid  by  your  side.” 
Another  story  told  how  White  was  dining  at  a farm-house,  and  how  the  housewife 
sprinkled  his  dish  of  bacon  and  cabbage  with  sugar — a proceeding  which  White 
protested  against.  The  only  answer  to  his  remonstrance  was,  “ Nothing  can  be 
too  good  for  you,  sir.”  I.ord  Stamford  referred  to  the  portraits  of  White,  of 
which  he  has  already  written  in  Nature  Notes,  and  concluded  by  saying  that 


152 


NATURE  NOTES. 


he  had  found  some  most  important  correspondence  of  White,  which  he  hoped 
soon  to  make  public. 

Mr.  Whitaker,  in  responding  to  the  toast,  observed  that  he,  at  least,  was  free 
from  the  besetting  sin  of  the  ambitious  collector.  His  interests  lay  wholly  with 
fossils,  instead  of  with  the  living  species,  and,  therefore,  in  collecting  specimens- 
wherever  he  could  find  them,  he  was  doing  a good  service  in  preserving  what 
might  easily  be  lost  altogether,  or  used  to  make  the  foundation  of  a road. 

Dr.  Dudi.EY  Bu.xton  having  proposed  the  health  of  the  White  family, 

!Mr.  Rasiileigh  Holt  White  pointed  out  that  though  White  lived  in  a pre- 
scientific  age  he  had,  in  his  letter  No.  35,  in  some  degree  anticipated  Darwin’s 
great  monograph  on  earth-worms.  White’s  methods  of  observation  were  those  of 
a true  scientific  man.  There  could  be  no  statue  of  Gilbert  White  because  no 
likeness  of  him  existed.  Mr.  Holt  White  said  that  both  his  father  and  grand- 
father had  been  applied  to  for  pictures  of  Gilbert  White,  and  in  vain. 

The  Rev.  H.  D.  Gordo.k  proposed  the  health  of  the  Earl  of  Selborne,  and  his 
lordship  having  responded,  the  formal  proceedings  of  the  day  terminated. 

As  the  carriages  were  not  to  return  till  6.30  there  was  still  ample  time  left  for 
the  party  to  visit  the  various  points  of  interest  in  Selborne.  First  of  these  is  the 
Hanger,  the  steep  ascent  of  which  fronted  the  luncheon  tent.  It  requires  no  small 
degree  of  wind  and  energy  to  climb  the  Hanger  by  the  famous  zig-zag ; but  for 
the  hardy  spirits  who  attempt  the  ascent  there  is  ample  reward  at  the  summit  in 
the  fine  view  which  is  obtained  of  the  surrounding  countrj’.  White  in  his  poem 
on  the  Hanger  refers  to  the  zig-zag  thus  : — 

“ When  spouting  rains  descend  in  torrent  tides. 

See  the  torn  zig-zag  weep  its  channelled  sides.” 

Fortunately  the  centenary  party  did  not  see  the  zig-zag  under  these  terrible 
conditions.  And  by  the  way,  did  Gilbert  \Vhite  himself  devise  the  zig-zag  ? In 
one  of  his  early  letters  he  significantly  remarks  : “As  we  were  cutting  an  inclining 
path  up  the  Ilanger.” 

Another  principal  point  of  interest  was  “ The  Wakes,”  the  house  which  Gilbert 
White  occupied,  which  was  thrown  open  for  the  day  by  its  present  owner, 
]Mr.  Read.  “The  Wakes”  abuts  on  the  village  street,  almost  opposite  the 
Plestor.  It  has  been  much  renovated  and  extended  since  Professor  Bell  lived 
there,  but  the  back  part  of  the  building  is  practically  as  it  was  left  by  Gilbert 
White.  The  room  in  which  he  wrote  and  the  room  in  which  he  died  both 
remain  unaltered;  and  the  old  sun-dial  in  the  garden  marked  the  flight  of  time  for 
him  as  it  does  now  for  his  successors.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  relics  of 
White  which  Professor  Bell  so  assiduously  collected  should  have  been  dispersed  to 
a large  extent  at  his  death.  Such  relics  would  give  a greatly  enhanced  interest  to 
the  old  house. 

Behind  the  Plestor  stands  the  little  square-towered  church.  An  enormous 
yew-tree  is  growing  between  the  wicket  gate  and  the  church  porch.  Its  branches 
still  spread  wide,  though  some  of  its  biggest  limbs  have  broken  away.  The  walls 
on  either  side  of  the  altar  of  the  church  hold  memorial  tablets  to  Gilbert  White 
and  other  members  of  the  White  famil)-.  There  are  also  to  be  seen  two  stone 
sarcophagi  which  were  disinterred  by  Professor  Bell,  and  which  contained  two 
perfect  skeletons.  The  age  of  these  confirms  the  conclusions  of  archaeologists, 
who  recognise  the  architecture  of  the  Church  as  that  of  the  Norman  restoration 
period.  Gilbert  White  himself  carried  its  existence  back  no  further  than  Henry 
^TI.’s  time.  Of  the  little  cluster  of  graves  within  this  secluded  churchyard, 
Gilbert  White’s  is  one  of  the  humblest  and  most  obscure.  It  lies  fifth  from  the 
north  wall  of  the  aisle,  and  is  marked  only  by  two  simple  stones,  bearing  the 
inscription  “ G.  W.,  died  26th  June,  1793.”  The  lettering  is  almost  obliterated 
by  moss  and  the  wear  of  weather,  and  the  mound  between  the  stones  bears 
no  plant  nor  flower  ; but  theie  is  something  about  this  very  simplicity — pathetic 
though  it  be — that  fits  in  with  the  character  of  him  who  sleeps  beneath  that 
mound. 

The  party  drove  back  to  Alton  in  time  to  catch  the  7.44  train  to  town.  The 
arrangements  for  the  excursion  were  carried  out  without  a hitch,  and  the  cele- 
bration of  the  centenary  can  undoubtedly  be  pronounced  an  unqualified  success. 


SHORT  NOTICES  OF  BOOKS. 


153 


SHORT  NOTICES  OF  BOOKS. 

British  Forest  Trees  and  their  Sylvicultural  Characteristics  and  Treatment, 
by  John  Nisbet.  (Macmillan  & Co.,  pp.  352,  8vo,  price  6.s. ) 

Selbornians  are,  perhaps,  naturally  prone  to  prefer  the  forester  to  the  agri- 
culturist, as  the  former,  even  in  his  plantations,  interferes  less  with  wild  nature 
than  the  man  who  trims  and  narrows  the  hedgerows,  “clears”  the  land  of 
“ weeds,”  and  sees  to  the  purity  of  his  seed-supply.  If,  however,  our  foresters 
were  to  adopt  the  recommendations  made  by  Dr.  Nisbet  on  the  plea  of  strictly 
economical  sylviculture,  our  woodlands  would  become  as  barren  to  the  botanist  as 
the  best  cultivated  of  farm  lands.  Dr.  Nisbet  strongly  recommends  closer  planting 
and  “the  maintenance  of  close  canopy”  for  the  express  purpose  of  killing  off 
“ weed.s.”  lie  does  not,  however,  advocate  pure  forest,  or  the  cultivation  of  bne 
species  by  itself,  so  that  in  the  scientific  future  of  our  woods,  if  we  have  few  weeds, 
we  may  yet  have  a variety  of  tree  life.  The  learned  forester’s  book  contains  a 
good  deal  as  to  the  requirements,  diseases  and  other  dangers  of  our  various  forest 
trees  that  will  interest  both  the  land-ovvner  and  the  tree-lover  who  may  happen  to 
be  landless.  G.  S.  B. 

Messrs.  Swan  Sonnenschein  and  Co. 'have  a considerable  number  of  blocks  of 
flowers — some  good,  others  bad — which  they  utilise  in  various  of  their  publica- 
tions. Some  of  them  appear  in  Town  Flowers,  a well-intentioned  little  twopenny 
book  which  they  have  just  issued.  It  is  heralded  by  a preface  written  by  two 
dignitaries  of  the  Established  Church,  who  say  that  the  writer  “ has  had  special 
opportunities  of  studying  ” flowers.  If  this  be  so,  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  these 
opportunities  have  not  been  turned  to  greater  advantage,  for  the  little  book  is  by 
no  means  satisfactory.  Many  of  the  plants  in  the  list  are  unsuitable,  and  there 
are  many  mistakes,  although  the  author’s  object  is  “to  have  corrected  as  far  as 
possible”  the  “differences  and  errors”  met  with  in  “growers’  catalogues;”  and 
the  information  given  regarding  each  plant,  or  group  of  plants,  is  so  meagre  as  to 
be  useless.  Among  the  plants  figured  as  ‘ ‘ town  flowers  ” is  the  Victoria  regia  ! 

As  The  Field  Naturalist' s Handbook  (Cassell  and  Co.,  8vo,  pp.  vi.,  167,  price 
5s.)  has  reached  a fifth  edition,  it  would  seem  that  many  people  must  have  found  it 
of  service.  The  “general  hints”  prefaced  to  the  list  for  each  month  are  useful, 
though  somewhat  meagre  ; but  the  lists  themselves  are  very  unsatisfactory.  To 
take  only  the  plants,  we  observe  a number  of  misprints,  such  as  Eudorea  for 
Udora,  which  are  simply  inexcusable  in  a fifth  edition  ; while  a large  number  of 
species  are  included  which  have  no  claim  whatever  to  appear  in  British  lists, 
although  they  were  inserted  in  our  floras  of  fifty  or  more  years  since.  Among 
these  may.be  noted  more  than  one  Potentilla,  Geranium  nodosum  (“Hertfordshire 
and  Cumberland  ”),  Stcllaria  scapigera  (a  form  of  S.  graminea,  not  met  with 
since  George  Don’s  time).  Ranunculus  gramineus  (“dry  mountain  pastures”), 
Achillea  tomentosa,  Epimedium  alpintan,  and  many  more.  These  should 
certainly  be  eliminated  ; on  the  other  hand,  the  somewhat  numerous  additions  to 
our  flora  during  the  last  fifty  years  find  no  place.  Mr.  Theodore  Wood  would 
do  well  to  secure  the  services  of  some  botanist  to  revise  the  list,  which  is  too 
evidently  the  compilation  of  one  not  practically  acquainted  with  the  subject.  The 
remarks  on  nomenclature  seem  to  us  based  on  mi.sconception,  and  the  honey- 
suckle certainly  does  not  derive  its  Latin  name  Lonicera  from  “ Adam  Lonice." 

We  have  more  than  once  (Nature  Notes,  1893,  PP-  5L  ^9),  noticed  the 
excellent  F'ieLi-path  Rambles  by  Walker  Miles,  and  are  glarl  now  to  chronicle 
the  appearance  of  the  four  series  in  a neat  and  compact  pocket  volume,  which 
also  contains  a useful  series  of  twenty-one  maps,  and  is  well  worth  the  four 
shillings  charged  for  it.  West  Kent,  to  which  the  book  is  devoted,  may  be  easily 
and  pleasantly  explored  by  the  aid  of  the  practical  directions  laid  down,  and  the 
pedestrian  will  find  Mr.  Miles  an  admirable  companion  on  a stroll.  We  are  glad 
to  note  that  several  series  of  rambles  in  other  rural  districts  near  London  are  in 
preparation,  and  that  the  maps  may  be  had  separately  in  a suitable  case.  We 
think  the  volume  would  be  improved  in  appearance  by  the  omission  of  the  ad- 
vertisements at  the  end,  and  the  red  border  to  the  pages  strikes  us  as  more 
singular  than  pretty. 


154 


NATURE  NOTES. 


In  JVor/cers  without  linage  (Griffith  and  Farran,  Svo,  pp.  viii. , 1S4,  2s.  6d.)> 
Miss  Edith  Carrington  has  given  us  a capital  series  of  chapters  on  “birds,  beasts, 
and  fishes,”  besides  a great  deal  of  information  about  worms,  insects,  spiders, 
reptiles,  and  the  like.  No  better  book  could  be  found  for  a school  prize,  or  for 
use  as  a reading-book  by  Bands  of  Mercy — those  admirable  societies  for  encourag- 
ing a love  of  animals  a.mong  children,  of  which  we  hope  very  shortly  to  give  some 
account  in  Nature  Notes.  Miss  Carrington  is  on  the  side  of  the  sparrow  ; and 
the  whole  animal  creation,  so  far  as  they  are  dealt  with  in  this  volume,  find  in 
her  a warm  friend  and  enthusiastic  advocate.  But  the  book  is  by  no  means 
“ gushing  it  is  written  plainly,  simply,  and  with  great  sobriety,  and  is  thus 
likely  to  appeal  far  more  forcibly  to  folk  generally  than  it  would  do  if  pitched  in 
a higher  key.  It  will  take  its  place  in  every  Selborne  library,  and  we  shall  not 
be  far  wrong  in  predicting  for  it  the  wide  circulation  which  it  assuredly  deserves. 
Each  chapter  ends  with  a suitable  original  poem,  followed  by  a series  of  short 
and  sensible  questions  and  answers. 

Many  books,  as  usual,  stand  over  for  notice,  among  them  The  Age  of  Disfigure- 
ment, by  Mr.  Richardson  Evans  (Remington,  is.),  an  admirable  little  volume, 
in  which  the  claims  of  the  National  Society  for  Checking  the  Abuses  of  Public 
Advertising  are  plainly  and  pleasantly  set  forth.  We  hope  to  notice  this  next 
month,  but  wish  to  call  our  readers’  attention  to  it  without  delay.  They  will  find 
in  it  an  agreeable  substitute  for  the  “shilling  shocker”  which  too  frequently 
accompanies  holiday  excursions.  Miss  Lucy  Broadwood’s  volume  of  English 
Country  Songs  (Leadenhall  Press,  6s.),  of  which  some  preliminary  particulars 
were  given  in  Nature  Notes  for  !March  (p.  55),  will  also  receive  attention  at  an 
early  date. 


SELBORNIANA. 

The  Opening  of  Hampton  Court  Park  and  Bostall  Wood. — 
There  are  few  of  our  readers  who  will  not  hail  with  pleasure  the  addition  of  two 
important  open  spaces  to  the  list  of  metropolitan  parks  and  commons.  Through 
the  persistent  endeavours  of  the  Mayor  of  Kingston-on-Thames  and  Mr.  Alderman 
Gould  and  others  of  that  town,  the  public  at  last  have  gained  admission  to  Hamp- 
ton Court  Park,  which  was  thrown  open  on  the  Whitsuntide  Bank  Holiday.  We 
learn  from  the  Daily  News  of  May  23rd  that  many  years  ago  the  park  used  to  be 
open,  but  few  living  can  remember  that  time,  and  that  since  then  till  now  the 
beautiful  expanse  of  green  meadow,  with  its  clumps  of  stately  trees,  had  been 
closed  to  all  save  those  who  could  afford  to  pay  the  yearly  fee  of  one  guinea  for 
the  privilege  of  possessing  a key.  The  same  Bank  Holiday  witnessed  the  dedica- 
tion to  public  enjoyment  of  a beautiful  piece  of  woodland  in  the  south-east  of 
London.  Bostall  Wood,  which  adjoins  the  Heath  of  the  same  name,  already 
under  the  management  of  the  London  County  Council,  is  not  far  from  the  crowded 
suburbs  of  Woolwich  and  Plumstead.  What  would  have  been  the  fate  in  the 
near  future  of  the  sixty-one  acres  of  larch  and  fir  of  which  it  consists,  save  for  the 
energetic  action  of  the  Open  Spaces  Committee  of  the  London  County  Council, 
it  is  not  difficult  to  imagine.  As  befitting  the  occasion,  the  wood  was  declared 
open  by  the  Chairman  of  the  County  Council,  not  in  the  presence  of  a few  chance 
onlookers,  but  in  the  midst  of  an  immense  concourse,  the  assemblage  of  a proces- 
sion that  had  reached  more  than  a mile  in  length  along  the  road  from  ^^  oolwich 
and  Plumstead.  Our  limits  only  leave  us  room  to  echo  the  hope  expressed  on 
that  occasion,  that  each  succeeding  Whitsuntide  Bank  Holiday  may  be  marked 
by  similar  accessions  to  the  parks  and  commons  in  and  around  London. 

Archibald  Cl.arke. 

Barbed  Wire. — The  public  are  to  be  congratulated  on  the  passing  of  the 
Barbed  Wire  Fences  Bill,  the  Lords’  amendments  to  which  were  yesterday 
agreed  to  by  the  Commons.  The  measure  constitutes  barbed  wire  which  may 
probably  be  injurious  to  persons  or  animals  lawfully  using  a thoroughfare  a 


SELDORNIANA. 


^55 


nuisance  to  the  highway,  and  enacts  a procedure  for  its  abatement  or  removal. 
So  that  within  a few  months,  if  the  local  authorities  do  their  duty,  people  should 
be  able  to  walk  along  a narrow  country  lane  without  risk  to  their  clothes,  and 
valuable  horses  should  be  spared  the  danger  of  injury  to  which  they  are  now 
subject. — Daily  Chronicle,  July  19th. 

Artificial  Edelweiss. — Like  the  notches  on  an  alpenstock,  a sprig  of 
edelweiss  pressed  between  the  leaves  of  a “ Ba:deker”  is  presumed  to  be  an  out- 
ward and  visible  sign  of  the  owner’s  intrepidity  and  endurance  in  mountaineering. 
Frequently,  however,  it  is  nothing  of  the  sort.  Tourists  are  saved  the  trouble  of 
climbing  for  it  by  purchasing  specimens  grown  and  cultivated  on  suitable  soil  in 
Swiss  cottage  gardens.  Some  enterprising  persons,  however,  presumably  fearful 
of  the  possible  extinction  of  the  favourite  mountain-flower,  and  deeply  imbued 
with  sympathy  for  the  aims  of  the  Association  pour  la  Protection  des  Plantes, 
which  is  a specialised  .Swiss  edition  of  our  owm  Selborne  Society,  have  hit  upon  an 
ingenious  plan  for  supplying  the  express-train  tourist  (as  distinguished  from  the 
Alpine  climber)  with  unlimited  specimens  of  edelweiss,  wdrich  at  the  same  time 
saves  the  trouble  of  growing  and  rearing  them.  The  white  woollen  felted  material 
of  military  coats,  worn  chiefly  by  Austrian  soldiers,  when  cut  into  suitable  strips, 
very  much  resembles  the  characteristic  upper  leaves  of  the  plant,  more  particularly 
of  course  when  the  colour  is  somewhat  mellowed  by  exposure  and  the  natural 
process  of  wearing  out  the  material.  So  that  the  happy  thought  has  suggested 
itself  of  buying  up  quantities  of  these  discarded  military  coats,  and  manufacturing 
from  them  edelweiss  “ wholesale,  retail,  and  for  exportation.”  My  attention  was 
called  to  the  matter  in  June  of  this  year  by  a resident  in  Lucerne,  who  possibly 
was  unable  to  dispose  satisfactorily  of  his  garden-stock,  owing  to  the  manu- 
facturers in  the  rival  method  of  production  making  the  plant  a drug  in  the  market. 

I therefore  bought  a specimen,  and  on  dissecting  it  with  two  mounted  needles, 
found  as  my  informant  had  stated.  It  appears  that  the  strips  of  cloth  are  care- 
fully cut  out  and  skilfully  grafted  on  a foundation  of  any  w'eed  that  comes  handy, 
which  may  have  a superficial  resemblance  to  the  edelweiss  in  habit  ; the  speci- 
mens ate  then  pressed  and  dried,  and  the  pious  fraud  is  complete. 

F.  N.  Williams. 

Gilbert  White’s  House. — Will  you  inform  me  whether  any  photograph 
(platinolype  or  some  permanent  process  suitable  for  framing)  has  ever  been  pub- 
lished of  Gilbert  White’s  house  at  Selborne,  and  if  so,  by  whom,  and  where  it  is 
obtainable?  C.  O. 

Lodgings  at  Selborne. — For  the  benefit  of  those  wdio  may  wish  to  spend 
a few  days  at  Selborne,  I would  like  to  mention  that  very  comfortable  and 
reasonable  lodgings  may  be  had  in  the  village  at  Miss  Phillips,  Myrtle  Cottage, 
with  a very  pleasant  view  of  the  Zig-zag  and  the  Hanger  Woods  from  the  windows. 
Address  Miss  Phillips,  Myrtle  Cottage,  Selborne,  Alton. 

A.  Martelli. 

A Protest. — We  have  more  than  once  had  occ.asion  to  complain  of  the 
appropriation,  without  acknowledgment,  of  the  contents  of  Nature  Notes  by 
other  periodicals.  We  are  most  willing  that  our  pages  should  be  quoted  freely, 
but  it  is  only  courteous,  not  to  say  commonly  honest,  that  the  source  of  the  cita- 
tions should  be  acknowledged.  Three  times  within  the  last  few  w’eeks  The  Rural 
World  has  reprinted  communications  from  Nature  Notes  in  such  a manner  as 
to  appear  as  though  originally  sent  for  its  owm  columns.  The  Rural  World  is  an 
organ  of  that  political  party  which  has  strong  views  as  to  the  sacredness  of  the 
rights  of  property,  and  we  shall  be  glad  if  it  will  carry  its  principles  into  practice. 

By  permission  of  His  Grace  the  Duke  of  Northumberland,  the  Selborne  Field 
Club  (Lower  Thames  Valley  Branch)  will  visit  Syon  House  and  grounds.  Isle- 
worth,  on  Wednesday,  August  9th,  to  meet  at  Isleworth  church  at  2.45  p.m., 
near  to  the  new  lock,  weir  and  foot  bridge  in  course  of  construction.  Members 
of  the  Selborne  Society  desirous  of  joining  this  party  are  requested  to  give  an  early 
intimation  to  Mr.  John  Allen,  Flon.  Sec.,  8,  Clarence  Road,  Kew,  as  but  a 
limited  number  can  be  admitted. 


156 


NATURE  NOTES. 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES. 

A Wasps’  Nest. — A short  time  ago  I spent  a few  days  with  some  friends  in 
Staffordshire,  who  have  shooting  rights  over  some  three  thousand  acres  of  well- 
kept  woods  and  lands.  One  day  we  had  a drive  to  this  shooting  ; my  friend  said 
to  me,  “ Come  here,  and  I will  show  you  something  worth  seeing,”  and  he  took 
me  to  a very  secluded  spot,  and  there,  hung  on  the  branch  of  a yew  tree,  he 
pointed  out  a well-formed  and  well-made  wasps’  nest,  about  twelve  inches  round 
in  the  middle,  tapering  off  to  two  or  three  inches  at  the  bottom  ; the  shape  was 
something  like  a well-formed  large  turnip,  and  there  it  hung  quietly  and  safely 
from  the  branch  of  the  yew.  The  puzzle  to  us  was  how  the  wasps  had  so  well 
and  so  dexterously  hung  their  nest  so  prettily  and  firmly  to  the  branch — perhaps 
.some  of  your  readers  will  enlighten  us.  My  friend  being  anxious  to  get  the  nest, 
the  keeper  thought  he  could  manage  it  by  cutting  off  the  branch  when  the  wasps 
were  at  rest  at  night,  in  which  I hoped  he  would  succeed,  as  it  would  be  an 
interesting  object. 

IxA  IMellor. 

A Cuckoo. — An  adult  cuckoo,  that  had  flown  straight  into  a dwelling  house, 
was  brought  to  me  to-day  for  preservation,  its  captors  not  even  knowing  what  bird 
it  was  ; they  thought  it  was  a hawk.  Its  beautiful  eyes  seemed  to  appeal  in  a 
piteous  way  for  mercy,  and  I eventually  succeeded  in  persuading  its  captors  to 
give  it  its  liberty.  The  long-continued  drought  is  very  trying  to  these  birds, 
which  are  never  so  happy  as  after  a steady  rain,  when  the  budding  foliage  of  the 
hedges  glistens  with  rain  drops,  and  the  succulent  herbage  of  the  fields  bends 
under  the  heavy  moisture,  which  brings  out  the  numerous  species  of  larvm 
upon  which  they  principally  feed.  These  have  now — alas  1 for  the  poor  birds — 
sought  the  more  deep  recesses  of  vegetation,  thus  depriving  them  of  their 
sustenance. 

Hampstead.  J.  E.  Whiting. 

Birds  and  tho  Drought. — The  long  drought  has  made  many  of  our 
garden  birds  quite  exceptionally  keen  for  fruit.  The  blackbirds  never  left  the 
strawberry  bed  unless  driven  away,  and  blackbirds  and  thrushes  “ worked  ” — as 
they  say  here  — the  currants  constantly.  But  the  rooks — “crows,”  they  call 
them — in  the  “garden-field,”  having  finished  the  peas,  actually  grubbed  up  and 
ate  the  potato  crop. 

Hulcolc,  Aylesituy.  A.  W.  H. 

Owls  and  Rats.— A pair  of  very  sage-looking  owls  used  to  inhabit  the 
belfry  of  our  ancient  parish  church  when  I first  came  to  Liss,  several  years  ago, 
and  they  brought  up  a large  family  in  there.  I was  accustomed  to  watch  them, 
season  after  season,  flying  round  the  fields  in  front  of  my  windows  as  soon  as  it 
began  to  get  dusk,  seeking  food  for  their  young.  There  is  a large  yew  tree  in  the 
churchyard.  It  is  not  so  line  a specimen  as  the  one  in  Selborne  Churchyard,  but 
it  is  probably  as  old,  for  it  was  doubtless  planted  when  St.  Peter’s  Church  was 
built.  This  tree,  and  a group  of  three  oak  trees  in  the  corner  of  the  field  next  my 
residence  were  the  favourite  halting  places  of  the  owls  ; perhaps  they  were  spots 
from  whence  they  took  olrservations,  for  I often  noticed  them  fly  direct  from  the 
church  to  these  trees,  and  then,  in  a little  time,  skirt  the  hedges,  and  skim  the 
fields,  hunting  for  small  prey.  We  had  few  rats  then,  but  alas,  the  owls  departed 
— were  driven  away,  I imagine.  I was  absent  from  Liss  for  several  months,  and 
found  on  my  return  the  owls  gone,  and  rats  have  ever  since  been  fearfully  on  the 
increase.  I use  the  word  fearfully,  because  their  numbers  are  truthfully  very 
great.  They  walk  about  the  garden  paths  of  an  evening,  run  up  the  ivy  on  the 
walls,  and  even  enter  the  kitchen  if  the  door  is  open,  and  my  cats  are  not  on 
guard.  I do  not  poison  them  lest  they  should  come  in  to  die  between  the  hollow 
walls  of  my  dwelling  house,  and  so  prove  worse  pests  when  dead  than  alive;  but  I 
wish  it  were  possible  to  get  a pair  of  owls  to  take  up  their  abode  here. 

Berry  Grove,  Liss.  Helen  Watney. 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES. 


157 


A Plague  of  Earwigs. — In  some  parts  of  North  Kent,  residents  have  been 
much  annoyed  with  earwigs  this  summer,  the  insects  freely  visiting  sitting  rooms 
and  bedrooms.  It  would  seem  as  if  they  entered  houses  in  search  of  moisture,  the 
gardens  and  fields  having  been  so  dry  for  months  past.  Several  persons  have 
been  anxious  to  ascertain  how  they  get  in,  and  on  investigation  I find  good 
evidence  that  they  usually  enter  at  the  windows  during  the  twilight,  these  of 
course  being  generally  open  at  this  season.  I have  repeatedly  noticed  them  in 
the  act  of  re-adjusting  their  wings  on  a wall  near  a window,  but  they  are  seldom 
observed  in  the  act  of  flying.  If  any  readers  of  Nature  Notes  have  ever  found 
an  earwig  using  the  tail  lorceps  as  a weapon,  I hope  they  will  kindly  note  the  fact ; 

I have  as  yet  failed  to  get  an  unquestionable  instance. 

J.  R.  S.  Clifford. 

Early  emergence  of  the  Privet  Hawk  Moth.— As  a proof  of  the 
earliness  of  the  season,  produced  by  the  dryness  and  lack  of  moisture,  I may  note 
that  an  egg  of  the  above  hatched  out  on  the  25th  of  May,  which  was  found  a few 
days  before  on  a privet  hedge,  and  must  have  been  deposited  at  least  a week 
previously,  if  not  longer.  In  the  usual  way  the  moth  does  not  emerge  from  the 
chrysalis  till  about  the  middle  of  June.  I noticed  that  in  this  specimen  the 
ecdyses  or  changes  of  skin  W'ere  four,  at  intervals  of  about  eight  or  nine  days,  the 
last  occurring  on  July  6th.  The  caterpillar  of  Sphinx  ligustri  is  very  sensitive  to 
noise,  and  ceases  to  eat  if  it  hears  a solmd  near  ; it  has  also  a habit  of  carefully 
examining  a leaf  before  it  begins  to  nibble.  It  usually  attains  its  full  size  in  about 
two  da)s,  if  the  weather  be  warm. 

J.  R.  .S.  Clifford. 

London  Birds. — It  would  seem  as  if  the  few  jackdaw's  left  in  London  were 
follow'ing  the  example  of  the  rooks  and  seeking  new  resting  places.  A few  years 
ago  more  than  a dozen  pairs  built  in  the  gardens  of  Devonshire  House,  Piccadilly, 
but  for  some  unknown  reason  they  have  this  year  entirely  deserted  the  place. 
On  the  other  hand  there  is  an  indication  that  other  wild  birds  are  ready  to  take  up 
their  residences  w'ith  us.  Wood  pigeons  are  becoming  quite  common.  Last  year  a 
pair  built  in  Grosvenor  Square,  and  sat  closely  for  some  time,  but  I did  not  see 
any  young  birds.  This  year  a pair  have  built  in  the  gardens  behind  the  houses 
in  Brook  Street,  but  I am  afraid  that  a large  black  cat — an  expert  tree  climber — 
can  account  for  the  absence  of  any  young  ones.  I was  told  by  the  keeper  that  a 
pair  of  wild  magpies  commenced  to  build  in  the  Zoological  Gardens  this  spring, 
but  were  disturbed  by  the  Easter  Monday  visitors.  On  March  5th  I noticed  a 
flock  of  lapwings  over  Hyde  Park,  and  a pair  of  blue  tits  have  just  reared  a 
family  in  the  hedge  at  the  back  of  Spencer  Plouse  in  the  Green  Park. 

P'red.  W.  Ashley. 

The  Kingfisher. — Mr.  Warde  P'owler,  in  his  note  (p.  139)  on  the  still  com- 
parative frequency  of  this  bird,  in  spite  of  hard  winters  and  the  gun,  asks  for  evi- 
dence of  the  continued  existence  of  Welsh  kingfishers.  The  low  water  this  summer 
made  the  river  Ithon,  a tributary  of  the  Wye,  favourable  to  the  kingfisher,  and  I saw 
several  there  during  the  early  part  of  June.  I would  mention  in  passing  that  this  part 
of  Radnorshire  is  a favourite  breeding  place  of  the  curlew.  The  kingfisher  is  by  no 
means  uncommon  in  Somersetshire.  T.  P. 

Weston-super-Mare. 

I may  say  that  I have  seen  the  kingfisher  pretty  ofteti  in  certain  districts  in 
Cardiganshire,  and  occasionally  in  Montgomeryshire  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Carno  and  Pontdolgsch. 

Aberystwyth.  G.  R. 

A Late  Cuckoo. — On  July  8th  I found  a young  cuckoo  (only  two  or  three 
days  old)  in  a pipit’s  [Anthus  pratensis)  nest,  and  three  hard  set  eggs  of  the  pipit 
were  thrown  out  on  the  rocks  beneath  the  nest.  Is  not  it  very  unusual  for  a 
cuckoo  to  be  hatched  so  late  in  the  summer  ? I should  be  very  glad  of  information 
on  this  point.  Harriet  Peyton. 

Machynlleth,  Montgomeryshire. 

Jackdaws. — Your  readers  may  be  interested  in  a curious  incident  of  bird- 
life  which  I witnessed  some  years  ago.  A good  many  jackdaws  used  to  live  in 


158 


NATURE  NOTES. 


our  garden,  sometimes  building  their  nests,  to  our  inconvenience,  in  spouts  or 
chimneys.  One  summer  day  we  observed  a solitary  jackdaw  sitting  on  the 
spouting  at  the  edge  of  the  roof,  and  uttering  every  minute  or  two  a loud  and 
dismal  croak.  We  watched  him  for  some  time  and  tried  to  frighten  him  away, 
but  in  vain  ; there  he  stayed  persistently  the  whole  day.  We  joked  a good  deal 
about  it,  calling  him  the  “cracked  jackdaw,”  but  we  were  very  much  surprised 
to  find  him  still  there  ne.\t  day  and  still  constantly  uttering  his  dreary  and  dis- 
cordant note.  This  went  on  for  several  days,  and  my  father  was  talking  of 
shooting  the  bird,  when  another  curious  circumstance  occurred.  The  stairs  and 
landings  at  the  top  of  our  house  are  lighted  by  sky-lights  of  semi-opaque  glass  in 
the  ceiling,  with  others  in  the  roof  above.  One  of  us,  passing  under  a sky-light, 
noticed  something  fluttering  about  over  it,  and  thought  it  must  be  a bird.  One 
of  my  brothers  accordingly  went  up  through  the  trap-door  into  the  space  under 
the  roof,  and  there  he  found  a jackdaw  which  must  have  got  into  the  roof  through 
the  opening  of  a spout  and  been  unable  to  find  its  way  out  again.  He  caught  it, 
brought  it  down,  and  let  it  out  through  a window,  when  it  was  instantly  joined 
by  the  solitary  bird,  and  away  they  flew  together  ! We  saw  and  heard  no  more 
of  the  “ cracked  jackdaw.”  We  have  always  thought  the  incident  a very  touch- 
ing instance  of  a bird’s  devotion  and  constancy.  Another  pair  of  jackdaws  took 
a particular  fancy  apparently  to  the  chimney  of  an  upstairs  room  which  had  the 
fire-place  boarded  up,  and  being  determined  to  have  their  nest  in  it,  they  com- 
pletely filled  it  with  sticks  from  bottom  to  top  and  then  laid  their  eggs.  They 
roust  have  spent  a great  amount  of  time  and  labour  in  doing  it,  showing  perse- 
verance worthy,  we  considered,  of  a better  cause. 

M.  A.  B. 

A Friendly  Cat. — The  following  curious  instance  of  feline  benevolence  has 
recently  come  under  my  notice.  An  old  tabby  cat,  aged  about  14  years,  has  for 
the  last  five  years  taken  the  chickens  of  an  old  Bramah  hen  at  her  owner’s  cottage 
under  her  especial  protection.  As  soon  as  the  chickens  are  out  of  the  egg  she 
licks  them  carefully  over,  and  she  spends  the  whole  day  watching  them  and 
following  them  about.  No  other  cat  or  dog  dare  approach.  This  year  the 
Bramah  was  replaced  'oy  a younger  hen  who  did  not  appreciate  the  cat’s  attentions, 
and  would  not  allow  her  to  come  near.  The  cat,  however,  still  comes  as  near  as 
she  can,  and  follows  the  chickens  about  everyw’here  until  they  are  old  enough  to 
leave  the  hen. 

Lensden  Jlcarage.  Gilbert  White. 

Bees’  Nests. — The  enclosed  were  dug  out  of  a vase  of  earth  in  the  garden 
yesterday  by  the  gardener,  w'ho  imagines  them  to  be  the  work  of  bumble  bees, 
and  states  that  he  has  seen  these  and  other  bees  at  work  cutting  the  lids  of  the 
boxes  out  of  rose  leaves.  We  have  never  seen  anything  of  the  kind  before,  and 
think  therefore  they  may  be  interesting  to  you.  The  gardener  found  them  in 
perfectly  dry  earth,  about  three  inches  below  the  surface,  in  a compact  mass 
(about  tw'enty),  and  in,  he  thinks,  a vertical  position  and  perfectly  fresh  and  green. 
He  tells  me  he  has  been  struck  in  watching  the  bees  at  work,  not  only  with  the 
rapidity  with  which  the  lids  were  cut,  but  also  with  the  marvellous  accuracy  of 
their  hexagonal  shape.  The  vase  is  not  close  to  any  rose  tree. 

St.  Lawraice,  hie  of  Wight.  C.  S.  B. 

[Mr.  W.  F.  Kirby  says  : — “Humble-bees  form  their  nest  in  burrows  in  the 
ground,  but  many  other  bees  do  the  same,  and  the  nests  sent  herewith  are  pro- 
bably those  of  the  leaf-cutter  bee,  Megachile  centuncularis." — Ed.  N.  N.~\ 

Cat  Worsted  by  Jackdaws. — In  the  early  morning  of  May  29th  an  exciting 
conflict  was  witnessed  in  our  garden — one  of  the  few  haunts  of  birds  still  left  in  this 
part  of  Hampstead.  A young  jackdaw  had  fallen  from  its  nest,  and  had  attracted 
the  attention  of  a marauding  cat.  The  parents  and  neighbours  of  the  young  bird 
were,  however,  speedily  alive  to  its  danger.  About  a dozen  had  collected,  and 
while  one  stood  proteclingly  over  it,  the  rest  from  their  vantage  ground  on  a 
neighbouring  railing  made  such  fierce  and  repeated  sallies  upon  the  enemy 
that  there  is  little  doubt  which  way  the  battle  would  have  ended  had  not  human 


OFFICIAL  NOTICES.  159 

agency  brought  it  to  a more  speedy  conclusion.  Blood  testified  to  the  efficiency 
of  the  birds’  beaks  as  weapons.  Little  Jack  is  already  a domestic  pet. 

Roslyn,  Hampstead,  N.  IV.  G.  J.  Woodd. 

A Talking  Canary. — I do  not  remember  ever  to  have  heard  of  a talking 
canary,  and  was  therefore  much  interested  recently,  while  staying  in  the  little 
village  of  Churchill,  Somerset,  in  hearing  one.  The  bird  belongs  to  a Mrs. 
Buckland,  wife  of  a gardener  living  in  Churchill.  “Joey”  came  into  her  posses- 
sion when  only  six  weeks  old,  and  she,  being  much  alone  in  her  house,  naturally 
got  into  the  habit  of  constantly  talking  to  him.  When  about  a year  old  he  one 
day  quite  suddenly,  to  her  extreme  surprise  and  even  alarm,  began  to  talk,  and 
has  talked  incessantly  until  the  present  day,  he  being  now  eight  years  old.  His 
repertoire  is  not  extensive,  consisting,  of  course,  merely  of  the  remarks  addressed 
to  him  by  Mrs.  Buckland — “ Pretty  Joey,”  “ Kiss  me,”  “ Missus’s  pretty  little 
Joey”  and  “ I be  missus’s  pretty  little  beauty,  I be.”  He  speaks  in  a beautifully 
clear,  melodious  trilling  voice,  all  the  words  being  perfectly  distinct.  He  talked 
incessantly  while  I was  in  the  room,  interspersing  his  remarks  with  the  usual 
canary’s  song.  Mrs.  Buckland  has  been  offered  considerable  sums  both  for  the 
bird,  and  for  the  loan  of  him  for  exhibition,  but  nothing  would  induce  her  to  part 
with  him.  He  has  much  local  celebrityt  I should  be  interested  to  hear  if  any  of 
the  readers  of  Nature  Notes  know  of  a similar  case. 

Gertrude  M.  Yeld. 

Rare  Migrants  on  the  East  Coast.— Several  rather  uncommon 
visitants  to  this  part  of  the  Coast  put  in  an  appearance  near  here  last  month,  at  a 
large  expanse  of  water  called  Breydon  (one  of  the  oldest  “ broads,”  but  now  a 
mere  wide  expanse  of  mud  covered  at  high  tide  only,  and  a most  excellent  feeding 
ground  for  aquatic  birds).  They  consisted  of  quite  a score  of  black  terns,  a number 
of  wimbrel,  turnstones,  knots,  and  smaller  birds,  nearly  all  in  their  summer  dress. 
There  were  also  to  be  seen  several  Arctic  terns  and  some  little  stints.  A cormor- 
ant put  in  an  appearance  for  a short  time. 

Great  YarniQuth.  W.  B.  Guisn. 

A Wren’s  Nest. — Two  or  three  summers  ago  a wren  made  her  nest  inside 
a letter-box  fixed  upon  our  front  gate.  She  flew  in  and  out  through  a small  hole 
in  the  side  of  the  box,  laid  ten  eggs,  and  hatched  them.  Some  time  after  I looked 
in  again  and  they  had  all  flown  away.  The  next  year  another  nest  was  made — we 
think  it  was  the  same  bird  which  had  returned — but,  unfortunately,  some  boys  in 
passing  discovered  it,  and,  by  throwing  stones  inside,  disturbed  the  poor  little  bird, 
who  deserted  it  before  she  had  laid  any  eggs.  Another  curious  place  for  a nest 
was  inside  a green  watering-pot,  which  I found  in  our  orchard  last  week.  The 
bird  had  hatched  her  eggs  and  flown. 

Barnwood,  Gloucester.  A.  M.  Jaynes. 


OFFICIAL  NOTICES. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Council  held  on  July  5th,  a vote  of  thanks  was 
passed  to  Lord  Selborne  for  presiding  at  the  luncheon,  and  for  his  interesting 
speech  on  the  occasion  of  the  excursion  to  Selborne  on  June  24th  ; to  the  vicar 
of  Selborne  for  throwing  open  his  grounds,  for  affording  the  members  the  oppor- 
tunity of  visiting  the  church  and  churchyard,  and  for  permitting  the  archKological 
address  to  be  given  in  the  church  ; and  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Read  for  so  kindly  receiv- 
ing and  entertaining  the  members  of  the  Society,  and  for  throwing  open  the  house 
and  grounds  for  their  inspection. 

The  Council  authorised  the  formation  of  a new  branch  at  Cheltenham  (hon. 
secretary,  F.  W.  Butt,  Esq.). 


i6o 


NATURE  NOTES. 


Various  proposals  for  a memorial  to  Gilbert  NVhite  having  been  discussed,  the 
following  resolution  was  carried  : — 

“ While  agreeing  with  Lord  Selborne’s  views  as  to  the  book  being  the  best 
memorial,  the  Council  are  of  opinion  that  it  would  be  desirable  to  indicate  the 
position  of  the  grave  by  a monumental  tablet  on  the  outside  wall  of  the  church 
near  the  grave,  and  further  express  their  approval  of  the  proposal  to  bring  the 
water  to  Selborne  and  to  erect  a drinking  fountain  in  the  form  suggested  by  Mr. 
Wm.  White.” 

The  following  resolutions  were  passed  at  the  Special  General  Meeting  held  at 
9,  Adam  Street  on  July  17th  : — 

“ That  the  minimum  subscription  entitling  members  to  the  magazine  be  raised 
to  5s.  (This  resolution  shall  not  apply  to  existing  members  of  the  Society.) 

“That  this  meeting  recommends  to  the  notice  of  lion.  Secs,  the  practice 
which  obtains  in  some  branches  of  admitting  associates  at  a less  subscription  than 
that  of  a full  member ; such  associates  not  being  entitled  to  vote  at  meetings, 
hold  office,  or  receive  the  magazine  gratuitously. 

“That  this  meeting  wishes  strongly  to  urge  members  to  send  such  contribu- 
tions as  they  are  able  to  the  Hon.  Treasurer,  for  the  “ Magazine  Fund,”  to 
supply  the  deficiency  of  Ejo  in  the  Society’s  account  in  publishing  Nature 
Notes  in  1892.” 

A.  J.  Wes  tern,  Secretary. 


TO  CORRESPONDENTS. 

A.  M. — The  Winter  Cherry  (Pliysalis  Alkekengi). 

J.  F.  C. — The  note  is  hardly  of  sufficient  interest. 

J.  H. — Kindly  observe  our  rule  as  to  the  sending  of  name  and  address  with 
communications. 

A.  B. — See  answer  to  J.  H.  The  plant  is  the  Sea  Buckthorn  (^Hippophce 
rhamnoides). 

F.  G.  V.  P. — We  had  an  appreciative  article  on  Thoreau  in  NATURE  Notes 
for  December,  1890,  pp.  185-188. 

L.  F.  M. — J^arsetia  incana  (also  known  as  Alyssum  incanum),  an  introduc- 
tion of  frequent  occurrence,  especially  in  clover  fields. 

G.  P.  C. — You  will  see  that  your  suggestion  has  been  acted  upon. 

A.  H.  J. — See  answer  to  J.  II.  We  know  of  no  useful  book  of  the  kind  you 
mention,  but  one  is  noticed  at  p.  153. 

E.  W.  W. — Vour  verses  are  more  suitable  for  primrose-time,  and  we  will 
hold  them  over  until  then. 

E.  V.  B. — It  is  certainly  a fungus,  and,  had  you  seen  the  specimens,  you 
would  doubtless  have  recognised  that  the  “flowers  ” had  no  claim  to  the  title. 

H.  M.  B. — We  hope  to  publish  an  article  on  the  interesting  strawberries  in 
our  next  issue. 

Contributions  for  any  number  should  reach  the  Editor,  James  Britten, 
F. L. S.,  18,  West  Square,  London,  S.E.,  not  later  than  the  ll^th  of  the  month. 
The  Editor  cannot  undertake  to  insert  any  communication  in  the  number  ior  the 
month  following,  in  cases  where  this  rule  is  not  complied  with. 

When  it  is  particularly  requested,  MSS.  not  accepted  will  be  returned,  if 
stamps  sufficient  to  pay  the  postage  are  sent  for  that  purpose.  In  every  case 
contributions  must  be  accompanied  by  the  name  and  address  of  the  writer. 

It  is  particularly  requested  that  subscriptions  and  letters  connected  with 
business  should  not  be  forwarded  to  the  Editor,  but  to  the  Secretary  oe  the 
Selborne  Society,  9,  Adam  Street,  Adelphi,  W.C.  Editorial  communication.s, 
specimens,  and  books  for  review  should  be  addressed  to  Mr.  Britten,  as  above. 


IRature  IRotes: 

Zhc  Selborne  Society’s  iHbaciasine. 

No.  45.  SEPTEMBER,  1893.  Vol.  IV. 


RELICS  OF  THE  WHITE  FAMILY. 

VERY  agreeable  afternoon  was  spent  at  Lancing  College, 
by  a party  of  Selbornians,  on  July  15th.  At  the  kind 
invitation  of  the  Rev.  Edmund  Field,  sometime  chap- 
lain of  St.  Mary  and  St.  Nicholas  College,  about  a 
dozen  members  of  the  White  family  arrived  at  Shoreham  Station 
about  noon,  made  their  way  through  the  corn-fields,  and  across 
the  dark  green  tidal  waters  of  the  Adur,  and  ascended  the  breezy 
downs  on  which  the  College  is  built.  They  were  entertained  at 
luncheon  in  the  antechamber  of  the  great  hall  of  the  school,  and 
by  three  o’clock  several  more  friends  had  arrived  from  the  neigh- 
bourhood, and  the  party  assembled  in  Mr.  Field’s  room  to  hear 
his  lecture  on  the  family  relics  which  are  now  in  his  possession. 

Some  reference  was  first  made  to  the  family  pedigree,  and  it 
was  pointed  out  that  through  a lineal  ancestress,  who  was 
daughter  of  Robert  Lord  Hungerford,  Gilbert  White  was 
descended  from  the  Courtenays,  Le  Despensers,  and  other  great 
mediaeval  families.  Then,  passing  down  the  line  to  Sir  Samson 
White,  Gilbert’s  great-grandfather,  the  lecturer  mentioned  that 
he  was  mayor  of  Oxford  and  cup-bearer  at  the  coronation  of 
Charles  II.  The  cup  which  he  received — according  to  custom 
— on  that  occasion,  was  bequeathed  by  him  to  the  Corporation 
of  Oxford,  in  whose  possession  it  still  remains.  Sir  Samson’s 
court  sword  and  small  silver  cup  were  then  exhibited  to  the 
audience.  Next,  Mr.  Field  exhibited  a portrait  in  oils  of  Gilbert 
White  the  elder,  vicar  of  Selborne,  and  grandfather  and  god- 
father of  the  naturalist.  John  White,  father  of  the  naturalist, 
married  Anne  Holt,  great-granddaughter  of  Benjamin  Hyde, 
merchant,  who  received  from  Charles  I. — probably  in  return  for 
services  rendered  in  facilitating  some  attempted  escape— the 


i62 


NATURE  NOTES. 


King’s  Ribbon  of  the  Garter,  which  was  handed  down  to 
posterity,  and  is  now  in  possession  of  I\Ir.  William  White.  This 
ribbon,  which  is  now  of  a pale  blue  colour,  was  next  exhibited, 
and  a portrait  of  Benjamin  Hyde  was  pointed  out  on  the  wall. 

It  was  then  mentioned  that  Gilbert  White’s  sister  Anne 
married  Thomas  Barker,  of  Lyndon  Hall,  Rutland.  Many  of 
the  valuable  papers  from  Lyndon  are  now  in  Mr.  Field’s  pos- 
session, and  a full  account  of  them  is  given  in  the  Report  of  the 
Historical  Manuscripts  Commission  for  1876.  They  include  the 
patent  of  baronetcy,  dated  1665,  of  Sir  Abel  Barker,  and  a war- 
rant for  ship  money,  signed  by  Laud  and  others.  Two  fine 
pictures  from  Lyndon  attracted  general  attention — one  of  Sir 
Thomas  Barker,  the  second  baronet,  and  one  of  Sir  John  Dun- 
combe,  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  to  Charles  II.  But  pre- 
eminent among  all  the  pictures  which  hung  on  the  walls  of  the 
room,  were  two  magnificent  portraits  by  Vandyck,  of  Charles  I. 
and  Henrietta  Maria.  These  were  painted  for  Charles  I.,  and 
presented  by  the  king  to  Sir  Hugh  Stukeley,  ancestor  of  the 
Lords  Stawell.  On  the  death  of  the  last  Lord  Stawell,  they 
came  into  the  possession  of  Mr.  Sainsbury,  who  lived  at  Mare- 
lands,  Lord  Stawell’s  house,  and  from  him  they  passed  to  his 
niece,  wdio  married  Edmund  White,  vicar  of  Newton  Valence, 
and  grandfather  of  i\Ir.  Field. 

Mr.  Field,  at  the  close  of  his  most  charming  and  interesting 
address,  added  a few  words  as  to  the  character  of  Gilbert  White, 
and  “ pointed  the  moral  ” gracefully  and  effectively.  A relic  of 
special  interest,  still  used  by  i\Ir.  Field,  is  the  stool  which  Gilbert 
White  used  in  his  study,  and  on  which  doubtless  he  sat  when  he 
wrote  the  “ Selborne.”  Evidently  the  naturalist  enjoyed  having 
free  play  for  his  arms ; he  had  therefore  sawn  off  the  back  of  a 
carved  chair,  and  had  so  turned  it  into  a stool. 

After  a cordial  expression  of  thanks  to  the  host,  and  another 
visit  to  the  antechamber  of  the  great  hall — where  tea  was  pre- 
pared— the  company  separated,  much  delighted  and  interested 
with  their  visit. 

Stamford. 


THE  LEGISLATIVE  PROTECTION  OF  WILD 
BIRDS’  EGGS. 

T is  generally  admitted  that,  notwithstanding  the  opera- 
tion of  the  existing  Acts  for  the  Protection  of  Wild 
Birds,  some  of  our  rarer  birds  are  becoming  more  and 
more  scarce,  and  must,  unless  something  further  is 
done,  at  no  distant  time  disappear  altogether  from  our  islands. 
The  Acts  of  1880-81  are  good  enough  as  far  as  they  go,  but  they 
fail  to  accomplish  completely  the  intention  of  their  promoters,  for 
the  reason  that  their  provisions  extend  only  to  the  birds  them- 
selves, leaving  the  eggs  absolutely  unprotected.  Now,  there  are 


THE  PROTECTION  OF  WILD  BIRDS’  EGGS.  163 


two  evident  methods,  by  either  of  which,  if  pushed  to  an  ex- 
treme, any  species  of  bird  may  - be  exterminated  : one  is  the 
destruction  of  the  birds  themselves,  and  the  other  is  the  effectual 
prevention  of  the  perpetuation  of  the  species  by  the  taking  of  the 
eggs.  In  cases  where  these  eggs  have  a high  market  value, 
a temptation  exists  which  is  capable  of  affecting  very  seriously 
the  wellbeing  of  the  birds. 

It  will  be  fresh  in  the  recollection  of  naturalists  that  some 
few  years  since  a company  was  formed  in  the  Midlands,  having 
an  agent  appointed,  whose  office  it  was  to  visit  the  islands  off 
the  coast  of  Scotland,  there  to  take  what  rare  eggs  he  could  find, 
and  to  distribute  these  amongst  the  members  in  proportion  to 
their  subscriptions.  Fortunately  the  scheme  was  frustrated  by 
the  exposure  it  received  in  the  public  press ; but  here  was  a plan 
which,  had  it  not  been  detected,  would  have  resulted  in  the 
wholesale  and  possibly  complete^  interference  with  the  breeding 
of  many  species  of  rare  birds.  It  is  hardly  to  be  supposed  that 
other  agencies  of  a similar  though  more  discreet  nature  are 
not  constantly  at  work,  slowly  but  surely  tending  to  diminish 
rare  birds. 

It  is  at  least  intelligible  when  the  eggs  are  taken  for  such 
a purpose,  but  they  are  liable  to  many  other  less  plausible 
dangers:  as  was  shown  in  1890,  when  a party  of  gentlemen 
landed  on  the  island  of  Grasholm,  in  the  Bristol  Channel,  and 
wantonly  destroyed  large  numbers  of  hard-set  eggs  by  throwing 
them  at  a target. 

These  and  other  instances  were  brought  under  the  notice 
of  the  British  Association  at  their  meeting  held  at  Cardiff  in 
1891,  and  resulted  in  the  appointment  of  a Committee  “ to  con- 
sider proposals  for  the  legislative  protection  of  wild  birds’  eggs.” 
That  Committee,  consisting  of  the  Rev.  Canon  Tristram,  D.D., 
Prof.  Newton,  Prof.  A.  Leipner,  Prof.  Newton  Parker,  with 
Mr.  Thomas  H.  Thomas,  ex-President  of  the  Cardiff  Naturalists’ 
Society,  as  Chairman,  and  Dr.  Vachell,  then  President  of  the 
Cardiff  Naturalists’  Society,  as  Secretary,  has  since  given  the 
matter  careful  consideration.  Two  methods  of  affording  protec- 
tion to  wild  birds’  eggs  have  been  suggested,  viz.,  that  of  schedul- 
ing the  eggs  of  the  species  to  be  protected  in  a similar  way  to 
that  by  which  the  birds  themselves  are  treated  ; and  (2)  enabling 
County  Councils,  with  the  approval  of  a Secretary  of  State,  to 
reserve  certain  localities  for  a certain  time  in  each  year  as 
places  of  refuge,  where  no  eggs  of  wild  birds  might  be  taken. 

The  first  method  was  rejected  as  certain  to  end  in  failure,  in 
consequence  of  the  well-recognised  difficulty  in  identifying  the 
eggs  of  many  species,  and  especially  those  of  sea  birds.  The 
second  plan  has  already  been  tried  with  success  in  Australia, 
where  the  protected  areas  are  termed  “ Sanctuaries.”  This 
was,  after  full  consideration,  adopted  by  the  Committee,  and 
strongly  urged  upon  the  supporters  of  the  Bill  in  the  House  of 
Lords  ; and  after  due  precautions  had  been  inserted  for  the  strict 


164 


NATURE  NOTES. 


limitation  of  the  districts  to  such  boundaries  as  could  be  shown 
to  be  the  breeding  places  of  the  species  desired  to  be  protected, 
the  amendments  recommended  by  the  Committee  were  finally 
adopted.  It  is  distinctly  not  intended  by  the  Bill  to  put  a stop 
to  the  ordinary  birds-nesting  by  boys — a practice  which  has 
frequently  ended  in  encouraging  a lasting  taste  for  natural  history 
— and  it  will  be  found  that  the  Bill  contains  provisions  for  giving 
thorough  publicity  to  the  fact  that  an  area  is  to  be  protected. 

An  Act  which  incorporated  the  views  of  the  Committee  has 
already  passed  through  the  House  of  Commons,  and  after  con- 
siderable amendment  has  been  read  a third  time  in  the  House 
of  Lords.  The  next  stage  requires  its  re-appearance  in  the 
House  of  Commons,  where  the  amendments  inserted  in  the 
House  of  Lords  will  have  to  be  considered.  These  amendments 
may  be  taken  as  embodying  the  opinions  of  the  Committee,  and 
as  a consequence  the  Committee  not  only  approves  of  the  Bill, 
but  desires  that  it  may  become  law.  For  this  purpose  it  is 
necessary  that  the  Bill  should  receive  all  possible  support,  and 
it  is  suggested  that  the  various  local  Natural  History  Societies 
throughout  the  kingdom  should  at  once  endeavour  to  secure  the 
co-operation  of  their  borough  and  county  members  respectively 
in  obtaining  the  acceptance  by  the  House  of  Commons  of  the 
Bill  as  it  now  stands. 

C.  T.  Vachell. 


WILD  LIFE  IN  TASMANIA. 

V. 

HE  little  clearing  in  which  our  camp  is  pitched  lies  just 
on  the  verge  of  the  plains,  where  the  heavily-timbered 
brown  soil  gives  place  to  a whitish  sand,  shunned 
by  the  selector  and  despised  by  the  agriculturist. 
Here  the  country  is  somewhat  park-like  in  character,  being 
gently  undulating,  and  possessing  timber  which,  although  dwarf 
in  comparison  with  that  rooted  in  the  deep  basaltic  soils,  is  yet 
worthy  of  being  placed  with  the  old  oaks  and  beeches  of  the 
mother-country.  The  gnarled  and  weather-beaten  gums  and 
peppermints  are  sufficiently  far  apart  to  enable  the  horseman 
to  get  about  without  much  difficulty,  and  to  see  a considerable 
distance  ahead,  which  is  an  impossibility  in  the  “ green  bush.” 
The  wary  rider  will,  however,  always  keep  a tight  rein,  and  his 
weather  eye  open,  for  the  ground  is  strewn  with  the  trunks 
of  old  trees  and  with  limbs  which  have  been  torn  by  the 
gales  from  the  living  ones,  and  which  are  nearly  hidden  by 
the  knee-high,  and  often  waist-high,  growth  of  heather  and 
small  scrub. 

Another  source  of  danger  to  the  unwary  traveller  is  the 


WILD  LIFE  IN  TASMANIA. 


165 

number  of  holes  which  have  been  sunk  by  the  prospectors  (gold 
seekers),  and  those  in  search  of  other  minerals  ; some  of  these 
are  quite  shallow,  but  we  have  come  upon  them  twenty  to  thirty 
feet  in  depth,  and  grown  over  with  young  scrub  so  that  the 
mouth  is  quite  concealed,  and  the  only  indication  of  danger  is 
the  heap  of  sand  and  gravel,  also  grown  over  with  native 
vegetation,  which  lies  close  to  the  brink  of  the  pit.  It  must  not 
be  supposed,  because  the  soil  is  poor,  that  these  plains  are 
therefore  comparatively  barren  wastes.  On  the  contrary,  they 
possess  a very  abundant  fauna  and  flora,  differing  greatly,  as 
may  be  imagined,  from  that  of  the  heavy  forest  lands.  They 
may  be  fairly  said  to  teem  with  life,  both  animal  and  vegetable, 
and  have  proved  to  be  a truly  happy  hunting  ground  for  the 
naturalist. 

To  begin  with,  the  lordly  kangaroo  is  occasionally  met  with, 
his  majesty  (for  he  may  justly  be  termed  the  Australian  king 
of  beasts)  preferring  the  open  faountry  to  the  dense  bush,  and 
finding  the  vegetation  here  more  suitable  to  his  palate.  The 
heavy,  clumsy-looking  wombat  also  prefers  to  scrape  out  his 
roomy  burrow  about  the  edge  of  the  plains,  and  the  bandicoot 
(somewhat  resembling  a miniature  kangaroo)  rambles  over  them 
by  night,  digging  here  and  there  when  his  instinct  tells  him  that 
some  luscious  morsel  lies  concealed  beneath  the  surface.  The 
wallaby  (first  cousin  to  the  kangaroo)  also  browses  here  during 
the  hours  of  darkness,  when  he  has  nothing  better  on  hand,  but 
his  delight  is  in  the  tender  grass  of  the  settler.  A paddock  also 
of  the  young  and  succulent  oat  he  will  not  despise.  He  roams 
at  night  with  his  relatives  (for  the  wallaby  is  fond  of  society) 
over  the  badly-fenced  domains  of  the  “cockatoo”  farmer,  and 
the  forage  consumed  by  these  dark-coated  intruders  would  fatten 
a flock  of  sheep. 

Of  birds,  hawks  of  various  species  greatl}^  affect  our  open 
domain,  and  honeyeaters  may  be  heard  warbling  in  the  pepper- 
mints ; the  tree-swallow  may  be  seen  taking  his  graceful  sailing 
flight  from  gum  to  gum,  and  the  vivid  scarlet  breast  of  the 
beautiful  little  robin  gives  a touch  of  colour  to  our  rather  sombre 
landscape. 

Reptiles  of  course  abound,  the  warm  sandy  soil  being  just 
the  medium  in  which  to  take  the  sun-baths  which  seem  to  them 
so  essential.  Snakes,  those  of  the  black  and  tiger  species,  often 
attain  a great  size ; iguanas,  bloodsuckers,  death-adders,  and 
other  delightful  creatures  are  frequently  encountered.  The 
three  last-named  are  all  lizards,  the  iguana  being  the  stump- 
tailed lizard,  which  grows  to  a considerable  size,  and  is  of  very 
sluggish  habits,  often  lying  across  the  track  and  allowing  one  to 
step  over  it  without  exhibiting  any  intention  of  moving.  The 
bloodsucker  is  a very  lively  creature,  and  may  be  often  seen 
in  the  bush  garden  on  the  watch  for  insects.  He  has  an  enor- 
mous mouth,  which  he  opens  wide  in  a threatening  manner 
when  an  attempt  is  made  to  catch  him,  but  his  tiny  teeth  can 


NATURE  NOTES. 


1 66 

hardly  draw  blood,  except  on  a very  tender  skin.  One  sunny 
afternoon  (but  every  afternoon  is  sunny  in  Tasmania)  we  came 
across  one  of  these  agile  lizards  perched  on  the  top  of  a “ blue- 
jumper’s  ” nest,  %Vhich  is  a mound  formed  by  a dark-blue  ant  of 
large  size,  this  insect  being  capable  of  biting  and  stinging 
severely.  It  has  derived  its  name  of  “ jumper  ” from  the  tactics 
adopted  by  the  soldier-ants,  which  are  on  duty  outside  the  nest ; 
these  fearless  insects,  on  the  approach  of  danger,  make  a series 
of  short  rapid  jumps  at  the  enemy,  and  if  the  latter  be  a human 
being  his  wisest  course  is  to  “clear”  without  delay.  The  blood- 
sucker, however,  which  was  a big  bloated  one,  seemed  to  relish 
the  society  of  the  warlike  ones,  for  he  lay  at  his  ease  on  the  top 
of  the  mound,  and  every  time  a sentinel  on  his  beat  passed 
within  reach,  out  would  shoot  the  long  tongue  and  the  soldier  in 
a twinkling  had  gone  to  his  doom.  After  this  game  had  gone 
on  some  time,  and  the  soldiers  on  duty  began  to  look  sparse,  we 
stirred  up  the  nest  with  a stick,  thinking  a reinforcement  might 
be  acceptable  to  our  voracious  friend ; but  directly  he  felt  the 
jumpers  swarming  upon  his  body  he  seemed  to  realise  that 
matters  were  getting  too  hot  for  him,  and  taking  a dive  into  the 
scrub,  disappeared. 

Spiders,  of  many  shapes  and  sizes,  positively  swarm  upon 
our  plains.  The  monarch  of  them  is  huge,  black  and  hairy,  and 
of  extremely  ferocious  aspect.  He  is  related  to  the  great  bird- 
eating spiders  of  tropical  countries,  and  himself,  to  judge  by  his 
proportions,  lives  upon  no  mean  prey.  Where  the  ground  is 
damp  and  not  likely  to  crumble  in,  he  excavates  a dwelling  with 
beautifully  smooth  walls,  and  to  keep  everything  within  snug 
and  private,  covers  the  entrance  with  a dome  of  thick  close  web. 
From  this  retreat  it  is  difficult  to  dislodge  the  sable  monster,  but 
artifice  will  accomplish  what  force  cannot.  If  a piece  of  stick 
be  pushed  gently  into  the  opening  and  worked  downwards,  and 
then  withdrawn,  the  angry  tenant  will  rush  up  after  it,  with  the 
evident  wish  of  seeing  it  safely  out  of  his  abode.  A walking- 
stick  can  then  be  inserted  behind  him  so  as  to  block  the  burrow 
and  make  retreat  impossible,  and  lo  ! he  is  at  our  mercy  and  can 
be  studied  at  leisure.  The  burrow  takes  a sloping  direction  at 
first  and  then  falls  perpendicularly,  and  is  of  considerable  depth. 

We  have  another  spider  on  the  plains,  a dark-coloured, 
bloated  looking  creature,  w'hich  throws  a strong  cable  from  one 
bush  to  another,  and  hangs  a web  under  the  cable.  Another, 
and  much  smaller  species,  spins  a very  beautiful  and  complex 
web  near  the  ground,  and  lives  in  the  centre  of  it,  in  a case 
made  of  little  odd  bits  of  stuff  'woven  together.  This  web,  when 
viewed  from  above,  has  the  appearance  of  a multitude  of  little 
squares,  and  when  covered  with  beads  of  moisture  the  effect  is 
very  striking. 

Aquatic  life,  too,  there  is  on  the  plains,  had  we  but  the  space 
to  describe  it.  In  the  marshy  patches  at  the  foot  of  the  slopes 
lives  the  noisy  bull-frog,  with  his  sonorous  and  far-reaching 


QUEER  STRAWBERRIES. 


167 

note,  sounding  like  “ tonka-tonk.”  Here  and  there  we  may 
chance  upon  a tiny  “ creek  ” or  brook,  rippling  merrily  over  the 
white  quartz  pebbles,  and  if  we  watch  awhile  where  it  broadens 
out  into  a shallow  pool,  we  may  catch  sight  of  some  of  the  little 
speckled  native  trout,  enjoying  themselves  in  the  clear  waters. 
Should  we  be  inclined  for  a little  angling  there  is  some  fun 
to  be  had  among  these  same  trout  with  a small  hook  and  tiny 
worm,  for  they  will  bite  furiously,  and  make  a capital  fry  when 
we  get  back  to  camp,  the  flesh  being  very  white  and  delicate. 
And  so  we  will  take  leave  of  our  natural  park,  with  its  abundant 
animal  life,  and  its  many  and  curious  forms  of  plant  life  also,  of 
which  we  may  some  day  speak. 

H.  S.  Dove. 

Tabic  Cape,  Tasmania,  March  12th,  1893. 


QUEER  STRAWBERRIES. 

SHO  cares  for  a strawberry  that  is  not  good  to  eat  ? 
Well,  of  course  the  eaters  are  in  the  majority,  and 
being  so  they  can  aflbrd  to  be  magnanimous  towards 
those  harmless  lunatics,  as  they  may  deem  them,  who 
take  an  interest  in  strawberries  for  reasons  other  than  those 
connected  with  the  palate.  In  any  case  those  who  look  at 
a strawberry  with  the  eyes  of  a naturalist  have  the  advantage,  in 
that  they  derive  a double  benefit.  The  gratification  of  intelligent 
curiosity  is,  in  its  way,  every  whit  as  important  as,  if  not  more 
so  than,  the  tickling  of  the  palate  with  grateful  savours.  The 
Editor  of  Nature  Notes  evidently  shares  my  opinion,  or  he 
would  not  have  asked  me  to  inflict  on  the  readers  of  this  journal 
a note  on  strawberries  that  are  not  good  to  eat,  which  have  been 
somewhat  frequent  during  this  hot  summer. 

Our  forefathers  knew  of  such,  for  whilst  they  spoke  of  the 
true  form  as  Fragaria  fvaga,  they  also  recognised  a “ Fragaria  non 
fragifera  vel  non  vesca — Fragaria  sterilis.”  But  this  was  what 
we  call  the  Barren  Strawberry,  Potentilla  Fragariastnm,  which, 
by  the  way,  is  certainly  not  barren,  as  the  writer  finds  in  his 
own  garden  several  seedling  plants,  the  parent  of  which  was 
probably  introduced  with  a specimen  of  the  Lady  Fern.  But 
this  does  not  concern  us  at  present.  We  have  to  deal  with 
a Fragaria  which  is  truly  “fragifera,”  but  scarcely  “vesca.” 
Tradescant  has  the  credit  of  having  been  the  first  to  bring  it 
into  notice.  He  found  it  in  a garden  at  “ Plimouth,”  the 
proprietor  of  which  was  about  to  discard  it  as  a cumberer 
of  the  ground.  Tradescant  was  one  of  those  harmless  people 
above  referred  to  ; and  he  secured  what  was  to  him  a treasure, 
and,  in  all  probability,  shared  it  with  a man  of  the  same  turn 
of  mind,  named  Parkinson.  At  any  rate,  Parkinson,  Paradisus, 
(1629),  p.  528,  thus  writes  of  it : — 


NATURE  NOTES. 


1 68 

“ One  Strawberry  more  I promised  to  shew  you,  which 
although  it  be  a wilde  kinde,  and  of  no  vse  for  meate,  yet  I 
would  not  let  this  discourse  passe,  without  giuing  you  the  know- 
ledge of  it.  It  is  in  leafe  much  like  vnto  the  ordinary,  but 
differeth  in  that  the  flower,  if  it  haue  any,  is  greene,  or  rather 


Fig.  I. 


Fig.  2. 

Fig.  I. — Strawberry  bearing  leaves  and  shoots  in  place  of  carpels  (pips). 
Fig.  2. — A shoot  from  the  same  strawberry  bearing  a flower  at  its  tip. 


it  beareth  a small  head  of  greene  leaves,  many  set  thick  together 
like  unto  a double  ruffe,  in  the  midst  whereof  standeth  the  fruit, 
which  when  it  is  ripe,  showeth  to  be  soft  and  somwhat  reddish, 
like  unto  a Strawberry,  but  with  many  small  harmlesse  prickles 
on  them,  which  may  be  eaten  and  chewed  in  the  mouth  without 
any  maner  of  offence,  and  is  somewhat  pleasant  like  a Straw- 


QUEER  STRAWBERRIES. 


i6g 


berry ; it  is  no  great  bearer,  but  those  it  doth  beare,  are  set 
at  the  toppes  of  the  stalks  close  together,  pleasant  to  behold, 
and  fit  for  a Gentlewoman  to  weare  on  her  arm,  &c.,  as  a 
raritie  in  stead  of  a flower.” 

Some  years  after,  Merrett,  in  his  Pinax  (1666),  says  he  found 
it  growing  “ in  the  woods  of  Hyde  Park  and  Hampstead.”  The 
detailed  history  of  this  plant  is  given  by  Dr.  Hogg  in  a foot-note 
to  my  Vegetable  Teratology  (p.  276);  suffice  it  to  add  that  it  fell  out 
of  notice  to  such  an  extent  that  the  distinguished  poniologist  just 
referred  to  spoke  of  it  as  a “ botanical  dodo,”  and  many  persons 
looked  upon  the  plant  in  the  same  light  as  on  the  mythical  Mrs. 
Harris.  Some  few  years  ago,  when  increased  notice  began  to  be 
paid  to  old-fashioned  flowers,  the  “dodo”  was  re-discovered,  and 
it  may  now  be  found  in  botanic  gardens  and  in  the  gardens 
of  the  curious.  In  this  variety  the  petals  are  green  and  leafy, 
and  the  “ pips  ” develop  in  the  shape  of  tiny  green  leaves  pro- 
jecting from  the  surface  of  the  receptacle,  which  ultimately 
becomes  fleshy  and  coloured  as  in  an  ordinary  strawberry.  I 


have  mentioned  this  “ Plymouth  strawberry  ” by  way  of  intro- 
duction to  the  specimen  figured  on  the  opposite  page. 

In  the  construction  of  a flower  there  is  a general  plan  or 
principle.  We  may  differ  in  opinion  as  to  what  that  plan  is, 
how  it  comes  about,  and  what  is  its  precise  significance ; but 
that  there  is  such  a plan,  modified  according  to  circumstances — 
perhaps  in  direct  consequence  of  them — no  one  doubts.  Re- 
duced to  its  simplest  expression,  we  have  in  a flower  a central 
“ axis,”  from  which  all  the  other  parts  spring  ; that  central  axis 
is  clearly  the  prolongation  of  the  flower-stalk,  which  is,  of  course, 
nothing  but  a branch.  The  parts  of  the  flower  that  spring  from 
this  axis— sepals,  petals,  stamens,  and  carpels — originate  in  the 
same  way  as  the  leaves,  are  arranged  in  the  same  manner,  have 
at  first  the  same  structure,  and  very  often  are  themselves  de- 
veloped as  leaves.  The  term  “ metamorphosis  ” is  apt  to 


170 


NATURE  NOTES. 


mislead  novices,  and  make  them  think  that  petals,  stamens,  &c., 
were  at  one  time  actually  leaves  which  have  become  meta- 
morphosed. The  truth  is  that  they  are  only  potentially  leaves, 
they  have  a common  origin  with  leaves,  and,  up  to  a certain 
time,  the  same  structure.  In  the  strawberries  of  which  mention 
has  been  made,  the  petals,  stamens,  and  carpels  (pips)  are  green 
and  leafy,  that  is,  they  have  to  a certain  extent  retained  their 
juvenile  characteristics,  and  in  the  case  where  the  receptacle  gives 
off  a little  stalk  with  a flower  at  the  end  (see  fig.  2),  is  it  not 
just  what  we  have  a right  to  expect  an  “axis”  to  do  ? A 
naturalist  likes  to  get  hold  of  such  strawberries,  because  they 
reveal  to  him  the  plan  of  construction,  as  above  explained,  and 
affords  confirmation  of  the  correctness  of  his  speculations.  To 
find  we  are  right  in  our  surmises — to  see  additional  illustrations 
of  our  theories,  to  have  borne  in  upon  us  additional  suggestions 
to  be  worked  out  in  the  future — are  not  these  sources  of  delight 
as  grateful  to  us  as  is  the  flavour  of  “British  Queen" — especially 
when  the  one  does  not  exclude  the  other  ! 

Maxwell  T.  Masters. 


A GRUESOME  BARGAIN. 

PROPOSAL  has  been  sprung  upon  the  public  of  the 
Richmond  district  by  the  Dysart  Trustees — who  claim 
to  be  lords  of  the  manor  of  Petersham  Common,  the 
meadows  below,  and  of  most  of  the  riverside  between 
the  banks  and  the  park  as  far  as  Kingston — the  far-reaching 
consequences  of  which  are  as  difficult  to  realise  as  they  would 
be  disastrous  to  the  sylvan  beauties  if  carried  out.  The  Trustees 
offer  for  sale  to  the  Richmond  Corporation  a site  near  Kingston 
for  an  “ isolation  hospital  ” of  about  five  acres  of  arable  land, 
at  the  very  respectable  price  of  ;^i,ooo  an  acre,  if — and  happily 
owing  to  the  public-spirited  action  of  some  members  of  the 
Corporation  it  is  a very  large  “if” — that  body  will  join  with 
them  in  an  application  to  Parliament  for  an  Act  to  extinguish  all 
common  rights  over  an  area  of  between  eight  and  nine  acres, 
known  as  Petersham  Wood,  which  lies  south  of  the  road  from  the 
Star  and  Garter  Hotel  to  Petersham  Vale.  They  further  offer 
to  transfer  their  rights  over  some  low-lying  and  water-logged 
meadows,  if  the  Corporation  will  contribute  the  very  considerable 
amount  of  ;^3,ooo  towards  the  expenses  of  making  a road  across 
the  Petersham  meadows,  past  Ham  House,  and  as  far  as  One 
Tree,  where  the  public  road  again  inpinges  on  the  river.  The 
trustees  also  make  it  a condition  that  the  Corporation  should 
lend  their  approval  to  the  proposal  to  close  to  the  public  numerous 
footpaths  around  and  about  Ham  House,  which  give  access  to 
the  river  banks,  Twickenham  Ferry,  Teddington  Lock,  and  foot 


A GRUESOME  BARGAIN. 


171 

bridge,  which  would  otherwise  be  inaccessible  except  from  Rich- 
mond and  Kingston.  The  scarcely  concealed  object  of  these 
proposals  is  to  enclose  the  wood  and  utilise  the  river  road  for  ex- 
tensive building  operations,  which  will  altogether  transform  the 
character  of  the  district,  and  rob  London,  and  it  may  justly  be 
claimed  the  nation  itself,  of  one  of  the  most  beautiful  views  to 
be  found  in  England. 

If  the  principles  of  the  Selborne  Society  and  its  allied  asso- 
ciations mean  anything,  these  proposals,  which  the  deeds  of  the 
Trustees  in  the  recent  past  indicate  are  seriously  meant,*  should 
call  forth  the  most  strenuous  opposition  from  its  members,  and 
from  the  Commons  and  Footpaths  Preservation  Societies.  To  cut 
down  the  trees  forming  Petersham  Wood,  and  erect  in  their 
stead  a line  of  villas,  would,  with  their  chimneys  vomiting  smoke, 
and  the  rattle  and  bustle  of  the  tradesmen’s  carts,  deprive  that 
locality  of  its  sylvan  charms,  and  restful,  soothing,  natural  beau- 
ties so  grateful  to  the  jaded  nerves  of  visitors.  The  act  of  the 
Trustees  in  bringing  forward  this  unconscionable  scheme,  with 
its  gruesome  bargain,  will  not  be  such  a surprise  to  the  public 
mind  in  view  of  their  recent  attempts  upon  Ham  Common  and 
foot-paths,  and  their  criminal  action  against  some  humble  men  of 
Ham,  who,  in  defence  of  their  civil  rights,  ventured  to  oppose 
the  lords  of  the  manor,  as  the  action  of  a few  members  of  the 
Richmond  Corporation,  including  the  mayor,  who,  though  mem- 
bers of  the  Selborne  Society,  have  permitted  the  very  sorry  offers 
of  the  Trustees  to  weigh  in  their  minds  against  the  treasured 
rights  of  the  public  in  these  open  spaces.  The  Fever  Hospital 
and  some  water-logged  meadows  are  a poor  equivalent  for  a 
square  mile  of  bricks  and  mortar,  and  the  seclusion  of  the  one 
open  piece  of  woodland  in  this  part  of  the  suburbs. 

Another  unhappy  part  of  these  proposals  is  the  threat  of  the 
trustees  to  build  upon  land  which  they  claim  to  have  under 
their  control,  and  which  would  altogether  spoil  the  view  from 
Richmond  Hill  if  the  Corporation  do  not  agree  to  them  and  en- 
dorse their  action.  The  calculated  meanness  of  this  threat  will, 
perhaps  more  than  any  other,  stir  up  public  indignation  and 
resistance  to  these  proposals.  The  trustees  are  reputed  to  be  a 
very  rich  body,  and  it  is  difficult  to  find  a sufficient  motive  for  their 
irritating  attempts  against  public  rights,  unless  it  be  that  by  the 
terms  of  their  trust  their  period  of  power  is  rapidly  approaching 
extinction.  No  one  credits  the  present  Earl  of  Dysart  with  being 
a party  to  these  proposals. 

John  Allen. 


* Since  the  above  was  written  we  learn  that  the  Trustees  have  caused  large 
boards  to  be  erected,  offering  the  land  in  question  on  lease  for  building  purposes. 


172 


NATURE  NOTES. 


THE  PROPOSED  WHITE  MEMORIAL. 

When  at  Selborne  on  June  24th,  I was  asked  by  a parishioner  my  opinion  as 
to  a memorial  to  Gilbert  White.  I said  I thought  that  the  proposed  scheme  for 
bringing  water  from  the  well  head  to  the  village  would  be  most  suitable  and 
appropriate.  But  I thought  that  there  ought  to  be  also  some  more  visible  com- 
memoration of  the  centenary.  I very  much  object  to  the  ordinary  description  of 
drinking  fountain,  but  I thought  that  something  sufficiently  good  and  useful,  with- 
out being  ostentatious,  might  be  devised,  and  I have  now  made  a design  for  a 
drinking  fountain  of  stone,  surmounted  by  a small  cross,  with  a panel  for  inscrip- 
tion in  marble,  in  copper  gilt,  or  in  Pennant  stone,  and  two  texts : (i)  “ Welcome 


ICTatTsV 


p: 

to  the  Weary,”  (2)  “ Come  ye  to  the  Waters.”  Over  the  tablet  is  a panel  with 
G.  W.  and  the  family  coat-of-arms  and  crest,  with  motto,  “ Plus  vigila  ” (Be  more 
watchful).  I enclose  a sketch  of  my  design.  I cannot  help  thinking  that 
something  of  this  sort  would  meet  with  general  approval,  not  only  with  the 
parishioners  and  visitors,  but  with  the  Selborne  Society,  and  with  the  public  at 
large.  The  material  used  for  the  pipe  to  convey  the  water  ought  to  be  well 
considered— seeing  the  recognised  objections  to  iron  or  lead,  even  if  cased  with 
tin,  and  to  glass  lined,  or  enamelled  pipe  equally.  The  seat  should  be  of  oak 
plank.  There  might  be  a dog  trough  beneath,  and  a horse  trough  lower  down 
to  receive  overflow,  and  a dip-well  also. 

30a,  Wimpole  Street,  IV. 


William  White. 


CANARIES  AND  CAGES. 


173 


CANARIES  AND  CAGES. 


iOME  years  ago,  I think  in  the  year  1863,  there  was 
a talking  canary  to  be  seen  and  heard  at  a little 
lonely  turnpike  cottage  on  the  Lansdown  Road,  Bath. 
Visitors  crowded  to  the  spot  in  order  to  be  present 
at  the  performance,  which  was  covered  by  much  such  a pro- 
gramme as  that  which  is  described  on  p.  159  ; indeed  had  it  not 
been  for  the  lapse  of  time,  I should  have  guessed  that  the  same 
small  actor  had  been  again  before  the  public,  as  I am  almost 
sure  his  name  was  Joe,  or  Joey.  “Pretty  Dicky,”  “ How- 
de-do?”  “What’s  o’clock?”  &c.,  were  the  whole  repertoire, 
with  some  kindred  phrases. 

The  canary  is,  I believe,  a bird  gifted  with  unusual  powers 
of  imitation,  as  indeed  are  the  majority  of  songsters,  most  of 
which  will  adapt  their  song  to  the  sounds  with  which  they  are 
surrounded.  I distinctly  recollect  that,  in  my  childish  days, 
a canary  which  was  kept,  I think,  by  the  cook — or  at  any  rate 
in  the  kitchen — was  in  the  habit  of  suspending  its  whole  musical 
gamut  for  the  sake  of  reproducing  the  notes  of  an  old  squeaky 
pump  in  the  scullery,  which  refused  to  work  without  a rythmic 
cadence  ; and  I once  knew  a starling  (unhappily,  caged)  whose 
vocabulary  consisted  of  one  word — that  which  he  often  heard  his 
master,  a farmer,  say  on  coming  home  wearied  out  at  night. 
“ Tir-ed — tiredy  Ti-ved"  was  his  sympathetic  lisping  echo;  con- 
taining, perhaps,  an  allusion  to  his  own  state  of  mind  with 
regard  to  his  hopeless  prison  wires.  Since  coming  to  years 
of  discretion  I have  had  no  further  opportunity  of  gauging  the 
talking  powers  of  birds,  having  an  overwhelming  objection  to 
caged  birds  of  any  kind  on  conscientious  grounds. 

In  England,  fashions  and  customs  filter  downwards;  Lazarus 
copies  that  which  he  sees  Dives  do  ; and  the  example  set  by 
keeping  birds  in  cages  is  a bad  one,  were  it  only  for  the  fact 
that  it  encourages  the  spread  of  the  thing.  The  mere  buying  of 
cages  which  it  necessitates  tends  to  keep  afloat  a trade  which 
props  itself  upon  that  of  the  cruel  bird-catcher ; and  the  mer- 
chants who  sell  what  are  called  “bird  requisites”  make  it  a 
system  to  offer  prizes  for  caged  birds  at  exhibitions  and  wild- 
bird  shows  which  they  get  up  for  the  purpose.  The  dealers  do 
not  hesitate  to  tell  the  ignorant  that  all  birds  sold  by  them  are 
“ born  in  cages.”  This  excuse  ought  not  to  be  in  existence. 
For  every  well-cared-for  canary  a hundred  suffer  untold  miseries. 
Only  a few  days  ago  I rescued  one  from  a Bristol  slum.  Its 
tiny  feet  and  legs  were  swollen,  distorted,  and  inflamed  — en- 
crusted with  filth  and  a mass  of  disease.  Its  whole  body  was 
devoured  by  vermin.  The  hind  claws  had  twisted  themselves 
up  among  the  front  ones,  owing  to  overgrowth  of  the  toe-nails  ; 
so  that  the  poor  little  creature  had  nothing  to  stand  on  but 
a small  pad,  which  Nature,  coming  to  the  rescue,  had  formed  for 
it  at  the  base  of  the  leg. 


‘74 


NATURE  NOTES. 


After  bathing,  careful  tending,  and  good  feeding,  the  little 
thing  is,  with  the  wondrous  cheerfulness  of  a bird,  merry  and 
well ; but  it  is  a piteous  sight,  and  appeals  to  all  humane  folk 
to  do  what  they  can  to  suppress  the  enormity  which  has  grown 
so  familiar  as  to  be  scarcely  heeded — that  of  caging  a winged 
being.  I know  of  fifty  cases  as  bad  in  other  ways,  or  worse, 
which  I am  forced  to  see  but  cannot  relieve.  They  place  the 
custom  of  caging  birds  before  me  as  one  which  is,  in  itself,  so 
grave  an  abuse  as  to  leave  no  “lawful  use”  to  be  abrogated. 

Edith  Carrington. 

[The  note  on  the  talking  canary  (p.  159)  seems  to  have  attracted  considerable 
notice,  as  it  has  been  reprinted  in  numerous  periodicals.  Mr.  W.  F.  Kirby  has 
directed  our  attention  to  an  account  of  a talking  canary  at  Norwood,  published  in 
the  Annals  and  Magazine  of  Natural  History  for  1858  (3rd  series,  ii.  371).  The 
writer,  Mr.  S.  Leigh  Sotheby,  says  : — “ Constantly  being  talked  to,  the  bird, 
when  about  three  months  old,  astonished  its  mistress  by  repeating  the  endearing 
terms  used  in  talking  to  it,  such  as  ‘ Kissie,  kissie,’  with  its  significant  sound. 
This  went  on,  and  from  time  to  time  the  little  bird  repeated  other  words  ; and 
now,  for  hours  together,  except  during  the  moulting  season,  astonishes  us  by 
ringing  the  changes,  according  to  its  own  fancy,  and  as  plain  as  any  human  voice 
can  articulate  them,  on  the  several  words — ‘ Dear,  sweet  Titchie  ’ (its  name)  ; 
‘ Kiss  Minnie  ; ’ ‘ Kiss  me  then,  dear  Minnie  ; ’ ‘ Sweet  pretty  little  Titchie  ; ’ 
‘Dear  Titchie.’  It  whistles  also,  very  clearly,  the  first  bar  of  ‘ God  save  the 
Queen.’  ” Mr.  Sotheby  adds  ; “ Our  friend,  Mr.  Waterhouse  Hawkins,  who  has 
heard  the  bird,  tells  me  that  about  twenty  years  ago,  a canary  that  spoke  a few 
words  was  exhibited  in  Regent  Street,  the  only  other  instance,  I believe, 
publicly  known.” — Ed.  N.N.\ 


THE  AGE  OF  DISFIGUREMENT.* 

R.  RICHARDSON  EVANS,  to  whose  energy  we  are 
largely  indebted  for  the  formation  of  the  Society  which 
aims  at  reforming  the  abuses  of  advertising,  has  pub- 
lished a neat  little  shilling  volume  bearing  upon  the 
subject,  which  is  practical  and  suggestive,  and  moreover  is  so 
pleasantly  and  easily  written  that  the  reader  who  takes  it  up  is 
not  likely  to  put  it  down  until  he  has  at  any  rate  glanced  through 
its  pages.  By  his  moderation  and  common  sense  he  will  gain 
many  adherents  to  his  cause  ; he  remembers  the  saying  of  St. 
Francis  of  Sales  that  “ more  flies  are  caught  by  honey  than  by 
vinegar,”  and  although  a pleasant  tartness  is  not  wanting  on 
occasion,  suavitey  in  modo  is  never  absent  from  his  arguments. 

As  we  note  in  another  place,  the  Society  above  referred  to  is 
making  headway,  and  will  no  doubt  become  still  better  known 
when  it  has  a name  of  less  portentous  length ; for  no  one  can  be 
expected  to  write  or  talk  much  about  a body  which  cannot  be 
referred  to  in  less  than  nine  words.  The  aims  of  the  Society,  as 


* The  Age  of  Disfigurement.  By  Richardson  Evans.  London  : Remington 
& Co.,  8vo,  pp.  1 12,  ij. 


THE  AGE  OF  DISFIGUREMENT. 


175 


we  have  already  pointed  out,"'  cannot  fail  to  be  approved  by 
every  Selbornian,  and  Mr.  Richardson  Evans’  little  book  should  be 
read  by  every  member  of  the  Sel borne  Society,  and  presented  to 
free  libraries  up  and  down  the  country.  We  have  not  space  to 
devote  to  a lengthy  notice,  but  here  are  one  or  two  extracts, 
which  will  give  some  idea  of  the  character  of  the  work. 

After  suggesting,  among  other  remedies,  the  taxing  of  ad- 
vertising posters,  which  is  almost — if  not  quite — universal  in 
continental  countries,  Mr.  Evans  says  : — 

The  weapon  from  the  vigorous  use  of  which  I should  expect  the  best  results  lies 
ready  to  be  grasped  and  wielded  by  every  householder.  The  nuisance  culminates 
in  the  effort  to  secure  notoriety  for  certain  varieties  of  commodities  that  are  in 
general  consumption.  Those  who  are  aggrieved  have  the  remedy  in  their  own 
hands.  They  have  only  to  cease  to  use  any  article  which  is  offensively  advertised. 
By  this  blameless  exercise  of  the  right  of  discrimination  they  will  not  only  dis- 
courage iniquity,  but  will  save  money  ; for,  of  course,  the  cost  of  wholesale  puffing 
is  included  in  the  price,  and  there  is  hardly  a case  in  which,  by  proper  inquiry,  a 
substitute  of  equal,  perhaps  identical  quality,  may  not  be  procured  at  a reduction 
of  25  per  cent.  As  the  persons  likely  to  act  on  this  advice  constitute  the  class  to 
which,  as  a rule,  the  staring  insincerities  of  the  posters  are  addressed,  the  enter- 
prising managers  would  very  soon  find  that  their  unscrupulous  zeal  did  not  pay. 
Their  conscience  would  at  last  be  touched  in  its  sensitive  point. 

This  is,  it  must  be  confessed,  a somewhat  heroic  remedy  ; 
but  if  it  were  adopted  to  any  appreciable  extent  it  could  not  fail 
to  have  an  effect  upon  the  soap,  mustard  and  pill  makers  who 
are  the  chief  offenders.  Here  is  one  of  the  many  “ instances  ” 
which  Mr.  Evans  adduces  in  support  of  his  arguments  : — 

Take  a graveyard  in  the  heart  of  a great  town,  which  the  exertions  of  the 
Kyrle  Society,  or  of  Lord  Meath  and  his  friends,  assisted  by  local  or  corporate 
munificence,  have  rescued  from  neglect,  and  converted  into  a pretty  garden. 
Some  houses  round  have,  perhaps,  been  acquired,  and  the  sites  added  to  this 
much  desired  open  space.  The  result  of  the  clearance  is  to  bring  into  sunshine 
and  prominence  the  walls  and  windows  of  other  buildings,  and  the  owners  of 
these  see  their  way  to  making  a profit  by  letting  them  out  to  the  constractors,  or 
using  them  for  drawing  attention  to  their  own  existence.  The  result  is,  in  any 
case,  to  destroy  much  of  the  picturesqueness  ; to  place  eyesores  over  the  little 
vista  of  green  that  the  taste  of  the  gardener  contrives.  We  spend  some  thousands 
of  pounds  in  creating  the  little  sylvan  patch,  and,  for  want  of  a bye-law,  allow 
the  worst  feature  of  the  city  life  to  dominate  all.  If  anyone  imagines  that  this  is 
not  a transcript  from  fact  let  the  doubter  go  to  the  gardens  on  the  Thames 
Embankment  (which  cost  who  knows  how  many  tens  of  thousands)  and  observe 
what  the  directors  of  two  Railway  Companies  have  done  to  add  to  their  embellish- 
ment. The  Charing  Cross  Station  is  not  a thing  of  beauty,  but  it  is  a gratuitous 
and  intolerable  abuse  that  those  who  made  it  should  take  advantage  of  their  own 
wrong,  and  wound  the  sight  they  have  taken  so  little  pains  to  please. 

With  the  hideous  advertisements  which  are  now  spreading 
over  the  face  of  the  country  Mr.  Evans  has  no  patience. 

The  erections  in  fields  should  not  be  allowed  a moment’s  law.  They  are  an 
abomination  to  everyone.  The  persons  who  have  put  them  up  will  plead,  no 
doubt,  that  in  these  days  of  agricultural  depression,  the  poor  struggling  farmer 
ought  not  to  be  deprived  of  the  extra  shillings  he  earns  by  lending  himself  and  his 
field  to  the  powers  of  evil.  I believe  the  same  defence  has  been  set  up  for  those 
who  send  diseased  meat  to  market.  The  juries  have  not  admitted  its  force.  It 
would  be  more  manly  to  take  at  once  to  highway  robbery.  Yet  we  owe  no  small 


Nature  Notes,  1893,  p.  81. 


176 


NATURE  NOTES. 


debt  to  the  gentlemen  who  have  been  busy  in  placing  these  stations  on  the 
Railway  Pilgrim’s  Way  from  Oxford  (and  everywhere  else)  to  London.  They 
have  provided  a reductio  ad  ahsurdum  of  the  doctrine  that  “ a man  may  do 
what  he  likes  with  his  own.”  The  deviser  of  sky  signs  gave  the  signal  for  revolt : 
to  the  specialist  in  field  placards  we  are  indebted  for  the  final  provocation  that 
ensures  the  triumph  of  the  Revolution. 

A number  of  practical  suggestions  bring  this  interesting  little 
volume  to  an  appropriate  conclusion. 


SHORT  NOTICES  OF  BOOKS. 

One  of  the  most  recent  additions  to  Messrs.  Longmans’  “Silver  Library” 
is  a new  edition  (the  third)  of  Mr.  George  Milner’s  Country  Pleasures  (3s.  6d. ) — 
a title  which  is  amplified  by  the  description,  “ the  Chronicle  of  a Year,  chiefly  in 
a Garden.”  There  is  no  need  to  commend  at  length  a book  which  has  already 
gone  through  two  editions,  and  which  is  therefore  presumably  known  to  many 
readers  of  Nature  Notes.  But  there  may  be  some  who,  like  ourselves,  have  until 
now  been  in  ignorance  of  this  delightful  volume;  these  will  thank  us  for  bringing 
it  to  their  notice.  This  charming  garden — “ large  and  old,  extending  over  several 
acres,  and  having  considerable  variety  in  the  shape  of  wood  and  water,  orchard 
and  lawn,  dingle  and  meadow  ” — is  situated  at  Moston,  in  Lancashire,  and  the 
year  1878  is  that  which  is  chronicled.  The  book  is  one  more  illustration  of 
“ eyes  and  no  eyes.”  There  must  be  very  many  up  and  down  the  country  who 
have  opportunities  of  observation  equal  to  those  enjoyed  by  Mr.  Milner,  and 
many,  let  us  hope,  who  appreciate  their  gardens,  but  there  are  few  who  have 
enabled  others  to  share  their  enjoyment.  Aided  by  a large  number  of  apt  and  by 
no  means  hackneyed  quotations,  Mr.  Milner  guides  us  through  the  year,  pointing 
out  to  us  the  flowers  as  they  expand,  the  birds  as  they  build  their  nests  ; taking  us 
for  a holiday  jaunt  to  the  Lakes,  in  North  Wales,  or  Arran,  and  thereby  with- 
drawing us  against  our  will  from  the  Lancashire  garden,  which  contains  so  much  to 
observe  and  admire.  It  is  as  simple  and  true  a record  as  Jefferies  could  have 
penned,  and  we  can  give  no  higher  praise.  Yet  grateful  acknowledgment  must 
be  made  of  the  excellent  index  of  contents,  to  which  is  added  a very  useful  list 
of  quotations. 

We  can  find  nothing  to  criticise  save  in  the  “miscellaneous  notes,”  which 
occupy  three  pages  at  the  end  of  the  book,  and  which  contain  the  few  mistakes  we 
have  noticed.  I'he  Woodsorrel  has  small  claim  to  be  considered  the  Irish  Sham- 
rock ; the  Bluebell  is  Campanula  rotundifolia  (not  heterophylla)  ; the  Bird’sfoot, 
in  the  passage  cited,  is  not  Ornithopus,  but  Lotus  corniculatus ; and  Yarrellii 
(not  Garrellii),  is  the  specific  name  of  the  Pied  Wagtail.  The  mention  of  these 
slight  blemishes  shows  how  little  there  is  to  find  fault  with  in  this  excellent  book. 

The  Rev.  F.  A.  Malleson  sends  us  a copy  of  his  Holiday  Studies  of  Words- 
worth, a nicely  printed  volume,  containing  pleasantly-written  sketches  of  delightful 
places  at  home  and  abroad,  with  an  intimation  that  the  few  remaining  copies  may 
be  had  from  the  author  at  Broughton-in-Furness,  at  the  reduced  price  of  4s.  post 
free. 

The  botanical  visitor  to  Dorking,  Haslemere,  Guildford,  and  the  neighbour- 
hood will  welcome  the  handy  and  compact  little  Flora  of  South-west  Surrey, 
by  Mr.  S.  F.  Dunn,  which  has  just  been  published  by  Messrs.  West,  Newman 
& Co.  (3s.  net.)  It  is  very  well  done  ; the  author  is  evidently  well  acquainted 
with  the  district,  and  the  enumeration  is  free  from  those  errors  which  sometimes 
disfigure  local  floras.  Mr.  Dunn’s  “principal  object”  has  been  to  produce  “a 
portable  field-guide,  suitable  for  the  study  of  botany  in  South-west  Surrey,”  and 
he  may  be  congratulated  on  the  success  with  which  this  object  has  been  attained. 


SELBORNIANA. 


177 


SELBORNIANA. 

Starving  Tortoises. — I cannot  refrain  from  drawing  attention  to  the 
cruelty  with  which  these  inoffensive  creatures  are  often  treated  with  regard  to 
their  food.  One  constantly  hears  the  remark,  “ We  had  a tortoise  for  a few 
months,  but  it  died.”  Either  from  carelessness  or  ignorance  the  poor  tortoise  is 
hardly  ever  properly  fed,  and  though  it  can  endure  privation  for  a longer  time  than 
most  creatures,  it  must  die  miserably  of  starvation  at  last.  The  ordinary  land- 
tortoise  feeds  on  cabbage,  sow-thistle,  lettuce  leaves  and  dandelion  flowers,  while 
some  specimens  will  enjoy  bread  and  milk  as  well.  I have  been  carefully  watch- 
ing a tame  one  in  my  conservatory,  and  find  that,  day  after  day,  he  eats  a lettuce 
nearly  half  his  own  size.  If,  then,  he  requires  so  much  food  to  keep  him  in 
health  and  vigour,  how  miserable  must  be  the  condition  of  those  kept  without 
food,  or  those  that  are  perhaps  offered  a dandelion  flower  once  a week  ! The 
water-tortoises  are  equally  ill-used,  for  often  from  lack  of  knowledge  they  are 
constantly  offered  vegetable  diet  which  they  cannot  eat,  their  proper  food  being 
the  live  creatures  they  find  in  the  water  they  live  in.  They  are  best  fed  in  cap- 
tivity by  supplying  them  with  little  bits  of  raw  meat,  or  remains  of  boiled  cod  or 
turbot.  They  are  easily  distinguished  from  the  land-tortoises  by  their  lively 
movements  and  by  their  being  able  to  swim  in  water.  Still  they  do  not  care  to  be 
always  afloat,  so  there  should  be  a piece  of  cork  or  some  small  island  for  them  to 
rest  upon  when  they  are  tired  of  swimming.  Both  the  land  and  water  species  can 
be  made  very  tame  by  kindness  and  attention.  In  a dim  sort  of  way  they  appear 
to  like  companionship,  for  my  tortoise  will  walk  briskly  up  to  the  cage  of  a mon- 
goose in  my  possession  and  remain  for  hours  gazing  at  him  as  if  pondering,  in 
a stolid  sort  of  way,  what  kind  of  a tortoise  he  may  be.  I have  found  him  also 
trying  to  climb  the  wires  of  the  recess  where  my  ruffed  lemurs  are  kept,  and  if 
removed  he  would  return  to  the  same  place  time  after  time.  One  would  like  to 
know  what  kind  of  thoughts,  if  any,  pass  through  the  brain  of  this  curious  animal. 
Through  a glass  door  I can  watch  his  movements  in  the  conservatory,  where  the 
equal  warmth,  no  doubt,  makes  the  tortoise  feel  lively  and  happy,  so  that  I am 
favourably  circumstanced  for  observing  his  habits  and  manners.  If  each  reader  of 
this  paper  would  kindly  tell  those  who  possess  tortoises  the  kind  of  food  they 
require,  it  would  tend  to  do  away  with  much  unintentional  cruelty,  and  thus  carry 
out  one  of  the  special  aims  of  our  Society. 

Eliza  Brightwen. 

The  Abuses  of  Advertising. — The  paralysis  of  ordinary  business  in  the 
House  of  Commons  has  made  it  impossible  for  the  National  Society  for  Checking 
the  Abuses  of  Public  Advertising  to  take  any  parliamentary  action.  The  interval 
is  being  utilised  to  revise  and  amend  in  the  light  of  criticisms  and  suggestions 
received  from  many  members,  the  draft  bill  which  was  submitted  at  the  general 
meeting  held  in  June  last.  It  is  comprehensive  and  perhaps  drastic,  and  it  may  be 
thought  expedient  to  proceed  only  with  portions  of  it  in  the  first  instance,  but  there 
is  every  reason  to  hope  that  provisions  asserting  the  principle  of  representative 
control  and  dealing  effectually  with  the  more  flagrant  abuses  in  the  rural  districts 
will  meet  with  legislative  sanction.  Meanwhile  it  is  very  desirable  that  steps 
should  be  taken  for  the  formation  of  local  associations,  where  no  bodies  already 
exist  interested  in  cognate  subjects.  Communications  have  been  received  from 
the  Cockburn  Society  in  Edinburgh  and  the  Leicester  Branch  of  the  Kyrle  Society, 
which  suggest  that  for  these  important  centres  no  special  organisation  is  necessary. 
The  frequent  notices  in  the  press  show  that  the  National  Society  is  already  be- 
coming widely  known,  and  that  its  object  and  general  methods  command  almost 
unanimous  approval.  Members  may  do  much  to  promote  its  ends  by  writing  to 
local  newspapers  to  draw  attention  to  any  particularly  striking  instances  of  dis- 
figurement, and  making  them  the  text  for  commending  the  claims  of  the  Society 
to  support.  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  in  the  holiday  season  the  oppor- 
tunities of  unobtrusive  propagandism  almost  thrust  themselves  upon  the  attention 
of  the  sensitive  traveller.  As  it  is  hoped  to  make  the  list  of  members  a standing 
petition  in  favour  of  protection  for  the  quiet  eye,  every  recruit  gained  is  a 
distinct  step  towards  ultimate  success.  Amongst  many  others  who  have  joined 
since  the  general  meeting  are  E.  \V.  Byrne,  Esq.,  M.P.,  Sidney  Colvin,  Esq., 


178 


NATURE  NOTES. 


The  Lord  Monteagle,  Sir  Alec  Wilson,  Ernest  George,  Esq.,  F. 

(jeneral  Sir  George  Higginson,  K.C.B.,  H.  O.  Arnold  Forster,  Esq.,  M.P.,  the 
Countess  of  Radnor,  Sir  Frederick  Leighton,  Charles  McLaren,  Esq.,  M.P.,  Sir 
J.  E.  Millais,  and  Edmund  Gosse,  Esq. 

Grilbert  White’s  House  (p.  155). — Photographs  of  the  above  were  sold 
some  years  ago  at  Mr.  Maxwell’s  shop  in  Selborne  village — I remember  purchas- 
ing one  there.  Maxwell’s  still  flourishes  ; it  is  the  largest  shop  in  the  place,  a 
grocery  and  drapery  establishment  combined,  and  there,  in  one  of  my  pilgrimages 
to  Gilbert  White’s  grave,  I discovered  that  Mr.  Maxwell  sold  photographs  of  the 
old  hallowed  house.  Should  “ G.  O.”  not  be  able  to  procure  one,  I will  unearth 
mine  and  send  it  to  her  to  get  copied.  It  was  a photograph  of  the  place  in  Mr. 
Bell’s  time,  when  but  few  alterations  had,  I believe,  been  made  in  it.  I attended 
Mr.  Bell’s  sale  and  purchased,  amongst  other  things,  a small  round  table  which, 
it  was  said,  had  belonged  to  White.  There  was  no  written  authority  given  with  it, 
and  I have  always  doubted  its  ever  having  been  used  by  a very  little  man  to  write 
on,  for  it  is  too  high  to  sit  at  comfortably.  I have  greater  faith  in  the  authenticity 
of  a wee  glass  spoon,  a sort  of  tea  caddy  spoon,  and  two  tumblers,  or  glass  mugs 
with  handles. 

Berry  Grove,  Liss.  Helen  Watney. 

A Plea  for  the  Goldfinch.— The  goldfinch,  which  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  of  English  birds,  is  in  danger  of  extermination.  I have  been  reading 
in  Mr.  A.  PI.  Macpherson’s  book  on  British  Birds  that — “ The  goldfinch  has  been 
exterminated  in  many  districts  by  the  carelessness  of  our  legislators,  who  neither 
enforce  its  protection  efficiently  during  a too  limited  close  season,  nor  trouble  to 
prevent  the  grey-headed  nestlings  being  caught  out  by  a system  of  organised 
ruffianism  as  soon  as  they  gather  into  small  flocks  in  autumn.  No  reasonable 
person  can  doubt  that  the  goldfinch  should  be  protected  from  harm  during  the 
entire  year,  and  the  callous  indifference  with  which  the  public  continue  to  allow 
this  beautiful  finch  to  be  exterminated  is  lamentable.  The  goldfinch  nests  in 
May  in  gardens  and  orchards,  and  builds  in  fruit  trees,  in  hawthorn,  ash,  furze, 
sycamore,  alder,  horse-chestnut,  fir,  &c.  The  nest  is  usually  a beautiful  spherical 
structure  of  moss  and  fine  bents,  &c. , but  we  once  examined  five  little  goldfinches 
rocking  snugly  in  a nest  in  a small  plum  tree,  composed  wholly  of  dry  grass  and 
devoid  of  any  kind  of  lining.  Usually  it  is  carefully  lined  with  down  and  feathers. 
The  earliest  br(5ods  fly  in  June,  but  unfledged  goldfinches  may  be  found  in  their 
nests  in  September,  two  and  even  three  broods  being  reared  in  a fine  season.” 
I hope  that  all  members  of  the  Selborne  Society  will  do  their  utmost  to  protect 
the  goldfinch  and  to  prevent  this  beautiful  bird  being  exterminated. 

Hasely  Hall,  IVarwick.  Maud  Sawyer. 

Extermination  of  Butcher’s  Broom. — On  August  9th,  while  ram- 
bling in  Epping  Forest,  I met  a labouring  man  laden  with  a bale  of  butcher’s 
broom  nearly  as  large  as  a truss  of  hay,  and  pulled  up  by  the  root.  Asking 
what  he  was  going  to  do  with  it,  he  told  me  it  was  used  in  Bermondsey  for 
dressing  leather.  Whether  this  statement  was  fact  or  “ flam,”  the  destruction  of 
an  interesting  and  not  too  plentiful  shrub  was  equally  an  accomplished  fact,  nor 
can  it  long  exist  in  the  Forest  if  plundered  on  this  scale. 

J.  T.  P. 

Gilbert  White’s  Sermon  (p.  133). — The  Manchester  Guardian  of  July 
24th  summarises  the  Earl  of  Stamford’s  interesting  note  on  this  sermon,  and  adds, 
“ Lord  Stamford  omits  to  mention  that  in  1863  this  discourse,  which  had  proved 
serviceable  on  so  many  occasions,  was  printed  in  the  Journal  of  Sacred  I.iteratiire. 
Possibly  it  is  destined  to  yield  still  further  aid  to  the  clerical  profession.” 

Clapton  (Lower  Lea  Valley)  Branch.— On  Saturday,  September  2nd, 
an  excursion  will  be  made  to  Waltham.  Train  leaves  Liverpool  Street  at 
2.15  p.m.,  and  slips  a carriage  at  Waltham  Cross  at  2.40.  Third  Class  return 
ticket,  IS.  yd.  Mr.  W.  B.  Gerish  has  promised  a paper  entitled  “Waltham — its 
Abbey  and  Cross.” 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES. 


179 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES. 

The  Kingfisher  {p.  139). — I have  met  with  an  occasional  bird  skimming 
small  rivulets  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Rhyl,  my  experience  coinciding  with 
Mr.  Warde  Fowler’s  as  to  their  being  generally  found  in  proximity  to  still  water. 
So  far  as  my  observation  goes,  they  have  not  by  any  means  been  numerous 
here  during  the  last  twenty  years,  and  seem  to  be  diminishing  in  number,  but 
this  impression  may  be  due  to  the  fact  that  I have  not  frequented  their  haunts  as 
often  as  in  former  years. 

Rhyl.  \V.  Lester  Smith. 

Pear  Tree  blossoming  in  August.— I send  you  a twig  from  a pear  tree 
growing  in  the  open  air,  which  you  will  see  bears  upon  it  a spray  of  blossom  and 
also  a pear.  The  whole  tree  is  covered  in  this  manner  with  pears  and  blossoms, 
showing  an  effect  of  the  warm  rains  after  a long  drought,  which  is  also  noticeable 
this  month  in  some  of  the  evergreens  as  well  as  the  deciduous  trees. 

Shute  House.,  Weston-super-Mare.  Thomas  Pole. 

Earwigs  (p.  157). — I have  a small  vegetable  garden  quite  infested  with 
earwigs,  and  I have  adopted  the  following  plan  to  capture  them.  I get  two  or 
three  newspapers  and  fold  them  up  in  several  loose  folds.  I then  fasten  these  in 
<lifferent  parts  of  the  garden  hedge,  and  in  the  course  of  ten  or  twelve  days  I shall 
have  scores,  and  even  hundreds  of  earwigs  captured  in  different  folds  of  the  papers. 
I convey  some  of  these  to  an  ants’  nest  (I  have  several  colonies  of  ants),  and 
making  a hole  in  the  ground  about  two  inches  deep  and  almost  perpendicular  sides, 
so  that  the  earwigs  cannot  easily  escape,  I open  one  of  the  main  thoroughfares 
leading  into  the  ants’  city  and  send  one  or  two  earwigs  in.  These  soon  return, 
followed  by  hundreds  of  enraged  ants ; I then  throw  in  ten  or  twelve  earwigs, 
when  a pitched  battle  between  the  ants  and  earwigs  immediately  takes  place.  In 
these  combats  I noticed  the  earwigs  using  the  tail  forceps  as  a weapon,  for  they 
will  frequently  spear  and  impale  the  ants  on  their  sharp  extremities.  The  ants 
are  martial  little  fellows,  for  they  will  rush  to  the  attack  in  the  most  determined 
and  valiant  manner,  while  the  earwigs,  though  of  heavier  build,  will  decline  the 
fight  and  make  their  escape  as  fast  as  their  legs  can  carry  them.  They  have  no 
chance  of  defeating  the  ants,  for  reserves  and  reinforcements  are  constantly  com- 
ing up  to  their  assistance,  and  the  earwigs  are  invariably  overpowered  by  numbers 
thus  verifying  Napoleon’s  war  dictum  that  “ victory  leans  to  the  side  of  the  big 
battalions.”  All  the  earwigs  that  cannot  escape  are  killed,  for  the  ants  “give  no 
quarter,”  and  the  slain  are  removed  into  the  interior  of  the  ants’  city,  no  doubt  to 
undergo  the  process  of  scalping.  A piece  of  folded  paper  or  linen  cloth  laid  in  the 
corners  of  the  windows  will  catch  any  earwigs  intended  to  enter  the  room  in  that  way. 

Blachwater,  Enniscorthy.  J.  T.  Byrne. 

[We  are  not  quite  sure  that  Mr.  Byrne’s  action  will  commend  itself  to  all 
•Selbornians,  but  it  supplies  the  information  for  which  Mr.  Clifford  asked. 
—Ed.  W.W.] 

The  pinching  of  earwigs  by  the  tail  forceps  is,  I believe,  not  uncommon. 
A few  years  since  my  forefinger  was  severely  pinched  by  a large  specimen.  I had 
pushed  the  finger  into  a nosegay  to  ascertain  if  there  was  enough  water  in  the 
vase,  and  feeling  a sharp  prick,  withdrew  it  quickly  with  the  earwig  hanging  to 
the  tip.  The  pain  was  severe  for  half  an  hour,  but  was  relieved  by  hot  water. 
A small  blue  mark  remained  for  several  days.  I saw  our  man  nipped  sharply  by 
an  earwig  that  fell  inside  his  collar  when  he  was  engaged  in  thinning  grapes. 
It  is  generally  supposed  that  our  ears  are  naturally  protected  from  the  entrance 
of  insects,  earwigs  especially,  but  there  is  no  rule  without  an  exception.  I only 
know  of  one  instance  of  an  earwig  getting  into  a person's  ear  ; this  was  told  me 
by  a neighbour  (a  surgeon),  who  was  applied  to  in  the  difficulty.  He  did  not 
believe  the  boy’s  story,  but  to  satisfy  him  put  in  oil — and  forth  came  the  earwig. 
It  was  a solitary  instance  in  a long  practice. 

Clifton.  M.  R.  F.  S. 

The  Royal  Buckhounds. — Just  as  we  are  going  to  press  we  note  a para- 
graph in  various  papers  stating  that  in  all  probability  the  post  of  Master  of  the 
Buckhounds  will  be  abolished  at  an  early  date.  We  trust  the  report  is  accurate. 


i8o 


NATURE  NOTES. 


The  Waste-paper  Nuisance.— Mr.  Henry  Holiday  writes  from  Amble- 
side  to  the  lVesl?ninster  Budget,  calling  attention  to  this  nuisance,  of  which  we  spoke 
last  summer.*  “ Some  of  the  visitors  to  this  beautiful  country,”  he  says,  “ seem 
to  regard  it  simply  as  a waste-paper  basket.  No  doubt  a free  Briton  has  a legal 
right  to  tear  up  his  correspondence  and  newspapers,  &c. , and  scatter  them  where 
he  pleases,  and  if  any  particular  free  Briton  has  no  perception  of  beauty  or  love 
of  it  he  may  not  be  sensible  of  the  mischief  he  is  doing  to  others  by  indulging  in 
this  slatternly  trick.  It  may  be  well,  therefore,  to  explain  to  such  Britons  that 
scattered  fragments  of  anything  so  conspicuous  as  white  paper  are  a very  ugly  dis- 
figurement of  a beautiful  landscape.  There  is  another  right  possessed  by  every  free 
Briton,  that  of  conducting  himself  like  a gentleman,  and  showing  some  considera- 
tion for  the  comfort  and  enjoj-ment  of  others  ; surely  as  high  a privilege  as  that 
of  strewing  one’s  correspondence  on  the  rocks  and  roads.  If  this  should  meet 

the  eye  of  Dr.  A.  M.  E , of  Wincanton,  Bath,  it  is  to  be  hoped  he  will  think 

more  before  he  again  leaves  his  extensive  correspondence  about.” 


OFFICIAL  NOTICES. 

Up  to  August  14th  the  Secretary  has  only  received  15s.  towards  the 
£’]0  owing  to  the  Hon.  Treasurer,  and  hopes  that  those  members  who  did  not 
notice  the  appeal  on  the  cover  of  the  August  number  will  refer  to  it  and  send 
a donation.  Those  who  have  already  sent  donations  are  : — A.  T.  Craig,  Mrs. 
Bedford,  Mrs.  Cave  Brown  Cave,  Dr.  Kimbell,  T.  King  Sampson,  C.  H. 
Goodman,  Surgeon-Major  R.  W.  Woollcombe,  Miss  F.  E.  Partridge,  Hon.  Mrs. 
Boyle,  Miss  H.  F.  White,  Mrs.  E.  Glover,  the  Misses  Thorow'good,  Mrs. 
Brightwen,  Mrs.  Simcox,  Miss  M.  D.  Warren,  Mrs.  R.  F.  Sturge. 

A.  J.  Western,  Hon.  See. 


TO  CORRESPONDENTS. 

H.  C. — Many  thanks  ; but  just  now  we  have  so  much  original  matter  standing 
over  that  we  are  unable  to  avail  ourselves  of  your  kind  offer. 

J,  F. — Bupleurum  fruticosiim. 

A.  E.  H.  W. — The  note  is  hardly  of  sufficient  general  interest. 

E.  S. — The  Guelder  Rose  takes  its  name  from  Gueldres,  whence  it  was 
probably  introduced.  It  was  in  cultivation  in  the  time  of  Gerard,  who  says  “it 
is  called  in  Dutch  Gheldersche  Boose,  in  English  Gelders  Rose.” 

A.  H.  J. — There  is  no  one  book  suited  to  your  requirements,  and  a list  of 
good  works  on  every  branch  of  British  natural  history  would  occupy  more  space 
than  we  can  spare.  You  had  better  master  one  branch  to  begin  wdth. 

M.  J.  G. — The  variegated  elm  is  not  uncommon. 

C.  D.  B. — It  is  not  overlooked,  and  we  hope  to  notice  it  in  our  next  issue. 
The  crowded  state  of  our  pages  explains  the  delay. 

Erratum. — P.  157,  line  23  from  top,  for  “ days,”  read  “ months.” 

Contributions  for  any  number  should  reach  the  Editor,  James  Britten, 
F.L.S.,  18,  West  Square,  London,  S.E.,  not  later  than  the  i^th  of  the  month. 
The  Editor  cannot  undertake  to  insert  any  communication  in  the  number  for  the 
month  following,  in  cases  where  this  rule  is  not  complied  with. 

When  it  is  particularly  requested,  MSS.  not  accepted  will  be  returned,  if 
stamps  sufficient  to  pay  the  postage  are  sent  for  that  purpose.  In  every  case 
contributions  must  be  accompanied  by  the  name  and  address  of  the  writer. 

It  is  particularly  requested  that  subscriptions  and  letters  connected  with 
business  should  not  be  forwarded  to  the  Editor,  but  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
Selborne  Society,  9,  Adam  Street,  Adelphi,  W.C.  Editorial  communications, 
specimens,  and  books  for  review  should  be  addressed  to  Mr.  Britten,  as  above. 


Nature  Notes,  1S92,  p.  124. 


IRatiue  IKlotes: 

tlbe  Selbofne  Society’s  HDaoasine. 

No.  46.  OCTOBER,  1893.  Vol.  IV. 


A SELBORNIAN  IN  THE  DIALS. 

NATURALIST  would  hardly  choose  the  streets  of 
London  as  the  most  suitable  place  in  which  to  pursue 
his  studies,  and  even  less  would  he  expect  to  find 
the  crowded  neighbourhood  to  the  north  of  Trafalgar 
Square  a happy  hunting  ground.  There  even  the  ubiquitous 
sparrow  is  a rarity,  and  the  whole  district  seems  abandoned  to 
dirt  and  wretchedness.  But  a young  student  might  often  spend 
an  hour  with  less  profit  than  by  taking  a stroll  through  what  is 
known  as  the  “ Dials.”  Years  ago,  before  the  effacing  hand  of 
“ improvements  ” had  made  itself  felt  in  this  part  of  London, 
the  Dials  teemed  with  shops  filled  with  birds,  beasts,  and 
fishes,  the  collective  contents  of  which  would  have  formed  a 
miniature  Zoological  Gardens.  Even  now,  purged  as  the  neigh- 
bourhood is  of  its  most  squalid  bye-ways  and  alleys,  the  newly 
admitted  sunshine  and  respectability  have  not  driven  away  all 
traces  of  its  natural-history  proclivities.  A few  of  such  shops 
remain.  There  is  only  one  devoted  to  aquaria,  but  that 
contains  many  things  worthy  of  more  than  a passing  glance. 
There  are  gold  fish,  of  course,  various  in  size  and  colour,  some 
swimming  in  globes  so  small  that  it  is  only  possible  to  get  a dis- 
torted image  of  the  animal  within.  The  lively  minnow  is  much 
in  evidence  ; a few  gudgeon,  and  perhaps  a small  jack  about  as 
long  as  a finger,  completes  the  piscatorial  specimens.  The 
amphibians  are  better  represented.  The  frog  can  be  seen  in 
stages  varying  from  the  tadpole  to  the  philosophical-looking 
adult.  A couple  of  toads  are  making  themselves  as  comfortable 
as  circumstances  will  permit  in  some  wet  moss.  In  a large  bell 
jar  are  many  good  specimens  of  the  great  water  newt,  amongst 
which  is  to  be  noticed  a solitary  specimen  of  the  palmated 
newt,  easily  distinguishable  by  its  small  size  and  webbed  feet. 


i82 


NATURE  NOTES. 


This  pretty  little  animal  is  not  so  rare  as  is  sometimes  supposed. 
It  makes  an  interesting  pet,  for  the  changes  it  undergoes  before 
and  after  the  breeding  season  are  even  more  marked  than  in  the 
other  newts.  Next  is  a globe  containing  several  of  the  great 
water  beetle,  fierce  and  cannibalistic,  and  another  jar  contains  a 
few  of  the  much-sought-after  diving  spider.  A viper  treated  as 
a rarity,  for  it  bears  a specially  written  ticket  announcing  that  it 
was  captured  in  the  New  Forest,  occupies  a small  aquarium, 
whilst  a similar  vessel  contains  a mixed  tangle  of  green  snakes 
and  slow-worms. 

Passing  along  we  come  to^  a shop  which  makes  a speciality 
of  cats  and  pigeons,  with  just  a few  rabbits  and  a small  assort- 
ment of  the  parrot  family  to  fill  up ; and  a door  or  two  off  is  a 
fine  reynard,  who  is  probably  as  happy  in  his  small  cage  as  if  he 
were  struggling  for  life  in  order  to  give  amusem'ent  to  red-coated 
gentlemen  and  gentle-minded  dames.  Here,  too,  are  a few  hedge- 
hogs, and  fanc}’  rats  and  mice  in  plenty.  A young  squirrel  is 
spinning  round  in  his  wheel  so  rapidly  that  the  eye  can  scarce!}'' 
follow,  but  its  action  gives  no  idea  of  the  natural  grace  of  its 
movements  when  at  liberty  among  the  trees.  A. pair  of  mar- 
mosets huddled  together  look  so  miserable  that  one  almost 
suspects  that  they  realise  they  are  under  sentence  of  death,  and 
that  in  a few  days — unless  they  fall  into  the  hands  of  a kind 
and  thoughtful  purchaser — they  must  sicken  and  die,  as  scores 
of  their  unfortunate  race  have  done  before. 

But  it  is  for  its  cage  birds  that  the  Dials  is  famous,  and 
Sunday  morning  is  its  festival.  Then  the  resident  bird  fanciers 
are  reinforced  bv  itinerant  vendors,  who  trade  from  trucks  and 
stalls  in  the  cheaper  kind  of  birds.  Linnets  and  red-poles  are 
their  chief  stock,  but  often  birds  with  plumage  unknown  to 
naturalists,  and  colours  that  will  not  wash,  are  passed  off  to  the 
unwary  as  valuable  specimens  of  rare  species.  The  sweetest 
songsters  of  our  land  can  be  bought  here  at  all  seasons,  and 
at  prices  ranging  from  a few  pence  to  many  shillings,  and  in 
some  cases  even  pounds.  Blackbirds,  thrushes,  robins  and 
chaffinches  abound.  The  Wild  Birds  Protection  Act  prohibits 
the  capture  and  sale  of  most  wild  birds  from  IMarch  to  August, 
and  this  law,  if  stringently  carried  out,  would  prevent  the  sale 
of  nearly  all  the  migratory  birds.  But  with  few  exceptions 
all  the  songsters,  particularly  nightingales  and  blackcaps,  can 
be  purchased  here  in  the  early  spring,  and  it  is  quite  clear, 
from  the  small  army  of  bird  catchers  seen  in  the  country 
around  London,  that  there  is  a ready  and  profitable  market  for 
these  and  other  birds.  The  mortality  among  the  captured  is 
enormous.  One  dealer  admitted  that  out  of  the  thirty  nightin- 
gales he  had  last  spring,  tv,'enty-seven  died,  and  he  did  not  seem 
to  consider  himself  very  unfortunate  in  this  respect.  To  Sel- 
bornians  such  figures  are  inexpressibly  sad,  and  one  almost 
wonders  of  what  materials  are  bird  catchers  made  that  they 
can  inflict,  without  remorse,  such  suffering  upon  harmless  birds. 


BRITISH  FLOWERS  IN  NEW  ZEALAND.  183 


To  those  who  have  sympathy  with  bird-life,  who  have 
watched  birds  in  their  native  haunts,  and  listened  to  the  mar- 
vellous melodies  which  must  charm  even  the  callous  and 
unthinking,  a Avalk  through  the  Dials  is  fraught  with  pain. 
Here  are  dozens  of  goldfinches,  beating  to  shreds  their  yellow 
wings  in  cages  but  a few  inches  square.  Here  are  rows  of 
skylarks  to  be  bought  for  sixpence  each,  pining  for  the  blue  sky 
in  which  they  shall  never  soar  again.  Many  have  given  up 
the  struggle,  and  with  closed  eye  and  ruffled  plumage  are  wait- 
ing for  the  release  which  speedily  will  come.  The  temptation 
is  great  to  empty  pocket  and  purse  in  purchasing  their  liberty, 
but  the  knowledge  that  their  places  would  be  filled  by  new 
victims  to-morrow  restrains.  And  yet  cannot  something  be  done  ? 
Cannot  one  or  two  be  saved  ? How  much  for  that  one  with  its 
head  under  its  wing  ? It  will  not  live  an  hour.  And  that  one 
with  feathers  extended  till  it  seems  but  a ball  of  fluff  ? It  is 
dying  fast.  And  that  one  in  the  corner — and  the  next,  and  the 
next  ? All  will  die  before  night.  They  are  useless  to  you,  give 
them  to  me,  and  then  away  to  the  nearest  green  open  space. 
Will  they  live  till  we  reach  it  ? Open  the  basket,  they  will  not 
attempt  to  fly  away.  But  place  one  on  the  grass  near  that 
bush.  It  feels  the  free  air  of  heaven  around  it.  It  lifts  its 
head  and  sees  no  longer  the  dingy  street  and  gazing  crowd.  It 
spreads  its  wings,  and  does  not  bruise  them  against  prison  bars. 
And  then,  how  marvellous  the  change  ! The  dull  eye  brightens, 
the  disordered  plumage  becomes  sleek,  the  dying  wishes  to  live, 
and  away  it  goes,  back  to  its  own  place,  to  live  its  true  life,  and 
to  give  again  to  the  listening  world  its  sweet  song  of  gladness 
and  of  hope. 

Fred.  W.  Ashley. 


BRITISH  WILD  FLOWERS  IN  NEW  ZEALAND. 


^ OTH  from  their  methods  of  propagation  and  manner  of 
arrival,  the  spread  of  British  wild  flowers  in  a new  land 
is  full  of  interest.  Though  rather  warm  for  our  moun- 
tain and  alpine  species,  the  climate  of  the  southern 
portion  of  the  North  Island  is  admirably  adapted  for  most 
British  plants.  As  all  the  work  about  us  is  done  on  horseback, 
and  therefore  great  distances  traversed  almost  every  day,  there 
are  good  opportunities  of  noting  their  first  arrival  and  subsequent 
spread. 


The  weeping  willow  is  nearly  an  evergreen,  losing  its  leaves 
late  in  June,  and  within  a month  the  clinging  brown  scales  burst 
with  green  at  the  tips.  The  pines  never  cease  growing.  I have 
seen  the  watercress  in  bloom  in  mid-winter  ; then,  too,  the  air  is 


184 


NATURE  NOTES. 


sweet  with  the  scent  of  blossoming  gorse,  and  when  the  dry  wind 
blows  from  the  warm  north-west,  the  germander  speedwell’s  blue 
flowers  expand. 

During  our  coldest  months — May,  June  and  July — there  is  a 
marked  growth  in  the  ryegrass,  and  a lesser  in  the  cocksfoot  and 
Poa  pratensis.  In  a wet  season  I have  seen  two  and  even  three 
crops  of  strawberries,  and  in  a warm  damp  year  the  earlier 
varieties  of  apple  fruit  twice.  Thirty  years  ago  nearly  the  whole 
of  Hawkes  Bay  was  densely  clad  in  fern,  almost  precisely  similar 
to  the  bracken  of  Scotland,  each  year’s  crop,  however,  not  wither- 
ing away  as  at  home,  but  remaining  verdant  for  two  or  three 
seasons.  As  this  growth  was  burnt  off  and  eaten  down  by  stock, 
grass  seed  was  sown,  and  no  doubt  with  it  many  British  weeds 
have  been  imported. 

The  most  conspicuous  and  beautiful  of  these  introductions  is 
the  thistle — “ Scotsman,”  as  it  is  termed  in  the  colonies.  It  is  to 
be  found  everywhere,  from  a huge  bush  five  feet  high,  to  a feeble 
plant  of  a foot  with  half  a-dozen  blooms.  I have  even  seen  it 
blossoming  forty  feet  in  air — flourishing  in  the  fork  of  a rotting 
forest  tree.  It  blocks,  with  us,  the  summer  sheep  tracks,  and  it 
is  curious  to  watch  horses  plucking  off  the  prickly  purple  heads 
w'ith  their  bared  teeth,  and  then  gingerly  working  the  delicate 
morsels  back  to  their  grinders.  1 have  seen  the  down  lying  in 
loose  packed  drifts  a foot  in  depth,  and  especially  on  newly 
cleared  forest  lands.  All  day  long,  under  a deep  blue  sky, 
over  the  huge  felled  logs,  and  in  among  the  skeleton  standing 
trees,  hour  after  hour,  the  thistle  down  slowly  sails.  By  the 
same  means  dandelion,  sowthistle,  and  hawkweed  have  spread 
everywhere.  I have  noticed  how  much  faster  with  us  such 
plants  spread  from  north  to  south  than  from  south  to  north. 

The  first  specimen  of  nipplewort  I ever  saw  on  the  run  ap- 
peared on  its  northern  extremity,  and  about  the  same  time  I 
noticed  a native  groundsel  on  the  south-east  end.  This  latter 
was  a very  free  seeder,  yet  the  nipplewort,  three  years  later,  was 
here  and  there  to  be  found  in  all  parts,  whereas  the  groundsel 
was  still  within  a few  hundred  acres  of  its  original  habitat. 
Our  summer  winds  blow  from  the  dry  hot  north  and  north- 
w'est,  whereas  a breeze  from  the  south  is  rare,  and  is  almost 
invariably  accompanied  by  rain,  which  of  course  drowns  and 
clogs  all  feathery  seeds.  This  very  simple  explanation  accounts 
for  the  rapid  spread  of  the  one  and  the  almost  stationary  position 
of  the  other. 

Imported  plants,  like  imported  birds,  are  first  seen  singly,  and 
then  three  or  four  years  later  in  thousands.  A single  plant  of  “ Fat 
Hen  ” will  be  seen  in  a ploughed  field,  and  three  years  later  this 
noxious  weed  will  be  choking  all  other  growth.  Now  that  the 
fern  and  bush  are  gone,  many  of  the  native  weeds  also  give 
trouble. 

In  the  wide  shingly  river  beds  of  the  South  Island  the  gorse 
has  spread  to  such  an  extent  as  to  seriously  threaten  to  alter  the 


BRITISH  FL  0 1 VER  S IN  NE  J V ZEAL  A ND.  1 8 5 


■courses  of  the  rivers.  Water  is  a very  important  agent  in  the 
dissemination  of  seeds,  and  musk  and  watercress  have,  in  con- 
sequence, spread  very  rapidly  throughout  our  brooks  and  smaller 
streams.  Under  other  less  favourable  circumstances,  plants  of 
gorse  may  for  years  flourish,  yet  not  spread,  as  on  sheep  camps, 
where  I have  seen  single  bushes  remain  for  years  pruned  into 
cones  by  the  nibbling  sheep.  Broom,  too,  spreads  very  rapidly, 
and  sweet  briar  and  blackberries,  when  they  get  hold  of  the 
ground,  are  very  expensive  to  keep  down,  and  impossible  to 
extirpate.  Indeed,  from  the  way  in  which  the  latter  thrives  in 
New  Zealand,  it  seems  not  impossible  that  after  a few  centuries 
it  will  develop  into  a sheep-catching  plant  ; even  now  sheep 
eating  the  ripe  berries,  or  walking  past  are  entangled  in  the 
great  hooked  side  shoots.  In  trying  to  escape  their  wool  is 
twisted  into  a rope.  They  die,  and  the  plant  is  stimulated  to 
fresh  exertions  by  the  rotting  carcase. 

Many  seeds  are  carried  by  sheep,  such  as  white  clover,  trefoil 
and  sheep  sorrel.  Horehound,  which  grows  over  roods  of  ground, 
on  rich,  dry,  sandy  sheep  camps,  is  probably  a garden  escape.  I 
have  seen,  too,  the  scented  geranium  growing  wild  along  the 
road  sides,  and  not  long  ago  I read  of  a bushman  discovering  in 
an  open  part  of  the  forest  an  acre  of  flowering  narcissus. 

In  autumn  the  yellowy  or  ruddy  leaves  of  self-sown  elms, 
sycamores,  and  rowans,  contrast  with  the  sombre  pine  green  of 
the  native  bush.  The  appearance  of  some  species,  however,  is 
very  hard  to  account  for.  I found  a clump  of  Stellaria  growing 
on  a shady  bank  on  a neighbour’s  run  six  years  ago.  It  is  there 
still,  but  I have  never  seen  or  heard  of  it  elsewhere  in  New 
Zealand. 

In  the  same  way  in  a little-frequented  part  of  my  own  place, 

I once  discovered  a single  plant  of  St.  John’s  wort.  I never — 
before  or  since — have  seen  this  plant  in  the  colony.  Near  the 
woolshed  of  a friend  in  Canterbury,  who  chiefly  employs  Scottish 
shepherds,  a patch  of  heather  has  been  growing  and  spreading 
for  years.  It  is  supposed  to  have  dropped  from  the  boots  or 
clothes  of  a newly  imported  Highland  shepherd,  for  seeds, 
under  strange  conditions  and  for  long  periods,  retain  their 
vitality. 

One  of  my  shepherds,  who  has  a taste  for  botany,  plantcxl 
this  year  some  of  the  stones  taken  from  raisins  for  the  Christmas 
pudding.  They  germinated,  and  were  growing  freely,  until  lately 
a sharp  frost  destroyed  them.  After  an  extensive  fern  fire,  upon 
the  burnt  ground  in  spring, appear  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
plants  of  the  mouse-ear  chickweed.  These  fern  lands  have, 
of  course,  been  fired  before,  but  even  then  the  appearance  of  this 
weed  in  so  great  quantity  is  strange,  for  the  seed  is  furnished 
neither  with  apparatus  for  floating  or  clinging,  nor  do  sheep, 
however  hungry,  feed  upon  it. 

Shepherd’s-purse,  willow-herb,  gowans,  pimpernel,  prunella, 
spotted  medick,  docks,  nettles,  plantains,  and  numerous  other 


i86 


NATURE  NOTES. 


weeds  are  to  be  found  in  our  fields  and  gardens  ; and  among 
grasses,  Poa  annua,  ratstail,  and  sweet  vernal,  though  never  con- 
sciously sown,  are  spreading  fast,  where  soil  and  climate  suit. 

After  a fire  has  passed  over  felled  bushland,  I have  noticed 
oats,  rape,  turnips  and  pumpkins  flourishing  luxuriantly  ; and 
this  in  country  where  there  are  two  or  three  small  gardens 
in  sixty  or  seventy  thousand  acres,  and  where  there  is  almost 
no  agriculture. 

It  is  remarkable,  too,  how  some  weeds  have  not  made  their 
appearance,  such  as  ragweed,  the  marsh  thistle,  and  the  wild 
scarlet  poppy  of  cornfields.  Daisies,  dog  violets,  primroses, 
cowslips,  harebells,  and  blue  hyacinths — the  best  known  and 
loved  of  home  flowers — have  been  planted  in  the  gardens. 

In  all  these  ways  is  the  flora  of  Britain  establishing  itself  in 
New  Zealand.  I daresay  it  has  done  so  in  other  of  our  colonial 
possessions  too,  for  the  spread  of  the  British  race  ensures  the 
spread  of  the  British  wild  flowers. 

H.  Guthrie  Smith. 

Tuiira  Lake,  Hawhes  Bay, 

New  Zealand. 


A SUGGESTION. 

T seems  to  me  that  the  members  of  the  Selborne  Society 
have  advantages  offered  them  by  this  Magazine  which 
are  not  sufficiently  appreciated — I mean  the  assist- 
ance it  might  be  to  us  in  our  study  of  natural  history, 
to  have  more  communication  with  each  other  through  its  pages. 
We  might  form  an  organised  plan  for  amateur  observations 
Avhich,  though  less  valuable  than  those  of  scientific  men,  are  yet 
not  without  a certain  value  of  their  own  even  to  science,  and 
most  certainly  would  add  to  our  own  interest  and  pleasure  in 
life,  and  to  our  knowledge  of  natural  history.  The  observations 
I would  suggest  may  seem  to  be  of  a very  simple  nature,  but 
are,  perhaps,  none  the  less  valuable  on  that  account. 

if  we  stop  to  think,  we  may  perhaps  be  surprised  to  find  how 
little  we  actually  know  practically  of  the  Avays  of  the  Avild  crea- 
tures liA'ing  around  us.  For  example,  I remember  once  seeing 
a SAA'alloAV-tail  butterfly  flitting,  as  I thought,  in  a A’ague  aimless 
manner  in  the  garden  ; happening  to  Avatch  it  more  closely,  I Avas 
surprised  to  see  that  its  course  AA'as  by  no  means  so  indeflnite  as 
1 had  supposed.  It  fleAv  constantly  round  and  round  in  a large 
circle,  and  so  it  appeared  to  pass  its  time  for  one  or  tAvo  days. 
Why  it  selected  this  special  round  I do  not  knoAv,  but  it  certainly 
opened  my  mind  to  the  idea  that  eA'en  a butterfly  may  liaA^e  more 
method  in  its  proceedings  than  I had  eA-er  before  supposed 
possible.  A fact  like  this  should  haA'e  led  me  to  folloAv  up  more 


IN  THE  COUNTRY  OF  GILBERT  WHITE.  187 


closely  the  knowledge  I had  already  gained,  and  to  be  more 
ready  to  make  similar  observations  in  future. 

I will  now  propose  a few  subjects  that  we  might  take  as  a 
beginning.  Has  any  one  of  us  ever  selected  some  special  bud 
on  a tree  in  early  spring,  and  carefully  watched  its  course 
through  the  whole  summer  and  autumn,  and  taken  note  of  each 
stage  of  its  progress — how  many  leaves  it  grew  and  how  quickly, 
and  whether  it  developed  into  a twig  or  only  to  one  leaf  and 
flower ; or  did  we  ever  take  a little  weed,  and  watch  its  life 
history  till  winter,  how  many  leaves  and  flowers  it  grew,  and 
when  it  began  to  put  out  its  branches ; or  have  we  ever  followed 
the  course  of  a bee  from  flower  to  flower,  and  perhaps  traced 
it  eventually  to  its  hive  or  nest  ? Perhaps  some  few  of  us  may 
have  done  such  things,  but  not  many  I think  ; and  to  know  a 
little,  well,  about  one  plant  or  insect  will  add  to  the  pleasure 
and  interest  we  feel  in  all  of  them.  Perhaps  better  subjects  than 
these  may  be  suggested  by  your  readers,  l)ut  I am  sure  that 
■on  such  lines  as  this  we  might  found  a useful  development  of 
amateur  study  of  natural  history. 

Letitia  M.  Dixon. 


IN  THE  COUNTRY  OF  GILBERT  WHITE.- 

Ghosts  of  great  men  in  London  town 
Confuse  the  brains  of  such  as  dream. 

But  here  betwixt  this  hanging  down 
And  this  great  moorland,  waste  and  brown. 

One  only  reigns  supreme. 

In  Wolmer  Forest,  old  and  wide. 

Along  each  sandy  pine-girt  glade 
And  lonesome  heather-bordered  ride, 

A gentle  presence  haunts  your  side, 

A gracious  reverend  shade. 

And  as  you  pass  by  Blackmoor  grim 
And  stand  at  gaze  on  Temple  height, 

Methinks  the  fancy  grows  less  dim  ; 

Methinks  you  really  talk  with  him 
Who  once  was  Gilbert  White  ! 

For  yonder  lies  his  own  true  love. 

His  little  Selborne,  dreaming  still : 

The  shapely  “ Hanger”  towers  above. 

Girt  with  its  beautiful  beech  grove. 

Like  some  old  Grecian  hill  ! 


From  The  Speaker,  June  17,  1S93. 


iS8 


NATURE  NOTES. 


And  there  th’  abrupt  and  comely  “Nore” 

Guards  that  wild  world  of  bloom  and  bird 
\\'here  his  clear  patient  sense  of  yore 
Conned  sights  and  sounds,  which  ne’er  before 
Sweet  poets  saw  or  heard. 

And  here,  hard  by,  the  nightingale 
For  the  first  time  in  springtide  sang. 

While  Gilbert  listened  ; here  the  pale 
First  blackthorn  dowered,  while  down  the  gale 
The  cuckoo’s  mockeries  rang  ! 

And  there  rathe  swallows  would  appear, 

To  whirl  on  high  their  first  gavotte ; 

And  there  the  last  of  the  great  deer 
Fell  on  a winter  midnight  clear 
’Neath  a “ night-hunter’s”  shot. 

We  know'  it  all ! Familiar,  too, 

Seems  this  quaint  hamlet  ’neath  the  steeps, — 

House,  “ Pleystor,”  church,  and  churchyard  yew. 

And  the  plain  headstone,  hid  from  view, 

^^'here  their  historian  sleeps. 

’Twas  just  a century  gone  by 
They  laid  the  simple  cleric  here  : 

Th’  old  world  was  in  her  agony, 

And  “ Nature  ! Reason  ! ” was  the  cry 
In  that  historic  year. 

But  O ! another  Nature  ’twas 

That  ruled  him  with  her  magic  touch, 

A mistress  of  delightful  laws. 

Whom  still  we  learn  to  love  because 
We  love  her  servant  much  ! 

V.  G.  P. 


A GUIDE  TO  BRITISH  FUGNI.- 


j.  T this  time  of  the  year  many  lovers  of  nature  are  anti- 
cipating  “ fungus  forays,”  and  many  more  are  bewailing 
the  absence  of  some  suitable  little  book  of  modest  price 
which  shall  enable  them  to  identify  at  least  the  com- 
moner species  of  our  large  fungi.  Scarcely  any  group  of 
plants  is  so  discouraging  in  its  study  to  the  beginner.  In  the 
first  place  they  are  so  numerous  in  w'hat  are  called  species.  In 
the  second,  these  species  are  so  extremely  alike  that  their  own 


* Guide  to  Sowerby’s  Models  of  British  P'ungi  in  the  Department  of  Botany, 
British  Museum  (Natural  History).  By  Worthington  G.  Smith,  F.L.S.  pp.  82, 
93  figs-,  price  4d. 


A GUIDE  TO  BRITISH  FUNGI. 


189 


parents  (the  “critical  fungologists  ”)  often  do  not  know  them. 
This  is  bad  enough,  but  the  beginner  commonly  (small  blame  to 
him)  adds  a third  difficulty  by  trying  to  name  every  species  he 
meets  with.  After  he  has  wrestled  with  this  and  the  specimens 


Fly  Agaric. 
Agaricus  muscarius. 
(One-quarter  natural  size.) 


Boletus  edulis. 
(One-quarter  natural  size.) 


have  begun  to  decay,  he  remembers  Nature  Notes  or  some 
e.xpert  fungological  friend,  puts  the  mangled  of  his  specimens 
into  a “chip”  box  or  match  box,  and  sends  them  to  be  named. 
They  arrive  in  a high  condition,  offering  a pleasing  illustration 


Dry  Rot. 
Merulius  lacrymans. 
(One-third  natural  size.) 


Typhula  phacorrhiza. 
(One-half  natural  size.) 


of  what  our  ancestors  called  “the  spontaneous  generation  of 
maggots  in  toadstools.”  To  those  who  can  so  bridle  their 
enthusiasm  as  to  refrain  from  exercises  of  this  kind,  the  following 
advice  may  be  of  service  : — Expend  fourpence  in  the  acquisition 


190 


NATURE  NOTES. 


of  the  guide  which  is  named  at  the  foot  of  this  paper ; with 
the  aid  of  its  figures  and  descriptions  look  out  for  the  species 
contained  in  it ; and  for  the  present  disregard  the  others. 

The  advantages  of  such  a course  are  these  : The  species  are 

all  easily  studied  without  the  aid  of  any  magnifying  power, 


Stixkhorn. 

Phallus  impudicus. 
(One-quarter  natural  size.) 


Peziza  vesiculosa.  (Natural  size.) 


though  a common  pocket  lens  is  useful  ; next,  they  are  fairly 
illustrative  of  all  the  groups  that  furnish  large  specimens,  the 
Hymcuomycetes,  Gasteromycetes,  Discomycetes,  Pyrcnomycetcs,  T uberacee, 
and  Myxomycetcs.  Farther,  nearly  all  the  common  fungi  are 
included,  and  with  the  help  of  the  generic  and  sectional  figures 


Ilypoxylon  concentricum  and  section  showing  the  perithecir.  (Natural  size.) 
ASCUS  X 200. 


and  the  plain  descriptions,  their  recognition  does  not  present  any 
grave  difficulty.  If  this  advice  be  taken  and  the  beginner 
succeed  in  making  the  acquaintance  of  a fair  proportion  <of  the 
species,  he  will  have  done  much  towards  laying  a foundation 
of  a knowledge  of  fungi.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  he  sets  out 


A GUIDE  TO  BRITISH  FUNGI. 


191 

equipped  with  expensive  books  and  the  companionship  of  an 
expert,  he  will,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  do  badly,  because  he  will 
then  learn  too  many  species  with  comparatively  little  effort — he 
will  be  “crammed  ” in  short — and  in  an  astonishingly  short  time 
his  recollection  will  have  faded  and  the  knowledge  so  gained  be 
with  “the  snows  of  yester  year.” 

It  is  more  or  less  by  a fortunate  accident  that  we  have  such  a 
book.  It  is  issued  as  a guide  to  the  models  made  by  Sowerby  in 
the  preparation  of  his  “ English  Fungi”  (1797-1809).  Tradition 
says  that  Sowerby,  on  obtaining  a specimen,  first  made  a model  of 
it  in  the  round,  and  afterwards  made  his  drawing  from  the  model. 
Be  this  so  or  not,  the  models  often  appear  to  support  the  view 
from  their  more  faithful  outlines.  After  coming  into  the  posses- 
sion of  the  British  Museum  it  was  found  necessary  to  restore 
many  of  them  in  the  matter  of  colour,  a work  easily  accom- 
plished by  Mr.  Worthington  Smith,  since  the  Museum  possess 
the  original  drawings  made  by  Sowerby  for  his  bock,  as  well  as 
the  models.  Mr.  Worthington  Smith  took  the  opportunity  of 


Flowers  of  Tan. 

Fuligo  varians.  (Natural  size.)  .Spores  and  threads  x 200. 


making  this  catalogue  of  them,  with  modern  descriptions,  and  has 
furnished  the  beautiful  illustrations  of  the  genera  and  sub-genera. 
From  each  of  the  groups  we  are  permitted  to  reproduce  an  illus- 
tration which  will  give  an  idea  of  their  character.  Considering 
the  changes  that  have  come  over  the  classification  of  fungi  since 
Sowerby  prepared  his  great  work,  it  is  remarkable  that  a system- 
atic account  of  his  species  should  be  so  effectually  illustrative  of 
the  larger  fungi  at  the- present  day  as  to  permit  of  the  publica- 
tion of  a guide  to  them  which  is  at  the  same  time  so  excellent  a 
guide  to  the  study  of  fungi.  One  remarkable  feature  of  the  book 
is  its  cheapness,  and  last  but  not  least,  it  possesses  a practical 
index. 

Of  the  figures  of  some  of  our  commoner  species,  here  repro- 
duced by  kind  permission,  Agaviciis  muscarius,  Boletus  edulis,  Mcrulius 
lacrymans  and  Typhda  phacorvhiza  illustrate  the  Hymenomycetes ; 
Phallus  iiupudicus  illustrates  the  Gastcvomycetcs ; Peziza  vesiculosa 
the  Discomycetes ; Hypoxylon  concentricum  the  Pyrcnomycctes ; Tuber 
astivum  the  Tuberacea  or  Truffle  family  ; and  Fuligo  varians, 
“ Flowers  of  Tan,”  the  Myxomycetes. 


192 


NATURE  NOTES. 


The  following  description  will  give  an  idea  of  the  style  of  the 
work  in  which  practical  knowledge  is  admirably  blended  with 
technical  instruction  : — - 

“Tuber  ^estivum  Vitt.  The  British  Truffle. — Hard  and  black 
at  maturity,  polygonally  warted  outside  and  mottled  with  white 
and  yellowish-brown  inside. 

“ It  is  usually  subterranean,  but  is  seldom  found  more  than 
three  or  four  inches  beneath  the  surface  ; it  is  sometimes  half  ex- 
posed. Ir  is  generally  about  the  size  of  a walnut,  but  may  attain 
a diameter  of  three  or  more  inches.  In  rare  cases  single  speci- 
mens weigh  two,  three  or  four  pounds.  It  is  found  in  perfection 
from  July  to  late  autumn.  It  grows  in  copses,  hedgerows,  and 
open  spaces  in  plantations  gregariously  with  other  species  of 
Tuber,  generally  in  plantations  of  beech,  oak,  or  birch — rarely  pine 
— on  argillaceous  or  calcareous  soil. 


British  Truffle. 

Tuber  restivum.  (Natural  size.)  Ascus  x 100. 


“ The  odour  of  T.  cestivum  is  potent  and  to  some  persons 
agreeable,  and  can  sometimes  be  detected  where  truffles  grow. 
Squirrels  and  pigs  are  fond  of  truffles,  and  scratch  them  up. 

“ Edible,  but  hard  and  indigestible. 

“ The  truffle  of  France,  used  in  pate  dc  foie  gras  and  poulard 
truffc,  is  Tuber  mclanosporum  Vitt.  The  truffle  used  in  Italy  is  T . 
maguatum,  which  is  garlic-scented.  These  species  have  not  been 
recorded  as  British.” 

I am  glad  to  notice  that  one  London  Natural  History  Society 
recommends  the  Guide  to  its  members  as  a companion  for 
“ fungus  forays  ; ” nothing  more  useful  can  be  taken,  nor  has  the 
British  Museum  issued  any  more  practical  hand-book. 

George  Murray. 

[As  the  Guide  is  only  to  be  obtained  at  the  British  Museum 
(Natural  History),  South  Kensington,  country  members,  and 
even  some  London  ones,  may  find  a difficulty  in  procuring  it. 
M’e  shall  be  glad  in  such  cases  to  forward  a copy  by  post  on 
receipt  of  sixpence  in  stamps  to  defray  cost  of  book  (qd.)  and 
postage ; two  copies  will  go  by  parcel  post  for  3d.  Those 
wanting  copies  should  write  to  Mr.  Britten,  British  Museum 
(Natural  History)  , Cromwell  Road,  London,  S.W.] 


A VETERAN  SELBORNIAN. 


193 


A VETERAN  SELBORNIAN. 

N Sept,  ist  there  passed  away  from  among  us  the  oldest 
member,  in  one  sense  at  least,  of  the  Selborne  Society,  the 
Rev.  Leonard  Blomefield,  in  his  ninety-fourth  year.  In 
another  sense,  too,  he  was  a follower  of  Gilbert  White. 
From  boyhood  he  was  fond  of  the  study  of  Natural  History,  and 
whilst  at  Eton  a school-fellow  lent  him  White's  N atural  Hisiovy  of 
Selborne.  This  book  so  impressed  the  boy-naturalist  that  he  copied 
the  whole  of  it,  with  the  exception  of  two  or  three  chapters,  with 
his  own  hand.  The  friend  and  fellow  student  at  Cambridge  of  the 
late  Charles  Darwin,  Leonard  Jenyns  (by  which  name  he  is  best 
known  to  many),  was  instrumental  in  obtaining  for  that  eminent 
naturalist  his  appointment  on  board  the  Beagle.  For  some  thirty- 
yearsthe  Rev.  Leonard  Jenyns  was  the  incumbent  of  a Cambridge- 
shire parish  (Swaffham,  Bulbeck),  where  he  manifested  much 
energy  and  devotion  to  his  clerical  duties,  whilst  his  favourite 
scientific  studies  w'ere  by  no  means  neglected,  as  his  well-known 
publications,  including  Ffs/i£so///;r  Voyage  of  the  Beagle,  A Manual 
of  British  Vertebrate  Animals,  and  Observations  on  Natural  History, 
bear  witness. 

In  the  year  1850,  Jenyns  came  to  Bath,  and  in  the  year  1871 
took  the  name  of  Blomefield  in  substitution  for  Jenyns  on 
succeeding  to  certain  family  property.  In  1855  founded  the 
Bath  Natural  History  and  Antiquarian  Field  Club,  of  which  he 
became  the  first  president.  He  afterwards  read  several  admir- 
able papers  to  the  members,  the  last  so  recently  as  1891.  Mr. 
Blomefield  presented  to  the  Bath  Royal  Literary  and  Scientific 
Institution  his  Herbarium,  as  well  as  a valuable  collection  of 
upwards  of  2,000  volumes,  known  as  the  Jenyns  Library. 
Elected  a Fellow  of  the  Linnean  Society  in  1822,  he  lived  to  be 
known  as  the  “ father  ” of  that  body. 

When  a branch  of  the  Selborne  Society  was  about  to  be 
established  in  Bath,  Mr.  Blomefield  at  once  accepted  the  invita- 
tion to  become  one  of  its  founders,  and  up  to  within  a short  time 
of  his  death  took  a lively  interest  in  its  welfare.  One  of  his  last 
papers  was  entitled  “ Records  of  a Rookery this  he  read  to  the 
members  of  the  Bath  Branch  on  May  14th,  1891,  being  then  in 
his  ninety-first  year. 

The  last  few  years  of  Mr.  Blomefield’s  life  were  passed  in 
comparative  seclusion.  Elis  mental  vigour  was  remarkable  even 
in  his  extreme  old  age,  and  up  to  within  a very  short  period  of 
his  death  he  would  carry  on  an  animated  conversation  with 
his  friends  on  any  of  his  favourite  subjects.  He  was  an  old 
life  member  of  the  British  Association,  and  a F.G.S.  In  the 
“Chapters  in  my  Life,”  published  for  private  circulation  in  i88g, 
Mr.  Blomefield  observes  that  in  his  early  days  he  resolved  to 
have  nothing  to  do  with  four  things,  viz.,  sporting,  farming, 
politics,  and  magisterial  business ; and  he  kept  his  resolution  to 
the  end.  A somewhat  extraordinary  confession  for  a naturalist, 


194 


NATURE  NOTES. 


contained  in  the  same  book,  is  that  he  never  fired  off  a gun  in 
his  life.  He  was  a generous  supporter  of  scientific  research, 
and  did  his  utmost  to  encourage  the  study  of  Natural  History 
and  Science. 

W.  G.  Wheatcroft. 


FOUR  BOOKS  OF  VERSE. 

Whether  England  is  or  is  not  at  the  present  time  a nest  of  singing  birds  is 
to  some  extent  a matter  of  opinion.  The  ingenious  writer  who  lately  demon- 
strated that  we  had  some  seventy  minor  poets  has  much  to  answer  for,  but  in  the 
opinion  of  the  verse-writers  themselves  he  fell  far  short  of  the  mark.  There  is  a 
“Brotherhood  of  Poets,”  known  to  the  initiated  as  the  “ B.O.P.,”  who  have  a 
magazine  entirely  devoted  to  their  effusions,  embellished  with  portraits  and 
biographical  (or  autobiographical)  sketches  of  the  authors  ; yet  with  scarcely  an 
exception,  these  are  a long  way  outside  Mr.  H.  D.  Traill’s  select  seventy,  who 
are  themselves  for  the  most  part  considerably  below  the  summit  of  Olympus. 

A’^ot  having  the  list  by  us,  we  are  not  sure  how  many  of  the  writers  whose 
books  are  now  before  us  appear  among  the  seventy,  but  we  are  certain  that  the 
“ B.O.P.”  does  not  reckon  any  of  them  in  its  fraternity.  One,  indeed,  does  not 
claim  for  himself  the  poet’s  laurel  ; his  crown  is  woven  of  flowers  from  many 
gardens,  and  with  rare  reticence,  he  does  not  contribute  a single  blossom. 
Mr.  R.  Maynard  Leonard’s  anthology.  The  Dog  in  British  Poetry  (David  Nutt, 
jS.  6d.),  is  beautifully  printed  and  tastefully  bound,  and,  judging  from  the 
reviews  we  have  seen,  has  given  rise  to  an  unusual  diversity  of  opinion.  .Some 
think  an  anthology  of  dogs  in  itself  objectionable,  if  only  because  it  is  certain  to 
be  followed  by  a similar  selection  devoted  to  cats;  others  think  it  monotonous, 
and  it  certainly  is  not  a book  to  read  at  a sitting.  But  it  is  also  felt  that  the 
author  has  done  his  work  well,  and  he  certainly  has  brought  together  an  extra- 
ordinary variety  of  verses,  as  various  in  style  as  they  are  unanimous  in  subject. 
The  short  preface  is  good,  and  the  notes  are  excellent. 

“ It  was  never  my  intention,”  says  Mr.  Leonard,  “ to  gather  together  a 
complete  collection  of  even  British  poems  about  dogs.”  \Ve  do  not  quite 
understand  in  what  sense  the  poems  are  supposed  to  be  “ even,”  but  it  is  obvious 
that  this  remark  disarms  the  critic  who  would  complain  of  omissions  ; who  misses 
the  dogs  who  “ delight  to  bark  and  bite”  (which,  indeed,  is  but  a casual  re- 
ference, though  a familiar  one),  and  the  “faithful  hound”  who  found  the 
traveller.  But  when  he  adds  his  belief  that  he  has  “ overlooked  no  poem  bear- 
ing directly  on  dogs  that  is  of  any’  great  importance,” — the  construction  here  is 
somewhat  faulty,  but  it  works  out  all  right — he  challenges  contradiction,  which 
we  proceed  to  supply  by  asking  why  iNIatthew  Arnold’s  “ Geist’s  Grave  ” is 
omitted,  while  “ Kaiser  Dead,”  hardly  so  fine  a poem,  finds  a place.  Neverthe- 
less, in  spite  of  the  omission  of  poems  we  should  have  expected  to  find,  and  for 
which,  it  may  be,  the  necessary  permission  to  reprint  could  not  be  obtained,  as 
well  as  of  the  inclusion  of  some  which  we  could  have  spared,  Mr.  Leonard  has 
given  us  an  interesting  as  well  as  a beautiful  volume,  and  Selbornians  will  do 
well  to  bear  it  in  mind  when  Christmas  comes  round  again. 

Lord  de  Tabley  has  brought  together,  in  a handsome  volume,  many  of  the  Poems, 
Dramatic  and  Lyrical  (Elkin  Mathews,  ys.  6d.),  which  he  published  some  years 
since,  when  he  was  the  Hon.  John  Leicester  Warren,  a name  by  which  he  is 
better  known  in  the  two  walks  of  literature  and  science,  both  frequented  by 
him  with  diligence  and  success.  Some  new  poems  are  added,  but  to  those  of  us 
who  remember  them  when  they  first  appeared  the  old  are  better,  and  the  selec- 
tion here  given  is  of  the  best. 

For  nearly  twenty  years  Lord  de  Tabley  has  refrained  from  verse,  although 
he  has  contributed  to  literature.  There  is  much  in  this  volume  which  will 
delight  the  nature  lover,  showing  as  it  does  the  accuracy  which  characterised  the 
author  when  he  was  one  of  the  leading  British  botanists  of  the  “ critical  ” school. 


FOUR  BOOKS  OF  VERSE. 


195 


Those  who  look  at  the  bookplate  which,  somewhat  oddly,  appears  in  this 
volume,  may  not  understand  the  conspicuous  presence  of  a bramble  and  a dock, 
but  these  were  the  two  groups  of  plants  to  which  Mr.  Warren  paid  particular 
attention.  Here  is  a specimen  of  the  author’s  verse  : — 


“ The  Oce.\n  Wood. 

“ Gray  woods  within  whose  silent  shade. 

The  ocean  voice  is  dimly  knowm, 

Where  undisturbed  the  violets  fade. 

And  roses  perish  overblown. 

“ Calm  rests  the  wave  against  the  beach. 

Calm  rocks  the  wave-bird  on  its  tide. 

And  calmer  in  their  heaven  than  each. 

The  gleaming  bands  of  sunset  ride. 

Soon  will  the  ripple  move  again  : 

Soon  will  the  shorelark  flute  its  song  : 

And  in  sweet  emphasis  of  pain 

The  rock-dove  mourn  the  cliffs  along. 

“ Sweet  shall  resound  the  curlew's  wail. 

New  sails  come  sweeping  up  the  sea. 

But  all  the  ships  that  ever  sail. 

Will  bring  no  comfort  home  to  me.”  ■ 

Mr.  Ricketts’s  illustrations,  with  beautiful  printing  and  a dainty  cover,  add  to 
the  attractions  of  this  attractive  book. 

In  Foems  Old  ami  Ne-iv  (Edward  Arnold,  6s.)  Canon  Bell,  as  his  title 
implies,  has  gathered  favourite  flowers  from  his  old  gardens,  and,  having  added 
some  new  ones,  presents  us  with  the  bouquet.  For  the  most  part  they  are  quiet, 
thoughtful,  meditative  verses,  Wordsworthian  in  feeling  and  expression,  many  of 
them  inspired  by  lakeland  scenery.  From  this  it  will  be  gathered  that  many  are 
infused  with  a religious  spirit,  and  this,  indeed,  breathes  throughout  the  volume. 

Canon  Bell  is,  like  his  great  master,  an  accurate  interpreter  of  Nature  in  her 
relation  to  human  feeling — witness  the  following  poem  on  “ Spring,”  which  some- 
what lengthy  abstract  must  stand  in  place  of  a further  notice  of  the  book  : — 

“ The  cuckoo  calls  across  the  woods. 

In  pauses  of  the  shower. 

The  dafl’odils  and  mary-buds 
Are  breaking  into  flower. 

The  lark  soars  o’er  the  growing  wheat. 

Close  to  the  gates  of  day  ; 

The  blackbird  whistles  clear  and  sweet 
In  yonder  hawthorn  spray. 

“ Sweet  airs  adown  the  purple  hills 
Play  through  the  fragrant  grass. 

And  whisper  to  the  little  rills 
That  warble  as  they  pass. 

“ Anemones  all  wet  with  dew 
Are  trembling  in  the  breeze. 

And  from  sweet  bells  and  buds  of  blue 
Come  murmurous  songs  of  bees. 

“ The  hyacinth  now  scents  the  lanes, 

The  primrose  stars  the  grove. 

And  nesting  birds  in  sweetest  strains 
I’our  out  their  hearts  in  love. 


ig6 


NATURE  NOTES. 


“ My  heart  is  happy  as  the  bird 
That  makes  the  copses  ring  ; 

It  sings,  although  no  voice  is  heard, 

Because  it  feels  the  spring. 

“ Hope  pulses  through  the  restless  blood, 

New  life  is  in  the  air, 

Xow  stirs  the  sap  within  the  bud, 

And  all  the  world  is  fair. 

“ O blessed  spring  1 When  leaves  unfold, 

When  hills  and  daisied  sod. 

Shine  like  the  sacred  bush  of  old. 

And  burn  with  fires  of  God, 

“ And  sorrows  go,  and  griefs  depart. 

Because  the  world  is  gay. 

And  troubles  fall  from  off  the  heart 
That  feels  the  coming  May.” 

It  is  perhaps  hardly  right  to  include  in  this  notice  Dr.  Alexander  H.  Japp’s 
Circle  of  the  Year — a volume  “ printed  simply  with  the  view  of  giving  pleasure  to 
friends,”  of  which  “no  quotation  or  public  notice  whatever  is  desired.”'  But 
many  of  the  sonnets  and  other  poems  have  appeared  in  periodicals,  and  it  may  be 
hoped  that  before  very  long  Dr.  Japp  will  see  the  wisdom  of  making  this  volume 
more  readily  accessible.  We  would,  however,  rather  see  a selection  than  the 
whole  made  public,  for  some  of  the  verses  are  distinctly  less  meritorious  than 
others,  and  some  commemorate  folk  of  whom  the  world  knows  little.  But  among 
the  sonnets  especially  are  many  fine  and  beautiful  things,  such  as  the  series  on 
“ Great  Poets,”  from  which  we  may  cite  the  following  on  Tennyson  : — 

“ The  soft,  enchanting  light  that,  wavering,  lays 
A charm  in  English  garden  in  the  noon, 

When  all  is  still,  and  but  the  goldcrest’s  tune 
Is  heard  in  softer  bursts  about  the  ways  : 

And  all  is  wrapped  in  sweet  and  dreamy  haze 
Born  of  the  warmth,  that  is  a welcome  boon — 

IMore  welcome  when  the  birds  shall  waken  soon 
And  shake  the  censers  of  the  limes  and  bays. 

While  round  shall  rise  the  sound  of  work  and  stir — 

The  voice  of  busy  men  in  field  and  grove. 

All  mellowed  by  the  distance  ; and  the  bells 
Send  out  their  chime  that  ever  softly  tells 

How  life  beats  out  for  each  ; and  sweet  is  love— 

Sweet  as  the  coo  of  dove  in  yonder  fir.” 

This  sonnet,  we  gather,  has  not  hitherto  appeared  in  print.  Here  is  a season- 
able one  which  has  already  been  published  : — 

“An  October  Morning. 

“ Black  rooks  are  scolding  on  the  elm-tops  green 

That  gently  sway,  though  scarce  a wind  doth  stir, 

A blackbird  sends  his  note  from  yonder  fir, 

And  robins’  breasts  match  well  the  haws  they  glean. 

A wood-dove  passes  near  me,  with  a sheen 
Of  silvery  radiance,  and  a sudden  whirr 
Of  rapid  wings  ; the  gauzy  gossamer 
On  dewy  bush  shines  fair.  Above,  serene 
Clear  depths  of  azure  sky  ; and  far  withdrawn 
Grey  shreds  of  cloud  that  linger  on  the  verge 
Of  dim  horizon,  telling  still  of  dawn. 

Edged  with  a snowy  whiteness  like  the  surge 

Of  summer  seas.  The  air  is  crisp  with  frost. 

And  larks  and  linnets  pipe  for  summer  lost.” 


SHORT  NOTICES  OF  BOOKS, 


197 


SELBORNIANA. 

Janies  Russell  Lowell  on  Selborne.— The  following  extract  from 
Lord  Selborne’s  speech  at  Selborne  on  June  24th  is  of  interest  on  account  of  the 
lines  by  Mr.  Russell  Lowell,  which,  we  believe,  have  not  hitherto  been  published  : 

“ The  late  James  Russell  Lowell,  one  of  the  most  eminent  literary  men  of  his 
country,  said  in  the  beginning  of  his  book.  My  Study  W’indo'tjs,  that  White  had 
had  a great  deal  of  influence  upon  his  love  for  and  observation  of  nature, 
and  added  : — ‘ One  of  the  most  delightful  books  in  my  father’s  library  was 
White’s  Natural  History  of  Selborne.  For  me  it  has  rather  gained  in  charm  with 
years.  I used  to  read  it  without  knowing  the  great  pleasure  I found  in  it  ; but  as 
I grow  older  I begin  to  detect  some  of  the  simple  expedients  of  this  natural 
magic.  Open  the  book  where  you  will  it  takes  you  out  of  doors.  In  simplicity 
of  taste  and  natural  refinement  it  reminds  one  of  Walton,  and  in  tenderness  of 

Cowper The  book  has  also  the  delightfulness  of  absolute  leisure. 

Mr.  White  seems  never  to  have  had  any  harder  work  to  do  than  to  study  the 
habits  of  his  feathered  fellow  creatures,  and  watch  his  peaches  ripening  ; his 
volumes  are  a journal  of  Adam  in  Paradise.  It  is  positive  rest  only  to  look  at 
that  garden.’  He  (Lord  Selborne)  could  not  do  better  than  conclude  this 
reference  to  so  distinguished  an  author  by  reading  some  lines  written  by  him  for 
his  daughter,  Lady  Sophia  Palmer,  in  1S80,  when  he  was  his  guest — ■ 

“ To  visit  Selborne  had  been  sweet 
No  matter  what  the  rest  might  be  ; 

But  some  good  genius  led  my  feet 
Thither  in  such  tit  company. 

As  trebled  all  its  charms  for  me. 

“ With  them  to  seek  his  headstone  grey. 

The  lover  true  to  birds  and  trees. 

Added  strange  sunshine  to  the  day. 

My  eye  a scene  familiar  sees. 

And  Home  ! is  whispered  by  the  breeze. 

“ My  English  blood  its  right  reclaims  ; 

In  vain  the  sea  its  barrier  rears  ; 

Our  pride  is  fed  by  England’s  fame. 

Ours  is  her  glorious  length  of  years  ; 

Ours,  too,  her  triumphs  and  her  tears.” 

“ Timothy.” — It  may  be  of  interest  to  many  of  your  leaders  to  know  some- 
thing of  the  whereabouts  of  such  “mortal  remains  ” as  are  lelt  of  “Timothy,” 
Gilbert  White’s  favourite  tortoise.  His  shell,  which  has  something  very  charac- 
teristic about  it,  came  into  the  possession  of  Mrs.  Christopher,  Gilbert  White’s 
great-niece,  and  was  by  her  presented,  some  forty  years  ago,  to  the  British 
Museum.  It  is  now  among  the  tortoises  in  the  Natural  History  Museum  at 
South  Kensington,  distinguislied  only  by  the  name  of  the  donor.  The  authorities 
have,  however,  promised  to  see  whether  they  cannot  affix  some  mark  to  call 
attention  to  its  history.  It  is  to  be  found,  at  present  in  the  tortoise  and  crocodile 
room,  case  38,  bottom  back  row,  and  is  the  fourth  from  the  end  of  the  case. 
The  stand  bears  the  inscription  “ Testudo  ibera,  Mrs.  Christopher.”  Four  or  five 
of  the  scales  are  wanting,  otherwise  “ Timothy  ” is  in  good  condition.  The  shell 
is  about  ten  inches  in  length,  dark  in  colour  and  well  marked.  Its  present  position 
is  a very  inconvenient  one,  but  if  lovers  of  Selborne  make  a point  of  asking  to  see 
liim,  the  courteous  authorities  will  doubtless  give  “ Timothy  ” a more  honourable 
place. 

Lensdon  Vicarage,  Ashburton.  Gilbert  White. 

Gilbert  White’s  House  (pp.  155,178).— On  the  occasion  of  the  centenary 
celebration,  by  the  kindness  of  P'.  \V.  Read,  Esq.,  Mr.  Frost,  of  Market  .Street, 
Alton,  was  allowed  to  have  a stand  for  the  sale  of  such  photographs  on  the  lawn 
of  “The  Wakes.”  They  were  priced  from  6d.  to  6s.  No  doubt  he  would  seixl 
a selection  on  approval. 

K.  A.  W. 


NATURE  NOTES. 


198 

Good  News  from  Russia. — News  comes  from  Russia  of  the  intervention 
of  the  authorities  on  behalf  of  nightingales.  The  police  of  Kiew  found  some 
birdcatchers.  who  were  on  their  way  to  Moscow  with  six  hundred  nightingales 
in  cages.  The  birdcatchers  were  captured  and  fined,  and  their  little  victims  'were 
taken  to  the  Botanic  Gardens  and  released.  It  is  said  they  rose  in  the  air  in 
song,  which  was  responded  to  by  the  other  birds  around. — Alhenattm,  July  l. 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES. 

Bird  Tapping  at  Window  (pp.  96, 117). — I noticed  this  with  regard  to  one 
of  the  beautiful  little  Australian  robins  \Petroica  multicolor).  He  was  evidently 
incensed  at  seeing  his  own  reflection  in  one  of  the  windows  of  my  cottage,  and 
forthwith  laid  siege  to  the  offending  pane  with  the  utmost  vigour  and  tenacity. 
His  perseverance  was  truly  admirable.  Day  after  day  (Sundays  not  excepted),  and 
week  after  week,  he  was  there,  flying  at  the  pane  and  pecking  it  with  all  his  pigmy 
strength,  until  his  poor  little  beak  w.as  quite  blunted.  We  repeatedly  drove  him 
away,  hurling  chips  and  bits  of  mould  and  other  harmless  missiles  after  him,  but  it 
was  of  no  avail.  Several  times  he  came  inside,  probably  with  a view  to  attacking 
the  foe  in  the  rear.  On  these  occasions  he  would  be  captured,  petted  a little,  and 
then  put  out  at  the  front  door,  but  in  a few  seconds  he  was  again  at  the  back  window, 
attacking  it  with  redoubled  fury.  At  length  the  dauntless  little  warrior  succumbed 
to  the  inevitable,  viz.,  a charmer  of  his  own  species,  who  converted  him  to  a more 
amiable  frame  of  mind,  and  we  trust  they  “ lived  happy  ever  afterwards,”  for 
he  troubled  us  no  more. 

IVaratah,  Mt.  Bischoff',  Tasmania.  Hamilton'  Stuart  Dove. 

Leaf-cutter  Bee. — The  “ Bees’  Nests”  mentioned  on  page  158  were  un- 
doubtedly the  leaf-constructed  cells  of  this  bee.  I have  in  my  garden  a rose  bush 
of  the  kind  known  as  the  “Seven  Sisters,”  and  this  has  during  May  and  June 
of  the  present  year  been  greatly  frequented  by  the  Leaf-cutters.  It  is  marvellous 
to  see  these  little  insects  cutting  out  their  ovals  and  circles  from  the  rose  leaves. 
They  also  resort  to  the  laburnum  and  even  the  lilac  for  this  purpose.  The  majority 
of  the  bees  had  their  burrows  in  the  mortar  covering  the  top  of  the  garden  wall.  One 
individual,  however,  took  a fancy  to  a large  flower  pot,  in  which  a Christmas 
rose  and  some  lilies  of  the  valley  were  growing,  and  having  burrowed  a short 
distance  below  the  surface  was  observed  soon  after  conveying  pieces  of  rose  leaves 
into  the  burrow.  Five  of  the  ingeniously  constructed  cells  were  afterwards  taken 
from  the  pot.  A name  which  I once  heard  applied  to  this  liee,  viz.,  “Scissor 
bee,”  struck  me  as  being  by  no  means  inappropriate.  A good  popular  work  on 
British  wild  bees  is  still  a desideratum. 

Fyfield,  Abingdo)i.  W.  H.  Warner. 

Dog  and  Kittens. — A lady  living  at  Dartford  has  a female  dog  and  also 
a she  cat.  Not  long  ago  the  cat  kittened,  and  a day  or  two  after  this  the  dog, 
observing  the  kittens,  carried  them  off,  one  by  one,  into  her  own  bed,  washing 
and  nursing  them  as  though  they  were  her  own  pups.  The  strangest  part  of  the 
story  is  that  the  dog  had  not  then  or  recently  pupped.  She  h.ad  had  several 
litters  before,  and  no  doubt  her  maternal  instincts  were  strong.  The  supposed, 
but  quite  unproved  natural  antipathy  between  dog  and  cat  was  here  quite  at  fault. 
The  cat,  however,  asserted  her  rights,  and,  watching  her  opportunity,  carried  the 
kittens  all  back  again  by  degrees.  But  the  rival  mothers  did  not  fight  about  it. 

Robert  biMPSON. 

A September  Horse-chestnut. — I think  it  may  interest  your  readers  to 
know  that  there  is  a Horse-chestnut  tree  with  fresh  flowers  and  some  very  fresh 
green  leaves  in  a lane  leading  from  Campden  Hill  Road  towards  Holland  House. 
The  tree  has  otherwise  the  colouring  of  late  autumn,  and  has  lost  most  of  its 
leaves.  Louisa  E.  Ross. 

The  Dogwood. — Apropos  to  the  second  blossoming  of  the  pear  tree  recorded 
on  p.  179,  I should  like  to  mention  that  during  a ramble  in  this  neighbourhood 
on  August  29th  I came  upon  several  bushes  of  the  dogwood  in  bloom,  the 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES.  199 

blossoms  on  the  said  bvishes  being  accompanied  \vijth'*bunches  of  the  purplish 
black  berries.  That  semi-wild  shrub  the  Tea-tree. (Zjw/w  iMrl>aru»iyh^&  a.\%o 
blossomed  twice  here  during  the  very  remarkable  season  we  are  now  experiencing. 

Fyfiehi,  Abingdon.  W.  II.  Warner. 

Butterflies  and  Moths. — For  the  last  month  we  have  noticed  r moSt 
extraordinary  number  of  Red  Admirals  in  our  garden.  They  settle  and  feed  on 
the  rotten  apples,  four  on  one  apple  sometimes,  and  we  have  seen  fourteen  or 
fifteen  all  grouped  together.  They  seem  quite  tame  and  hardly  ever  fly  away, 
and  will  sometimes  settle  on  our  clothes.  I wonder  if  others  have  noticed  an 
extra  quantity  of  these  butterflies  in  other  parts.  We  have  also  beert  visited  by 
the  Humming-bird  Hawk-moth,  which  we  have  not  noticed  here  before.  Two 
of  these  moths  appear  every  day,  and  with  their  long  proboscis  suck  out  the  honey 
from  every  bloom  of  geranium  and  lobelia ; they  allow  us  to  stand  quite  close  to 
them,  and  while  suspended  over  the  flowers  we  can  distinctly  hear  the  humming 
noise  made  by  the  rapid  vibration  of  their  wings. 

Oakley,  Brill.  A.  1\I.  G. 

Note  on  Aphides. — One  evening  last  June  I w.as  walking  about'  my 
garden  when  I noticed  a flourishing  nipplewort  i^Lapsana  communis)  which'  Was 
plainly  enough  a plant  in  the  wrong  place,  viz.,  among  my  potatoes.  I was 
about  to  pull  it  up,  but  forbore  because  I saw  the  tender  top  part  was  covered 
with  green  aphides  and  that  these  were  in  a commotion.  This  was  ilote- 
worthy,  for  aphides  are  not  celebrated  for  devotion  to  exercise,  saving  sttctbrial. 

So  I bent  down  for  closer  study.  They  numbered  roughly  about  a hundred  ; 
a few  were  winged.  But  they  were  perfectly  normally  motionless,  and,  thinking 
my  eyes  had  deceived  me,  the  nipplewort  and  its  colony  were  again  all  but 
doomed.  But  once  more  the  strange  commotion  took  place  and  again  I took 
fresh  observations.  In  a short  time  one  of  the  aphides  gave  a violent  wriggle, 
and  incontinently  the  whole  body  of  them  violently  wriggled.  They  grasped 
the  plant  firmly  with  their  legs  and  swung  their  little  abdomens  vehemently  in 
horizontal  plane  for  the  space  ot  about  hall  a secomi.  This  occurred  periodically 
with  interspaces  of  rest  of  eight  or  ten  seconds— one  aphis  (but  not  always  the 
same  one)  apparently  signalling  and  the  others  immediately  obeying  the  signal. 

I tried  to  persuade  myself  that  the  winged  aphides  were  captains  or  over- 
lookers of  these  gymnastics,  or  that  other  noticeably  large  ones  were  such,  but 
further  study  failed  to  confirm  this  theory.  The  signal,  command,  example,  or 
whatever  it  was,  seemed  to  be  given  by  any  one,  but  was  always  promptly  obeyed 
or  followed.  I watched  this,  to  me,  curious  phenomenon  for  a few  minutes,  and 
was  then  called  away  and  was  not  able  to  repeat  my  observations. 

S'toanton  Morlcy,  Easl  Dereham.  J.  Lewtox  Brain. 

Extraordinary  Behaviour  of  a Cat.— As  I was  sitting  on  the  lawn  one 
day  with  my  cat  — a fine  Persian — on  my  lap,  I was  startled  by  her  making  a 
frantic  rush  into  the  nearest  bushes,  and  looking  up  I saw  that  the  butcher  harl 
just  entered  the  garden.  On  being  (piestioned,  he  told  me  that  this  particular 
cat  always  behaved  in  this  manner  on  his  appearance,  although  he  had  never 
done  anything  to  frighten  it,  and  the  other  cats  took  no  notice  of  him.  Oddly 
enough,  a few  days  alter  this  occurrence,  the  Persian’s  kitten  was  with  me,  and 
acted  in  precisely  the  same  manner,  except  that  she  clung  round  my  neck,  hiding 
her  face  in  abject  terror.  Can  any  of  your  readers  quote  any  similar  case  as 
having  come  under  their  notice,  and  if  so,  will  they  explain  it  ? 

Mountfield  Vicarage,  Hawkhnrst.  E.  II.  Crorts. 

Poisoning  of  Birds. — A few  days  ago  I heard  of  a curious  case  of  poison- 
ing of  pet  birds.  A piece  of  rose  bush,  which  was  covered  with  aphis,  was  given 
to  a bullfinch,  and  it  died  shortly  after.  .Some  was  afterwards  given  to  a linnet — 
as  it  was  not  thought  that  that  was  the  cause  of  the  bullfinch’s  death — with  the 
same  result.  The  birds  picked  the  flies  olf  quite  clean,  and  seemed  very  fond  of 
them,  and  as  both  had  been  brought  up  by  hand  from  the  nest,  it  was  thought  that 
the  birds,  when  wild,  do  not  eat  them.  I should  be  glad  to  know  if  any  reader 
has  noticed  a similar  occurrence. 


A.  J.  P. 


200 


NATURE  NOTES. 


OFFICIAL  NOTICE. 

Up  to  September  23rd  the  Secretary  has  received  £16  4s.  6d.  towards  the 
£'jo  owing  to  the  Hon.  Treasurer.  Those  who  have  sent  donations  since  the  last 
notice  are  Miss  A.  Fry,  Mr.  J.  P.  Kitchin,  Mr.  \V.  B.  Roberts,  Mrs.  Farrow,  Mr. 
T.  J.  Smith,  Mrs.  Morton-Sumner,  Mrs.  C.  T.  Ticehurst,  the  Earl  of  .Stamford, 
Mrs.  Turk,  Mrs.  Needham,  K.  A.  \V.  (per  Mrs.  Myles),  Rev.  E.  A.  Tickell,  Mr. 
R.  A.  Tones,  Mr.  H.  Cecil,  Rev.  F.  M.  Millard,  Miss  C.  M.  Symonds,  Dr. 
J.  C.  Thorowgood,  Mr.  C.  A.  Gisborne,  Mr.  E.  Greenhough,  Miss  Horne, 
A.  E.  F. , Mrs.  Hyde  Clarke,  Mr.  W.  Whitwell,  Mr.  F.  A.  Hort  and  Mr.  J.  E. 
Cooper.  Mrs.  Simeon’s  name  was  erroneously  printed  last  month  as  Simcox. 

A.  J.  Western,  Secretary. 


TO  CORRESPONDENTS. 

A.  G. — Reseda  friiticulosa. 

W.  B.  P. — Mr.  C.  O.  Waterhouse  has  kindly  named  the  galls  as  follows; — 
“ All  galls  of  Hymenoptera  of  the  family  Cynipida  : (l)  Artichoke  gall  of 
Andriciis  gemmx  \ (2)  Cherry  gall  of  Dryophanta  folii',  (3)  Silk  button-gall 
of  Netirotertis  munisnialis  ; (4)  Spangle  gall  of  Neuivtertis  lenticularis.” 

H.  G. — We  do  not  think  the  experiment  was  Selbornian  in  spirit. 

Miss  A. — Avens  (Geum  urbanim). 

W.  W. — Mr.  C.  O.  Waterhouse  says  : “A  longicorn  beetle ; I cannot  say 
more  than  that.” 

P.  P. — The  lines  are  not  quite  suited  to  our  pages. 

E.  B. — Plininlus  ItUetts  , a native  of  North  America,  has  been  naturalised  for 
many  years  in  several  places  in  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  and  finds  a place  in 
our  recent  floras. 

M.  G. — The  viviparous  form  is  not  uncommon. 

F.  S. — Hooker’s  Student’s  Flora  (Macmillan,  los.  fid.)  is  the  best,  or  the 
illustrated  edition  of  Bentham’s  Handbook  (Lovell  Reeve),  but  both  presuppose 
a knowledge  of  ordinary  botanical  terms. 

J.  S.  H. — You  will  find  books  on  footpaths  recommended  in  Nature 
Notes  for  March,  p.  51,  and  May,  p.  89.  Please  note  that  we  cannot  undertake 
to  reply  privately  to  questions. 

L.  D.  L.—  Yes,  it  is  a form  of  Saxifraga  hypnoides. 

K.  R.  — It  was  no  doubt  the  humming-bird  hawkmoth,  which  has  been  seen 
this  summer  in  many  places.  You  will  find  a description  and  figure  in  the  Rev. 
J.  G.  Wood’s  Insects  at  Home,  p.  422,  plate  xiv. 

Miss  D.  W. — Mr.  George  Murray  says; — “ The  fungus  is /’/raZ/rrr  impudi- 
cus,  the  ‘ slinkhorn,’  a great  pest  in  gardens  where  it  grows,  especially  among 
bushes  and  in  hedges.  Digging  up  the  thread-like  mycelium  may  do  some  good, 
but  I have  never  heard  of  a successful  case  of  extirpation.  This  nuisance  is  in 
some  cases  so  great  that  people  have  to  leave  their  houses  at  this  time  of  year.” 
It  is  figured  at  p.  190. 

M.  L.  S. — The  Turkey  Oak  (Queirus  Cerris). 

A.  H. — Mr.  Antony  Gepp,  who  has  kindly  examined  the  specimen,  says  “ It 
is  an  immature  moss,  growing  upon  a bright  green  ‘ protonema  ’ (a  felt-work  of 
fine  filaments).  It  is  the  latter  which  presents  the  luminous  appearance.” 

Contributions  for  any  number  should  reach  the  Editor,  James  Britten, 
P'.L..S.,  18,  West  Square,  London,  S.E.,  later  than  the  Y^^th  of  the  mouth. 
The  Editor  cannot  undertake  to  insert  any  communication  in  the  number  for  the 
month  following,  in  cases  where  this  rule  is  not  complied  with. 

When  it  is  particularly  requested,  MSS.  not  accepted  will  be  returned,  if 
stamps  sufficient  to  pay  the  postage  are  sent  for  that  purpose.  In  every  case 
contributions  must  be  accompanied  by  the  name  and  address  of  the  writer. 

It  is  particularly  requested  that  subscriptions  and  letters  connected  with 
business  should  not  be  forwarded  to  the  Editor,  but  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
Selbornf.  Society,  9,  Adam  Street,  Adelphi,  W.C.  Editorial  communications, 
specimens,  and  books  for  review  should  be  addressed  to  Mr.  Britten,  as  above. 


tTbe  Selbovne  Society’s  ^H^agasine 


No.  47.  NOVEMBER,  1893.  Vol.  IV. 


NOTES  ON  A NUTHATCH. 

HIS  garden  is  full  of  a great  number  and  variety  of  birds, 
all  more  or  less  proteges  of  mine  in  the  winter  time  ; but 
I have  never  seen  more  than  one  pair  of  nuthatches, 
and  that  only  within  the  last  twelvemonths.  The  first 
time  I became  aware  of  the  presence  of  a nuthatch  in  the  garden 
was  last  summer.  It  happened  in  this  wise. 

Last  year,  when  the  strawberries  were  ripe,  a squirrel  made 
his  appearance.  Biding  his  time  in  a fir  tree  till  he  thought  he 
was  not  observed,  he  used  to  descend  into  the  strawberry  bed, 
take  a strawberry,  and  return  again  to  his  favourite  tree  to  enjoy 
it  ; this  he  would  do  several  times  in  succession,  whilst  I watched 
him  unobserved.  Thinking  he  must  be  very  hungry  to  devour 
fruit  in  this  eager  way,  I took  compassion  on  him,  and  used  to 
place  some  nuts  daily  at  the  foot  of  his  own  particular  tree. 
These  he  soon  found  out,  and  took  one  by  one  up  to  the  top  of 
the  fir  tree  to  eat,  in  the  same  manner  as  he  had  taken  the  straw- 
berries. He  came  to  the  garden  every  day  for  the  nuts  (not 
forgetting  the  strawberries  as  well)  throughout  the  summer  and 
autumn,  but  late  in  the  latter  season  he  disappeared,  finding, 
doubtless,  that  there  were  then  more  nuts  to  be  got  in  the  woods. 
I continued,  however,  to  put  some  nuts  for  him  in  the  old  place 
in  case  of  his  re-appearance,  and  though  I never  saw  anything  of 
the  squirrel,  the  nuts  disappeared  each  day,  though  there  was  no 
sign  of  his  having  been  there,  as  there  was  not  a single  nutshell 
to  be  seen  anywhere  beneath  the  tree. 

At  first  I thought  it  must  be  a mouse  who  took  the  nuts,  but 
at  last  one  day  the  mystery  was  cleared  up,  for  I suddenly  ob- 
served a nuthatch  fly  up  to  the  roof  of  the  house  with  a nut  in  his 
beak.  This  he  struck  deliberately,  several  times  in  succession, 
against  the  masonry  of  the  chimney,  until  he  had  no  doubt  suf- 


202 


NATURE  NOTES. 


ficiently  cracked  it,  when  he  flew  away.  After  this  he  made  his 
appearance  on  the  lawn,  and  took  some  nuts  that  I had  placed 
there  for  him,  and  gradually — by  placing  the  nuts  nearer  and 
nearer  to  the  house — I induced  him  to  come  up  quite  close  to 
the  windows  for  them.  He  one  day  appeared  accompanied  by 
another  nuthatch,  and  the  pair  used  to  amuse  us  by  carrying  off 
the  nuts,  one  after  the  other,  as  fast  as  they  could  fly  away  with 
them,  returning  for  the  next  before  they  could  possibly  have  had 
time  to  crack  them,  so  they  must  have  stored  them  up  some- 
where, to  crack  and  eat  at  a more  convenient  season.  Though 
the  plumage  of  the  pair  seemed  precisely  similar,  and  I could 
detect  no  difference  in  appearance  between  the  cock  and  hen,  I 
always  knew  my  first  friend,  because  he  was  so  much  bolder 
than  his  mate,  and  when  the  winter  set  in  he  joined  the  other 
birds  who  came  to  be  fed  beneath  the  windows. 

When  there  were  no  nuts  left  he  did  not  disdain  crumbs,  and 
he  was  the  only  one  of  the  small  birds  who  ventured  to  drive 
away  the  sparrows.  He  used  to  rush  at  them  sometimes  in 
the  most  vicious  way,  while  these  usually  only  too  bold  birds 
would  disperse  in  all  directions  before  the  onslaught  of  his 
terrible-looking  beak.  Then,  left  master  of  the  situation,  he 
would  pick  up  three  or  four  crumbs  in  his  beak,  and  fly  off  with 
them,  evidently  to  feed  his  more  retiring  companion  who  was  in 
waiting  not  far  off. 

At  last,  it  gradually  dawned  upon  the  nuthatch  mind  that 
the  nuts  and  crumbs  did  not  come  there  by  accident,  and  that  I 
had  something  to  do  with  the  matter.  As  soon  as  he  had  grasped 
this  fact  he  threw  away  the  last  remnants  of  caution,  and  boldly 
took  up  his  position  every  morning  on  a stick  (intended  as  a 
support  for  a carnation)  standing  up  in  the  flower-bed  in  front  of 
the  window,  whilst  I watched  him  therefrom.  Then  he  used  to 
utter  a quaint  little  note,  to  draw  my  attention  to  the  fact  that 
he  was  there,  and  wait  patiently  till  I put  out  the  nuts  for  him, 
which  he  seized  upon  at  once,  carrying  them  off  one  by  one; 
nor  w’ould  he  ever  touch  a single  crumb  as  long  as  there  was  the 
least  hope  of  getting  any  more  nuts  from  me.  So  tame  did  he 
become  that  he  used  to  catch  them  as  I threw  them  out  from 
the  open  window.  At  last,  thinking  what  a long  time  it  must 
take  him  to  crack  them,  I used  to  crack  them  for  him,  throwing 
out  the  kernels  only.  This  seemed  to  please  him  immensely  ; he 
instantly  realised  how  much  work  this  would  save  him,  for  he 
would  always  select  the  kernels  in  preference  to  any  uncracked 
nuts,  and  on  one  occasion,  when  I had  thrown  out  a nut  without 
having  cracked  it,  he  would  not  touch  it  until  he  had  satisfied 
himself  that  there  was  not  a kernel  to  be  found  anywhere.  As 
soon  as  he  had  finished  carrying  off  his  daily  allowance  of  nuts, 
he  would  resort  to  the  crumbs,  but  not  before  he  had  remained 
some  little  time  on  his  stick,  uttering  the  most  discontented  little 
cries,  and  looking  at  me  with  quite  pathetic  eyes,  in  the  hope  of 
inducing  me  to  give  him  more  nuts  first. 


THOMAS  BARKER’S  NOTE-BOOKS. 


203 


In  the  spring  both  he  and  his  mate  disappeared.  I suppose 
they  were  too  busy  building  their  nest  to  have  time  for  such 
trifles  as  nuts,  and  I have  not  seen  the  hen  since,  though  my  old 
friend,  the  cock  bird,  suddenly  appeared  one  day  not  long  ago, 
when  I was  sitting  in  the  garden.  He  perched  on  an  apple  tree, 
uttering  his  usual  plaintive  note,  evidently  to  attract  my  atten- 
tion, for  he  waited  whilst  I went  into  the  house  to  fetch  some 
nuts,  and  when  I returned  and  placed  them  on  the  ground  near 
me,  he  descended  and  carried  off  about  a dozen  kernels  ; whether 
he  fed  his  mate  or  his  young  ones  with  them  I do  not  know,  but 
he  could  not  possibly  have  eaten  them  all  himself  in  so  short  a 
time.  Since  then  he  has  again  disappeared,  but  I daresay  as 
soon  as  he  has  finished  the  work  of  rearing  his  young  he  will 
once  more  remember  that  nuts  are  sweet. 

B.  Downing. 

Sutton  Waldron  Rectory, 

Blandford,  Dorset. 


THOMAS  BARKER’S  NOTE-BOOKS. 


search. 


HOMAS  BARKER,  Gilbert  White’s  brother-in-law, 
was  a kindred  spirit  to  the  great  naturalist,  and  a man 
of  considerable  powers  of  observation,  some  of  his  ex- 
periments seeming  to  anticipate  later  methods  of  re- 
He  was  born  in  1722,  his  father  being  Samuel  Barker, 
of  Lyndon  Hall,  Rutlandshire,  and  his  mother,  Sarah  Whiston, 
a daughter  of  the  learned  translator  of  Josephus.  Being  the  eldest 
son,  he  succeeded  his  father  at  Lyndon,  and  resided  there  most 
of  his  life.  He  had  only  one  son,  Samuel,  and  the  family  is  now' 
extinct  in  the  male  line.  Two  of  his  note-books  and  two  of  his 
mother’s  are  in  the  possession  of  my  father,  the  Rev.  F.  Gilbert 
White,  of  Lensdon  Vicarage,  and  I propose  to  give  some  short 
account  of  them. 

Many  of  Thomas  Barker’s  notes  formed  the  groundw'ork 
of  papers  contributed  by  him  to  the  Philosophical  Transactions. 
Among  those  unpublished  is  a naturalist’s  calendar,  wTich  he 
seems  to  have  begun  as  a mere  boy,  and  continued  to  within 
two  years  of  his  death  in  1802.  A few  extracts  from  various, 
years  will  show  its  character,  and  afford  points  of  comparison 
with  Gilbert  White’s  : — 


“1736  [the  first  entry]. 

“ March  28.  First  swallows  seen.  S. 

,,  31.  A flock  of  wild  geese  flew'.  G.  W. 

April  6.  The  cuckow  heard.  G.  W. 

,,  8.  The  first  martin  observed.  S. 

jMid.  Cowslips  flowered. 

,,  Oaks  put  out,  &c.” 


204 


NATURE  NOTES. 


“ 1739- 

“ In  the  spring,  when  the  swallows,  martins  and  swifts  came, 
swifts  were  very  common,  who  used  to  fly  about  later  in  the 
evening  than  either  swallows  or  martins,  and  about  May  there 
were  more  swallows  to  be  seen  than  martins.  But  now  I do  not 
know  there  has  been  a swift  seen  since  June,  and  there  are  far 
more  martins  than  swallows.  i\Iany  swallows,  which  I reckon 
are  young  ones,  have  not  now  the  two  long  feathers  in  their  tails. 
I have  not  often  seen  martins  so  far  from  home  as  swallows.” 

“ 1746. 

“ April  10.  First  wasp  seen.  T. 

,,  12.  First  swallows  seen.  S. 

,,  21.  The  cuckow  heard. 

,,  22.  First  swift  seen.  S. 

,,  End.  Plums  flower'd,  &c.” 

“1756. 

“ April  27.  First  swifts  seen,  but  did  not  stay.  I suspect  these 
swifts  were  going  to  settle  in  some  other  place,  for  though  they 
flew  backward  and  forward  as  after  flys,  yet  they  kept  in  general 
moving  off  toward  N.N.W.,  continued  very  high  in  the  air,  and  I 
have  seen  none  since  by  this  time.  May  ist.” 

“ 1801  [last  entry]. 


April 

19. 

First  swallow. 

26. 

Nightingale  heard. 

5 5 

26. 

Cuckow  heard. 

May 

I. 

Martins,  but  very  few 

55 

12. 

Swifts. 

Aug. 

Oct. 


beg. 

4- 


The  following 


Swifts  went  away. 

Swallows  went  away. 

The  martins  have  been  gone  some  time.” 
notes  are  taken  from  various  parts  of  Thomas 
Barker’s  note  books  : — 

“May  5,  1750.  The  yew  tree  in  Selborne  churchyard — 

Girth  at  the  root  ...  ...  ...  18  ft.  ii  in. 

,,  middle  of  body  ...  ...  22  ft.  bin. 

,,  height  of  body  ...  ...  6 ft. 

Topmost  bough  about...  ...  ...  35  ft.” 

“ Aug.  7,  1753.  The  yew  in  Priors  Dean  Churchyard — 

Girth  at  the  middle  of  the  body  ...  21  ft.  ii  in. 

,,  height  of  the  body  ...  ...  7 ft. 

Topmost  bough  about  ...  ..  45  ft. 

“ The  chesnut  tree  at  INIardford — 

Girth  ...  17  ft.  3 in.,  afterward  ...  17  ft.  10  in. 

“ It  is  so  irregular,  it  is  difficult  to  measure  exactly.  Some 
loads  of  wood  (perhaps  4)  were  blown  off  the  top  by  the  storm 
in  1703.” 

“ July  24,  1747.  A little  before  ten  at  night,  a white  stream — 
probably  of  a northern  light — reached  almost  from  one  horizon  to 
the  other,  from  \V.  by  S.  to  E.  by  N.,  passing  over  the  neck  and 
head  of  the  Serpent,  and  just  S.  of  the  bright  star  in  the  Harp, 


THOMAS  BARKER’S  NOTE-BOOKS. 


205 


over  Andromeda’s  head,  and  as  low  as  Aries,  but  somewhat  south 
of  it.  This  remarkable  stream  had  no  considerable  motion,  but 
seemed  to  move  rather  towards  the  south,  and  by  ten  of  the  clock 
was  much  faded  and  shorter  at  the  east  end,  and  was  quite  gone 
before  10.25.” 

“ Feb.  19,  1745-6.  After  a sharp  frost  of  considerable  length, 
when  the  ice  and  thawed  snow  had  covered  the  water  four  and 
a-half  or  five  inches  thick,  in  the  thaw  when  it  was  wasted  to  an 
inch  or  less,  I pulled  a piece  of  ice  out  of  the  water,  and  was  sur- 
prised— as  I drew  it  out — to  see  on  the  lower  side,  which  had 
been  so  long  quite  covered  with  water,  a spider  alive  and  brisk, 
seeming  to  have  lived  under  water  (as  they  say  swallows  do 
under  the  sea  in  Sweden),  for  it  plainly  came  up  out  of  the  water 
with  the  ice ; nor  could  I see  how  it  could  get  into  that  place 
since  the  frost.” 

“ In  1767  I twice  saw  a spider  fascinating  a fly.  The  spider 
stood  underneath  its  webb,  and  a very  little  fly  of  the  large  winged 
kind,  fluttered  about  above  it,  did  not  appear  to  be  at  all  en- 
tangled, but  flew  about  from  place  to  place  of  the  webb,  the 
spider  still  following,  and  placing  itself  just  under  it.  The  fly, 
though  unconfined,  would  not  leave  the  webb,  but  still  continued 
to  fly  about  it,  and  by  degrees  seemed  to  affect  to  hover  just  over 
the  spider  ; and  at  length  laid  itself  down  on  the  webb,  and  suf- 
fered the  spider  to  come  and  seize  it  without  a struggle,  which  it 
did,  and  in  a little  time  drew  it  through  the  webb  and  carried 
it  off.” 

.-\mong  his  longer  and  more  elaborate  notes  are  some  experi- 
ments on  bees,  which  read  curiously  like  an  anticipation  of  those 
of  Sir  J.  Lubbock;  some  elaborate  experiments  on  the  growth 
of  mint ; and  notes  on  various  plants  and  seeds. 

Enough  has  perhaps  been  said  to  show  that  Thomas  Barker 
was  not  unworthy  of  his  close  connection  with  his  more  illustrious 
brother-in-law,  whom  he  survived  by  nine  years.  Thomas 
Barker  came  of  a well-known  Rutlandshire  family,  and  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  some  day  the  ancient  “ Barker  Papers,”  in  the  pos- 
session of  the  Rev.  Edmund  Field — which  have  alf^dy  been 
catalogued  and  described  by  the  Government — will  be  published. 

Gilbert  White. 


Generosity  in  a Dog. — A striking  instance  of  this  is  to  be  found  in  the 
behaviour  of  our  beautiful  black  retriever.  A thin,  starved-looking  dog  who  lives 
opposite  our  house,  comes  regularly  every  day  to  “ Ashley’s  ” kennel,  and  he 
saves  daily  half  his  food  for  his  visitor,  watching  him  with  a complacent  counten- 
ance whilst  he  devours  it.  One  week  in  consequence  of  our  absence  from  home, 
“ Ashley  ” ran  short  of  food,  but  still  he  saved  part  of  his  meagre  pittance  for 
his  humble  friend.  Besides  this,  all  the  cats  about  the  place  come  and  feed  out 
of  “Ashley’s”  dish  whenever  they  choose,  and  he  freely  lets  them  do  so,  not 
because  he  has  more  than  he  can  eat,  as  witness  his  conduct  during  our  absence, 
but  from  a natural  unselfishness  and  kindness  of  heart. 


G.  S.  Henslow. 


206 


NATURE  NOTES. 


A COUPLE  OF  SPIDERS. 

VERY  year  there  come  to  my  garden  one  or  two  spiders 
with  backs  striped  yellow  and  black  like  zebras ; they 
make  large  geometrical  webs  and  squat  in  the  middle 
of  them.  Their  body  is  somewhat  larger  than  my 
thumb-nail,  and,  of  course,  they  have  the  regulation  number  of 
legs  and  so  forth.  Often  when  passing  through  underwoods  I 
have  intensely  resented  having  my  face  inscribed  like  an  ellipse 
in  one  of  these  circular  webs  with  my  nose  accurately  pointing 
out  the  common  centre  where  the  owner  of  the  circle  pre- 
sided in  prior  possession.  I used  once  to  think  that  I ran 
considerable  risk  in  these  encounters ; the  glare  of  the  keen 
little  eyes  looked  dangerous,  and  the  formidable  jaws  promised 
poison.  Moreover,  I had  seen  them  in  Italy  so  large  that  they 
thought  nothing  of  spinning  up  a locust  or  even  a mantis  four 
inches  in  length,  so  I was  afraid  they  might  look  upon  my  nose 
merely  as  a ordinary  meal,  at  any  rate  as  far  as  the  first  bite  was 
concerned.  Never  was  there  a greater  mistake.  I suppose  they 
can  see  out  of  those  bright  eyes  of  theirs,  but  I never  could  get 
any  proof  of  the  fact ; they  contemplate  the  outer  world  with  the 
unruffled  demeanour  of  a philosopher,  and  nothing  I could  do 
before  their  eyes  ever  disturbed  their  serenity.  They  seem  to 
judge  of  all  things  in  heaven  and  earth  by  the  feel  of  their  web, 
and  the  nose  of  a human  mortal  is  generally  advanced  with  a 
force  too  great  for  negotiation.  When  they  are  not  in  the  centre 
of  their  web,  I have  held  flies  under  their  very  noses  in  vain. 
Flies  may  walk  between  their  legs  and  under  their  jaws  with 
perfect  security ; without  a web  they  do  not  attack  anything, 
and  in  their  web  they  follow  the  rule  of  hitting  people  of  their 
own  size  or  under.  Hence,  beyond  the  unpleasantness  of  the 
feel  of  a spider’s  web,  nothing  need  be  apprehended  from  walk- 
ing into  the  spider’s  parlour. 

I found  the  ways  of  m3'  eight-legged  friends  so  entertaining 
in  the  garden  that  I determined  to  bring  them  under  closer 
obser\-ation  in  my  own  room.  I provided  myself  with  a milli- 
ner’s box  having  a glass  top,  bored  air-holes  in  the  side,  and 
imprisoned  my  first  captive,  much  to  her  disgust.  She  sulked  at 
first  for  a day  or  two,  evidentl)'  not  expecting  ever  to  find  food 
in  so  forsaken  a hole ; but  when  my  captive  flies  began  to  buzz 
against  her  in  their  attempts  to  escape,  she  determined  to  make 
the  best  of  a bad  job.  It  was  a very  irregular  circle  she  in- 
scribed in  the  parallelogram,  but,  like  Mercutio’s  wound,  it 
served.  Studying  the  habits  of  the  flies,  I discovered  where  the 
bluebottles  slept  at  night,  and  thenceforward  my  spider  lived  in 
bloated  prosperity.  I am  bound  to  say,  however,  that  her 
experience  of  plenty  did  not  convince  her  of  my  wisdom  in 
selecting  a site  for  a web,  for  one  day  I inadvertently  left  the 
box  open  and  she  at  once  abandoned  the  house  of  bondage  and 
plenty,  leaving  me  an  uneasy  sense  of  possibl}'  finding  her  under 


A COUPLE  OF  SPIDERS. 


207 


my  pillow.  After  a couple  of  days  I found  her  with  a perfectly 
correct  web  in  a corner  of  my  library,  where  she  was  not  likely 
to  meet  with  more  than  two  flies  a year.  She  was  thin,  and 
doubtless  hankered  after  the  flesh-pots  of  Egypt,  though  deter- 
mined not  to  return  to  bondage. 

Before  this,  1 had  discovered  a radical  defect  in  my  regime. 
1 had  never  seen  spiders  drinking,  and  must  have  had  some 
vague  idea  of  the  blood  of  their  victims  sufficing.  Fortunately 
for  my  captive  I was  always  trying  some  e.xperiment  or  other  on 
her;  she  did  not  acknowledge  it,  but  this  curiosity  was  a blessing 
in  disguise.  At  any  rate,  one  day  I squirted  a little  jet  of  water 
at  her  from  a pipette,  just  to  see  what  she  would  do.  To  my 
surprise  she  lowered  herself  down  to  the  pool  on  the  floor  of  the 
box  and  gulped  it  up  with  spasmodic  eagerness.  I apologised 
handsomely  for  my  ignorant  neglect,  and  thenceforward  she  had 
a good  suck  at  the  pipette  every  day;  never,  however,  without 
trying  to  spin  up  for  good  and  all  the  source  of  the  beneficent 
supply.  She  never  learned  to  discriminate  between  movement 
and  life,  and  to  her  dying  day  was  always  ready  with  a fruitless 
web  for  glass  pipettes  and  buzzing  tuning-forks.  I suppose  in 
their  native  state  the  beads  of  dew  and  rain  on  their  webs  give 
them  enough  to  drink;  but  even  there  they  never  say  no  to  a 
friendly  invitation  to  “take  a drop”  from  the  end  of  a straw. 
I often  amused  myself  by  putting  strange  creatures  into  her  web, 
such  as  ants  and  garden-bugs.  In  Italy  I have  seen  the  most 
interesting  encounters  between  ants  and  spiders,  not  always  to 
the  disadvantage  of  the  former.  For  instance,  one  large  black 
ant  whom  I had  introduced  into  a web  got  so  enraged  that  he 
walked  literally  into  the  spider’s  parlour,  turned  out  the  occu- 
pant, and  dragged  out  his  whole  store  of  flies,  some  four  or  five 
in  number.  I never  could  find  an  ant  big  enough  to  incommode 
my  pet,  but  snails  were  a great  puzzle  both  to  her  and  to  them- 
selves. The  fluid  ejected  by  a distressed  garden-bug  has  a 
peculiar  chemical  effect  upon  the  web  in  which  he  is  being  spun 
up,  and  moreover  is  decidedly  unpleasant  in  taste  to  the  spider, 
as  the  latter  makes  evident  by  going  to  the  wall  and  rubbing  on 
it  her  widely  open  jaws.  The  same  effect  is  produced  by  the 
innocent  looking  aphis.  It  is  a curious  illustration  of  the  pro- 
verb, “ One  man's  meat  is  another  man’s  poison,”  that  the 
milch-cow  of  the  ant  should  be  the  bugbear  of  the  spider. 

Before  very  long  my  spider  lost  her  appetite  and  grew  to  an 
unwieldy  size  ; the  web  also  lost  its  stickiness.  I knew  that  these 
signs  meant  an  impending  nest,  and  had  great  hopes  of  a brood 
of  pets  to  come.  Sure  enough  the  nest  appeared  one  morning  in 
all  its  completeness,  a marvellous  work  for  a single  night ; I had 
expected  her  to  take  a week  over  the  building  of  it.  I pulled  one 
to  pieces  and  found  that,  inside  the  rough  outer  web,  the  com- 
pact cone  of  eggs  was  wrapped  up  in  a coating  formed  by  a con- 
tinuous silky  thread  apparently  about  a hundred  yards  in  length. 
It  is  an  exquisitely  soft  material,  and  bore  unwinding  to  its  full 


2o8 


NATURE  NOTES. 


extent  without  once  breaking.  I began  to  think  I had  happed 
on  a grand  commercial  discovery,  and,  indeed,  considering  how 
freel}’  my  pets  provided  me  with  nests,  I am  not  at  all  sure  that 
something  could  not  be  made  out  of  it  yet.  However,  the  first 
lot  of  eggs,  like  all  the  rest,  had  not  been  impregnated  and  came 
to  nought.  I never  found  a male  of  the  species,  though  I had 
great  hopes  of  one.  It  was  somewhat  smaller  in  body  than  mine 
and  much  more  lively,  so  it  was  caught  and  introduced  into  the 
same  box  with  the  other.  There  was  quarrelling  and  fighting 
enough  to  set  up  half  a dozen  families,  and  knowing  that  female 
spiders  were  wont  to  bully  their  lords  my  hopes  rose ; but  when 
one  fine  morning  I discovered  two  nests  in  the  box,  I had  to  put 
up  with  my  disappointment.  Space  being  so  limited,  these  two 
had  to  be  content  with  a common  web,  and  it  was  the  funniest 
thing  in  the  world  to  watch  them  fight  for  a half-way  fly. 
Spinoza  was  once  thought  very  silly  for  laughing  himself  sick 
over  a tournament  of  spiders,  but  I must  confess  to  being  wholly 
at  one  with  that  philosopher  on  that  point  at  least.  They  did 
not  appear  ever  to  hurt  each  other  much  until  one  tragic  day. 
They  had  been  for  some  time  without  food  and  were  ravenous. 
A fly  got  into  the  web  between  them  and  both  charged  upon  it. 
After  the  usual  skirmish  the  smaller  one  was  driven  back,  and 
retired  in  high  dudgeon  to  nurse  her  wrath.  She  waited  until 
her  successful  rival  was  completely  absorbed  in  the  juicy  meal, 
and  then  suddenly  took  a gigantic  resolve.  This  was  nothing 
less  than  to  spin  up  both  eater  and  eaten  together  in  one  web. 
It  was  a trick  they  had  often  tried  on  each  other  before,  but  it 
was  always  a case  of  diamond  cut  diamond.  This  time,  how- 
ever, the  larger  one  was  so  intent  on  her  meal  that  she  did  not 
notice  the  spinning  until  she  was  fairly  in  the  toils;  even  then  I 
thought  she  would  escape  as  she  had  alwa3's  done ; but  the  little 
one,  redoubling  her  efforts  when  she  felt  her  advantage,  had  her 
completel}'  tied  up  in  a twinkling,  and  then  a scientific  bite  or 
two  in  the  right  place  finished  the  tragedy  before  I had  time  to 
interfere.  The  proud  victor  made  huge  efforts  to  devour  this 
companion  of  hers,  half  as  large  again  as  herself,  but  could  not 
manage  more  than  her  own  bulk. 

Whether  it  was  in  consequence  of  this  cannibalism  or  not,  I 
cannot  sa)',  but  the  survivor  ne^■er  throve  after  it.  She  first 
became  listless,  and  then  her  legs  began  to  drop  off  one  by  one. 
With  four  legs  left  she  could  still  spin  up  a fly,  and  that  to  her  was 
the  main  end  of  existence.  When,  however,  she  was  reduced  to 
three,  it  was  her  minimum  for  a steady  hold  on  the  web.  I was 
beginning  to  wonder  what  she  would  do  if  she  dwindled  down  to 
a pendulum  on  two  hooks,  when  she  solved  the  problem  by  ceas- 
ing to  struggle  against  fate.  On  the  whole  they  lived  rather 
longer  under  my  care  than  the\'  would  have  done  in  the  garden, 
and  I think  they  were  fairlj'^  happy,  in  spite  of  my  numerous 
experiments.  Thej"  Avere  great  fun  while  thej’  lasted,  but  when 
they  died  the  spider  season  was  over,  and  the  next  year  other 


SOME  BIRD  BOOKS. 


209 


hobbies  took  their  place.  They  have  left  many  questions  about 
themselves  unanswered,  but  they  have  caused  me  to  feel  a deeper 
permanent  interest  in  all  their  tribe.  Spiders  to  me  are  lovely 
yet: 

I only  have  relinquished  one  delight, 

To  live  beneath  their  more  habitual  sway. 

Cape  Town.  F.  C.  Kolbe. 


SOME  BIRD  BOOKS. 

Ornithology  in  Relation  to  Horticulture  and  Agriculture,  by  various  writers. 
Edited  by  John  Watson.  (W.  II.  Allen  & Co.)  4s.  6d.  I heartily  recommend 
this  little  book  to  the  attention  of  Selbornians,  and  I am  confident  that,  were  he 
alive  now,  Gilbert  White  would  do  the  same.  Anyone  who  reads  his  book  care- 
fully will  find  that  he  had  a strong  conviction  that  the  study  of  natural  history 
should  be  turned  to  practical  account.  The  Selborne  Society  cannot  do  better 
work  than  in  encouraging  and  organising  the  collection  of  facts  calculated  to 
throw  light  on  such  questions  as  are  discussed  in  this  book  ; it  cannot  live  and 
prosper  on  sentiment  alone.  It  braces  the  energies  of  the  naturalist,  and  acts 
on  him  like  a wholesome  tonic,  if  he  can  feel  that  he  is  gathering  some  knowledge 
which  is  not  only  interesting  to  himself  but  likely  to  be  useful  to  his  country. 
Facts  are  what  is  wanted — actual  recorded  facts  bearing  on  the  amount  of  good 
or  harm  done  by  birds  and  other  animals  to  the  crops  which  are  the  food  of  man. 

The  book  before  us  is  entirely  devoted  to  the  food  of  certain  species  of  birds, 
and  in  that  large  field  of  observation  it  can  only  be  reckoned  as  a beginning.  The 
subject  is  a very  difficult  one,  and,  as  Mr.  Wood  showed  us  in  The  Farmer's  Friends 
and  Foes,  an  ornithologist  who  would  handle  it  properly  should  also  be  an  ento- 
mologist. But  everyone  may  observe  and  collect  facts  for  himself,  even  without 
any  extensive  knowledge  to  start  with.  lie  should  not  attempt  to  reason  on  his 
facts,  or  he  will  be  sure  to  arrive  at  misleading  conclusions,  but  after  some  time  they 
may  be  submitted  to  a recognised  authority,  and  will  be  sure  to  be  found  useful. 
He  will  find  this  volume  a convenient  guide  to  start  with  ; at  the  same  time  it  will 
show  him  that  facts  must  be  more  widely  and  systematically  collected  if  they  are 
to  lead  to  safe  conclusions.  I notice,  for  example,  that  in  the  case  against  the 
sparrow,  one  or  two  writers  do  not  seem  to  take  into  account  the  difference  between 
various  parts  of  the  country  in  respect  of  the  density  of  the  sparrow  population. 
I am  far  from  being  an  advocate  of  the  sparrow,  but  I am  pretty  sure  that  any 
wholesale  destruction  of  the  species  throughout  the  country  would  be  a misfortune. 
I might,  by  the  way,  suggest  to  Selbornians  one  very  simple  question  on  which 
they  might  bring  a large  amount  of  evidence  to  bear  with  very  little  trouble. 
During  future  summers  let  every  member  observe  and  record  the  number  of  martins 
that  may  within  his  observation  be  evicted  from  their  nests  by  sparrows  ; in  this 
way  we  should  gather  some  valuable  facts  together. 

I will  not  go  in  detail  into  the  chapters  of  the  book  ; as  they  are  by  several 
hands,  and  of  very  different  value,  it  would  be  a little  invidious  to  do  so.  I 
will  content  myself  with  the  remark  that  the  paper  on  the  Rook  by  Mr.  O.  V. 
Aplin  is  a model  of  what  such  a paper  should  be,  viz.,  at  once  readable  and  in- 
teresting, and  well  stored  with  facts.  Mr.  Aplin  does  not  waste  words,  nor 
indulge  in  shallow  sentiment,  but  in  the  true  spirit  of  Gilbert  White  he  tikes  to 
make  sure  of  his  facts,  and  to  record  them  in  a straightforward  and  simple  w’ay. 

Birds  in  a Village,  by  W.  If.  Hudson.  (Chapman  & Hall.)  7s.  6d.  Mr. 
Hudson,  who  has  already  delighted  naturalists,  both  professional  and  amateur, 
with  two  books  on  the  birds  and  beasts  of  South  .America,  has  now  collected  some 
papers  about  the  inhabitants  of  English  fields  and  lanes.  They  are  written  in  a 
charming  style,  are  full  of  thought  and  fancy  as  well  as  fact,  and  are  none  the  less 
worth  reading  because  their  writer  does  not  seem  to  be  quite  as  much  at  home  here 
as  on  the  Pampas.  The  first  and  longest,  which  gives  the  volume  its  name,  is  a 


210 


NATURE  NOTES. 


very  delightful  study  of  the  birds  in  all  their  relations  to  human  beings,  whether 
friends  or  enemies,  bio  one  can  read  this  paper  without  feeling  that  Mr.  Hudson 
has  a streak  of  poetry  in  him,  and  that  the  framing  of  a prose  sentence  is  to  him 
what  the  making  of  a verse  is  to  a poet.  It  is  rarely  that  we  find  the  feeling  of 
an  artist  so  admirably  combined  with  observation  and  knowledge. 

The  next  paper,  “ Exotic  Birds  for  Britain,”  will  perhaps  appeal  more  forcibly 
to  those  who  believe  our  most  beautiful  species  to  be  fast  becoming  extinct,  than  it 
does  to  one  who,  like  myself,  is  unable  to  accept  this  doctrine.  Seeing  no  real 
reason  to  believe  that  kingfisher,  goldfinch,  or  woodpecker  is  likely  to  fail  us  (see 
p.  97),  I should  hesitate  to  welcome  exotic  birds  whose  conduct  in  this  country 
we  could  not  foretell  with  certainty.  Then  follow  several  short  chapters,  of  which 
the  tw'o  best  are,  to  my  thinking,  “ Chanticleer  ”and  “ In  a Garden.”  I will  not 
anticipate  the  reader’s  pleasure  by  telling  him  what  these  are  all  about.  The  book 
is  one  to  be  bought,  for  it  will  be  found  possible  to  read  it  many  times  over  with 
pleasure  and  profit.  I will  only  add  that  I am  glad  to  see  from  his  last  paper  that 
blr.  Hudson  knows  and  admires  Courthope’s  “ Paradise  of  Birds,”  a poem  which 
every  true  Selbornian  should  know  almost  by  heart. 

A Dictionary  of  Birds,  by  Professor  Newton  (and  other  writers).  Parts  l and 
2.  We  have  here  the  first  half  of  an  expansion  of  the  series  of  articles  con- 
tributed by  Professor  Newton  to  the  last  edition  of  the  Encyclopaedia  Britannica. 
When  completed,  the  work  will  cover  the  whole  vast  field  of  ornithology,  and 
will  probably  be  the  most  useful  and  accurate  compendium  of  the  subject  in  any 
language.  I am  quite  incompetent  to  criticise  it,  and  Nature  Notes  is  not  the 
periodical  for  such  a criticism,  but  I am  certain  that  it  should  be  on  the  shelves  of 
every  library  of  natural  history,  and  that  every  ornithologist  should  have  it  on  his 
own  shelf  if  he  can  afford  it.  Fortunately  Messrs.  Black  have  been  able  to  pub- 
lish this  immense  mass  of  information  at  a very  cheap  price.  There  are  to  be 
four  parts,  each  costing  ys.  6d.  Everyone  who  buys  it  will  be  grateful  to  the 
veteran  zoologist  and  his  fellow-workers,  both  English  and  American,  for  articles 
written  so  lucidly  that  even  the  most  difficult  subjects  are  brought  within  the  reach 
of  an  amateur’s  intelligence — if,  that  is,  he  be  willing  to  forego  for  a while  the 
ordinary  “ book  about  birds,”  and  brace  his  mind  with  a little  real  study. 

The  Birds  of  London,  by  PI.  K.  Swann.  (Swan,  .Sonnenschein  & Co.)  2s. 
This  seems  to  be  a useful  little  handbook  of  the  birds  that  may  be  looked  for  in 
London  and  the  neighbourhood.  It  is  largely  based  on  Mr.  Harting’s  excellent 
Birds  of  Middlesex,  which  will  soon  be  thirty  years  old,  and  I think  it  can  hardly 
be  said  that  it  shows  any  great  advance  on  that  valuable  work.  It  is,  however, 
a convenient  little  volume,  and  can  be  carried  easily  in  the  pocket  by  anyone 
who  rambles  about  London  suburbs  in  search  of  birds. 

W.  Warde  Fowler. 


GILBERT  WHITE’S  SELBORNE  PLANTS. 

NDER  this  heading  I have  published  in  the  Journal  of 
i Botanv  for  October  a list  of  the  plants  observed  by 

I White  at  Selborne.  That  periodical  is  seen  by  very 

few  of  the  readers  of  N.\ture  Notes,  and  as  this 

should  be  regarded  as  the  home  of  all  information  connected 
with  \Miite,  I reprint  here  the  introductory  matter  which  tells, 
among  other  things,  ho\v  the  interesting  information  came  into 
my  hands.  For  the  complete  list  the  Journal  of  Botany  must  be 
consulted. 

“ Among  the  omissions  from  our  Bibliographical  List  of  British 
and  Irish  Botanists,  none  is  less  justifiable  than  that  of  Gilbert 
White.  Yet  at  the  time  w'e  did  not  think  his  Letter  xli.  to 
Barrington,  dealing  with  the  ‘ more  rare  ’ plants  of  Selborne, 


GILBERT  WHITE'S  SELBORNE  PLANTS.  21 1 


entitled  his  name  to  inclusion,  although  we  certainly  admitted 
other  names  who  had  no  greater  claim  than  such  a letter  gives. 
We  had  not  then  noted  that  Mr.  Bell,  in  his  edition  of  Selborne 
(ii.  369,  1877),  said  that  he  possessed  a catalogue  of  Selborne 
plants  ‘ in  the  handwriting  of  Gilbert  White,’  which  he  em- 
bodied in  the  list  which  he  gave. 

“ By  the  kindness  of  the  Rev.  Canon  Gordon,  its  fortunate 
possessor,  I have  lately  seen  a copy  of  Hudson’s  Flora  Anglica 
(1762),  which  shows  conclusively  that  White  was  well  acquainted 
with  the  plants  of  his  locality.  The  book  has  White’s  autograph 
on  the  flyleaf,  with  the  date  1765.  Facing  the  title  is  the  follow- 
ing note  in  White’s  hand  : ‘ The  plants  marked  thus  X have  all 
been  found  within  the  parish  of  Selborne  in  the  county  of  South- 
ampton.’ He  evidently  used  the  book  a great  deal,  for  there 
are  several  corrections  of  references,  figures,  &c.,  by  him,  which 
are  not  found  in  the  printed  list  of  errata.  But  the  only  MS.  notes 
other  than  these  are  the  words  ‘ the  candle  rush  ’ added  to  J miens 
conglonicratus  (p.  129) ; an  entry  of  Blackstonia  on  p.  88 — ‘ Gentiana 
corollis  octofidis,  foliis  perfoliatis : vid.  p.  146’;  and  the  addi- 
tion to  Pruniis  Avium  of  the  names  ‘ vulg.  mery  : Fr.  merise.’ 

“ The  volume  afterwards  came  into  the  possession  of  ‘ T. 
Rutger,  Clowance,’  who  employed  it  as  White  had  done,  indi- 
cating the  plants  he  found  by  a circle.  There  is  no  entry  of  this 
in  the  book,  but  Miss  Agnes  Martelli  infers  it  from  the  fact  that 
Erica  ciliaris  is  among  the  plants  thus  marked,  and  I find  further 
confirmation  in  the  marking  of  the  ‘ naked  oats  or  pilcorn,’ 
which  are  characteristic  of  Cornish  cultivation.  Rutger,  as  a 
later  entry  testifies,  presented  the  book  to  Mr.  Philip  Beal  in 
1846.  It  subsequently  came  into  the  hands ’of  a Plymouth 
bookseller,  from  whom  Canon  Gordon  purchased  it  shortly 
after  the  White  centenary  on  June  24th. 

“ The  enumeration  contains  439  species,  and  is  not  therefore 
exhaustive,  although  it  must  be  remembered  that  in  1762  our 
list  was  much  less  extensive  than  it  is  at  present.  One  additional 
plant — V accinium  Oxycoccos — I find  in  Mr.  Bell’s  list  already  re- 
ferred to  on  White’s  authority,  raising  the  number  to  440.” 

James  Britten. 


Dog“  and  Moorhen. — A year  or  two  .ago  I witnessed  a strange  and  curious 
sight  at  my  country  home  by  the  side  of  the  Thames.  In  the  garden,  on  the  lawn, 
I saw  my  brother’s  little  dog,  a fox  terrier,  with  all  the  sporting  propensities  of  its 
race,  playing  with  a moorhen  ! Sometimes  she  jdayfully  caught  a wing,  some- 
times a leg,  in  her  mouth,  sometime  she  pawed  it  and  jumped  towards  it  ; the 
moorhen  seemed  to  be  enjoying  itself  thoroughly,  flying  towards  the  dog  and 
pecking  at  her.  All  this  was  genuine  play  without  the  shadow  of  a doubt  ; for 
ten  minutes  the  game  went  on,  and  it  might  have  continued  longer,  only  we 
called  the  dog  away,  and  then  the  moorhen  flew  off  and  was  no  more  seen. 
Have  any  of  your  readers  ever  experienced  anything  so  remarkable  ? 


C.  R. 


212 


NATURE  NOTES. 


FEATHERED  WOMEN. 

[Overcrowded  as  our  pages  are,  we  cannot  omit  this  important  letter,  which 
Mr.  W.  II.  Hudson  communicated  to  the  Times  of  October  17th,  and  to  which 
that  paper  devotes  an  admirable  leader  which  we  shall,  if  possible,  reprint  next 
month.  Forcible  as  the  words  of  both  are,  they  are  in  no  way  exaggerated  ; and 
it  is  impossible  not  to  feel  disheartened  and  almost  hopeless  when  one  sees 
how  little  the  women  of  the  age  are  affected  either  by  sentiment  or  sarcasm. — 
Ed.  N.N.'\ 

In  a letter  from  Professor  Newton  denouncing  the  bird-wearing  fashion,  which 
appeared  in  your  columns  seventeen  years  ago  (January  28,  1876),  the  writer  pre- 
dicted that  the  continuance  of  such  a mode  would  inevitably  cause  the  extinction 
of  many  of  the  most  beautiful  species  on  the  earth.  We  know  that  it  has  con- 
tinued down  to  the  present  time,  in  spite  of  prophecies  and  protests,  of  ridicule, 
of  all  that  individuals  and  associations  have  been  able  to  do  to  arrest  it.  Many  of 
those  who  have  been  trying  to  save  the  birds  have  doubtless  ere  now  experienced 
the  feeling  which  caused  Ruskin  to  throw  down  his  pen  in  anger  and  sickness  of 
heart  when  engaged  in  writing  Love's  Meinie.  Small  wonder  that  he  could 
not  proceed  with  such  a work  when  he  looked  about  him  to  see  all  women,  even 
his  worshippers,  decorated  with  the  remains  of  slaughtered  songsters  ! I have 
not  the  courage  to  quote  here  the  Cambridge  professor’s  words,  which  you,  sir, 
printed,  but  his  prophecy  has  not  proved  a false  one.  In  the  American  ornitho- 
logical journals  we  read  the  lists  of  bright-plumaged  species  which  are  on  the 
verge  of  extinction  ; and  besides  these,  which  were  lately  abundant  but  are  now 
represented  by  a few  scattered  and  harried  individuals,  there  are  many  others  fast 
becoming  so  rare  that  they  may  be  considered  as  practically  lost  to  the  avi-fauna 
of  that  region.  All  the  world  over,  where  birds  have  a bright-coloured  plumage, 
the  same  destructive  war  has  been  waged,  with  a result  that  may  be  imagined 
when  we  remember  that  for  twenty-five  years  the  fashion  has  been  universal,  and 
that  it  was  estimated  nine  years  ago  that  twenty  to  thirty  millions  of  birds  were 
annually  imported  by  this  country  to  supply  the  home  demand. 

Since  last  autumn  many  of  us  have  been  rejoicing  in  the  belief  that  bird-wear- 
ing was  at  last  going  out.  So  marked  was  the  decline  that  many  of  the  best 
millinery  establishments  at  the  West  End  and  in  country  towns  ceased  to  supply 
birds.  Another  sign  of  the  falling  off  was  the  very  low  prices  at  which  even  the 
finest  examples  were  offered  at  drapers’  and  milliners’  shops  in  the  poorer  and  un- 
fashionable districts  of  London.  In  some  of  the  thoroughfares  where  Saturday 
evening  markets  are  held,  I saw  trays  and  baskets  full  of  tropical  birds  exposed — 
tanagers,  orioles,  kingfishers,  trogons,  humming  birds,  &c. — from  twopence  to 
fourpence-halfpenny  per  bird.  They  were  indeed  cheap — so  cheap  that  even  the 
ragged  girl  from  the  neighbouring  slums  could  decorate  her  battered  hat,  like  any 
fine  lady,  with  some  bright-winged  bird  of  the  tropics.  The  change  was  attributed 
to  that  better  feeling  so  long  desired  ; to  the  literature  which  the  Selborne,  Bird 
Protection,  and  other  Societies  had  been  industriously  disseminating  ; and  to  the 
increased  regard  for  bird  life  which  comes  with  increased  knowledge.  Is  it 
possible  any  longer  to  cherish  such  a belief  when  we  see  the  feathers  displayed  in 
the  windows  of  milliners  and  drapers  in  London  and  every  country  and  seaside 
town  at  the  present  moment  ; when  we  read  in  all  the  ladies'  journals  that  wings 
are  to  be  “ all  the  rage  ” during  the  coming  winter  ; and  when  almost  every 
second  woman  one  sees  in  the  streets  flaunts  an  aigrette  of  heron’s  plumes  on  her 
bonnet?  Of  these  aigrettes  formed  of  “ospreys,"  it  may  be  mentioned  that  they 
consist  of  the  slender  decomposed  dorsal  feathers  of  the  white  herons  or  egrets  ; 
that  they  are  the  bird’s  nuptial  ornaments,  consequently  are  only  to  be  obtained 
during  the  breeding  season,  when  the  death  of  the  parent  bird  involves  the  death 
by  starvation  of  the  young  in  the  nest.  P'or  the  sake  of  the  few  ornamental 
feathers  yielded  by  each  bird  killed,  the  white  herons  have  been  entirely  exter- 
minated in  Florida,  their  great  breeding  district  in  North  America,  and  the 
massacre  has  since  gone  on  in  South  America,  Africa,  India,  and  Australia — the 
birds  being  slaughtered  wholesale  in  the  heronries.  According  to  Lord  Lilford, 
in  his  beautifully-illustrated  Birds  of  the  British  Islands,  the  thoughtless  fashion- 
for  these  feathers  has  caused  the  almost  entire  extermination  of  more  than  one 


FEATHERED  WOMEN. 


213 


species.  About  the  cruelty  of  killing  these  birds  when  they  are  engaged  in  incu- 
bation and  rearing  their  young  nothing  need  be  said  here.  Doubtless  it  is  very 
great,  so  that  men  who  live,  so  to  speak,  in  a rougher  world,  and  are  harder  than 
women,  are  sickened  at  the  thought  of  it  ; but  it  is  really  a very  small  matter, 
scarcely  worthy  of  mention,  compared  with  the  crime  and  monstrous  outrage  of 
deliberately  exterminating  species  such  as  the  snowy  egrets,  birds  of  paradise,  and 
numberless  others,  that  are  being  done  to  death.  F'pr  these  are  not  of  the 
commoner  types,  universally  distributed,  and  mostly  of  modest  colouring,  which 
would  not  be  greatly  missed  after  their  places,  left  vacant,  had  been  occupied  by 
others  ; the  kinds  now  being  destroyed  cannot  be  replaced,  not  in  a thousand 
years,  nor  ever  ; they  are  nature’s  most  brilliant  living  gems  and  give  her  greatest 
lustre.  A dead  and  stuffed  bird  ma)'  be  an  object  of  scientific  interest  to  a man  ; 
without  the  life  and  motion  proper  to  it  it  cannot  well  be  an  object  of  beauty  ; 
but  if  it  were  beautiful  beyond  all  other  objects,  the  thought  of  its  cost — of  the 
ruthless  war  of  destruction  waged  against  bird  life,  and  the  irreparable  loss  to 
nature — would  serve  to  make  it  appear  ugly  to  the  eye  and  hateful  to  look  at ; and 
no  man  who  has  given  any  thought  to  the  subject,  who  has  any  love  of  nature  in 
his  soul,  can  see  a woman  decorated  with  dead  birds,  or  their  wings,  or  nuptial 
plumes,  without  a feeling  of  repugnance  for  the  wearer,  however  beautiful  or 
charming  she  may  be. 

Why  then  do  women,  who  have  received  sufficient  enlightenment  on  this 
subject  during  the  last  few  years,  still  refuse  to  give  up  a fashion  which  degrades 
them?  It  is  Herbert  Spencer’s  idea  that  women  do  not  progress  side  by  side 
with  men,  that  they  lag  very  far  behind,  and  intellectually,  especially  on  the  side 
of  the  atsthetic  faculties,  occupy  a position  about  midway  between  the  civilised 
man  of  our  era  and  the  pure  savage.  There  is  an  illustration  in  this  week’s 
Punch  in  which  one  of  Mr.  Du  Maurier’s  vulgar,  fat,  well-ilressed  women  i.s  seen 
entering  a shop,  and  to  the  obsequious  shopman’s  inquiry  of  “ What  can  I have 
the  pleasure  of  serving  you  with,  madam?”  the  stout  lady  replies,  “Wings.” 
The  satirist  entitles  his  picture  “A  large  order.”  And  those  who  adopt  II. 
Spencer’s  explanation  wouhl  regard  it  as  an  equally  “large  order”  to  ask  that 
women  should  have  the  feeling  for  nature  that  men  have — that  they  should  be 
expected  to  sacrilice  the  ornament  of  a pair  of  bright  wings  or  a spray  of  egret’s 
nuptial  feathers  merely  to  preserve  the  existence  of  a species  of  bird.  On  that 
large  and  somewhat  delicate  question  I offer  no  opinion  ; and  some  of  our  sisters 
may  find  comfort  in  the  reflection  that  Herbert  .Spencer  is  not  omniscient.  What 
we  regard  as  beyond  doubt  is  that  to  progress  is  a law  of  our  being — that  we  all, 
men  and  women,  whether  abreast  or  men  first  and  women  far  behind,  are  con- 
tinually advancing.  A slow  advance,  true,  but  not  to  be  doubted  if  we  look  on 
ourselves  as  in  very  truth  descendants  of  the  low-browed  prognathous  cannibals  of 
the  earlier  stone  ages.  Holding  such  a doctrine,  it  becomes  only  reasonable  to 
believe  that  the  time  will  come  when  the  destructive  madness  of  the  present  day 
will  be  impossible,  when  a w’oman  will  be  as  much  above  wearing  “murderous 
millinery  ” as  she  is  now,  in  Europe,  above  wearing  the  savage  ornaments  with 
which  the  naked  red  woman  of  Venezuela  decorates  herself,  or  the  necklace  of 
human  ears  (captured  from  the  enemy)  which  a Mexican  lady  is  said  to  have 
exhibited  in  a ballroom.  But  what  an  impoverished  nature  and  earth  future 
generations  will  inherit  from  us  ! God’s  footstool,  yes,  but  with  all  the  shining 
golden  threads  picked  out  of  its  embroidery.  .Some  knowledge  will  survive 
among  our  remote  descendants  of  the  wonderful  and  brilliant  forms  of  bird  life 
that  are  now  passing  away — the  unimaginable  beauty  and  grace  that  they  would 
have  known  how  to  a|rpreciate,  and  with  it  some  knowledge  of  how  it  was 
destroyed  in  the  space  of  two  or  three  decades  for  the  gratification  of  a detestable 
vanity.  They  will,  I fancy,  think  less  kindly  of  their  cultured,  Uuskin-reading 
19th  century  ancestors  than  of  those  very  much  more  distant  progenitors  who  had 
some  shocking  customs  but  spoilt  nothing.  At  all  events,  the  old  cannibals  had 
no  immeasurable  past  and  future  to  exist  in  as  we  have,  and  no  soul-growths  to 
boast  of,  and  did  not  sin  against  the  light. 


\V.  II.  Hudson. 


214 


NATURE  NOTES. 


SHORT  NOTICES  OF  BOOKS. 

Illustrated  Guide  to  British  Mosses,  with  Keys  to  the  Genera  and  Species.  Ey 
the  Rev.  H.  G.  Jameson,  M.A.  pp.  8o,  59  plates.  Price  7s.  6d.  post  free,  cloth, 
1893.  Published  by  the  author  at  6,  College  Road,  Eastbourne. 

Last  November  we  ventured  to  lay  before  the  readers  of  Nature  Notes  a few 
remarks  upon  the  literature  dealing  with  the  British  mosses.  One  of  the  books 
then  recommended  was  the  Rev.  H.  G.  Jameson’s  Key  to  the  Genera  and  Species 
of  British  Mosses  ; its  great  merit  being  that  it  afforded  a speedy  and  simple  means 
of  referring  even  barren  specimens  to  their  proper  genus  and  species.  As  Mr. 
Jameson  pointed  out,  the  methods  adopted  by  his  predecessors  failed  by  attaching 
too  much  importance  to  the  structure  of  the  fruit,  so  that  the  beginner  was  apt  to 
be  left  “quite  at  a loss  with  regard  to  such  common  and  easily  distinguished 
mosses  as  Thuidium  tamarisciniun,  the  Hylocomiums,  Mnitttn  undulatum,  &c. , 
which  will  probably  be  among  the  first  he  gathers,  and  none  of  which  are  likely  to 
be  in  fruit.”  Accordingly  he  drew  up  his  key  upon  lines  better  adapted  to  the 
requirements  of  a beginner.  But  not  contented  with  his  first  venture,  he  set  him- 
self to  work  to  improve  upon  it,  and  has  now  published  the  result  of  his  labours 
in  this  Illustrated  Guide  to  British  Mosses.  In  our  little  article  of  last  year  we 
lamented  that  “adequate  illustrations  whereby  ‘the  beginner’  may  check  the 
determinations  ” at  which  he  shall  arrive  were  only  to  be  met  with  in  books  of 
considerable  cost.  This  difficulty  Mr.  Jameson  has  overcome  by  making  drawings 
“ direct  from  nature  by  means  of  the  camera  lucida,”  and  lithographing  them  with 
his  own  hand,  so  that  every  species  is  correctly  figured,  and  throughout  to  a 
uniform  scale  of  magnitude.  Thus  “the  figures  shew  at  a glance,  not  merely 
their  shape,  but  their  comparative  size,”  a matter  of  great  convenience.  There 
are  59  plates  in  all,  containing  upwards  of  2,400  figures.  The  original  key  has 
“been  thoroughly  revised,  and  in  great  part  re-written.”  Hints  are  given  under 
each  genus  as  to  how  the  student  may  avoid  the  various  mistakes  which  he  is 
liable  to  make.  The  book  opens  with  an  introduction  of  seven  short  chapters,  of 
which  six  treat  in  a lucid  manner  of  the  structure  of  the  various  parts  of  the  moss- 
plant  and  are  illustrated  by  seven  plates,  and  the  seventh  describes  the  apparatus 
necessary  for  the  examination  of  specimens  and  how  to  use  it.  We  are  convinced 
that  when  once  the  student  has  made  himself  well  acquainted  with  the  teaching 
conveyed  by  the  introductory  chapters,  he  need  have  but  little  fear  of  failure  in 
employing  the  key  for  the  discrimination  of  the  specimens  which  he  may  collect. 

.L  G. 

We  have  so  often  recommended  Mrs.  Brightwen’s  books,  that  we  cannot  say 
more  in  their  praise.  Yet  the  appearance  of  an  editio  de  luxe  (price  5s.)  of  Wild 
Nature  must  not  pass  unrecorded  in  these  pages,  and  we  therefore  borrow  from 
The  Sun  this  very  appreciative  notice: — “Mr.  T.  Fisher  Unwin  is  publishing  a 
new  edition  (the  fifth)  of  Mrs.  Brightwen’s  iVild  Nature  Won  by  Kindness,  and  to 
any  readers  of  The  Sun  who  are  unfamiliar  with  this  perfectly  charming  little 
work,  I would  say,  ‘add  it  to  your  library  without  delay.’  In  an  age  busy  with 
social  and  political  dissensions,  Mrs.  Brightwen  remains  like  some  gentle  spirit  of 
the  last  generation,  upon  whom  the  mantle  of  Gilbert  White  has  very  tenderly 
descended.  Her  pretty  home  at  Stanmore  is  filled  with  pets.  When  the  spring 
comes  she  knows  every  nest  around  her  garden  paths,  and  on  more  than  one 
occasion  she  has  brought  up  a brood  of  deserted  nestlings  by  her  own  hand.  All 
these  gracious  characteristics  are  fully  mirrored  in  her  volume,  which  is  also 
adorned  by  many  illustrations  from  her  pencil.  It  is  good  to  feel  that  the  genius 
of  the  country  side  is  not  yet  scared  away  by  the  hammering  of  the  jerry  builder, 
and  Mrs.  Brightwen’s  volume  is  a delightful  e.xample  of  a class  of  work  which  one 
fears  may  grow  rarer  as  the  life  of  commerce  extends  into  our  villages.  It  is  a 
book  made  for  the  pure  pleasure  of  its  record,  and  from  hrst  page  to  last  it  is  just 
charming.” 

W’e  must  confess  to  a feeling  of  great  disappointment  with  regard  to  The 
Nature  Lover,  a new  quarterly  magazine  published  by  Mr.  Elliot  Stock.  The 
titles  of  two  of  the  papers,  “ Gentle  Izaak  the  Humbug,”  and  “ Timber,  by  Sam 


SELBORNIANA. 


215 


Bucus  the  Elder,”  indicate  the  kind  of  “humour”  which  the  articles  under  these 
headings  and  other  contributions  affect.  There  are  readable  papers  in  the  number, 
but  in  these  days  a shilling  is  a large  sum  to  give  for  thirty-si.x  pages  of  any  but 
the  best  literature,  and  The  Nature  Lover  does  not  provide  this. 

Dr.  A.  H.  Japp’s  Hours  in  ]\Ly  Garden  (Hogg,  6s.)  is  one  of  those  chatty  books 
which,  although  containing  nothing  new,  give  us  some  hours’  pleasant  reading  and 
are  always  sure  of  a public.  Birds  and  flowers,  woods,  ponds,  streams  and  their 
inhabitants,  afford  ample  topics  for  Dr.  Japp’s  discourse,  and  he  shows  an  apprecia- 
tive knowledge  of  many  good  books.  But  the  volume  is  greatly  marred — we 
had  almost  .said  spoiled — by  the  introduction  of  a miscellaneous  selection  of  illus- 
trations, which  have  apparently  done  duty  before  in  various  publications,  and  are 
here  inharmoniously  brought  together.  The  volume  would  be  greatly  improved 
by  their  absence. 

Mr.  John  Priestman  has  brought  together — not,  we  think,  for  the  first  time  — 
the  various  references  to  birds  in  the  Bible,  and  publishes  them  in  a little  volume 
entitled  God's  Birds  (Burns  and  Oates,  2s.  6d.).  The  author’s  comments  are  often 
interesting,  sometimes  fanciful,  and  there  are  curious  terms  of  e.'cpression  here  and 
there,  as  when  certain  lines  are  said  “ to  palpitate  with  the  poetry  of  piety.”  If, 
as  we  think,  the  pages  are  reprinted  without  alteration  from  a magazine,  some 
indication  of  this  should  have  been  given. 


SELBORNIANA. 

British  Wild  Birds  at  Shows. — The  exhibition  of  British  wild  birds 
at  horticultural  and  other  shows  should  be  condemned  and  discouraged  in  every 
possible  way.  I feel  this  very  strongly,  and  it  is  my  rule  to  refuse  all  subscrip- 
tions to  any  local  exhibition  unless  cage  birds,  other  than  canaries,  are  excluded 
from  the  list.  I hold  it  cruelty  to  keep  any  wild  bird  whatsoever  confined  within 
the  narrow  limits  of  a cage,  thus  denying  them  the  use  of  the  wings  with  which 
Nature  has  provided  them.  It  is  certain  that  tolerance  of  the  trade  of  bird- 
catching  hastens  the  doom  of  extermination,  which  it  is  to  be  feared  awaits  all 
our  loveliest  species  of  English  birds.  Last  month,  at  a I-'anciers’  Association 
show  in  a town  near  London,  prizes  were  awarded  for  three  special  exhibits — a 
kingfisher,  a nightingale,  and  a spotted  woodpecker.  The  president  of  the 
Association  was  good  enough  to  listen  to  my  appeal,  which  I farther  strengthened 
by  forwarding  to  him  a copy  of  the  October  number  of  Nature  Notes,  and 
calling  his  attention  to  Mr.  F.  W.  Ashley’s  eloquent  and  touching  protest.  This 
gentleman  says  in  his  reply,  “ I have  read  the  article  you  point  out,  and  having 
been  often  among  the  bird  shops  in  London,  I can  endorse  every  word  of  it. 
I have  written  to  the  secretary  of  the  show,  and  have  urged  him  to  do  away 
with  the  class  of  British  Birds.”  It  would  prove  a serious  check  upon  a wide- 
spread form  of  cruelty,  if  all  your  readers  would  do  their  utmost,  when  oppor- 
tunities offer,  to  discourage  and  prevent  the  trapping  of  wild  birds  for  the 
purpose  either  of  exhibition  or  of  life-imprisonment. 

Eleanor  Vere  C.  Boyle. 

Elrick  House,  Aberdeensliire. 

Canaries  and  Cages  (p.  173).— Having  kept  and  bred  these  birds  for 
several  years,  I should  like  to  say  a few  words  in  reply  to  Miss  E.  Carrington’s 
article.  In  the  first  place  I do  not  understand  her  objection  to  seeing  them 
caged.  Canaries  could  not  possibly  live  wild  in  the  British  climate.  Has  Miss 
Carrington  ever  visited  any  of  the  large  canary  shows  in  England,  where  some 
of  the  most  beautiful  specimens  are  to  be  seen  ? Birds  perfect  in  form  and 
colour,  artificially  bred  for  generations,  perfectly  happy  in  their  cages,  and  an 
endless  source  of  pleasure  to  their  owners  ; but  birds  that  would  assuredly  die 
in  a few  days  out  of  doors.  Then  again,  with  regard  to  the  hapless  specimen 
alluded  to  : deformed  feet  are  constantly  met  with  in  young  canaries  when  they 
leave  the  nest  (by  no  means  the  result  of  cruelty  or  neglect  from  their  owners. 


2I6 


NATURE  NOTES. 


but  a defect  they  are  hatched  with),  and  if  it  cannot  be  cured  the  little  thing 
should  be  destroyed.  Evidently  the  one  in  question  was  by  some  mistake 
allowed  to  live.  I cannot  see  the  objection  to  birds  as  pets.  I consider  they 
have  a very  humanizing  effect  upon  the  character,  and  where  the  love  of  them 
exists,  it  should  be  encouraged  and  fostered.  It  calls  forth  our  powers  of  obser- 
vation, and  all  the  better  side  of  our  nature.  Not  long  since  I was  talking  to  a 
canary  fancier,  a man  in  a humble  station  of  life,  who  had  bred  some  beautiful 
specimens,  and  was  justly  proud  of  them.  He  told  me  a year  or  two  previously 
he  had  lost  all  his  birds  by  an  epidemic  common  amongst  canaries  ; but  he  added, 
“ My  friends  clubbed  together  and  started  me  again.”  They  were  all  working 
men,  in  a busy  crowded  city  ; and  I could  not  help  being  struck  with  the  un- 
selfish kindly  feeling  their  mutual  hobby  had  called  forth.  Their  chief  pleasure 
in  their  leisure  hours  appeared  to  be  the  tending  and  caring  for  these  birds.  How 
much  better  this  than  frequenting  the  public  house  1 With  some  few  exceptions, 
I consider  birds  make  charming  pets,  and  I shall  ever  believe  they  were  given  to 
us  by  God  for  our  pleasure  and  our  study. 

JuLi.\  Brinkley. 

The  Hilly  Fields,  Brockley. — Mr.  Walter  Derham  writes  to  the 
Standard  that  “the  protracted  negotiations  for  the  purchase  of  the  forty-five  acres 
which  form  this  open  space — ‘ the  finest  site  for  a park  round  London  ’ — have 
been  brought  to  a successful  termination,  and  that  the  London  County  Council 
has  completed  the  contracts  for  the  purchase  of  forty-one  acres.  So  soon  as  the 
two  thousand  eight  hundred  pounds  still  needed  to  make  up  the  total  purchase 
money  of  forty-three  thousand  pounds  has  been  provided,  the  Council  will  proceed 
with  the  purchase  of  the  remaining  four  acres,  the  terms  fur  the  acquisition  of 
which  have  long  since  been  settled.” 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES. 

Extraordinary  Behaviour  of  Cats  (p.  199).— I can  parallel  the  case 
cited  by  one  that  has  lately  come  under  my  own  observation,  concerning  the 
transmission  of  impressions  of  cats  to  their  offspring.  A cat  recently  kittened 
upon  our  premises,  and  brought  up  two  kittens.  During  this  time  there  arose  a 
remarkable  and  apparently  causeless  enmity  between  herself  and  an  old  tom  cat, 
already  domiciled  in  the  family.  Any  casual  meeting  between  them  was  signal- 
ised by  growlings  and  scoldings  of  the  most  violent  description,  and  of  these  the 
kittens  were  nearly  always  interested  spectators.  The  mother’s  aversion  appears 
fully  inherited  by  them,  and  they  never  by  chance  meet  the  other  cat  without 
setting  up  their  little  backs  and  spitting  at  him,  though  so  far  as  I know  he  has 
never  injured  them  personally,  and  indeed  appears  usually  to  shun  the  sight  of 
them.  This  seems  to  me  the  more  remarkable,  as  in  all  other  respects  the 
kittens  are  absolutely  fearless,  regarding  all  human  beings  as  friends,  and  per- 
fectly unconscious  of  danger  to  themselves  from  any  sort  of  cause.  For  this 
reason  I am  disposed  to  think  that  animals — at  least,  cats — are  perfectly  capable 
of  communicating  early  lessons  of  this  kind  to  their  offspring,  and  that  such 
impressions  cannot  be  accounted  for  by  any  mere  theory  of  heredity,  since  one  of 
the  kittens  at  least  has  a very  decided  character  of  her  own,  quite  distinct  in 
many  respects  from  that  of  her  mother,  or  even  from  her  brother  of  the  same 
litter. 

M.  A.  Biggs. 

English  Wild  Flowers  in  Japan.— The  perusal  of  the  interesting 
account  of  the  introduction  of  English  wild  flowers  into  New  Zealand  (p.  183), 
reminds  me  of  a similar  case  to  which  my  attention  was  called  while  travelling  in 
Japan.  When  railways  were  first  introduced  into  that  country,  it  was  found 
advantageous  to  sow  grass-seed  imported  from  England  upon  the  embankments, 
with  the  view  of  binding  together  the  loose  soil  which  would  otherwise  be  washed 
away  during  the  heavy  rains  which  prevail  in  Japan.  Owing  to  the  general 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES.  217 


absence  of  pasture,  we  look  in  vain,  even  in  that  flowery  land,  for  our  rich 
meadows  enamelled  with  flowers.  This  loss  has  been  in  some  degree  retrieved  by 
the  growth  of  some  of  our  familiar  wild  flowers  hitherto  aliens  to  the  far  East, 
but  which  find  a congenial  home  in  the  moist  climate  of  Japan.  Daisies,  butter- 
cup and  dandelions,  regarded  by  us  at  home  as  homely  flowers,  may  now  be 
.seen  on  the  railway  embankments  and  will  probably  ere  long  spread  farther  afield. 
Such  reminders  of  our  native  land  are  pleasanter  subjects  for  contemplation  than 
railways  and  telegraphs,  or  the  aping  of  our  costume  by  the  modern  Ja|)anese. 

Frank  Dillon. 

Young'  Martins. — In  consequence  of  the  late  drought  a martin’s  nest 
crumbled  to  pieces.  Consequently  the  young  birds  fell  out  on  to  a ledge  on  the 
wall  below.  They  were  quite  neglected  by  their  parents,  but  a hen  sparrow, 
whose  maternal  instincts  appear  to  have  been  strongly  developed,  perceiving  the 
untoward  event,  used  to  come  and  feed  them,  apparently  with  caterpillars. 
When  bread  crumbs  were  put  on  the  ledge  she  fed  them  with  the  crumbs. 
She  used  to  try  to  teach  them  to  fly  by  holding  a big  crumb  in  her  bill,  and  after 
showing  it  to  them  would  fly  to  a neighbouring  tree  to  persuade  them  to  follow  ; 
but  perhaps  young  martins  cannot  fly  so  soon  as  sparrows,  for  she  never  succeeded 
in  her  efforts.  The  great  drought  continuing  too  long,  the  young  martins  all 
succumbed  to  it  and  died. 

G.  S.  IIenslow. 

An  Ingenious  Rabbit. — A tame  white  rabbit  kept  in  a covered  place  on 
a lawn  tried  to  escape  by  burrowing  under  the  wooden  walls  of  its  prison. 
Having  succeeded  once,  its  owner  placed  some  heavy  stones  outside  all  round  the 
hutch.  Bunny  burrowed  a second  time  ; but  unfortunately  not  being  aware  of  the 
new  obstruction,  the  stones  fell  upon  its  leg  and  broke  it.  He  proved,  however, 
to  have  a true  surgeon’s  instinct,  for  as  the  broken  member  began  to  unite,  the 
rabbit  by  coustantly  stretching  its  leg,  has  caused  the  fractured  ends  so  to  unite 
that  the  leg  is  now  as  nearly  straight  as  it  was  at  first. 

G.  S.  IIenslow. 

Bird  Queries. — I want  to  ask  if  bullfinches  have  ever  been  known  to  eat 
their  young?  Two  bullfinches  built  in  an  aviary  and  hatched  one  young  bird, 
which,  however,  disappeared  immediately  out  of  the  nest  for  twenty-eight  hours, 
when  it  was  found  on  the  ground  quite  two  feet  away  from  the  perpendicular  of 
the  nest.  It  was  replaced  in  the  nest  by  me,  but  less  than  two  hours  after  had 
again  disappeared  and  not  a trace  of  it  has  been  found  since  in  the  fortnight  that 
intervenes.  The  bullfinches  had  the  aviary  to  themselves  with  the  exception  of 
one  hen  chaffinch,  with  whom  they  were  on  friendly,  though  distant,  terms. 
Nothing  else  had  access  to  the  aviary  except  myself  and  one  or  two  mice,  and  I 
want  to  know  who  eat  the  bullfinch  ? While  I am  writing,  may  I also  ask  if 
anyone  can  tell  me  the  name  of  a bird  that  sings  through  the  night  from  eleven 
o’clock,  or  later,  and  sings  on  still  through  the  dawn  all  through  spring  and  the 
early  summer?  I do  not  quite  know  howto  describe  the  song,  which  has  a 
strangely  penetrating  note — beginning  soft  as  if  from  the  far,  far  distance — 
crescendo,  accelerando  1 till  the  trees  close  by  seem  to  stir  and  open  their  leaves 
to  the  song,  and  did  the  bird  not  immediately  start  again  in  the  far  distance  I 
should  think  the  bird  to  be  close  at  hand.  Some  nights  it  is  an  ecstacy  of  song, 
but  it  varies  much  in  this,  though  the  notes  are  at  no  time  very  varied.  I think 
(if  I may  hope  not  to  be  taken  too  literally)  I shill  best  describe  the  note  in 
question  if  I characterise  it  as  scintillating — it  is  moonlight  on  dancing 

waters  converted  into  sound.  I shall  be  disappointed  if  I am  told  it  is  a nightin- 
gale, because  I live  in  Devon,  and  besides  I know  it  is  neither  nightingale, 
blackbird,  thrush,  nor  cuckoo, 

Jacey. 

Cat  Killing  a Squirrel. — I live  in  the  midst  of  a big  garden  filled  with 
fruit  trees  and  shrubs.  As  no  one  everdisturbs  them,  living  creatures  are  numerous 
and  confident.  My  special  delight  has  been  a squirrel,  who  played  about  the  gar- 
den last  year  and  again  this.  Some  weeks  ago  an  evil-looking  stranger,  a yellow 
cat,  appeared  on  the  scene  to  disturb  our  Eden.  On  one  occasion  she  chased  my 
little  friend  into  an  apple  tree.  I rushed  out  from  my  study  and  drove  her  off ; 


2lS 


NATURE  NOTES. 


the  squirrel  taking  a flying  leap  into  a small  larch  a little  way  ofif  and  from  thence 
another  into  an  apple  tree  hard  by.  A few  days  later  I noticed  the  squirrel  on  the 
lawn  some  distance  in  front  of  the  trees.  I looked  for  the  enemy,  but  she  was  not 
visible.  Looking  up  a little  while  later  I saw  her,  but  the  squirrel  I saw  not. 
She  was  running  off  with  something  brown  in  her  mouth  which  I took  to  be  the 
squirrel.  A bird  (a  thrush,  I think)  was  flying  at  her  head  screaming  with  anger, 
evidently  trying  to  make  her  drop  her  burden.  I ran  out,  but  the  cat  was  gone. 
For  several  weeks  after  that  I saw  no  squirrel,  but  just  lately  another  (and  possibly 
the  same  one)  has  appeared  ; and  this  morning  I saw  three,  one  quite  a young  one, 
gathering  beech  nuts  under  the  trees  at  the  top  of  my  garden.  The  yellow  cat 
has  also  disappeared  since  I pursued  her  one  day  and  threw  my  stick  at  her. 
Would  a cat  be  able  to  tackle  a squirrel  ? 

Lichborough  Rectory,  IVeedon,  Northants.  C.  Browning. 

Butterflies  and.  Moths  (p.  199)- — have  been  charmed  by  an  unusual 
number  of  humming-bird  hawk-moths  this  summer.  We  generally  see  one  in 
ordinary  summers,  but  this  year  three  or  four  at  a time  have  hovered  over  a bed 
of  petunias,  and  one,  I imagine  the  same  one,  for  I noticed  it  day  after  day, 
seemed  to  have  defective  sight,  for  it  would  only  go  to  white  or  nearly  white 
flowers. 

North  Moreton,  Wallingford.  M.  S.  V. 

During  the  second  week  in  September  red  admirals  simply  swarmed  here. 
Of  the  humming-bird  hawk-moth  I have  only  seen  two  specimens  this  year,  the 
first  early  in  September,  and  the  second  flew  in  at  the  open  door  of  my  office  on 
October  loth. 

Andover.  Ernest  F.  Atkins. 

[The  Rev.  C.  Browning  writes  from  Lichborough,  Weedon,  that  red  admirals 
and  humming-bird  moths  have  been  abundant  there,  the  latter  very  tame.] 

A Monster  Minnow. — Some  time  in  September,  188S,  in  bright,  fine 
weather,  I was  on  the  banks  of  the  Nodder,  a tributary  of  the  Hampshire  Avon 
about  two  miles  above  Wilton,  where  the  stream  joins  the  main  river,  trying  to 
catch  some  dace,  for  which  the  stream  is  noted.  For  some  cause  unexplained 
nothing  but  minnows  came  to  try  my  lure.  After  replacing  several,  it  struck  me 
that  I could  make  a few  contented  in  a small  pool  I had  lately  constructed  in  my 
garden  at  Ealing,  consequently  consigned  some  half  dozen  to  a bait  can  and 
deposited  them  in  the  outdoor  aquarium.  In  due  course  all  died  but  one  ; the 
single  specimen  lived  and  thrived,  and  was  often  admired.  All  went  well  until 
Saturday,  July  30th,  when  I noticed  her  on  the  top  of  the  water,  evidently  ill. 
On  July  31st  I found  her  dead,  nearly  five  years  after  leaving  her  native  stream. 
I immediately  took  a pair  of  dividers  and  found  she  was  4^  of  an  inch  in  length. 
On  seeking  an  interview  with  Dr.  Gunther  at  the  Natural  History  Museum,  he 
was  much  interested.  After  carefully  comparing  it  with  existing  specimens  he 
decided  that  my  pet  was  f of  an  inch  longer  than  any  minnow  the  museum  con- 
tained, and  now  it  forms  part  of  the  national  collection. 

Fenny  mere,  Ealing.  Thos.  Simpson. 

Swallows. — Can  any  one  tell  me  whether  it  is  a habit  of  swallows  to  depart 
in  batches  ? A large  number  left  us  on  August  l8th,  leaving  a few  late  broods 
behind,  which  last  left  on  October  2nd,  leaving  about  half  a dozen  still  here. 

N'orth  Aloreton,  Wallingford.  M.  S.  Y. 

A Friendly  Robin. — There  lived  many  years  ago  in  Abergavenny  two 
maiden  ladies,  sisters  of  Esquire  Jones  of  Pyle.  A robin  took  a great  fancy  to 
them,  and  whenever  they  walked  out  in  the  country  it  would  accompany  them  the 
whole  way  and  return  with  them.  One  of  the  sisters  was  a greater  favourite  than 
the  other.  If  she  went  out  the  robin  would  accompany  her  at  once.  If  it  hap- 
pened to  be  the  second  sister,  it  would  wait  to  see  whether  the  favourite  w'as 
coming,  if  not.  Bob  would  go  with  the  other  sister,  the  favourite.  The  sisters 
after  a time  went  to  live  in  Clifton,  and  were  in  great  grief  at  leaving  Bobby 
behind,  but  he  would  not  allow  himself  to  be  caught.  On  the  way  to  Chepstow  they 
were  surprised  to  see  Bobby  flying  along  by  the  side  of  the  coach.  Arriving  there, 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES.  219 


the  sisters  regretted  to  think  Bobby  might  get  into  trouble,  and  perhaps  be  killed, 
being  a stranger  in  that  quarter.  But  looking  up  when  on  the  passage,  they  saw, 
to  their  surprise,  Bobby  perched  on  the  mast  of  the  boat.  He  accompanied  them 
all  the  way  to  Clifton,  and  next  morning  he  was  pecking  as  usual  at  their  window, 
lie  took  up  his  abode  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  continued,  till  he  died,  attending 
upon  them  in  their  walks. 

Barlestree,  Hereford.  Peter  Lewis. 

Tomtits. — A pair  of  tomtits  this  summer  built  their  nest  on  a lamp-post  in 
one  of  the  principal  roads  in  Hartford,  Kent,  and  were  allowed,  unmolested,  to 
bring  off  their  large  brood  of  little  ones.  The  nest  was  afterwards  destroyed,  but 
appeared  to  be  protected  as  public  property  during  the  process  of  incubation  and 
rearing  the  brood.  Robert  Si.mpson. 

The  Viper  {Vipera  bcms). — Will  any  readers  kindly  give  me  what  informa- 
tion they  may  possess  respecting  the  distribution  of  this  reptile  in  Cornwall  ? 
The  loan  of  spirit  examples  showing  any  characteristic  departure  from  the  typical 
form  in  colour  or  arrangement  of  scales  from  any  British  locality  is  solicited. 

203,  Ebury  Street,  Eaton  Square,  S.  IV.  Geo.  E.  Masox. 

Tortoises  (p.  177).  — I kept  the  usual  European  land  tortoises  for  years,  and 
fed  them  on  cabbage  leaves,  lettuce,  marrows  and  all  sorts  of  succulent  plants. 

I kept  mine  in  a cool-green  house,  and  they  used  to  get  into  the  earth  (I  had  a 
border  for  plants  inside  the  house),  about  November,  and  hide  themselves,  never 
putting  in  an  appearance  before  April.  They  are  very  long  lived.  A relative  of 
mine  had  one  which  disappeared  once  upon  a time  for  a great  many  years,  and 
was  afterwards  found  by  a labourer  in  the  park,  who  informed  the  old  squire  he 
had  discovered  a “ creature  with  a stone  back.”  The  tortoise  was  brought  back 
to  the  gardens,  and  lived  on  one  of  the  terraces  quite  fifty  years.  It  was  really 
quite  tame  ; knew'  my  cousin’s  voice,  and  would  come  to  him  when  called. 

Berry  Grove,  Lies.  Helen  Watney. 

Swallows  and  Martins. — May  I ask  space  for  a question  and  a statement 
respecting  these  birds?  My  question,  I fear,  will  seem  to  some  to  be  founded 
on  a delusion  ; if  so  let  it  be  exposed,  for  here  it  is.  In  watching  swallows  (not 
martins)  late  in  the  year,  it  has  more  than  once  appeared  to  me  that  the  latest 
stayers  are  short-tailed  birds.  A few  years  ago  I saw  several  in  this  parish  in 
October  flying  over  a small  park  when  snow  was  lying  on  the  ground — an  early 
fall.  These  appeared  to  me  to  be  short-tailed,  as  do  those  that  I have  seen  of 
late.  On  this  I wish  to  found  my  question,  assuming  that  my  eyes  have  not 
deceived  me;  are  these  (supposed)  short-tailed  birds  females,  or  (as  I used  to 
think,  and  am  still  inclined  lo  believe)  young  birds?  In  either  case  it  would 
be  a fact  worth  notice.  On  the  latter  hypothesis  it  would  seem  to  show  that 
young  swallows,  born  in  England,  find  their  way  over  the  sea,  if  we  may  not 
say  by  instinct,  yet  without  the  help  of  their  elders. 

It  was  thought  not  long  ago  that  house  martins  were  diminishing  in  number, 
and  I think  many  persons  could  point  to  houses  which  they  once  frequented,  and 
have  now  deserted.  Here  is  a consoling  fact  on  the  other  side.  In  a village  not 
far  from  Norwich,  a house  was  built  not  many  years  ago,  with  a frontage  of,  as 
I believe,  just  thirty  feet.  The  martins’  nests  on  that  new  house  have  been  a 
sight.  Last  year  I counted,  I think,  between  twenty  and  thirty,  and  this  year 
forty,  including  one  half  finished.  Burglarious  sparrows  had,  I fear,  invaded 
one,  judging  by  a long  untidy  straw  hanging  out.  All  these  were  on  the  front 
of  the  house,  which  has  a south  aspect,  and  no  doubt  convenient  eaves.  But  I 
think  I remember  one  or  more  nests  not  attached  to  the  wall,  but  stuck  on  to  an 
earlier  nest. 

Otham  Parsonage,  Maidstone.  F.  M.  JMii.lard. 

Wasps’  Nests. — We  have  received  a number  of  letters  on  this  subject,  and 
are  sorry  that  we  have  no  space  to  insert  them.  Those  of  our  readers  who 
are  interested  in  the  matter  would  do  well  to  consult  Dr.  Ormerod’s  British 
Social  IVasps  (Longmans,  1868),  in  which  the  various  species  and  their  nests 
are  discussed  in  much  detail.  It  may  be  worth  while  to  mention  that  we  have 
seven  species  of  true  social  wasps  in  England  ; three  of  which  ( Vespa  vulgaris, 
germamca  and  rufa)  generally  build  their  nests  in  the  ground,  and  the  remaining 


220 


NATURE  NOTES. 


four  ( V.  arhorea,  sylvestris,  norvegica  or  hritannica,  and  Cy-abro)  usually  build  in 
trees.  They  are  all  much  alike,  except  the  last  species,  V.  Crabro,  the  hornet, 
which  is  more  than  twice  as  large  as  the  others,  and  is  reddish-brown  and  yellow 
instead  of  black  and  yellow’.  It  generally  builds  in  hollow  trees,  but  not  unfre- 
quently  under  the  eaves  of  houses. 


OFFICIAL  NOTICE. 

The  fund  towards  clearing  off  the  debt  of  owing  to  the  lion.  Treasurer 
now  amounts  to  £2.\  14s.  6d.  Those  who  have  sent  donations  since  the  last 
notice  are  : Miss  T.  B.  Waterston,  Mr.  E.  R.  Stable,  Miss  Temple,  Mrs.  Bourne, 
Rev.  J.  S.  Gale,  Miss  A.  E.  F.  Barlow,  Mrs.  Bowman,  Miss  Albright,  Mrs. 
Armitage  and  Miss  Blagg.  A.  J.  Western,  Sec. 


TO  CORRESPONDENTS. 

E.  B.  H. — We  do  not  insert  anonymous  communications. 

W.  R. — Caper  Spurge  [Euphorbia  Lathyris). 

J.  S.  G. — Nostoc  commttne. 

J.  R.  S.  C.  — Mr.  W.  F.  Kirby  says  : — “ Agrees  best  with  Ashmead’s  figure 
of  Ceroplastes  Jloridensis,  but  I do  not  vouch  for  the  accuracy  of  the  name.  This 
is  a species  infesting  oranges  in  Florida,  but  Coccidce  are  easily  carried  from 
country  to  country,  and  some  of  the  orange  species  will  also  attack  orchids.” 

W.  B. — The  Wood  Wasp  or  Ilorntail  {Sirex gigai). 

Miss  W.  — It  is  a viviparous  form  of  a Fescue  grass,  so  far  as  we  can  judge 
from  the  specimen. 

E.  E.  — It  is  very  difficult  to  preserve  the  larger  fungi  satisfactorily. 

R.  F.  M’C.— Knaggs’s  “ Fepidopterist’s  Guide”  (is): 

F.  J. — Not  up  to  our  standard. 

Leafleld..  — Yes,  it  is  Dytiscus  maiginalis. 

E.  W.  W. — The  verses  came  too  late  for  insertion. 

Miss  M. — British  Seaweeds.,  by  S.  F.  Gray  (Lovell  Reeve). 

F.  C. — (i)  Parmelia  Borreri\  (2)  Eurhynchiuvi  pra:loug2im\  (3)  Hypuuui 
Patieutice,  mixed  with  No.  2 ; (4)  Leucohryum  glaucum. 

Jacey. — No  doubt  it  was  the  Humming-bird  Hawk-moth. 

An  Erratum.— The  obvious  though  stupid  slip  by  which  we  wrote 
“Olympus”  for  “Parnassus”  at  line  15  of  p.  194  has  produced  the  following 
graceful  protest  from  a valued  correspondent : — 

“ Why  toil  w’e  up  the  dizzy  mount 

Where  dwell  the  gods  of  ancient  Greece? 

Why  have  we  left  the  sacred  fount 
Of  Hippocrene,  w'hy  left  the  peace 
Of  that  Parnassian  hill  which  towers. 

Above  us  on  its  lower  slopes 
To  seek  the  mount  which  bears  the  bowers 
Of  gods — it  is  beyond  men’s  hopes  ! 

The  Olympian  nods,  and  why  should  he. 

Whose  lightnings  blaze  in  Nature  Notes, 

Not  make  an  effort  once  to  see 

That  in  his  own  eye  there  be  motes?” 

Contributions  for  any  number  should  reach  the  Editor,  James  Britten, 
F.L.S.,  18,  West  Square,  London,  'S.TL.,  not  later  than  the  l^th  of  the  ?nonth. 
The  Editor  cannot  undertake  to  insert  any  communication  in  the  number  for  the 
month  following,  in  cases  where  this  rule  is  not  complied  with. 

When  it  is  particularly  requested,  MSS.  not  accepted  will  be  returned,  if 
stamps  sufficient  to  pay  the  postage  are  sent  for  that  purpose.  In  every  case 
contributions  must  be  accompanied  by  the  name  and  address  of  the  writer. 

It  is  particularly  requested  that  subscriptions  and  letters  connected  with 
business  should  not  be  forwarded  to  the  Editor,  but  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
Selbornf.  Society,  9,  Adam  Street,  Adelphi,  W.C.  Editorial  communications, 
specimens,  and  books  for  review  should  be  addressed  to  Mr.  Britten,  as  above. 


IRatuve  IRotes: 

tibe  Selbome  Society’s  flDaoasine. 

No.  48.  DECEMBER,  1893.  Vol.  IV. 


A CHRISTMAS  GREETING. 

“ If  God  so  clothe  the  Grass  ...” 

A BLADE  of  Grass 

This  Christmas-tide  I send  to  thee ; 

A greeting  shall  it  bear,  for  me. 

This  slender  blade.  It  seems  to  be 
Not  much,  perchance,  to  prize  or  see ; 

Speechless,  yet  speaks  it  powerfully — 

A blade  of  Grass. 

A blade  of  Grass. 

Though  fiercely  winds  of  winter  blew. 

And  later  frosts  in  silence  slew 

The  flowers  that  in  the  meadows  grew, 

I found  unharmed  in  form  or  hue, 

’Mid  withered  leaves,  for  me — for  you 

This  blade  of  Grass. 

A blade  of  Grass. 

May  not  my  tiny  emblem  show. 

That  in  the  sunshine  or  the  snow. 

It  ever  looks  to  Heaven,  as  though 
Its  source  of  Life  it  sought  to  know. 

And  thitherw'ard  it  strives  to  grow. 

This  blade  of  Grass. 

A blade  of  Grass. 

God  clothed  it  thus  in  tender  green. 

And  mantled  Earth  in  living  sheen. 

This  vestment  thread,  this  Christmas  E’en, 

Conveys  to  thee  no  message  mean. 

’Tis  this — “ Thou’rt  more  to  God,  I ween. 

Than  blades  of  Grass.” 

Edmund  J.  Baillie. 


222 


NATURE  NOTES. 


“WITH  THE  BIRDS.” 

LL  through  September  it  seemed  as  though  some  evil 
fate  had  befallen  our  merry  little  feathered  friends ! 
So  glad  of  heart  were  they  in  the  spring ! full  of  the 
joy  of  love  and  hope.  Then  followed  the  proud 
moment  when  the  young  ones  were  brought  by  the  parent 
birds  to  be  fed  on  our  lawn  on  the  softest  and  whitest  of  crumbs, 
as  befitted  their  infant  digestions.  From  winter  frost  to  summer 
heat,  the  joyous  bird  life  and  song  around  us  gladdened  our 
hearts,  and  then,  when  domestic  cares  were  ended,  the  little 
friends’  visits  became  fewer  and  shorter,  and  we  feared  for  the 
busy  merry  little  lives.  But  now,  with  the  first  touch  of  frost, 
with  the  falling  leaves  and  autumn  winds,  here  they  come  ! 

The  old  sunflowers  look  most  untidy  on  their  tall  stems,  and 
we  had  just  issued  the  order  for  their  demolition,  having  saved 
all  the  seed  necessary,  when  chink  ! chink  ! chink  ! and  who 
would  have  the  heart  to  study  appearances,  when  they  afford 
food  and  entertainment  for  our  pretty  chaffinches  ? and  there  a 
little  mite  of  a blue-tit  suddenly  settles  on  a stray  plant  of  hemp, 
with  its  funny  buzzing  call,  and,  daintily  helping  itself  to  a seed, 
flies  off  to  the  railing  on  which  to  crack  it.  There  was  no  doubt 
where  the  rooks  were ; the  hot  spring  and  summer  months 
brought  a plague  of  white  cockchafer  grubs,  which  were  eating 
the  roots  of  the  grass  in  the  dried-up  fields,  and  at  last  the 
farmers  are  beginning  to  realise  the  fact  that  the  rooks  are  their 
best  friends,  in  helping  to  rid  them  of  this  unexpected  pest. 

Has  anyone  noticed  the  unwonted  sweetness  of  the  young 
robin’s  song  this  autumn?  For  the  last  four  or  five  weeks,  in 
returning  from  late  afternoon  walks  or  drives,  the  beauty  of  the 
sunset  has  gained  an  added  charm  from  the  silvery  notes  that 
greeted  us  from  every  hedgerow  and  tree,  reminding  us  of  those 
beautiful  spring  evenings  when  the  joy  of  hope  was  in  the  heart, 
and  all  the  world  was  young. 

The  fly-catchers,  as  usual,  left  us  early ; we  have  so  many 
of  them,  and  watch  them  constantly,  apparently  throwing  them- 
selves into  the  air  to  catch  the  coveted  fly,  and  then  returning  to 
their  perch  ; so  that  for  a week  or  two  something  seemed  miss- 
ing. The  trout  stream  that  ripples  down  near  the  house  has 
been  sadly  dry  this  summer ; perhaps  that  is  wh}?^  we  missed  the 
water-ouzels  that  cheered  us  in  the  bright  hours  of  winter  sun- 
shine by  their  sweet  trills  ; I heard  of  them,  however,  down  b}' 
the  river,  so  doubtless  they  are  safe.  The  nuthatches,  too,  Avho 
were  frequent  guests  at  our  winter  bird  parties,  entirely  dis- 
appeared during  the  summer — possibly  more  attractive  food 
tempted  them  elsewhere ; or  do  they  migrate  ? 

More  and  more  do  the  swallows  interest  us  every  year,  and 
this  }'ear  has  been  unusually  adapted  to  the  observation  of  out- 
door life.  Many  an  hour  I have  sat  amongst  my  bird  friends — 


WITH  THE  BIRDS. 


223 


chaffinches,  hedge-sparrows,  robins,  and  sparrows,  coming  close 
to  me,  and  even  the  blackbirds  coming  at  our  call  for  soaked 
bread  ; the  swallows  the  while  skimming  past  and  overhead, 
too  busy  with  their  own  joyous  existence  to  take  fright  at  us ; 
indeed,  so  constant  has  our  companionship  been,  that  they 
accept  us  as  part  of  the  place,  and  pursue  their  swift,  unerring 
course  as  though  no  human  beings  desecrated  their  bird  paradise. 
This  year  we  watched  the  swallows  from  week  to  week,  from 
their  arrival  in  the  sunny  days  of  April,  to  the  sunny  day  in 
autumn,  when,  noiselessly  and  unseen,  they  left  us.  For  days 
beforehand  they  had  perched  on  a sunny  roof,  telling  tales  of 
English  summers  and  foreign  winters  in  their  sweet  chatter,  and 
now — where  are  they  ? It  was  a great  amusement  to  watch  the 
return  of  the  young  swallows  from  their  first  flights ; they 
perched  in  a row  on  the  ledge  under  the  eaves,  and  one  by  one, 
in  due  order,  hopped  into  the  nest  and  tightly  packed  themselves 
in,  when  they  were  speedily  refreshed  by  gnats  brought  by  the 
attentive  parent  bird.  They  are  gone  now — young  and  old — 
and  the  house  seems  for  a time  deserted.  But  even  as  I write, 
a blue  tit  comes  to  the  window,  a blackbird  in  fine  feather  struts 
over  the  lawn,  and  a handsome  nuthatch  looks  in  at  us,  as  though 
it  had  been  here  every  day.  And  so  the  winter  is  bringing  back 
the  old  friends,  and  the  summer  season  will  be  duly  opened  by 
the  return  of  the  swallows  ! In  an  interesting  article  in  the  Daily 
News,  which  appeared  on  the  17th  of  October,  on  the  migra- 
tion of  birds,  the  writer  thus  accounts  for  the  “ quiet  time  ” in 
the  early  autumn  or  late  summer.  He  has  been  speaking  of 
swallows,  and  thus  concludes  his  article : “ We  think  of  birds 
like  these  as  migrants,  but  it  is  now  known  that  almost  all  birds 
move  more  or  less  in  the  autumn  ; that  rooks  and  crows,  black- 
birds and  thrushes,  starlings  and  jackdaws,  even  our  own  familiar 
robins,  cross  the  sea  in  crowds  before  the  setting  in  of  winter.” 
Which  of  our  birds  will  take  the  place  of  the  swallows 
in  sounding  the  alarm  at  the  approach  of  a sparrow-hawk  ? 
This  year  seems  to  have  favoured  the  increase  of  sparrow-hawks, 
and  it  has  always  been  the  swallows  who  gave  the  alarm  ; with 
quick,  excited  screams  of  terror  and  defiance,  they  combine 
against  the  common  enemy,  and  darting  around  and  above  him, 
so  bewilder  and  scare  him,  that  he  is  driven  back  to  his  haunts 
over  yonder  hill.  But  what  a panic  does  a visit  from  a sparrow- 
hawk  cause  in  the  bird  world  ! and  truly  one  cannot  wonder. 
In  May  this  year  we  found  a handsome  bird  lying  on  the  ground 
below  one  of  the  windows,  to  all  appearances  dead,  having 
stunned  itself  by  dashing  against  the  thick  plate  glass  (our  birds, 
big  and  little,  have  an  unreasonable  habit  of  doing  this,  and  to 
the  amusement  of  our  friends  we  are  obliged  to  put  “ danger 
signals,”  in  the  shape  of  Christmas  cards,  envelopes,  tracts,  or 
anything  that  comes  to  hand,  in  the  windows).  We  picked  up 
the  hawk,  and  wrapping  it  in  flannel,  gave  it  water  to  drink,  by 
dropping  it  on  its  beak,  and  presently  it  showed  signs  of  life.  Of 


224 


NATURE  NOTES. 


course,  we  ought  to  have  detained  it  a few  weeks,  till  the  season 
of  fledgelings  was  over  ; but  the  bird’s  handsome  plumage,  amber 
eye,  and  absolute  fearlessness,  made  us  restore  freedom  with 
animation.  At  the  moment,  too,  w'e  scarcely  realised  the  full 
gravity  of  the  situation,  and  so  we  let  it  fly.  It  flew  off  to  a 
flight  of  stone  steps,  where  it  perched,  and  regarded  me — as  the 
water  carrier — with  a fixed,  reproachful  gaze.  I followed  it, 
expecting  it  to  flutter  away  at  my  approach,  but  it  calml}’ 
accepted  the  situation,  and  putting  its  beak  in  the  saucer,  drank 
“ like  any  Christian ! ” and  flew  away  to  a tall  chestnut  tree. 
The  sequel  is  pathetic,  as  the  week  following,  we  picked  up 
apparently  the  same  bird,  in  exactly  the  same  place — this  time 
quite  dead — its  zeal  having  wholly  outrun  its  discretion  and 
resulted  in  a broken  neck ; it  was  a handsome  bird,  measuring 
fourteen  inches  long.  The  day  before  this  tragedy,  a bonny  little 
finch  had  made  its  way  through  a small  opening  at  the  top  of  the 
same  Avindow,  and  fallen  dead  on  the  carpet  below.  The  room 
was  only  unoccupied  for  a few  minutes,  and  Ave  thought  the  poor 
frightened  little  bird  must  haA’e  been  escaping  from  the  sparroAV- 
haAA’k,  and  died  of  fright  before  it  realised  its  safetA’. 

The  Avagtails  here  are  both  numerous  and  handsome  ; there  is 
iA’y  for  them  to  build  in,  sunny  roofs  for  them  to  strut  on,  and 
Avater  to  bathe  in.  What  could  a Avagtail  Avant  more  ? The 
other  day  Ave  noticed  a AA'agtail  pecking  round  the  grass  Avhere  a 
young  bullock  Avas  grazing.  Once  the}f  seemed  to  touch  each 
other — so  close  Avas  the  Avagtail  to  the  bullock’s  mouth.  A 
human  footstep  Avas  heard  in  the  lane,  and  off  fleAv  the  bird  ; 
alas  ! for  the  reflection  on  human  nature  ! And  indeed,  Avhen 
one  reflects  on  the  cruelty  and  ignorance  of  mankind,  and 
womanhind,  the  ferocity  of  sparroAv-haAA'ks  and  other  birds  of  prey, 
and  the  crafty  cunning  of  cats,  one  can  but  rejoice  that  so  many 
of  our  feathered  friends  surA'iA’e. 

In  Miss  Yonge’s  charming  book,  An  Old  Woman's  Outlook,  she 
mentions  the  fact  that  in  hard  AA'inters,  blackbirds  and  thrushes 
do  not  care  for  crumbs ; but  Ave  find  that  crumbs  soaked  in  water 
are  an  unfailing  attraction,  alike  in  frost  and  drought.  The 
Avay  in  Avhich  the  parent  blackbird  loaded  his  beak,  and  then  fleAV 
off  to  his  nest  AA’ith  triumphant  screams,  Avas  AA’orthy  of  record. 
By  AA’ay  of  experiment  Ave  planted  a currant  bush  close  to  the 
feeding  ground,  and  let  the  red  clusters  of  fruit  remain  until  for 
very  ripeness  they  fell  off ; not  one  Avas  touched  by  the  black- 
birds, or  any  other  bird,  the  diet  of  soaked  bread  evidently  being 
appreciated,  and  agreeing  AA’ith  both  young  and  old  birds — pos- 
sibly being  the  nearest  in  consistency  to  their  natural  food  of 
AA'orms,  &c.  It  may  also  be  of  interest  to  many  to  knoAV  that 
during  the  hard  frost  and  drought  the  soaked  bread  Avas  equally 
attractiA-e  to  the  rooks,  and  although  we  put  out  divers  kinds  of 
seeds,  they  neA-er  touched  one,  but  cleared  the  ground  of  soaked 
bread  Avith  almost  alarming  rapidity. 

Once  on  the  subject  of  birds,  it  is  difficult  to  know  Avhen  to 


M V FEA  THERED  LAD  F. 


stop,  but  an  end  comes  to  all  things  ; let  the  parting  suggestion 
be,  that  there  would  be  less  need  for  the  outcry  against  the  cruel 
thoughtlessness  of  our  bird-wearing  womenkind,  did  they  make 
friends  of,  instead  of  personal  adornment  of,  the  birds.  A quota- 
tion from  the  late  Richard  Jefferies  forms  a fitting  close  to  this 
chat  about  birds ; he  is  speaking  of  an  arable  field  in  autumn, 
with  a design  of  birds’  feet  on  it.  “ For  fifty  or  sixty  yards  the 
path  was  worked  with  an  inextricable  design  ; it  was  a pity  to 
step  on  it  and  blot  out  the  design  of  those  little  feet.  Their 
hearts  so  happy,  their  eyes  so  observant,  the  earth  so  bountiful 
to  them,  with  its  supply  of  food,  and  the  late  warmth  of  the 
autumn  sun  lighting  up  their  life.  They  know  and  feel  the 
different  loveliness  of  the  seasons  as  much  as  we  do.  Every  one 
must  have  noticed  their  joyousness  in  spring;  they  are  quiet,  but 
so  very  very  busy  in  the  height  of  summer ; as  autumn  comes 
on  they  obviously  delight  in  the  occasional  hours  of  warmth. 
The  marks  of  their  little  feet  are  almost  sacred,  a joyous  life 
has  been  there — do  not  obliterate  it.  It  is  so  delightful  to 
know  that  something  is  happy.” 

Chagfovd,  S.  Devon.  Helen  J.  Ormerod. 


MY  FEATHERED  LADY. 

Where’er  of  old  my  Lady  went 
All  art,  all  nature  seemed  to  be 
Attuned  in  soft  accompaniment 
To  sing  her  praise  to  me. 

With  her  all  gentleness  would  move  ; 

Her  smile  was  life,  her  look  was  love. 

Within  her  bonnet  shone  the  rose, 

A lily  sheltered  at  her  breast. 

But  now  where’er  my  Lady  goes 
No  human  heart  can  rest ; 

The  very  stones  beneath  her  feet 

Cry  “ Murder  ! Murder  ! ” down  the  street. 

For  in  her  bonnet  is  the  plume 
That  waves  above  her  head,  to  tell 
She  has,  within  her  soul,  no  room 
For  Pity’s  self  to  dwell ; 

That  she  can  see,  unmoved  of  pain. 

Homes  plundered,  babes  and  mothers  slain. 

Lo ! in  the  hall  of  dance  and  song. 

The  maiden,  clad  with  snowy  grace  ; 

No  more  she  glides  like  light  along. 

How  changed  and  slow  her  pace ; 
Knee-deep  she  seems  to  wade  through  death 
Of  white-winged  creatures  cast  beneath  ! 


226 


NATURE  NOTES. 


There  at  the  altar  kneels  the  bride, 

Pure  joy  and  spotless  womanhood. 

Ah,  pluck  that  dainty  veil  aside  ! 

Her  hair  is  red  with  blood  ! 

Hark  ! through  the  hymn  of  praise,  a cry 
Of  birds  in  bridal  dress  that  die. 

Beside  the  infant’s  cot  there  stands 
A mother  robed  for  evening  rout. 

The  fury  in  her  jewelled  hands 
Would  cast  her  own  child  out ! 

She  has  but  killed,  for  fan  and  lace, 

A heron’s  offspring  in  its  place. 

There  in  the  land  of  sun  and  flowers 
With  orange  scent  upon  the  air. 

When  Egrets  build  their  bridal  bowers. 

They  take  them  plumes  to  wear. 

Such  plumes  as  with  true  love  in  sight, 

^^'ill  tell  the  fluttering  heart’s  delight. 

They  mate,  and  happy  is  the  breast 
That  feels  one  day  its  softness  stirred 
By  that  new  life  within  the  nest. 

Loud  calls  the  parent  bird ; 

The  very  savage  in  the  wood 
Must  share  the  joyance  of  the  brood. 

But  hands,  whom  Fashion  arms  with  greed 
And  hearts  made  cruel  by  the  Chace, 

These  know  our  English  ladies  need 
Some  little  borrowed  grace. 

The  merchant  unto  murder  dooms 
A whole  bird-nation  for  its  plumes. 

Fierce  shouts  are  heard,  and  up  there  springs 
A palpitating  cloud  of  sound. 

The  shadows  of  ten  thousand  wdngs 
klove  trembling  on  the  ground. 

And  seem  in  silence  to  entreat 
For  mercy,  round  the  murderers’  feet. 

Gun  answers  gun,  the  cloud  that  rose 
Lies  warm  and  wounded  underneath. 

In  all  the  heart’s  appalling  throes 
Of  agony  and  death  ; 

From  quivering  flesh  the  ruffians  tear 
The  feathers  for  my  Lady’s  hair. 

There  falls  a hush  upon  the  wood 
Where  gun  made  echo  unto  gun. 

But  still  the  branches  drip  with  blood. 

And,  fainting  for  the  sun. 

Unfed,  unsheltered  now  by  breast. 

The  children  perish  in  the  nest. 


SQUIRRELS  IVON  BV  KINDNESS. 


227 


Wings,  meant  for  flight,  that  could  not  fly 
Are  rotting,  high  above,  in  air  ; 

Beneath,  the  carrion  bodies  lie 
Whose  fault  was  being  fair. 

And  Vanity  that  wrought  this  doom 
Goes  dancing  off  with  egret-plume. 

O English  mother,  maid,  or  bride. 

Who  seek  for  Fashion’s  feathered  grace. 

Come  in  your  beauty  and  your  pride 
And  gaze  upon  the  place  : 

Then  say  if  Love  can  wear  again 
For  Pity’s  sake,  such  plumes  of  pain. 

H.  D.  Rawnsley. 


SQUIRRELS  WON  BY  KINDNESS. 

BOUT  ten  years  ago  we  began  taming  the  wild  squirrels 
which  exist  in  great  numbers  in  the  woods  around 
this  house.  We  put  Barcelona  nuts  in  a small  basket 
hung  outside  the  dining-room  window,  and  every  day 
a handful  thrown  on  the  ground  served  to  attract  the  notice  of  the 
little  animals.  In  a very  short  time  the  squirrels  ventured  to 
approach,  timidly  at  first,  to  pick  up  their  favourite  food  ; they 
would  scratch  up  the  nuts  and  rush  away  to  some  quiet  spot  out 
of  sight.  Generations  of  the  graceful  little  rodents  have  been 
trained  to  come  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  window,  until  they  are 
now  so  delightfully  tame  that  I feel  induced  to  suggest  to  others 
the  means  of  enjoying  the  pleasure  we  find  in  watching  our  daily 
visitors  from  the  woods. 

My  first  act  before  breakfast  is  to  place  a handful  of  nuts 
on  a small  table  which  stands  in  the  room  close  to  a bay  window. 
Hardly  have  I done  so,  when  in  come  the  squirrels,  sliding  up 
to  the  window  and  leaping  on  to  the  table  to  enjoy  the  nuts. 
They  will  take  nuts  gentl}^  from  our  hands,  and  sitting  up  in 
the  graceful  position  a squirrel  adopts  when  quite  at  ease — its 
tail  curved  over  its  back,  and  its  tiny  paws  holding  the  nut — 
they  crack  them  and  fling  away  the  shells  in  careless  fashion.  A 
scrimmage  sometimes  takes  place  when  several  come  in  together. 
One  bolder  spirit  will  chase  another  round  the  room  until  both 
spring  out  at  the  window,  and  dart  across  the  lawn.  At  length, 
the  nuts  on  the  table  being  eaten  or  carried  away,  the  squirrels, 
well  knowing  where  the  supply  is  kept,  descend  to  the  floor  and 
hop  leisurely  to  a cupboard,  where  on  the  first  shelf  is  a box  full 
of  Barcelonas.  The  little  animals  spring  on  to  the  shelf  and 
help  themselves.  This  they  are  allowed  to  do  for  a little  while, 
as  we  like  to  watch  their  proceedings  ; but  I make  a protest 


228 


NATURE  NOTES. 


presently  and  close  the  cupboard  door  when  I find  my  entire 
store  of  nuts  is  being  transferred  to  the  garden  and  planted  all 
over  the  lawn ; for  the  squirrels  bury  nuts  for  future  use, 
although  I am  very  doubtful  whether  they  do  really  dig  them 
up  again. 

On  cold  mornings,  when  the  windows  cannot  be  opened,  it  is 
touching  to  see  the  little  furry  heads  peep  in,  waiting  patiently 
for  their  daily  meal.  This  they  eventually  share  with  several 
very  tame  nuthatches,  these  birds  seeming  very  glad  of  nuts  as 
well  as  fat  during  the  winter  months. 

The  only  drawback  to  having  wild  squirrels  tamed  is  the 
distraction  they  cause  when  a class  of  children  is  being  taught 
in  the  dining-room ! Sydney  Smith  says  that  “ A sparrow 
fluttering  about  the  church  is  an  antagonist  which  the  most  pro- 
found theologian  in  Europe  is  wholly  unable  to  overcome;”  and 
certainly  the  apparition  of  a bright-eyed  squirrel  popping  up 
at  each  window  in  succession  is  enough  to  drive  a teacher  to 
despair.  Nothing  less  than  an  abundant  shower  of  nuts  will 
bribe  the  little  intruders  to  keep  quiet  for  a time. 

I have  given  these  simple  details  because  I think  that  possi- 
bly many  of  the  readers  of  Nature  Notes  may  like  to  encourage 
these  charming  little  animals  when  they  learn  how  easily,  b}'  a 
little  patient  kindness,  they  may  be  attracted  from  the  woods  to 
become  househeld  pets  of  their  own  free  will,  which  is,  to  my 
mind,  so  much  more  enjoyable  than  keeping  captive  animals  or 
birds.  It  should,  perhaps,  be  added  that  great  quietness  and 
calm  are  needed  while  the  first  advances  are  being  made,  and 
that  a loud  voice  or  a quick  gesture  will  undo  a week’s  work  in 
taming. 

Eliza  Brightwen. 


NOTES  FROM  A FLORIDA  DIARY. 


[CTOBER  2nd,  1892. — V.  and  I drove  over  from  Oakland 
to  “ Mallow,”  starting  at  about  5.30  in  the  morning. 
V.  drove  us  in  a buggy  with  pair  of  half-broken  Texas 
ponies,  a coloured  man  riding  before  to  show  the  way. 
It  is  through  forest  the  whole  journey — no  real  roads,  but  just 
tracks  made  by  wagons  through  interminable  sand,  sometimes 
more  than  a foot  deep.  The  trees  are  principally  pine  and 
“ blackjack  ” — the  latter  being  a species  of  oak,  very  undurable, 
and  seldom  growing  into  anything  worthy  of  the  name  of  tree. 
What  scrub  there  is,  is  formed  of  palmettoes,  which  grow  in 
hundreds  everywhere.  The  pines  and  black  jacks  are  hung 
from  every  branch  with  “ Spanish  moss,”  a curious  Tillandsia 
hanging  in  long  festoons,  sometimes  four  or  five  feet  from  the 
boughs,  and  very  characteristic  of  the  sub-tropical  scenery.  It 
is  the  wrong  time  of  year  for  wild  flowers,  nevertheless  we 


^^OrES  FROM  A FLORIDA  DIARY. 


229 


passed  lovely  orchids,  large  scarlet  and  yellow  lilies,  coreopsis, 
blue  and  red  salvias,  Virginian  creepers,  and  “ vines  ” of  all 
kinds.  The  roads  being  only  tracks  through  the  forest  are  often 
quite  hidden  under  water,  or  have  fallen  pines  stretched  right 
across  them.  When  this  is  the  case  we  turn  aside  into  the 
scrub,  and  drive  straight  ahead,  over  stumps  and  gopher-holes, 
till  I wonder  the  buggy  is  not  overturned.  Even  in  the  track 
we  have  to  pass  so  close  to  the  tree  trunks  that  in  many  of 
them  notches  are  cut  to  allow  the  hub  of  the  wheels  to  pass. 

October  26th. — Carl  brought  me  two  “orange-dogs,”  larvae 
of  a large  swallow-tail  butterfly  measuring  about  six  inches 
across  the  wings.  They  are  smaller  than  I should  have  thought, 
in  comparison  with  the  size  of  the  perfect  insect.  They  have  eye- 
like spots  behind  the  head  much  as  the  English  elephant  hawk- 
moth  larva  has,  and  are  mottled  brown,  and  olive  green,  with 
blue  spots.  Yesterday  we  found  two  new  “ blood-suckers  ” in 
the  grove.  They  were  eating  butterflies,  and  were  on  a 
favourite  sweet-scented  plant  which  had  quite  a heap  of  rejected 
butterflies’  wings  on  the  ground  under  it.  M.  P.  said  her 
brother  told  her  there  were  no  worms  in  British  Columbia. 
There  are  none  here  (away  from  the  margins  of  lakes)  and  con- 
sequently no  surface-soil,  only  dry  sand,  which  is  turned  up, 
and  over,  by  ants,  sand-wasps  and  flies  of  different  kinds. 

October  27th. — Drove  over  to  call  at  Joycelands.  Mr.  J. 
showed  us  his  garden,  all  made — including  lawn — in  five  years. 
Everything  out  here  grows  so  fast ; he  showed  me  two 
eucalyptus  trees  he  had  grown  from  seeds,  and  which  in  three 
years  had  reached  the  height  of  35  and  36  feet.  Amongst  other 
things  he  had  arrowroot  and  sago  plants,  gumquats,  camphor, 
and  citron  trees.  One  citron,  which  we  brought  home,  is  nine 
inches  long  and  twelve  round  ; like  a large  lemon  but  with  a 
very  rough  skin. 

October  28th. — The  “ orange-dogs  ” have  “ whips  ” like  our 
puss-moth  larva  has,  only  wdiereas  the  puss-moth’s  wdiips  are 
situated  on  the  extreme  end  of  the  larva,  and  are  hidden  in  a 
visible  green  sheath,  the  orange-dogs’  are  just  above  the  head, 
and  can  be  drawm  in  quite  out  of  sight.  They  are  also  below 
the  eye-like  marks,  and  so  have  the  appearance  of  a forked, 
red  tongue,  shot  out  of  a supposed  mouth.  When  the  cater- 
pillar protrudes  them,  it  at  the  same  time  gives  out  a smell  very 
like  that  of  the  stink-horn  fungus.  I have  had  them  in  a card- 
board box,  but  this  morning  had  to  move  them  into  a w’ooden 
one,  as  during  the  night  they  eat  a large  hole  in  the  side  of 
the  former  and  both  crawded  out  into  the  room. 

By-the-by,  Florida  cats  wdll  generally  refuse  fish,  quail,  or 
dead  hawks,  that  is,  with  the  exception  of  the  little  insect  hawk, 
which  they  do  not  seem  to  mind.  They,  however,  eat  large 
numbers  of  lizards  and  grasshoppers,  and  play  with  the  big 
locusts  like  an  English  cat  would  with  a mouse.  Also  the}" 
catch  numbers  of  the  tomato  moths,  which  are  large,  measuring 


230 


NATURE  NOTES. 


three  or  four  inches  across,  have  pink  or  3’ellow  stripes,  and  a 
proboscis  twice  the  length  of  their  bodies. 

Some  of  the  girls  out  here  keep  orange  sticks  hanging  up  in 
their  rooms,  and  it  is  the  custom  for  each  of  their  admirers  to 
give  them  a bow  of  different  coloured  ribbon  to  tie  on  a thorn. 
Some  girls  have  each  thorn  on  their  sticks  tied  with  a different 
bow. 

November  2nd. — There  are  no  sparrows  here,  and  although 
the  Florida  “ stink  sparrow  ” is  a small  brown  bird,  it  is  not  at 
all  the  same  as  our  little  English  friends.  We  saw  one  to-da}’. 
They  have  a scent  so  e.xactly  like  that  of  the  quail,  that  the  dogs 
are  invariably  taken  in  by  it  ; and  as  the  birds  also  have  a 
habit  of  hopping  along  the  ground  in  the  long  grass,  the  hounds 
often  point  them,  thinking  they  are  quail.  The  sporting  dogs 
here  are  all  called  “ smell  dogs,”  pointers  being  “ whip-tailed 
smell  dogs  ” and  setters,  spaniels,  or  long-haired  ones,  “ feather- 
tailed smell  dogs.”  We  have  found  several  brown  caterpillars 
living  in  cases  composed  of  bits  of  dead  leaves  and  sticks, 
very  much  like  caddis-worms.  These  cases  are  fastened  hang- 
ing from  the  mid-rib  of  a leaf  (generally  a live-oak),  and  the 
caterpillar  crawls  out  to  eat  when  hungry  ; sticking  to  the  one 
leaf  till  that  is  finished,  and  then  moving,  case  and  all,  to  another. 
I do  not  think  we  shall  ever  be  able  to  keep  them,  as  the  leaves 
shrivel  as  soon  as  gathered,  which  fact  upsets  the  caterpillar 
ver\'  much. 

Another  striking  bird  is  the  turkey-buzzard,  a most  useful 
scavenger  in  such  a hot  country,  and  so  valued  on  this 
account,  that  a fine  of  $5  is  imposed  on  anybody  found  killing 
one.  It  is  a large  bird,  with  much  red  flesh  about  its  head,  and 
having  a curious  w’ay  of  turning  up  the  tips  of  its  wings  when 
flying,  or  rather  hovering  in  the  air.  Their  instinct  is  wonderful. 
They  will  stand  round  a “bogged”  horse,  or  follow  sick  cattle 
for  days  waiting  for  them  to  die,  and  will  entirely  demolish  a 
dead  calf  in  a few  hours. 

November  i6th. — It  is  very  curious  to  see  the  stumps  being 
burnt  on  freshly  cleared  land.  The  trees  are  cut  down  so  as  to 
leave  about  three  feet  of  trunk  out  of  the  ground ; holes  are 
dug  at  the  roots  of  each,  in  which  a fire  is  lit.  Passing  such 
a clearing  at  night,  and  seeing  the  fire  flaming  up  out  of  the 
ground  in  every  direction,  reminds  one  very  much  of  Bore’s 
picture  of  the  heretics’  graves. 

Rabbits  here  do  not  burrow,  but  are  in  their  habits  much 
like  English  hares.  Owing  to  this,  no  doubt,  their  feet  are 
quite  altered  in  shape,  being  pointed,  instead  of  spread  out  for 
digging.  They  are  called  “ cotton-tails.”  There  is  a nest  of  three 
young  ones  just  in  front  of  the  house.  They  are  not  in  a hole, 
but  lying  in  a hollow  under  a clump  of  grass. 

June  ist,  1893. — Have  been  through  one  of  the  hammocks. 
No  words  can  describe  the  luxuriant  beauty  of  the  vegetation, 
which  in  most  places  is  quite  impenetrable.  Cabbage-palmettoes 


POEMS  AND  ORCHARD  SONGS. 


231 


rise  far  far  above  everything  else,  their  trunks  covered  with  hare’s 
foot  ferns,  and  trails  of  scarlet  bignonia,  or  as  it  is  there  called, 
“trumpet  vine.”  The  most  conspicuous  trees,  however,  are 
the  magnolias,  their  glossy  green  leaves  and  beautiful  blossoms 
marking  them  at  a great  distance.  They  flower  with  such  pro- 
fusion that  the  perfume  becomes  too  powerful  to  be  pleasant, 
even  in  the  open  air.  Their  branches  are  loaded  with  epiphytes, 
orchids,  air-plants,  the  never-ending  Spanish  moss,  and  rope- 
like lianas  swaying  backwards  and  forwards  in  the  air.  There 
is  a curious  nest  that  seems  very  common  in  all  the  hammocks, 
yet  no  one  knows  what  bird  builds  it,  and  nothing  seems  to  have 
ever  been  found  in  any  of  them.  We  found  a good  disused  one 
to-day,  suspended  in  a trail  of  Tillandsia,  which  I kept  to  take 
back  to  England.  It  is  the  size  of  a big  orange,  woven  entirely 
of  palmettoe  fibres,  nearly  round,  and  with  two  entrance  holes, 
side  by  side,  towards  the  front,  which  holes  are  inclined  to  pro- 
trude like  the  neck  of  a bottle. 

The  red-throated  humming  birds  are  now  fairly  common,  but 
their  nests  are  almost  impossible  to  find.  G.’s  house  is  covered 
with  bignonia,  wax  plant,  scarlet  honeysuckle  and  passion 
flower,  and  there  the  little  birds  are  seen  to  perfection,  their 
hum  betraying  their  whereabouts  at  once.  Last  week  G.  caught 
one  in  the  butterfly  net  for  us  to  see.  I held  it  in  my  hand — 
such  a tiny  thing — its  colours  exquisite.  We  only  kept  it  a 
moment,  and  then  let  it  fly  again  ; and  this  afternoon  I hear  it 
humming  round  the  gardenia  bushes  and  oleanders  in  front  of 
the  house. 

W.  M.  E.  Fowler. 


POEMS  AND  ORCHARD  SONGS.- 

Those  who  think  that  the  outside  of  a book  should  show  some  accordance  with 
its  contents  will  find  their  views  carried  out  in  these  volumes.  Whether  this  is 
intentional  we  do  not  know  : but  the  thoughtful,  serious,  and  sometimes  ascetic 
poems  of  Mr.  Benson  are  aptly  coated  in  light  grey  paper  boards,  and  lettered  in 
sober  black  ; Mr.  Norman  Gale’s  lighter  verses  appear  in  a vesture  of  apple 
green,  with  an  indication  of  his  favourite  cherries  about  the  title  ; and  Mr.  F.  B. 
Doveton’s  commonplace  binding  only  too  accurately  foreshadows  what  is  to  be 
found  within  its  covers. 

Neither  Mr.  Benson  nor  Mr.  Norman  Gale  are  strangers  to  the  readers  of 
Nature  Notes.  We  were  fortunate  enough  to  obtain,  by  the  kindness  of  the 
author,  a copy  of  the  privately  printed  volume  containing,  among  other  good 


* Poems,  by  Arthur  Christopher  Benson.  (London  : Elkin  Mathews  and 
John  Lane.  Fcap  8vo,  pp.  192,  5s.  net.) 

Orchard  Songs,  by  Norman  Gale.  (Same  publishers,  fcap  8vo,  pp.  112,  5s. 
net.) 

Songs  Grave  and  Gay,  by  F.  B.  Doveton.  (London  : Horace  Cox,  8vo,  pp. 
267.) 


232 


NATURE  NOTES. 


things,  the  sonnet  on  Gilbert  White  which  was  reproduced  in  these  pages,*  and 
which  we  are  glad  to  find  in  the  book  now  before  us  ; and  we  are  glad  to  find 
that  the  appreciation  which  we  publishedt  of  the  earlier  work  is  more  than  justi- 
fied by  this  volume  of  Poems.  Mr.  Norman  Gale’s  Coimtry  Muse  was  noticed  at 
p.  32,  and  already  his  orchard  has  yielded  another  crop  of  fruit.  The  names 
of  their  publishers  are  sufficient  guarantee  that  the  two  volumes  are  beautifully 
printed  and  “ turned  out.” 

In  a short  preface,  which  makes  us  anxious  to  know  more  of  his  prose,  Mr. 
Benson  directs  us  to  that  “ large  region  of  simple  facts  and  quiet  experiences” 
of  which  he  seems  to  us  a singularly  true  exponent.  “ The  almond-tree  blooms, 
the  rook  strides  over  the  new-turned  furrow,  and  the  streams  hurry  through  the 
meadows  with  a singular  indifference  to  the  promises  of  Socialism  and  the  mysteries 
of  Home  Rule  ; ” and  in  these,  and  in  things  like  these,  which  Mr.  Benson  por- 
trays with  pre-Raphaelite  accuracy,  he  finds  matter  for  thoughtful  reflection — 
perhaps  a little  too  thoughtful  at  times  in  relation  to  the  subject  which  calls  it 
forth.  As  we  said  when  noticing  his  earlier  volume,  he  does  not  draw  his 
inspiration  from  the  ordinary  subjects  of  a poet’s  attentions  ; the  mole,  the  beetle 
and  the  toad  among  animals,  and  the  knapweed,  the  fritillary,  and  (not  so 
happily)  the  dandelion  among  plants,  are  types  of  his  selection.  He  describes  the 
various  aspects  of  Nature  with  keen  appreciation  ; and  the  following  poem,  which 
should  shortly  be  seasonable,  shows  the  accuracy  of  his  delineations  : — 

“HIDDEN  LIFE. 

“ The  turf  is  marble  underfoot. 

The  fountain  drips  with  icy  spears  ; 

And  round  about  the  cedar’s  root 
The  hungry  blackbird  pecks  and  peers. 

“ The  mud  that  rose  beside  the  wheel 
In  liquid  flake,  stands  stiff  and  hard  ; 

Unbroken  lies  the  dinted  heel. 

With  icy  streaks  the  rut  is  barred. 

“ Behind  the  knotted  black  tree-tops 
The  solemn  sunset  waning  burns. 

The  pheasant  mutters  in  the  copse 
And  patters  through  the  crackling  ferns. 

“ Yet  down  below  the  frozen  rind 

The  silent  waters  creep  and  meet  ; 

The  roots  press  downwards  unconfined. 

Where  deeper  burns  the  vital  heat. 

“ As  when  the  summer  sky  is  clear. 

And  heat  is  winking  on  the  hill. 

The  swimmer  rests  beside  the  weir 
To  feel  the  fresh  luxurious  chill, 

“So  earth  lies  still  beneath  the  night. 

And  takes  no  thought  of  wintry  woe. 

She  shudders  with  a keen  delight 
And  nestles  in  her  robe  of  snow.” 

Mr.  Norman  Gale’s  verses  are  more  concerned  with  the  external  aspect  of 
things,  and  his  reflections  are  more  simple  and  obvious.  His  notes  are  sweet 
and  true,  but  they  have  not  the  depth  of  Mr.  Benson’s,  and  there  is  less  variety 
in  his  utterances.  Whether  he  is  writing  about  milkmaids,  birds,  trees  (especially 
cherry  trees),  or  flowers,  there  is  a bright  sunshiny  feeling  about  his  verses,  such 
as  one  feels  on  a Spring  day  when  the  leaves  and  blossoms  have  had  time  to 
unfold,  but  before  their  freshness  has  begun  to  deepen  into  summer  hues.  War- 
wickshire and  the  Cotswolds  are  the  places  of  his  delight,  and  his  Selbornian 


* p.  83. 


t p.  88. 


OLD-WORLD  LORE. 


233 

spirit  finds  vent,  not  only  in  the  charming  poem,  too  long  to  quote,  called  “ One 
Shilling  Each,”  and  beginning  : 

“ How  shall  a man  or  woman  pass  unstirred  ? 

A shilling  these  ! One  shilling,  cage  and  bird  ! ” 

and  going  on  to  narrate  his  delight  at  purchasing  and  setting  free,  “redstart, 
yellowhammer,  finch  ; ” but  in  such  verses  as  these — a little  marred  though  they 
be  by  the  last  line  : 

“GOING  SOUTH. 

“ It  is  ever  so  far  away 

For  the  swallow  to  fly  ; 

And  she  peeped  for  an  English  thatch 
At  a round  of  sky  ! 

“ But  the  elders  have  told  her  tales 
Of  the  sister  blues  ; 

And  she  starts  at  the  wink  of  dawn 
On  her  windy  cruise. 

“ She  can  tell  her  path  in  the  void, 

Though  her  native  sod 
Was  here  in  a Warwickshire  lane. 

For  her  pilot’s  God.” 

It  is  only  verses  which  appeal  to  Selbornians  that  we  notice  in  these  pages, 
and  this  excuses  us  for  saying  much  about  Mr.  Doveton’s  Songs.  There  is  very 
little  nature  in  them,  and  scarcely  more  art,  although  we  find  that  fatal  fluency 
which  fills  “the  fourpenny  box”  with  an  unfailing  flood  of  commonplace  verse. 
The  influence  of  Tennyson  is  manifest  throughout,  except  of  course  in  the  “ gay  ” 
songs,  which  we  are  glad  not  to  be  obliged  to  notice.  We  cannot  think  “ the 
river’s  rim”  a usual  habitat  of  the  daffodil  (p.  125) ; the  “ imperial  iris  flaunting 
its  flag  of  gold  ” does  not  “ guard  the  brook  ” in  April  (p.  88)  ; and  the  “ maiden 
cloaked  and  furred,”  who  told  Mr.  Doveton  that  she  was  going  “ for  holly  green 
and  mistletoe  to  deck  the  kirk  at  morn”  (p.  64),  must  have  been  playing  on  his 
credulity. 


OLD-WORLD  LORE. 

The  approaching  close  of  another  year  brings  with  it  to  most,  if  not  all  of  us, 
a consciousness  that  “ we  have  left  undone  the  things  that  we  ought  to  have  done,” 
and  that  we  fully  intended  to  do.  The  editor  of  Nature  Notes  is  no  exception 
to  this  rule ; rather,  he  is  a sad  example  of  the  evils  of  procrastination.  Month 
by  month  he  has  apologised  for  the  omission  of  articles,  notes,  reviews  and  the 
like  ; month  by  month  has  brought  him  more  material  of  every  kind,  thus  en- 
suring an  accumulation  of  arrears  ; and  now  at  the  end  of  the  year  he  finds  a 
sheaf  of  interesting  communications  still  unpublished,  a pile  of  interesting  books 
unnoticed. 

The  publishers  have  fortunately  yielded  to  our  plea  for  an  extra  four  pages  as 
a kind  of  Christmas-box  to  the  readers  of  Nature  Notes,  and  we  propose  to 
devote  this  for  the  most  part  to  a notice  of  the  volumes— some  of  them  too  long 
neglected — which  we  have  received.  Over  many  we  should  like  to  linger  ; indeed, 
the  desire  to  notice  them  at  length  has  been  the  cause  of  the  delay  in  noticing 
them  at  all.  But  at  a season  of  book-giving,  even  a small  indication  where  to 
choose  is  useful,  and  this  we  can  at  any  rate  supply. 

Those  to  whom  the  study  of  old  customs  and  associations  is  a matter  of  interest 
— and  their  number  is  large — will  find  a storehouse  of  such  lore  in  English  Folk- 
Rhymes,  compiled  by  Mr.  G.  F.  Northall,  and  published  by  Messrs.  Kegan,  Paul 
& Co.  (los.  6d.)  This  handsome  volume,  which  has  been  in  preparation  for  many 
years,  is  a classified  collection  of  rhymes  relating  to  places,  persons  and  things  ; to 


234 


NATURE  NOTES. 


days  and  times  and  seasons  ; to  birds,  beasts  and  fishes  ; and  indeed  to  the  thousand- 
and-one  subjects  which  come  into  ordinary  conversation  and  everyday  life.  Few 
will  have  suspected  that  England  was  so  rich  in  material  of  this  kind,  and  yet  every- 
one who  opens  the  book,  even  if  no  student  of  folk-lore,  will  come  across  many 
rhymes  and  sayings  which  were  familiar  to  him  in  his  childhood,  although  since 
then  he  may  never  have  met  with  or  thought  of  them.  The  list  of  works  quoted 
shows  the  industry  which  Mr.  Northall  has  devoted  to  his  task  ; his  mode  of  citing 
these  works  has  the  advantage  of  brevity,  but  otherwise  is  not  as  convenient  as 
it  might  have  been,  necessitating  as  it  does  constant  reference  to  the  explanatory 
list. 

Perhaps  to  our  readers  the  rhymes  and  legends  connected  with  animals  and 
plants  will  be  among  the  most  interesting.  The  animal  kingdom  has  furnished 
subjects  for  a number  of  traditional  verses.  Crows,  cuckoos,  the  curlew,  the 
owl,  the  pigeon,  the  ring-dove,  robin  and  wren,  are  principal  among  birds. 
Various  superstitions  connected  with  the  ash  leaf,  bay  leaf,  butterdock,  clover, 
evergreen,  grass,  hemp  seed,  rosemary  and  thyme,  eggs,  apples,  water,  nuts,  the 
cuckoo,  garters  and  stockings,  shoes,  &c.,  are  of  considerable  interest.  Charms 
and  spells  for  an  adder  bite,  the  ague,  bleeding,  bruises  and  sprains,  cramp,  St. 
Vitus's  dance,  sciatica,  tooth-ache,  &c. , are  probably  little  known  to  most  of 
those  who  suffer  from  these  ailments.  A work  of  this  kind  is  of  course  never 
complete  ; but  Mr.  Northall  has  certainly  brought  together  a larger  collection  of 
folk-rhymes  than  any  previous  writer.  We  should  have  expected  to  find  a 
section  devoted  to  riddles,  and  one  or  two  publications  seem  to  have  been  over- 
looked, e.g. , the  English  Dialect  Society’s  Dictionary  of  English  Plant-na!?tes, 
in  which  the  author  will  find  several  plant-rhymes  not  included  in  his  collection. 
Here  and  there  we  find  rhymes  included  which  have  hardly  the  true  ring,  such 
as  that  on  the  mandrake  quoted  from  the  Popular  Educator,  and  Mr.  Northall  is 
a little  too  prone  to  regard  Dr.  Brewer  and  Mr.  Dyer  as  classical  authorities  ; 
we  doubt,  too,  whether  some  of  the  verses  cited  from  '%\vLXX2.f%  Handbooks  should  be 
considered  genuine  folk-rhymes.  His  notes  are  commendably  brief  and  to  the 
point,  but  we  should  have  been  glad  of  a preface,  of  which  there  is  not  a w'ord, 
and  still  more  so  of  an  index,  for  which  the  “ table  of  contents,”  is  a very  in- 
efficient substitute. 

The  student  of  folk-song  will  find  a treat  in  the  very  handsome  and  singularly 
cheap  (6s.)  volume  of  English  County  Songs  (Leadenhall  Press),  a preliminary 
notice  of  which  was  communicated  to  Nature  Notes  (p.  55)  by  one  of  the 
authors.  Miss  Lucy  Broadwood,  who,  with  Mr.  J.  A.  Fuller  Maitland,  has  brought 
together  this  most  interesting  collection.  We  hope  that  many  a Christmas  fire- 
side will  be  brightened  by  these  sweet  and  simple  strains,  associated  as  they  are 
with  a suitable  piano  accompaniment.  We  have  children’s  game-songs,  like 
“ Green  Gravel,”  here  attributed  to  Lancashire,  but  quite  as  common  in  Cheshire  ; 
songs  for  certain  popular  feasts  or  celebrations,  such  as  the  souling  song  from 
Shropshire,  May  songs  from  Hertfordshire  and  Essex — there  is  a very  pretty 
Cheshire  May  song  which  we  should  like  to  have  seen  included  ; peace-egging 
songs  from  Lancashire,  and  a sword-dance  song  from  Yorkshire  ; the  traditional 
ballad,  typified  by  the  Worcestershire  “ Sweet  William”  and  the  Staffordshire 
“ Lord  Robert  ; ” and  several  versions  of  well-known  folk-songs.  Brief  but 
interesting  notes  supply  information  as  to  the  sources  from  which  the  words  and 
music  are  derived,  and  it  is  satisfactory  to  notice  how  large  a number  have  been 
taken  down  from  the  lips  of  the  people.  We  are  glad  to  find  an  extremely  beauti- 
ful canon,  “Now,  Robin,  lend  to  me  thy  Bow,”  which  is  accredited  to  Rutland- 
shire on  what  seems  to  us  insufficient  evidence.  This  was  popular  in  the  begin- 
ning of  Elizabeth’s  reign,  and  Chappell  (Popular  Music,  i.,  79)  says  it  was  at  the 
time  of  the  publication  of  his  book  (which  is  not  dated),  “still  popular  in  some 
parts  of  the  country,”  and  was  written  down  for  him  in  Leicestershire. 

Another  handsome  book,  taking  us  back  yet  further  into  the  past,  is  Mr. 
Robert  Steele’s  Medieval  Lore  (Elliot  Stock,  7s.  6d.),  further  described  in  its  title 
as  “an  epitome  of  the  science,  geography,  animal  and  plant  folk-lore  and  myth 
of  the  Middle  Age  ; being  classified  gleanings  from  the  Encyclopedia  of  Bartho- 
lomew Anglicus  on  the  Properties  of  Things.”  Mr.  William  Morris,  in  a short 
but  admirable  preface,  justifies  after  his  manner,  and  with  much  clearness,  the 
period  which  not  so  long  ago  we  were  wont  to  call  “ the  Dark  Ages” — a period 
the  ignorance  of  which,  as  he  truly  says,  “was  one  of  the  natural  defects  of  the 
qualities  of  the  learned  men  and  keen  critics  of  the  eighteenth  and  early  part  of 


OLD-WORLD  LORE. 


235 


the  nineteenth  century.”  “The  reader,  before  he  can  enjoy  it” — we  cannot 
do  better  than  make  Mr.  Morris’s  words  our  own — “must  cast  away  the  ex- 
ploded theory  of  the  invincible  and  wilful  ignorance  of  the  days  when  it  was 
written  ; the  people  of  that  time  were  eagerly  desirous  for  knowledge,  and 
their  teachers  were  mostly  single-hearted  and  intelligent  men,  of  a diligence  and 
laboriousness  almost  past  belief.”  The  author  was  an  English  Franciscan,  who 
wrote  in  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth  century,  probably  before  1260;  it  was 
translated  into  French  in  1372,  and  into  Dutch,  Spanish,  and  English  in  1397. 
The  book  was  thus  a product  of  the  century  which,  according  to  Mr.  Frederick 
Harrison,  “ was  in  nothing  one-sided  and  in  nothing  discordant.  There  was 
one  common  end,  one  ritual,  one  worship,  one  sacred  language,  one  church,  a 
single  code  of  manners,  a uniform  scheme  of  society,  a common  system  of  educa- 
tion, an  accepted  type  of  beauty,  a universal  art,  something  like  a recognised 
standard  of  the  Good,  the  Beautiful,  and  the  True.”* 

The  curious  contemporary  beliefs  regarding  various  branches  of  the  subjects 
mentioned  in  the  title  are  set  forth  in  simple  forcible  language  with  a directness 
which  sometimes  raises  a smile.  We  have  only  space  for  one  extract — that  in 
which  the  author  describes  the  cat : — “ He  is  in  youth  swift,  pliant,  and  merry, 
and  leapeth  and  reseth  [rushethj  on  everything  that  is  tofore  him  : and  is  led 
by  a straw,  and  playeth  therewith  : and  is  a right,  heavy  beast  in  age  and  full 
sleepy,  and  lieth  slyly  in  wait  for  mice  : and  is  aware  where  they  be  more  by 
smell  than  by  sight,  and  hunteth  and  reseth  on  them  in  privy  places  ; and  when 
he  taketh  a mouse  he  playeth  therewith,  and  eateth  him  after  the  play.  In  time 
of  love  is  hard  fighting  for  wives,  and  one  scratcheth  and  rendeth  the  other 
grievously  with  biting  and  with  claws.  And  he  maketh  a ruthful  noise  and 
gshatful  when  one  profifereth  to  fight  with  another  : and  unneth  [hardly]  is  hurt 
when  he  is  thrown  down  ofif  an  high  place.  And  when  he  hath  a fair  skin,  he  is 
as  it  were  proud  thereof,  and  goeth  fast  about  : and  when  his  skin  is  burnt,  then 
he  bideth  at  home,  and  is  oft  for  his  fair  skin  taken  of  the  skinner,  and  slain 
and  flayed.” 

There  are  notes  on  the  authors  quoted  by  Bartholomew,  also  a bibliography, 
a glossary,  and  an  excellent  index,  so  that  nothing  is  wanting  to  make  the  work  a 
valuable  addition  to  any  library. 

Mr.  Elliot  Stock  also  sends  us  another  old-world  book  in  the  shape  of  Mr. 
R.  C.  Hope’s  Legendary  Lore  of  the  Holy  Wells  of  England  (7s.  6d. ).  Mr.  Hope  is 
well  known  as  a worker  in  the  history  of  the  bygone  times,  and  in  this,  “ the  fir.'-t 
systematic  attempt  ” to  bring  together  the  traditionary  lore  connected  with  wells, 
rivers,  springs  and  lakes,  he  brings  to  our  notice  a very  varied  and  interesting  collec- 
tion of  facts.  Works  of  this  kind  are,  from  their  nature,  always  more  or  less  incomplete, 
and  we  think  it  would  have  been  well  if  Mr.  Hope  had  brought  his  information  a 
little  more  up  to  date.  Which  of  the  customs  narrated  by  him  still  hold  a place 
in  popular  observance?  The  Derbyshire  “well-dressings”  certainly  do;  yet  he 
quotes  no  more  recent  account  of  the  Buxton  festival  than  one  published  in  1846 
in  “ a local  newspaper,”  and  of  the  still  more  famous  one  at  Tissington  a scarcely 
more  recent  description  is  given.  The  day  or  season  of  many  of  these  observances 
(Buxton,  Barlow,  and  others)  is  not  mentioned.  Mr.  Hope  is,  to  say  the  least  of 
it,  by  no  means  definite  in  his  references  : “ a correspondent  of  the  Gentleman' s 
JMagazine,"  for  example,  is  very  inadequate,  and  so  are  “ Penrith  Observer  ” and 
“ Denham  Tracts.”  And  he  might  surely  have  ascertained  for  himself  something 
about  St.  Gore’s  Well  in  Kensington  Gardens,  of  which  he  writes  : “This  well 
is  said  to  be  still  visited  by  the  faithful,  who  believe  in  the  virtues  of  its  waters,” 
and  have  told  us  more  about  so  once-popular  a resort  as  Bagnigge  Wells  than 
“two  springs  discovered  1767 — the  one  chalybeate,  the  other  aperient.”  The 
book  is,  however,  a very  interesting  one. 


Fortnightly  Revieti,,  Sept.,  1891. 


236 


NATURE  NOTES. 


SOME  CHRISTMAS  BOOKS. 

Messrs.  Macmillan  send  out  as  a Christmas  book  a new  edition  of  an  old 
favourite — Miss  Mitford’s  Our  Village,  beautifully  illustrated  by  Hugh  Thomson. 
We  have  more  than  once  noticed  reprints  of  portions  of  this  work,  which  seems 
to  have  obtained  in  recent  years  a new  popularity  ; and  we  have  now  before  us 
the  three-volume  edition,  in  the  elegant  binding  of  sixty  years  ago,  which  we  read 


and  delighted  in  many  years  since.  Indeed,  if  we  have  a criticisrn  to  niake  on 
Messrs.  Macmillan’s  beautiful  volume,  it  is  on  the  absence  of  some  iridication  that 
it  is  not  a complete  work.  The  introduction  by  Mrs.  Richmond  Ritchie  adds  a 
charm  to  the  book,  and  if  Our  Village  cannot  be  ranked  as  high  as  Cranford,  the 
pioneer  of  the  elegant  series  of  books  which  has  since  appeared  under  that  name, 
it  is  more  Selbornian  in  tone,  and  in  its  quiet,  simple,  true  descriptions  of  country 
delights  and  associations.  It  is  pleasant  to  find  that  Miss  IMitford  knew  her  Selborne  ; 


SHORT  NOTICES  OF  BOOKS. 


237 


she  speaks  of  the  delight  of  “ rambling  with  Mr.  White  over  his  own  parish  of 
.'^elborne,  and  forming  a friendship  with  the  fields  and  coppices,  as  well  as  with 
the  birds,  mice  and  squirrels  who  inhabit  them,”  and  in  a footnote  speaks  of 
Selbonie  as  “one  of  the  most  fascinating  books  ever  written.”  By  the  kindness 
of  the  publishers  we  are  enabled  to  give  a specimen  of  the  illustrations. 

Although  in  some  senses  more  suitable  for  a summer  prire,  we  hope  that  many 
schoolmasters  will  choose  Mr.  Furneau.x’s  The  Out-Door  World,  or  Young 
Collectors  Handbook  (Longmans,  7s.  6d.)  as  a Christmas  reward  for  such  of 
their  pupils  as  show  any  taste  for  natural  history.  Its  cover  and  edges  blaze  with 
gilding,  its  pages  swarm  with  illustrations,  there  are  numerous  coloured  plates, 
and  the  letterpress,  so  far  as  we  can  judge  from  a somewhat  hurried  inspection, 
is  nearly  all  that  can  be  desired.  Perhaps  the  division  is  a little  unequal : “ animal 
life”  has  320  pages;  “the  vegetable  world”  about  70;  while  “minerals  and 
fossils”  have  to  be  content  with  to  between  them,  and  no  pictures  save  of  geological 
hammers.  We  should  like  to  have  seen  a little  gentle  disparagement  of  “ collect- 
ing,” save  as  means  to  an  end  ; but  perhaps  it  is  hardly  reasonable  to  expect  this 
in  a “collector’s  handbook.”  A good  many  of  the  cuts  are  old  friends  from  very 
various  sources,  and  some  of  them  might  have  been  dispensed  with,  while  the 
coloured  plates  of  wild  flowers  should  be  improved  or  omitted  — indeed  the 
botanical  section  would  be  the  better  for  revision.  But  the  object  of  a book  like 
this  is  to  stimulate  observation,  and  to  prepare  the  way  for  more  systematic  study, 
and  this  Mr.  Furneaux  has  attained. 

Messrs.  Longmans  have  added  to  their  “Silver  Library”  — an  admirable 
collection  in  all  save  the  binding,  which  clothes  Cardinal  Newman  and  Mr.  Rider 
Haggard  in  precisely  similar  di'ess  — Richard  Jefferies’  Wood  Magic,  with  a 
delightful  frontispiece  by  our  valued  contributor  “ E.  V.  B.”  We  do  not  know 
what  children  think  of  this  book,  in  which  toads,  grasshoppers,  thrushes,  weasels, 
squirrels,  and  the  like  tell  their  stories,  but  many  “ of  a larger  growth  ” will  find 
much  to  delight  them  in  its  pleasant  pages.  A reprint,  however,  cannot  claim 
extended  notice  in  the  present  overcrowded  state  of  our  shelves. 

A new  book  by  the  “ Son  of  the  Marshes  ” is  always  welcome  to  many, 
though  some  are  beginning  to  fear  lest  the  defects  of  over-production  should  be 
manifest  in  the  work  of  this  most  prolific  writer.  We  have  no  space  in  which 
to  notice  With  the  Woodlanders  a?id  by  the  Tide  (Blackwood,  6s.),  but  this 
mention  of  it  will  serve  as  a reminder  to  Christmas-boxers,  and  a fuller  notice  will 
follow  at  as  early  a date  as  possible. 


SHORT  NOTICES  OF  BOOKS. 

We  note  with  satisfaction  that  Messrs.  Macmillan  have  brought  out  a cheap 
edition  (is.  paper,  is.  6d.  cloth)  of  Sir  John  Lubbock’s  Beauties  of  Nature.  We 
noticed  this  pleasant  book  at  p.  131,  on  its  first  appearance,  and  only  call  atten- 
tion to  it  now  with  a view  of  securing  for  it  a new  circle  of  readers.  Even  those 
who  do  not  accept  Sir  John’s  ingenious  theories  about  plants  and  animals  cannot 
fail  to  enjoy  his  appreciative  comments  on  “ the  wonders  of  the  world  we 
live  in.” 

We  have  received  the  first  part  (is.  net)  of  what  is  likely  to  be  an  important 
addition  to  our  popular  works  of  reference.  The  Royal  Natural  History,  which 
Messrs.  Warne  have  just  begun  to  issue,  is  under  the  editorship  of  Mr.  Lyddeker, 
whose  name  is  sufficient  guarantee  for  the  accuracy  and  thoroughness  of  the  work. 
Each  part  is  to  contain  two  coloured  plates,  very  numerous  illustrations,  and  96 
pages.  We  hope  to  say  more  of  the  book  during  its  progress.  Meanwhile  our 
readers  should  send  for  a prospectus. 

The  Society  for  Checking  the  Abuses  of  Public  Advertising,  which  has  not 
yet  been  able  to  hit  upon  some  less  formidable  name,  has  resolved  upon  publishing 


238 


NATURE  NOTES. 


a quarterly  sixpenny  magazine,  called  A Beautiful  World,  the  first  number  of 
which  is  before  us.  It  is  ,to  be  devoted  mainly  to  matters  connected  with  the 
Society — its  aims,  progress,  &c.  The  present  number  also  contains  a sonnet  by 
Mr.  Alfred  Austin,  and  a pleasant  little  essay  by  Mrs.  Waterhouse,  on  the  title  of 
the  Magazine.  M^e  wish  every  success  to  this  new  venture,  and  welcome  it  as  a 
fellow- worker  in  our  field.  A Beautiful  World  is  issued  by  the  publishers  of 
this  Journal. 


PICTURES  FOR  SCHOOLS. 

have  from  time  to  time  been  asked  to  recommend  pictures  for  schools,  and 
have  too  long  delayed  saying  a good  word  for  those  issued  by  the  Fitzroy  Picture 
-Society,  20,  Fitzroy  Street,  Mb  The  aim  of  this  body — a small  group  of  well- 
known  decorative  artists — is  to  prov'ide  pictures  of  good  size,  bold  outline,  and 
bright  but  not  vulgar  colouring,  which  may  suitably  occupy  some  of  the  wall 
space  which  abounds  in  our  large  schools.  The  pictures  are  to  be  placed  at  some 
height  upon  the  wall,  otherwise  their  intended  efforts  will  not  be  realised. 

The  series  are  for  the  most  part  of  religious  or  scriptural  subjects,  but  the  set 
of  “ The  Four  Seasons,”  by  Mr.  Heywood  Sumner,  may  be  commended  to 
Selbornians.  The  accompanying  sketch  will  give  some  idea  of  the  style  of  treat- 
ment adopted  : the  four  contrast  very  pleasingly  with  each  other  in  style  and 
colour. 


iiHilben  kavg8~or  none  or  few  bo  bangTIpon  tijo&c  bougbar^ 


>bicb  abate  agnat  tfae  colb  £are  rumeb  cbotrs  vpbere  late  thi  sweci  biitia  sani 


The  elder-blossom  in  “ Summer,”  even  at  a distance,  is  somewhat  too  solid  for 
our  taste,  and  we  are  sorry  that  Air.  Sumner  should  have  placed  in  the  garden 
the  comparatively  recently  introduced  Californian  yellow  columbine,  instead  of 
the  handsomer  and  more  characteristic  species  which  has  been  familiar  in  our 
borders  for  centuries.  The  size  of  the  pictures  is  33  in.  by  17  in.  lengthwise,  and 
the  price  2s.  6d.  each. 

The  Art  for  Schools  Association,  which  is  just  now  holding  its  annual  picture 
show  at  its  rooms,  29,  Queen  Square,  has  issued  this  year  a handsome  chromo- 
lithograph of  the  handsome  purple  Clematis  Jackmanni.  AVe  have  before  spoken 
(Nature  Notes,  1891,  p.  216),  of  the  usefulness  of  pictures  of  this  class  for 
schools,  and  the  present,  from  its  bold  j-et  graceful  design,  and  its  full  colouring, 
is  at  least  as  suitable  as  any  of  those  we  then  recommended.  The  price  of  the 
picture  is  2s.  to  subscribers,  3s.  to  non-subscribers  ; its  size,  30  in.  by  22  in. 


PESTS  OF  THE  HOUSEHOLD. 


239 


PESTS  OF  THE  HOUSEHOLD.* 

Since  the  days  of  Gilbert  White  much  more  interest  has  been  felt  by  people 
in  general  respecting  the  natural  objects  around  them,  and  many  books  have  been 
devoted  to  popular  natural  history.  There  is  no  need  to  go  very  far  afield,  and 
•Mr.  Butler  has  given  us  here  a series  of  articles  (reprinted  from  Knowledge),  on 
the  commonest  of  the  numerous  ants,  wasps,  moths,  cockroaches,  crickets,  flies, 
gnats,  bugs,  &c.,  which  are  (or  may)  be  found  in  any  house  in  town  or  country. 

Mr.  Butler  quotes  Gilbert  White  sometimes,  as,  for  instance,  as  regards  the 
chirping  of  the  field-cricket ; but  since  his  time,  the  increase  of  cultivation  has 
rendered  the  field-cricket  a really  scarce  insect  in  England,  and  probably  few 
observers  are  likely  to  have  the  pleasure  of  hearing  it,  unless  they  visit  the  Con- 
tinent, where  it  is  still  common,  and  sometimes  destructive.  Mr.  Butler  thinks 
that  the  house-cricket  is  likewise  disappearing  before  its  silent  and  more  objection- 
able relative,  the  cockroach. 

Most  of  the  insects  which  infest  our  houses  are  importations  from  abroad  ; 
among  others,  the  cockroach,  the  house-ant,  and  the  bed-bug.  The  author 
devotes  considerable  space  to  the  last-named  insect,  and  is  inclined  to  think  that 
no  poison  is  instilled  into  the  wound.  This  is  a doubtful  point  ; and  we  may 
mention  that  when  we  have  been  unfortunate  enough  to  fall  in  the  way  of  the 
insect,  we  have  found  that  the  subsequent  swelling  and  inflammation  were  much 
reduced  if  not  entirely  prevented  by  slightly  scarifying  and  squeezing  the  punctured 
part. 

Gnats  and  mosquitoes  are  now  recognised  by  entomologists  as  identical,  and 
though  less  offensive  insects  than  bugs,  are  probably  far  more  annoying  when 
numerous.  But  there  are  many  species,  some  more  virulent  than  others  ; and 
the  same  species  probably  differs  much  in  virulence  in  different  seasons  or  under 
different  circumstances.  We  are  fortunately  seldom  much  exposed  to  the  attacks 
of  gnats  in  England,  and,  as  Mr.  Butler  remarks  : 

“ In  the  days  when  every  house  had  its  water-butt,  and  when  stagnant  ponds 
abounded  on  every  side,  often  in  close  proximity  to  human  dwellings,  the  conditions 
were  so  much  the  more  favourable  for  the  multiplication  of  gnats,  and  wherever 
such  conditions  now  obtain,  the  insects  are  still  likely  to  be  both  numerous  and 
troublesome.  But  the  extensive  abolition  of  the  water-butt,  the  introduction  of 
closed  and  indoor  cisterns,  and  the  better  drainage  of  the  land,  have  all  tended 
to  throw  hindrances  in  the  way  of  the  Culicida,  and  have  helped  to  reduce  their 
numbers  in  our  own  country,  whatever  may  be  the  case  elsewhere.  There  is 
evidence  enough  of  this  in  literature.  Enormous  swarms  of  gnats,  of  one  kind  or 
another,  seem  formerly  to  have  been  a not  unusual  experience,  though  such  a thing 
now  scarcely  ever  occurs  here.” 

It  is  not  always  in  hot  countries  that  the  swarms  of  gnats  or  mosquitoes  are 
troublesome.  All  travellers  describe  Lapland  as  terribly  infested  with  them  ; 
while  the  hero  of  the  Esthonian  epic,  the  Kalevipoeg,  had  the  utmost  difficulty  in 
forcing  his  way  through  the  swarms  which  infested  the  cavern  he  was  traversing 
on  his  way  to  Hades. 

Mr.  Butler  describes  very  clearly  the  structure  and  habits  of  the  insects  which 
he  discusses.  Here  and  there  we  think  a little  further  explanation  might  be 
desirable,  as,  for  instance,  when  describing  the  leg  of  a cockroach  as  typical  of 
that  of  insects  in  general,  he  might  have  noted  that  the  trochanter  is  some- 
times double,  as  in  the  sawflies  and  some  other  families  of  Hymenoptera. 

The  earwig  is  one  of  those  insects  to  which  our  author  has  paid  particular 
attention,  and  he  gives  very  elaborate  directions  for  expanding  the  beautiful  wing 
of  the  insect,  which  is  seldom  seen  unfolded  in  a state  of  nature.  Probably  the 
insect  flies  about  at  night,  if  at  all.  The  following  paragraph  respecting  the 
earwig,  though  its  substance  is  frequently  quoted,  may  find  a place  here  : — 

“The  earwig  is  one  of  those  insects  whose  metamorphosis  is  incomplete,  like 
the  cockroach  and  cricket.  The  eggs  are  little,  oval,  yellow  things  ; they  may 
sometimes  be  found  under  stones,  lic.  De  Geer  has  left  an  account  of  a mother 


* Our  Household  bisects.  An  account  of  the  insect-pests  found  in  dwelling- 
houses,  by  Edward  A.  Butler,  B.A.,  B.Sc.  (London:  Longman,  8vo,  pp.  vi., 
344,  plates  and  woodcuts.  Price  6s. ) 


240 


NATURE  NOTES. 


earwig  which  he  found  with  a hatch  of  eggs,  which  implies  that  these  insects, 
contrary  to  the  general  practice,  show  maternal  solicitude.  He  placed  the  eggs  in 
a jar,  scattered  them  over  the  surface  of  some  earth  it  contained,  and  then  put  the 
mother  in.  She  immediately  set  to  work,  picking  up  the  eggs  with  her  jaws,  and 
conveyed  them  all  to  the  same  spot,  where  she  remained  jealously  guarding  her 
treasure  till  the  young  were  hatched,  and  even  then  the  cares  of  maternity  were 
not  over,  for  the  young  ones  clustered  round  their  mother,  running  in  and  out 
between  her  legs  and  under  her  body,  like  chickens  under  the  mother  hen.”  But 
the  sequel  of  all  this  maternal  care  was  the  death  of  the  mother  earwig,  who  was 
then  devoured  by  her  progeny.” 

There  are  many  interesting  subjects  in  Mr.  Butler’s  book,  but  it  is  impossible 
to  touch  upon  them  all  in  our  limited  space.  The  plates  and  numerous  woodcuts 
scattered  through  the  text  are  fairly  well  executed,  and  contribute  much  to  the 
attractive  appearance  of  the  book. 


SELBORNIANA. 

A Royal  Example. — The  opportunity  he  has  had  of  seeing  on  their  way  to 
Marlborough  House  a consignment  of  new  hats  for  the  Princess  of  Wales  and  her 
daughters  (for  they  wear  the  same  shape)  enables  the  London  correspondent  of 
the  Liverpool  Post  to  contribute  one  particular  example  to  the  great  feather  con- 
troversy. They  are  of  the  half  alpine  shape  now  coming  into  fashion— black, 
with  black  velvet  and  black  silk  ribbons  and  feathers.  The  Princesses  wear 
feathers,  but  they  are  those  of  birds  which  must  be  shot  for  human  consumption. 
One  of  the  neatest  contained  a black  cock’s  tail  feathers,  while  the  feather  from  a 
black  Spanish  cock’s  tail  decked  another. 

National  Trust. — Yet  another  Society  has  been  formed  in  the  interests  of 
those  objects  which  Selbornians  want  to  protect.  The  full  title  of  this  is  “ National 
Trust  for  Places  of  Historical  Interest  with  Natural  Beauty  ; ” and  the  provisional 
council  already  includes  a number  of  names  distinguished  in  art,  science,  litera- 
ture and  social  rank.  Among  them  we  notice  that  of  our  valued  correspondent, 
the  Rev.  Canon  Rawnsley,  who  will,  we  doubt  not,  supply  the  readers  of  Nature 
Notes  with  fuller  information  as  to  the  Trust  at  some  future  period. 

Caged  Canaries  (pp.  173,  215). — Could  the  practice  of  caging  birds  be 
limited  to  those  born  within  the  bars,  it  would  of  course  be  robbed  of  a good  deal 
of  its  immediate  harm.  But  unfortunately  it  cannot.  Example  is  a very  subtle 
thing,  and  spreads  like  leaven.  The  sight  of  any  bird  in  any  cage  tends  to 
keep  afloat  a barbarous  traffic — that  of  the  bird-catcher  and  bird-fancier  ; the 
seed  and  “bird  speciality”  seller  and  the  cage  maker  give  an  impetus  to  these, 
and  it  is  to  their  interest,  so  long  as  the  public  will  buy  cages,  &c. , to  see  that  the 
trade  in  wild  birds  does  not  decline.  The  sight  also  continues  to  keep  the  eye 
familiar  with  what  any  merciful  person  would  feel  a thrill  of  horror  at  observing 
if  he  saw  it  for  the  first  time — that  of  a winged  creature  cooped  up  so  as  to  be 
debarred  from  flying.  It  is  only  because  we  have  grown  accustomed  to  such 
enormities  that  we  can  bear  to  see  them.  It  makes  no  difference  to  the  moral 
standpoint  that  the  race  has  been  for  many  generations  a captive  one.  The 
thing  is  not  less  mistaken  in  itself  on  this  account  ; because  others  began  a wrong 
will  not  excuse  us  in  continuing  it.  As  well  might  one  say  that  there  would 
be  right  on  the  side  of  those  who  wished  to  go  on  enslaving  the  African  tribes 
on  the  pretext  that  they  had  become  domesticated  on  an  alien  soil.  That  is  the 
argument  tested  in  its  full  development.  I yield  in  fondness  for  birds  to  no  one  ; 
my  love  for  them  is  such  that  I cannot  endure  to  see  them  under  conditions  other 
than  those  which  are  their  right  by  birth  ; I would  .uin  their  society,  not  enforce  it. 
I have  also  the  good  of  my  own  species  at  heart,  and  I think  it  very  question- 
able whether  the  sight  of  any  creature  in  a cage  has  aught  but  a demoralising 
effect.  It  appears  to  me  a disgrace  to  a civilised  age.  A little  unselfishness, 
reverence,  and  self-denial  in  the  mode  of  showing  admiration  and  affection  for 
the  works  of  God  would  better  become  the  loftiest  among  them.  It  is  incum- 
bent on  all  who  really  have  the  progress  of  humanity  as  their  aim  to  look  beyond 


SELBORNIANA. 


241 


the  momentary  consequences  of  their  actions,  and  to  note  their  effect  on  the 
great  family  of  which  they  are  members.  Any  kind-hearted  person  who  could  see 
the  miserable  little  canaries  which  I am  obliged  to  pass  as  they  drag  out  their 
wretched  lives  in  dingy  windows  of  dirty  streets,  undergoing,  by  the  dozen,  every 
sort  of  neglect  and  distress,  would  hesitate  before  defending  the  keeping  of  them 
as  a universal  custom.  And  it  is  in  this  way  that  the  thoughtful — those  who 
wish  to  do  good  in  their  generation — are  learning  to  look  at  things.  There  is 
actually  a superstition  among  the  ignorant  that  the  smaller  the  cage  you  keep  a 
bird  in  the  better,  “ because  it  is  more  snug  ! ” and  they  act  accordingly.  The 
bird  shows  of  which  your  correspondent  speaks  seldom  draw  the  line  at  canaries. 
An  exhibition  of  the  kind  to  which  she  alludes  has  just  taken  place  in  London,  at 
which  the  piteous  spectacle  of  a caged  swallow  was  to  be  seen,  besides  caged 
nightingales,  and  a redstart— birds  of  passage  to  whom  the  mere  fact  of  curbing 
the  passionate  desire  to  migrate  is  a martyrdom  in  itself,  so  earnest  and  over- 
powering is  it.  These  and  their  like  are  the  cruelties  to  which  keeping  up  bird- 
caging  as  a national  habit  tends,  and  I would  earnestly  recommend  this  view  to 
those  who  are  concerned,  and  rightly,  at  the  terrible  diminution  of  bird  life  at 
home  and  abroad. 

Edith  Carrington. 

Are  Women  Entirely  to  Blame  ?—  I have  been  much  grieved  to  see 
that  the  destruction  of  birds  for  the  adornment  (?)  of  millinery  still  goes  on,  and 
also  that  wings  are  to  be  the  fashion  this  winter.  It  seems  to  me  that  laying  all 
the  blame  on  women  for  wearing  feathers  does  not  go  to  the  root  of  the  matter. 
What  is  to  be  said  for  the  men,  who  for  the  sake  of  profit  make  a trade  of 
slaughtering  birds  ? It  is  they  who  make  money  out  of  it,  not  women.  I know 
many  women  who  would  not  think  of  wearing  feathers  that  had  been  obtained  by 
cruel  means,  but  they  are  told  over  and  over  again  in  the  shops  that  the  wings  are 
made  up  from  feathers  of  birds  killed  for  food,  and  also  that  the  aigrettes  now  sold 
are  made  of  vegetable  fibre,  and  that  they  would  be  throwing  numbers  of  workers 
out  of  work  if  they  left  off  buying  feathers.  What  are  they  to  believe  ? I think  it  is 
time  to  give  up  the  sneers  about  women  being  less  civilised  than  men.  Their  sphere 
has  until  recent  years  been  so  limited  that  they  have  been  kept  in  ignorance  of 
many  trade  arrangements,  but  now  that  they  are  taking  a more  active  share  in  the 
W'ork  of  the  world  outside  of  the  home,  they  are  often  “ sickened  ” to  find  out 
how  shamefully  and  cruelly  many  things  are  managed. 

M.  T. 

The  Great  Orme’s  Head. — Mr.  Tracy  Turnerelli  has  published  a charac- 
teristic letter  on  “ the  too  probable  total  effacement”  of  this  mountain,  from  which 
we  extract  the  following: — “A  project  to  run  an  electric  railroad  over  the  moun- 
tain, from  bottom  to  top,  from  side  to  side,  is  now  being  publicly  discussed  for 
the  mere  profit  of  greedy  speculators  and  the  further  attraction  of  riotous  howling 
trippers,  who  have  already  half  ruined  Llandudno  itself.  This  railroad  once 
established,  as  a natural  inevitable  consequence,  hotels,  houses,  taverns  and  drink- 
ing booths  I ad  infinitum  ! will  cover  the  Grand  Old  Orme,  and  then — Ichabod  1 
to  it  in  toto.  Can  nothing  be  done  to  prevent  this  barbarous  sacrilege  ? I am 
entreated  from  a hundred  quarters  to  make  the  endeavour,  and  although  at  eighty 
years  of  age  I had  hoped  to  retire  from  public  life,  I yield  to  this  collective  entreaty.” 

“ The  Field  Club.” — On  and  after  January  next  The  Field  Cub  will  cease 
to  exist  as  an  independent  magazine,  arrangements  having  been  made  for  its 
incorporation  in  Nature  Notes. 

An  interesting  lecture  on  Gilbert  White,  entitled  “Glimpses  of  a Popular 
Naturalist,”  was  given  before  the  Eastbourne  Natural  History  Society  on 
November  17,  by  Mr.  Thomas  Bradfield. 

We  learn  without  much  regret  of  the  death  of  the  Natiire  Lover,  the  first  and 
only  issue  of  which  was  noticed  at  p.  214. 


242 


NATURE  NOTES. 


NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES. 

Nuthatches  (p.  201). — P ew  birds  are  more  interesting,  or  greater  favourites 
with  those  who  have  watched  them,  than  nuthatches  ; and  many  readers  will  be 
grateful  for  Mrs.  Downing’s  paper.  I may  say,  I hope  without  any  breach  of 
confidence,  that  several  years  ago  I received  a letter  from  the  Rev.  J.  C. 
Atkinson,  describing  his  own  experiences  with  nuthatches.  These  were  very 
similar  to  Mrs.  Downing’s  ; for  he  too  had  shot  nuts  for  them  “as  a boy  shoots 
a marble,”  and  the  nuthatches  caught  them  in  the  air.  One  plan  of  his  was  to 
fix  nuts  on  the  trunk  of  a tree,  with  hammer  and  tacks.  The  nuthatches  got  to 
know  the  sound,  so  much  so  that  if  Mr.  Atkinson  wanted  to  show  them  to 
visitors,  he  had  only  to  tap  the  tree  with  his  hammer,  and  they  would  come 
round.  I think  he  also  said  that  at  one  house  they  learned  to  come  for  nuts 
nailed  on  the  window-ledge.  I have  myself  had  them  come  close  under  a window 
for  maize  put  out  for  fowls.  There  is  one  sentence  in  Mrs.  Downing’s  paper, 
about  which,  if  I may  venture  to  say  so,  further  information  would  be  very 
acceptable.  “This  [nut]  he  struck  deliberately,  several  times  in  succession 
against  the  masonry  of  the  chimney,  until  he  had  no  doubt  sufficiently  cracked  it.” 
Now  a nuthatch’s  ordinary  method  has  been  described  for  us  by  our  master, 
Gilbert  White,  in  his  one  hundredth  letter  : the  nuthatch  “ picks  an  irregular 
ragged  hole  with  its  bill ; but  as  this  artist  has  no  paws  to  hold  the  nut  firm  while 
he  pierces  it  ” [White  had  just  before  spoken  of  the  squirrel  and  mouse]  “like 
an  adroit  workman  he  fixes  it,  as  it  were,  in  a vice  in  some  cleft  of  a tree,  or  in 
some  crevice  ; when  standing  over  it,  he  perforates  the  stubborn  shell.”  I speak, 
of  course,  under  correction,  but  I would  respectfully  express  a doubt  whether  a 
nuthatch  could  crack  the  “stubborn  shell”  of  a sound  nut  by  striking  it  even 
against  stone.  Somewhat  curit'usly,  I happen  to  remember  once  reading  what 
professed  to  be  a description  of  a thrush’s  manner  of  breaking  a snail’s  shell. 
“ He  places  it  between  two  stones,  and  hammers  it  with  his  bill  till  he  breaks  it.” 
I need  not  say  that  this  is  what  a thrush  (ordinarily  at  any  rate)  does  not  do  ; for 
he  holds  the  snail  in  his  beak,  and  easily  breaks  the  thin  shell  by  banging  it  on  a 
stone.  But  what  is  easy  with  a snail-shell  will  be  found  by  experiment  very 
difficult  with  a nutshell  ; and  many  no  doubt  could  by  their  own  oirservation 
confirm  the  accuracy  of  White’s  description  of  the  nuthatch’s  usual  way  of  going 
to  work. 

Otham,  Maidstone.  F.  M.  Millard. 

Earwigs  (pp.  157,  179). — I have  more  than  once  seen  earw'igs  attempt  to 
use  their  tail  forceps  as  weapons.  One,  which  we  caught  on  purpose,  succeeded 
in  pinching  my  brother’s  finger,  though  the  pinch  was  so  slight  that  he  hardly 
felt  it.  Evelyn  Talbot  Bonsonby. 

Late  Flowers  at  Hindhead. — The  following  is  a list  of  garden  and  wild 
Howers  which  I have  noticed  about  Hindhead  during  this  month  (October),  some 
in  large,  some  in  small  quantities.  In  our  garden  we  have  had  white  and  yellow 
broom,  weigela,  auricula,  the  large  perennial  oriental  poppy,  an  annual  poppy 
{I'apaver  umbrosiiDi).  Iceland  poppies,  dahlias,  pansies,  phlox,  spiderwort,  pinks, 
perennial  lupin,  white  campanula,  a blue  campanula  {latifolia)  also  abundance  of 
mignonette,  and  of  the  white  sweet-scented  candytuft.  In  the  lanes,  &c.,  I see 
Herb  Robert  and  another  geranium,  the  common  red  campion,  the  w'hite 
lychnis  (L.  vespertina),  a stork’s  bill  (Erodium  cicutarium),  a small  stellaria,  the 
Avhite  and  the  common  red  dead  nettle,  bramble  flowers,  &c.  A great  deal  of 
gorse  is  in  flower,  and  a profusion  of  it  coming  on.  There  is  still  an  extraordinary 
abundance  as  well  as  a great  variety  of  fungi.  Mushrooms  were  plentiful  until 
the  middle  of  the  month.  I hear  of  dishes  of  raspberries,  and  of  strawberries 
being  gathered  in  gardens  near  Haslemere.  At  Willesden  Green  a lime  tree  put 
on  a fresh  suit  of  leaves  in  September. 

Hindhead.  E.  C.  W. 

Late  Swallows. — Yesterday,  November  5th,  I saw  a number  of  swallows 
busily  working  in  a field  here,  near  the  farm  buildings.  They  flew  very  low, 
and  so  near  to  me  that  I had  a full  view  of  them.  They  had  no  appearance  of 
young  birds,  but  were  well  grown  and  in  full  plumage.  Previously,  I have  seen 


NA  T URAL  HIS  TORY  NOTES  A ND  Q UER  lES.  243 


none  since  October  2nd.  On  October  loth,  a gold-crested  wren  flew  in  at  the 
window,  and  remained  quietly  perched  on  the  sash,  making  no  effort  to  escape, 
and  finally  allowing  himself  to  be  caught  and  turned  out  of  the  window.  They 
are  very  rarely  seen  here. 

Neston,  Cheshire.  Mary  Rathmore. 

Bird  Queries  (pp.  217,  218). — The  night-singing  bird  whose  name  your 
correspondent  Jacey  is  anxious  to  know  is  evidently  the  sedge  warbler,  a most 
persevering  little  nocturnal  songster  during  the  spring  and  summer  months.  In 
answer  to  M.  S.  Y.’s  query  as  to  the  habit  of  swallows  departing  in  batches,  I 
believe  it  is  the  usual  thing  for  them  to  do  so.  The  main  body  of  the  liirundines 
departed  from  this  neighbourhood  about  the  third  week  in  September,  but 
stragglers  were  to  be  seen  up  till  October  7th.  The  short-tailed  and  late-stayiug 
swallows  mentioned  by  F.  M.  Millard  were  undoubtedly  young  birds,  which  do 
not  assume  the  distinctly  forked  tail  of  the  adult  until  after  the  first  moult,  and 
are  also  always,  I believe,  the  last  to  wing  their  way  to  the  sunny  south. 

Fyfield,  Abingdon.  \V.  II.  Warner. 

Water-rats. — Taking  a walk  through  the  lovely  lanes  that  surround 
Totteridge,  and  passing  down  an  alley  path  just  by  Tottcridge  Church,  I came 
upon  a pond  covered  with  weed,  with  several  curious-looking  balls  upon  its 
surface  which  drew  my  attention.  Stooping  down  to  get  a closer  inspection  of  it 
I was  quite  startled  to  hear  a splash,  and  looking  in  the  direction  of  the  sound  I 
saw  a fine  water-rat  swimming  rapidly  across  the  pond.  I therefore  drew  back, 
and  taking  up  a position  where  I could  not  be  seen,  waited.  I had  not  long  to 
wait.  They  soon  came  back,  and  I had  a most  profitable  hour,  learning  more 
than  a dozen  books  could  have  done  in  a year’s  study.  I first  noticed  that  they 
are  entirely  vegetable  eaters,  for  they  were  eating  the  leaves  and  other  decaying 
matter  lying  on  the  banks.  They  in  eating  sit  on  their  haunches  like  the  squirrel, 
using  their  front  paws  like  a monkey.  I also  noticed  that  the  oi>ening  of  the 
nest  is  invariably  under  the  water. 

E.  J.  IIlGHAM. 

A Turkey  Dance. — A few  days  ago  we  were  much  amused,  in  passing  a 
field  in  which  were  some  young  turkeys,  to  see  them  getting  up  a dance.  First 
two  young  “Toms”  bowed  politely  to  each  other,  then  passed  on  with  stately 
tread,  skipped  into  the  air  twice  in  the  most  ludicrous  manner,  turned  and 
repeated  the  same  performance.  Several  others  then  joined,  but  we  had  to  catch 
a train,  and  were  obliged  reluctantly  to  deny  ourselves  the  amusement  of  seeing 
any  more  “ figures.”  A labourer  tells  us  he  has  seen  young  strong  birds  do  it, 
but  this  sight  was  quite  new  to  us,  though  we  have  lived  in  the  country  many 
years. 

North  Moreton  Vicarage,  Wallingford.  M.  S.  Young. 

A Friendly  Landrail. — As  the  landrail  is  generally  considered  a shy  and 
timid  bird,  I think  the  following  account  of  one  may  be  interesting.  During  the 
month  of  fitly  last  I had  noticed  one  in  a field  near  the  house,  and  went  daily  in 
watch  it,  leaning  on  the  gate  within  a stone’s  throw  of  it,  when  it  woulil  walk 
about  and  look  at  me  with  quite  a mutual  interest  ! It  remained  there  for  about 
three  weeks,  and  one  morning  I was  giving  orders  in  the  kitchen  when  I heard 
two  loud  taps  on  the  window-pane,  and  looking  towards  it  I saw  the  landrail 
sitting  on  the  window  ledge  ; it  gazed  at  me  for  about  a quarter  of  a minute  and 
then  flew  away,  and  I neither  saw  nor  heard  anything  of  it  in  the  field  from  that 
time.  Perhaps  it  came  to  say  “ good-bye,”  instinctively  knowing  that  I took  such 
an  interest  in  it.  The  bird  was  a very  fine  specimen.  The  field  lay  to  the  north 
and  the  kitchen  window  looks  south,  and  is  some  distance  from  the  field. 

The  Vicarage,  Mydrim.  Alice  A.  Britten. 

Dogs  Communicating. — A friend  of  mine  has  two  dogs,  a retriever  and  a 
half-bred  collie  and  staghound,  a most  extraordinarily  intelligent  animal.  The 
retriever  is  so  deaf  that  at  a distance  she  can  hear  no  word  of  command.  On  one 
occasion  my  friend  had  been  walking  along  a straight  road  attended  by  both  dogs. 
The  retriever,  Dora,  had  gone  forward  some  distance  so  as  to  be  quite  out  of 
reach  of  her  voice,  the  collie  was  nearer  to  her  ; she  wished  to  turn  back,  so  said 


244 


NATURE  NOTES. 


to  the  collie,  “ Glen,  go  and  fetch  Dora.”  She  darted  off,  rushed  close  past  the 
retriev'er  and  turned  round  in  front  of  her.  She  at  once  without  the  slightest 
hesitation  turned  also,  and  followed  my  friend.  I can  vouch  for  the  truth  of  this 
statement,  because  I have  seen  Glen  do  as  I have  described. 

IVeybn'dge.  Z.  P.  Smith. 

Climate  and  Trees. — As  an  instance  of  the  effect  of  climate  upon  naturally 
deciduous  trees,  I may  mention  that  in  a bush  garden  in  the  Calder  district. 
Table  Cape,  on  the  north-west  coast  of  this  island,  there  is  an  apricot  tree 
which  kept  several  dozen  of  its  leaves  quite  fresh  and  green  through  last  winter, 
and  on  through  the  summer,  so  that  those  branches  on  which  the  leaves  are 
growing  are  really  evergreen.  The  tree  is  a young  one,  about  three  years  old, 
from  a Melbourne  nursery,  and  is  placed  against  tlie  north  or  sunny  wall  of  a 
wooden  house.  Apple  trees,  also,  in  the  same  district  retain  many  of  their  leaves 
in  a green  condition  far  into  the  winter,  evidencing  the  great  mildness  of  the 
climate. 

IVdratah,  Ml.  Bischofi,  Tasmania.  H.  S.  Dove. 


OFFICIAL  NOTICE. 

Up  to  November  14th  subscriptions  amounting  to  8s.  have  been  received 
for  the  fund  towards  clearing  off  the  debt  of  £']o  owing  to  the  Hon.  Treasurer. 
Those  who  have  sent  donations  since  the  last  notice  are:— Miss  Aentz,  Miss 
Bailey,  Miss  Blackwell,  Miss  Budge,  Mrs.  Blunt,  Mrs.  Binyon,  T.  A.  A.,  Mrs. 
Clayton,  Mrs.  Currie,  Mrs.  Carter,  Miss  Cowley,  Miss  Farmer,  Mrs.  Geldart, 
Mrs.  Geoghegan,  Mrs.  Grove  Grady,  Miss  Graham,  Mrs.  Payne,  Hon.  Sec., 
Rape  of  Lewes  Branch,  Mr.  F.  W.  Ashley,  Miss  Lemmon,  ^Irs.  Crum,  Mrs. 
Holme,  Mr.  PL  Barry  Hyde,  Mr.  E.  G.  Doncaster,  Mrs.  Edghill,  and  Miss  H. 
M.  Dods.  A.  J.  Western,  Sec. 


TO  CORRESPONDENTS. 

We  regret  the  delay  in  issuing  this  number,  which  has  been  caused  by  the 
Index,  which  has  been  prepared  by  the  Editor  under  unusual  pressure.  We  were 
indebted  for  help  in  this  work  last  year  to  one  of  our  contributors,  but  this  year 
no  such  assistance  has  been  forthcoming. 

J.  L.  B.— (l)  Cladosporium  sp.  ; (2  and  3)  yes  ; (4)  Cladonia  sylvatica ; (5) 
“ Oak  spangles,”  the  gall  of  Neurol eris  lenlicularis. 

A.  Gray. — You  have  not  complied  with  Rules  i and  5 (see  below),  and  your 
specimens  arrived  in  an  offensive  state. 

T.  A.  G. — Please  send  name  and  address,  in  accordance  with  Rule  i. 

A Correspondent  from  Fentiman  Road,  S.W.,  appends  no  name  to  his 
communication. 

C.  J.  — Yes,  Cyslopleris  fragilis. 

Anon.— The  curious  balls,  known  as  “ Moorballs,”  are  formed  of  a fresh- 
water alga.  Conferva  cegagropila  (=  Cladophora  Sauleri). 

We  must  request  those  who  favour  us  with  their  communications  to  observe 
the  following  rules.  We  cannot  undertake  to  notice  the  contributions  of  any  who 
fail  to  comply  with  them. 

1.  All  communications  for  Nature  Notes  to  be  authenticated  with  name 
and  address,  not  necessarily  for  publication. 

2.  The  return  of  an  unaccepted  contribution  can  only  be  guaranteed  when  it  is 
accompanied  by  a stamped  and  addressed  envelope. 

3.  All  communications  for  any  number  must  be  in  the  Editor’s  hands  by  the 
15th  of  the  preceding  month. 

4.  Communications  for  Nature  Notes  should  be  addressed  to  the  Editor, 
Lames  Britte.n,  F.L.S.,  18,  West  Square,  London,  S.E.,  as  should  specimens 
for  naming,  books  for  review,  &c. 

5.  Letters  connected  with  the  Selborne  Society,  as  well  as  all  enquiries  and 
subscriptions,  should  be  addressed  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Selborne  Society, 
J.  A.  Wester.n,  Esq.,  9,  Adam  Street,  Adelphi,  W.C. 


i No.  37.  VoL.  IV 

7 


January,  1893. 


He.  'r-&ekI50RNe 

ocieTYS 

RGHTiiNC 


PRICE  TWOPENCE. 


GAY  & BIRD’S  PUBLICATIONS. 


Thick  royal  8zo,  pp,  512,  coloured  frontispiece  and  over  \oo  zvoodcuts,  cloth,  loj'.  (sd.  nett. 

AMERICAN  FISHES, 

A Popular  Treatise  upon  the  Game  and  Food  Fishes  of  North  America, 

With  Especial  Reference  to  Habits  and  Methods  of  Capture. 

By  G.  BROWN  GOODE, 

Assistant  Secretary  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution,  late  U.S.  Commissioner  to  the  Inter- 
national Fisheries'  Exhibitions  in  Berlin  and  London  ; author  of 
“ Game  Fishes  of  the  United  States,”  &r^c, 

A HISTORY  OF  F E R U, 

By  CLEMENTS  R.  MARKHAM. 

Demy  8z^o,  25  full-page  illustrations  and  5 Maps^  cloth.,  los.  6^/. 

Aihe>t(?um,  October  29. — “Few  people  possess  better  qualifications  than  Air.  Alarkham  for  writing  a 
history  of  Peru  . . . We  congratulate  Air.  Alarkham  upon  his  excellent  sketches  of  the  better  class  of 
society  in  Pern,  its  scenery  and  its  antiquities.  There  is  a swing  and  a dash  about  his  style  which  impresses 
the  reader  and  bears  him  irresistibly  along.” 


Ohlo7ig  8z7o,  handsomely  hound  m bevelled  cloth  gilt,  gilt  top,  6.r. 

OUR  COMMON  BIRDS  AND  HOW  TO  KNOW  THEM, 

By  JOHN  B.  GRANT. 

Beautifully  Illustrated  with  Sixty-four  full-page  Illustrations. 

This  work  is  a handbook  for  the  study  and  classification  of  birds.  The  author  gives  in 
the  body  of  the  book  descriptions  of  the  plumage,  size  and  shape,  migrations,  nest  building, 
flying  and  other  habits,  the  song,  &c.,  of  ninety  of  the  more  common  birds  to  be  met  with  in 
the  United  States,  many  of  which  are  to  be  found  in  the  British  Isles. 

A distinct  literary  quality  is  imparted  to  the  descriptions,  which  makes  the  book  one  for 
the  library  as  well  as  a companion  in  out-of-door  rambles,  by  the  author’s  quotations  from 
Thoreau,  Burroughs  and  other  painters  of  nature,  and  by  his  references  to  legends,  super- 
stitions and  the  like,  that  are  associated  with  certain  birds. 

Nature  Notes. — “A  very  pretty  book,  is  very  cheap,  and  will,  we  hope,  find  a hearty  welcome.” 

JAPAISTESE  GIRLS  & WOMEN, 

By  ALICE  MABEL  BACON. 

C7'own  8vo,  pp,  346,  cloth,  5^. 

Daily  Telegraph. — “The  chapters  she  has  penned  are  delightful  . . . Her  book  ought  to  be  popular 

and  well  read  for  a long  time  to  come.” 

Queen. — “There  are  pages,  nay,  whole  chapters  of  the  book,  that  simply  charm  ...  I hope  to  find 
space  for  a fuller  account  of  a book  which  I have  read  with  quite  unusual  interest  and  pleasure.” 

Crown  8'oo,  pp,  240,  and  14  plates,  cloth,  6s, 

THE  OYSTER, 

A Popular  Summary  of  a Scientific  Study. 

By  \V.  K.  BROOKS,  Professor  of  Animal  Morphology  in  fohns  Hopkms  University. 

LANGUAGE^  FRENCH^iJGERMA^Liapj^ 

Actually  spoken  and  mastered  in  Ten  Weeks,  without  leaving  your  homes,  by  Dr. 
ROSENTHAL’S  MEISTERSCHAFT  SYSTEM.  550th  Thousand.  Pupils  taught  as 
if  actually  in  the  presence  of  the  teacher. 

All  subscribers,  15s.  for  IkJI  A 0*T"C  D C language  receive  15 

parts,  of  three  lessons  I E li  CL  each,  in  a neat  paper  box. 

SEND  FOR  CIRCULARS  STATING  LANGUAGE  REQULRED. 

IN  10  WEEKS. 


AMERICAN  BOOKS  are  a Speciality  with  us.  Catalogue  gratis. 


LONDON : GAY  & BIRD,  27,  KING  WILLIAM  STREET,  STRAND. 


Just  Published.  106pp.  Imperial  16mo,  Cloth  Lettered,  3s.  6d. 


LA  VITA  NUOVA, 

BY 

DANTE  ALIGHIERI, 

WITH  NOTES  AND  COMMENTS  IN  ENGLISH, 

By  N.  PERINI,  F.R.A.S., 

Professor  of  Italian  at  King’s  College,  Lo7tdon,  and  at  the  Royal  College  of 
Music;  author  of  An  Italian  Coiiversation  Grammar,”  &^c. 


liOiiiJon  : 

HACHETTE  & CO.,  i8,  King  William  Street,  Charing  Cross. 
E.  TURNBULL,  66,  New  Oxford  Street,  W.C. 


AGENT  FOR 

“Nature  Notes.” 

“ University  Exten- 
sion Journal.” 
“Church  Missionary 
Intelligencer.” 

“ Life  and  Work.” 
“Church  of  Scotland 
Mission  Record.” 
“Morning  Rays.” 

“ Free  Church 
Monthly.” 

“ Youth.” 

“United  Presbyterian 
Missionary  Record.” 
&c.,  &c. 


J.  I.  BAXTER, 

abvcrtieincj 

29,  Paternoster  Square,  E.C. 

Advertisements  inserted  in 
“NATURE  NOTES,”  and  generally  in 
Magazines  and  Newspapers. 


JOHNSTON’S 

CORN  FLOUR. 


“ Is  decidedly  superior.” — The  Lancet. 

The  Best  Quality  is  supplied  in  Family  Tins,  i-lb.  and  3-lbs.;  also 
Packets  2,  4,  8 and  i6-ozs 


EYRE  & SPOTTISWOODE, 

Government  anb  General  ipubllobere, 

ALSO  AGENTS  TO  THE  NEW  ZEALAND  GOVERNMENT. 


ENGLISH  ARMY  LISTS  AND  COMMISSION  REGISTERS,  1661-1714. 

Edited  by_  Charles  Dalton,  F.R.G.S.,  Editor  of  the  Waterloo  Roll  CVr//,  &c.  — Vol.  i.  i66i  — 
1685.  25s. 

‘‘ '1  his  is  a book  which  all  lovers  of  history  will  welcome  as  filling  a gap  in  our  records.  . . . An 

admiral'le  index  nominum  has  been  added.  Mr.  Dalton’s  book,  produced  as  a labour  of  love,  is  of  permanent 
value,  and  we  shall  look  with  interest  for  the  appearance  of  his  second  volume.”— and  Kavy  Gazette. 

“Students  of  historj’- in  general,  and  of  military  history  in  particular,  owe  a debt  of  gratitude  to  Mr. 
Charles  Dalton  for  digesting  and  printing  the  English  Army  Lists  and  Commission  Registers  that  are  to  be 
found  in  the  public  records.  . . . The  book  forms  a most  valuable  addition  to  the  books  of  record  evidence, 
.and  will  be  welcome  to  every  earnest  student  of  history." — Scotsman. 

“ .\  laborious  contribution  to  the  history  of  the  British  Army." — Tunes. 

STATE  TRIALS.  New  Series.  Vol.  4,  los.  Edited  by  Mr.  J.-'P.  Wallis,  under  the 

Direction  of  the  State  Trials  Committee.  The  Volume  will  contain  several  noteworthy  Chartist  trials 
between  the  years  1839  and  1843,  including  Frost's  trial  for  high  treason  and  the  trials  of  Feargus 
O’Connor  and  Thomas  Cooper.  Among  other  trials  of  interest  are  those  of  Oxford,  Francis,  and  Bean 
for  shooting  at  the  Queen,  and  of  Lord  Cardigan  before  the  House  of  Peers  for  his  duel  with  Captain 
Tuckett.  [Ready  early  in  January'. 

KEW  BULLETIN.  A Monthly  Record  issued  by  the  Director  of  the  Royal  Gardens, 

Kew,  containing  valuable  Notes  on  Economic  Produce  and  Plants.  Largely  increasing  circulation. 
Subscription  for  12  months,  including  postage,  6s.  6d. ; Volume  for  1S87,  in  boards,  by  post,  2s.  yd.  ; 
1880,  2s.  8d. ; 1889,  2s.  8d.  ; 1890,  3s.  2d.  ; 1891,  3s.  4d. 

KEW  BULLETIN,  1893.  Monthly  4d.  Appendices  4d.  Subscription  for  the  year 

including  postage  6s.  6d. 

THE  NEW  ZEALAND  OFFICIAL  HANDBOOK,  1892.  Contains  a Graphic 

Description  of  the  Islands,  giving  the  Geographical  and  Geological  Features  ; the  Political  History  ; 
also  Chapters  on  the  Climate  Temperature,  and  Rainfall,  upon  Agriculture,  Fisheries,  Education, 
Labour  rilarket,  &c.,  and  Statistical  Information  on  all  Subjects,  is.  6d. 

AORANGI  ; or,  the  Heart  of  the  Southern  Alps,  New  Zealand.  By  Malcolm  Ross.  is. 
NEW  ZEALAND’S  LONE  LANDS.  Being  Brief  Notes  of  a Visit  to  the  Outlying 

DIands  of  the  Colony.  By  Ro.  Garrick,  is. 

A ROMANCE  OF  LAKE  WAKATIPU  : a Legend  of  the  Lakes.  Being  Episodes 

of  Early  Goldfields  Life  in  New  Zealand,  with  Itinerant,  Statistical,  Historical,  and  other  Notes.  By 
Ro.  Garrick,  is. 

THE  ARYAN  MAORI.  By  Edward  Tkegear.  Demy  8vo.  2s.  6J. 
INTRODUCTORY  CLASS-BOOK  OF  BOTANY  for  Use  in  New  Zealand  Schools. 

By  G.  M.  Thomson,  F.L.S.  Part  L,  Structural ; Part  II.  ; Systematic.  Cloth,  2S.  6d. 

THE  ICERYA  PURCHASI  AND  ITS  CURE  (VEDALIA  CARDINALES). 

Compiled  in  the  General  Crowm  Lands  Department,  New  Zealand.  6d. 

FOREST  FLORA  OF  NEW  ZEALAND.  By  T.  Kirk,  F.L.S. , late  Chief  Con- 
servator cf  State  Forests,  N.Z.,  &c.  Numerous  Plates.  Fcap.  folio,  cloth,  12s.  6d. 

INDIGENOUS  GRASSES  OF  NEW  ZEALAND.  By  John  Buchanan. 

Full-page  Illustrations.  Imp.  4to,  half  morocco,  15s.  Royal  8vo,  5«. 

ORANGE  CULTURE  IN  NEW  ZEALAND.  By  G.  C.  Alderton.  Demy  8vo, 

cloth,  2S. 

MANUAL  OF  BIRDS  OF  NEW  ZEALAND.  By  Walter  L.  Bui.ler,  C.M.G., 

Sc.D.,  F.R.S.  Numerous  Plates.  Roj'al  8vo.  los. 

HANDBOOK  OF  NEW  ZEALAND  FISHES.  By  R.  A.  A.  Siierrin.  Demy 

8vo,  cloth,  2S. 

TROUT  IN  NEW  ZEALAND.  Where  to  go,  and  how  to  catch  them.  By  W.  II. 

Spackman,  B.A.,  President  of  the  Canterbury  Anglers’  Society,  Cloth,  2s.  6d. 


EYRE  & SPOTTISWOODE.  London  : East  Harding  Street. 


John  Bale  and  Sons^  PrhiierSy  S7-89,  Gt.  Titch/ield  Street,  London,  JV. 


February,  1893. 


iekE)OFiNe 

,ocieTYS 

ilGH’ZiNe 


Edited  by 

JAMES  BRITTEN.  F.LS. 


CONTENTS, 


THE  CENTENARY  OK  GIEHERT  WHITE  .. 
By  Dudley  W.  Buxton,  M.D. 

WILD  LIFE  IN  TASMANIA.— I 

By  Hamilton  Stuart  Dove,  F'.Z.S. 

SIR  RICHARD  OWEN  AND  HIS  BIRDS 
By  James  Startin. 

BIRD  LIFE  ON  A NEW  ZEALAND  RUN 
By  H.  Guthrie  Smith. 

SEEDLINGS  

By  the  Editor. 

TWO  BOOKS  OF  VERSE 

THE  PROTECTION  OF  BIRDS 

SELBORNIANA 

Flowers  of  Avon  at  Akhvorth. 

A Battue  of  Sea  Bird'^. 

A Motto. 

Kew  Ait. 

Butterflies  in  Danger. 

Feeding  the  Birds. 

Preservation  of  Birds  in  New  Zealand. 
NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES 
Disappearance  of  Rook>'  Nests. 

A Robin  Query. 

Welsh  Plant  Names. 

Birds  at  a Lighthouse. 

Squirrels  and  Birds. 

Sparrow  and  Kingfisher. 

Domestication  of  Wood  Pigeons. 

Wild  Life  in  Tasmania. 

The  Death’s  Head  Moth  and  Bees. 

Magpies  Flocking. 

Cockchafers. 

ANSWERS  TO  CORRESPONDENTS  .. 


36 


lon&on : 

JOHN  BALE  & SONS, 

57-89,  Great  Titchkield  Street,  W. 
Ct/y  A^ent : — 

J.  I.  BAXTER, 

29,  Paternoster  Square,  E.C. 


PRICE  TV70PENCF. 


BALE  & SONS 


printers  of  tbe  followino  journals,  ^c:— 


Brain — British  GyncBcological  Journal — Celebrities  of  the 
Day — Chiirchnian  s Magazine — Englishwoman  s Review — 
Journal  of  the  British  Dental  Association — Library — Odonto- 
logical  Society  s Transactions- — Ophthalmological  Review — - 
Nature  Notes — Nurses'  Journal — Rational  Dress  Society's 

Gazette,  <Sfc.,  &c., 

ARE  PREPARED  TO  UNDERTAKE 


CONTRACTS  FOR  PRINTING, 


AND  TO  QUOTE 

REASONABLE  AND  INCLUSIVE  ESTIMATES 


^'or  cDeri?  pescripftoit  of  '25orPv. 


PAMPHLETS,  MAGAZINES  AND  BOOK  PRINTING. 


Prices  Current,  Catalogues  and  Commercial  Work. 


CLIENTS  WAITED  UPON  FOR  INSTRUCTIONS  UPON  RECEIPT  OF  POST  CARD. 


S7-89,  GREAT  TITCHFIELD  STREET, 

OXFORD  STREET,  LONDON,  W. 


Just  Published.  106pp.  Imperial  16mo,  Cloth  Lettered,  2s.  6d. 


LA  VITA  NUOVA, 

BY 

DANTE  ALIGHIERI, 

JV/T/I  NOTES  AND  COMMENTS  IN  ENGLISH, 


By  N.  PERINI,  F.R.A.S., 

Professor  of  Italian  at  Kinfs  College,  London,  and  at  the  Royal  College  of 
Music;  author  of An  Italian  Conversatio?i  Grammar f 


bonbon  : 

HACHETTE  & CO.,  i8.  King  William  Street,  Charing 'Cross. 
E.  TURNBULL,  66,  New  Oxford  Street,  W.C. 


AGENT  FOR 

“Nature  Notes.” 

“ University  Exten- 
sion Journal.” 
“Church  Missionary 
Intelligencer.” 
“Life  and  Work.” 
“Church  of  Scotland 
Mission  Record.” 
“Morning  Rays.” 

“ Free  Church 
Monthly.” 

“ Youth.” 

“ United  Presbyterian 
Missionary  Record.” 
&c.,  &c. 


J.  I.  BAXTER, 

a^vcrt^6ino  aocnt, 

29,  Paternoster  Square,  E.C. 

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ 

Advertisements  inserted  in 
“NATURE  NOTES,”  and  generally  in 
Magazines  and  Newspapers. 


JOHNSTON’S 

CORN  FLOUR. 

“ Is  decidedly  superior.” — The  Lancet. 

The  Best  Quality  is  supplied  in  Family  Tins,  i-lb.  and  3-lbs.;  also 
Packets  2,  4,  8 and  i6-ozs 


CONTRIBUTION  TO  OUR  KNOWLEDGE  OF  SEEDLINGS, 

By  SIR  JOHN  LXJRBOCH, 

2 V0I5.,  demy  8vo,  36s.  net. 


Katinc. — “ One  of  the  most  substantial  and  important  contributions  to  botanical  literature  that  have  ever 
emanated  from  the  press.  It  must  continue  to  be  a standard  book  of  reference  for  generations.” 

■S'atural  Science. — “ The  two  good-sized  volumes  contain  the  results  of  a vast  amount  of  work.  Seeds  of 
almust  every  natural  order  have  been  germinated,  and  the  seeds  and  seedlings,  and  process  of  germination, 
described.” 

Gardening  \Va>-Id. — “The  writers  on  seedlings,  seeds,  &c.,  have  been  verj*  numerous,  but  thdr  works  are 
small  compared  with  the  great  work  under  notice.  This  work  is  the  most  extensive  and  exhaustive  that  has 
ever  been  w ritten  by  an  English  author,  and  will  no  doubt  continue  to  be  so  for  many  years  to  come.  . • • . • 
The  work  cannot  fail  to  be  of  service  or  intere^t  to  botanists,  physiologists,  and  naturalists  generally  in 
various  spheres  of  intellectual  research,  while  working  in  the  laboratory’,  the  class-room,  or  otherwise.” 


KEGAN  PAUL,  TRENCH,  TRUBNER  & Co.,  Ltd., 

London  : Paternoster  House,  Charing  Cross  Road. 

Now  Ready.  Third  Edition.  Demy  8vo,  260  pp.,  cloth,  gilt  lettered,  5s. 

^isr  iT^Li^isr 

CONVERSATION  GRAMMAR 

COMPRISING  THE  MOST  IMPORTANT  RULES  OF  ITALIAN  GRAMMAR  WITH 
NUMEROUS  EXAMPLES  AND  EXERCISES  THEREON  ; ENGLISH-ITALI AN 
DIALOGUES  ; AND  EXTRACTS  IN  ITALIAN  POETRY, 

FOLLOWED  KV 

A SHORT  GUIDE  TO  ITALIAN  COMPOSITION. 

ALSO  AN  ENGLISH-ITALIAN  AND  ITALIAN-ENGLISH  VOCABULARY. 

BY  N.  PERINI,  F.R.A.S. 

Professor  of  Italian  at  King's  College,  London,  and  at  the  Royal  College  of  Music, 
and  Italian  Examiner  to  the  Staff  College,  the  Royal  Military  Academy, 
Woohvich,  and  the  Society  of  Arts. 


LIBRAIRIE  HACHETTE  A-  C‘E- 

London  : i8,  King  William  Stkeei',  Charing  Cross,  W.C. 
Paris  ; 79,  Boulevard  Saim-Germain. 

Boston,  U.S.  : Carl  Schoenhof. 


Fcap  8vo,  74pp.,  cloth,  gilt  lettered,  gilt  edges.  One  Shilling. 


ISrOTES  OLT  THEE 


HISTORY  OF  FREEMASONRY 


BY 

HENRY  SUTHERLAND, 

dedicated  by  permission  to 


COLOnSTEL  H. 

Grand  Secretary  of  the  United  Grand  Lodtye  of  England. 

JOHN  BALE  & SONS, 

87-89,  Great  Titchfielu  Street,  Oxford  Streei,  W. 


Bilie  and  Sens,  Printers,  Gt.  Titchjield  Street.  London,  If. 


March,  1893. 


No.  39.  VoL.  IV. 

7?’ 


[He  ^-l^ekI^)ORNe 
.OCicTYS 
RGH'ZiNC 


Edited  by 

JAMES  BRITTEN.  F.L.S. 


CONTENTS. 


A POET  OF  P:ARLY  SPRING  4' 

By  the  Editor. 

WHITE  OF  SELBORNE 
HORSE  CHESTNUT  BUDS.. 

By  Bessy  Holland. 

“THE  DEATH  OF  CORTES”  .. 

THE  LAST  OF  THE  KINGFISHERS 
By  A.  T.  Johnson. 

WINTER  ACONITES 5i 

Bv  Richard  F.  Towndrow. 

FOOTPATHS  

FIELD  PHILOSOPHY 

By  the  Rev.  John  Gerard. 

SHORT  NOTICES  OF  BOOKS 

SELBORNIANA  

The  Excursion  to  Selborne. 

The  Birds  of  New  Zealand. 

Bird  Catchers. 

Lantern  Slides. 

Folk  Songs. 

NAtVrAL^“h\sTO#NOTES  and  QUERIES  57 

Daily  flight  of  Rooks. 

Memory  in  Birds. 

Cockchafers. 

Squirrel  Mobbed  by  Birds. 

Natterjack  Toad. 

Birds  and  Lighthouses. 

ANSWERS  TO  CORRESPONDENTS  ..  ..  59 

BR.ANCHES  OF  THE  SELBORNE  SOCIETY  60 


lonOon : 

JOHN  BALE  & SONS, 

87-89,  Great  Titchfield  Street,  W. 
City  Agent: — 

J.  I.  BAXTER, 

29,  Paternoster  Square  E.C. 


i 


PRICE  TWOPENCE. 


JOHN  BALE  & SONS 

printers  of  tbc  followino  3ournals,  ^c:— 

Brain — British  GyncBCological  Jotirnal — Celebrities  of  the 
Day — Churchman  s Magazine — Englishivo^nan  s Review — 
Journal  of  the  British  Dental  Association — Library — Odonto- 
logical  Society's  Transactions — Ophthalmological  Review — 
Nature  Notes — Nurses'  Jotirnal — Rational  Dress  Society's 

Gazette,  Cfc.,  Cfc., 

ARE  PREPARED  TO  UNDERTAKE 

CONTRACTS  FOR  PRINTING, 

AND  TO  QUOTE 

REASONABLE  AND  INCLUSIVE  ESTIMATES 

^for  description  of  ^Sor^i. 

PAMPHLETS,  MAGAZINES  AND  BOOK  PRINTING. 

Prices  Current,  Catalogues  and  Commercial  Work. 

CLIENTS  WAITED  UPON  FOR  INSTRUCTIONS  UPON  RECEIPT  OF  POST  CARD. 


87-89,  GREAT  TITCHFIELD  STREET, 

OXFORD  STREET,  LONDON,  W. 


Now  Ready.  Third  Edition.  Demy  8vo,  260  pp.,  cloth,  gilt  lettered,  5s. 

^isr 


CONVERSATION  GRAMMAR 

COMPRISING  THE  MOST  IMPORTANT  RULES  OF  ITALIAN  GRAMMAR  WITH 
NUMEROUS  EXAMPLES  AND  EXERCISES  THEREON  ; ENGLISH-IT.ALIAN 
DIALOGUES  ; AND  EXTRACTS  IN  ITALIAN  POETRY, 

FOLLOWED  BY 

A SHORT  GUIDE  TO  ITALIAN  COMPOSITION. 

ALSO  AN  ENGLISH-ITALIAN  AND  ITALIAN-ENGLISH  VOCABUL.ARY. 


By  N.  PERINI,  f.R.A.s. 

Professor  of  Italian  at  Kinfs  College,  London,  and  at  the  Royal  College  of  Music, 
and  Italian  Examiner  to  the  Staff  College,  the  Royal  Military  Academy, 
Woolwich,  and  the  Society  of  Arts. 


LIBRAIRIE  HACHETTE  & C^e- 

London  : 18,  King  William  Street,  Charing  Cross,  W.C. 
Paris  ; 79,  Boulevard  Saini -Germain. 

Boston,  U.S.  : Carl  Schoenhof. 


J.  L BAXTER, 

a^vertisino  agent, 

29,  Paternoster  Square,  E.C. 

Advertisements  inserted  in 
“NATURE  NOTES,”  and  generally  in 
Magazines  and  Newspapers. 


JOHNSTON’S 

CORN  FLOUR. 

“ Is  decidedly  superior.” — The  Lancet. 

The  Best  Quality  is  supplied  in  Family  Tins,  i-lb.  and  3dbs.;  also 
Packets  2,  4,  8 and  i6-ozs 


AGENT  FOR 

“Nature  Notes.” 
“University  Exten- 
sion Journal.” 
“Church  Missionary 
Intelligencer.” 

“ Life  and  Work.” 
“Church  of  Scotland 
Mission  Record.” 
“Morning  Rays.” 

“ Free  Church 
Monthly.” 

“ Youth.” 

“United  Presbyterian 
Missionary  Record.” 
&c.,  &c. 


NEW  BOOKS  PUBLISHED  BY  GURNEY  & JACKSON. 

This  day  is  published,  8vo  cloth,  492  pp.,  with  174  Illustrations  and  a Map,  £i  is. 

WILO  SPAIN : 

RECORDS  OF  SPORT  WITH  RIFLE,  ROD  AND  GUN,  NATURAL  HISTORY 

AND  EXPLORATION. 

By  ABEL  CHAPMAN,  F.Z.S., 

Author  of  “ Bird-Life  of  the  Borders.” 

And  WALTER  J.  BUCK,  C.M.Z.S.,  of  Jerez. 

(A  limited  number  of  Copies  on  Large  Paper,  royal  8vo,  at  Two  Guineas.) 

8vo,  cloth,  448  pp.,  with  16  Illustrations  and  a Map,  15s. 

FUR-BEARING  ANIMALS  IN  NATURE  AND  IN  COMMERCE. 

By  HENRY  POLAND,  F.Z.S. 

“ Mr.  Poland’s  novel  and  valuable  work  will  be  found  of  interest  to  all  who  avail  themselves  of  the  stores 
of  warm  and  beautiful  material  for  clothing  and  enrichment  of  dress  supplied  by  the  fur-bearing  animals  of  the 
world.  To  those  who  are  in  any  way  connected  with  the  fur-trading  industry  the  book  will  become 
indispensable.” — Morning  Post^  September  lo,  1892. 

8vo,  cloth,  400  pages,  with  14  Illustrations,  I2s.  6cl. 

ODOROGRAPHIA, 

A Natural  History  of  Raw  Mate7'ials  and  Druy^s  used  hi  the  Perfume  Industry, 
Intended  to  serve  Growers,  Manufacturers  and  Consumers. 

By  J.  CH.  SAWER,  F.L.S. 

Nearly  forty  different  kinds  of  scent-producing  materials  are  described,  chief  among 
which  are  the  following  : — The  plants  from  which  the  odour  of  the  rose  is  obtained,  violets, 
vanilla,  cinnamon,  cassia,  cloves,  heliotrope,  camphor,  musk,  lavender,  patchouli,  and 
citrine  odours.  

GURNEY  & JACKSON,  i,  PATERNOSTER  ROW. 

(Mr.  Van  Voorst's  Successors.) 


Just  Published.  106pp.  Imperial  16mo,  Cloth  Lettered,  2s.  6d. 


LA  VITA  NUOVA, 

BY 

DANTE  ALIGHIERI, 

WITH  NOTES  AND  COMMENTS  IN  ENGLISH, 

By  N.  PERINI,  F.R.A.S., 

Professor  of  Italian  at  King’s  College,  London,  and  at  the  Royal  College  of 
Music;  author  ol  An  Italian  Conversation  Grammar f Ss^c. 


Itoniion  : 

HACHETTE  & CO.,  i8,  King  William  Street,  Charing  Cross. 
E.  TURNBULL,  66,  Ne'w  Oxford  Street,  W.C. 


John  Bale  and  Sons^  Printers^  8789,  Gt.  'Titchfield  Street^  London^  If\ 


f f f 


No.  40.  VoL.  IV. 

Tr 


April,  1893. 


iGklSOIVNe 

.ocieTYS 


Edited  by 

JAMES  BRITTEN,  F.LS. 


CONTENTS. 


MR.  RODEN  NOEL'S  SPRING  POETRY 
Ky  Mi.ss  E.  H.  Hickey. 

WILD  LIFE  IN  TASMANIA.  II 64 

l>y  Hamilton  Stuart  Dove,  F.Z.S. 

ANTICIPATIONS  66 

By  M.R.G.B. 

INSECT-COLLECTING  67 

By  the  Hon.  Mrs.  Boyle. 

SPORT  WI I HOUT  A GUN 69 

By  Ernest  Ingersoll. 

BEAST  AND  MAN  IN  INDIA 
By  J.  J.  Platel,  B.A. 

LIFE  IN  THE  FIELDS  

SHORT  NOTICES  OF  BOOKS 

SELBORNIANA  ..  

Protection  of  Wild  Birds. 

A Plea  for  the  Primroses. 

Barbed  Wire. 

A Salutary  Lesson. 

Why  Multiply  Societies? 

Thrushes  and  Drink. 

A Choice  Combination. 

Lantern  Slides. 

Pinner  Branch. 

NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES  78 
An  Early  Wood  Pigeon. 

Natterjack  Toad. 

The  Sparrow  once  more. 

Horse  Chestnut  Buds. 

A Census  of  London  Rookeriej. 

OFFICIAL  NOTICES 79 

ANSWERS  TO  CORRESPONDENTS  ..  ..  80 

XonDoii: 

JOHN  BALE  & SONS, 

87-89,  Great  Titchfield  Street,  \V. 
O'/p  Agent; — 

J.  I.  BAXTER, 

Paternoster  Square,  E.C. 


PRICE  TWOPENCE. 


CASSELL  & COMPANY’S  ANNOUNCEMENTS. 


SECOND  EDITION.  Now  Ready,  fcap.  4to,  cloth,  3s.  6d. 

BEETLES,  BUTTERFLIES,  MOTHS,  AND  OTHER  INSECTS.  With 

12  Coloured  Plates. 

CHEAP  EDITION.  Price  2s.  6d. 

THE  FIELD  NATURALIST’S  HANDBOOK.  By  Revs.  J.  G.  Wood 
and  Theodore  Wood. 

CHEAP  EDITION.  Price  3s.  6d. 

NATURE’S  WONDER-WORKERS:  Being  some  Short  Life- Histories 
in  the  Insect  World.  By  Kate  R.  Lovell.  Illustrated. 

CHEAP  EDITION.  Cloth,  5s. 

THE  LIFE  OF  THE  REY.  J.  G.  WOOD.  By  his  Son,  the  Rev. 
Theodore  Wood.  With  Portrait. 

SECOND  EDITION.  Price  5s. 

BIRDS’  NESTS,  EGGS,  AND  EGG  COLLECTING.  By  R.  Kearton. 
Illustrated  with  16  Coloured  Plates  of  Eggs. 

CASSELL  & COMPANY,  Limited,  Ludgate  Hill,  London. 


Demy  8vo,  Cloth,  2s.  6d. 


A PRACTICAL  HANDBOOK  FOR  THE  MILLION. 

By  H.  W.  WARD,  F.R.H.S., 

Hhad-Gardenf.r  to  the  Right  Hon.  the  Earl  of  Radnor. 

“The  book  is  replete  with  valuable  cultural  notes  indispensable  to  the  millions  who  are  now  turning  to 
gardening  as  a source  of  pleasure  and  profit.” — Gardeners’  Chronicle. 

“ No  more  valuable  addition  than  this  work  could  be  made  to  the  library  of  anyone  who  is  at  all  interested 
in  gardening.” — Irish  Farming  World. 

“Clear,  sensible,  and  full  of  instruction.  We  know  of  no  better  book  to  put  into  the  hands  of  the  owners 
of  small  gardens  who  are  anxious  to  make  the  best  of  their  opportunities,  whether  in  the  cultivation  of  flowers, 
vegetables  or  fruit.” — Ti.mes. 

“ As  a practical  handbook  for  the  million  it  has  no  superior  on  the  subject.” — Bell’s  Weekly  Messenger. 

“ This  is  the  best  work  on  gardening  which  we  have  come  across  for  a long  period  . . . and  certainly  de> 
serves  a place  in  every  gardener’s  library’  or  bookcase.” — Rural  World. 


EYRE  & SPOTTISWOODE,  East  Harding  Street,  London,  E.C. 


JOHNSTON’S 

CORN  FLOUR. 

“ Is  decidedly  superior.” — The  Lancet. 

The  Best  Quality  is  supplied  in  Family  Tins,  i-lb.  and  3-lbs.;  also 
Packets  2,  4,  8 and  i6-ozs. 


JOHN  BALE  & SONS 

|pnntei*0  of  tbe  foUowino  3ountal6,  dc.:— 

Brain — British  Gynceco logical  Journal — Celebrities  of  the 
Day — Churchman  s Magazine — Englishwoman  s Review — 
Journal  of  the  British  Dental  Association — Library — Odonto- 
logical  Society's  Transactions — Ophthabnological  Review — 
Nature  Notes — Ntirses'  Journal — Rational  D)'ess  Society's 

Gazette,  Cfc.,  Cfc., 

ARE  PREPARED  TO  UNDERTAKE 

CONTRACTS  FOR  PRINTING, 

AND  TO  QUOTE 

REASONABLE  AND  INCLUSIVE  ESTIMATES 

gfor  ewevt?  description  of  "^orti. 

PAMPHLETS,  MAGAZINES  AND  BOOK  PRINTING. 

Prices  Current,  Catalogues  and  Commercial  Work. 

CLIENTS  WAITED  UPON  FOR  INSTRUCTIONS  UPON  RECEIPT  OF  POST  CARD. 

87-89,  GREAT  TITCHFIELD  STREET, 

OXFORD  STREET,  LONDON,  W. 

J.  I.  BAXTER, 

a&vertistng  agent, 

29,  Paternoster  Square,  E.C. 

Advertisements  inserted  in 
“NATURE  NOTES,”  and  generally  in 
Magazines  and  Newspapers. 


AGENT  FOR 

“Nature  Notes.” 
“UniYersity  Exten- 
sion Journal.” 

“ Library  Review.” 

“ Ophthalmic  Review.” 
“Church  Missionary 
Intelligencer.” 
“Life  and  Work.” 
“Church  of  Scotland 
Mission  Record.” 
“Morning  Rays.” 

“ Free  Church 
Monthly.” 

“ Youth.” 

“United  Presbyterian 
Missionary  Record.” 


Now  Ready.  Third  Edition.  Demy  8vo,  260  pp.,  cloth,  gilt  lettered,  5s. 


CONVERSATION  GRAMMAR 

COMPRISING  THE  MOST  IMPORT.^NT  RULES  OF  ITALIAN  GRAMMAR  WITH 
NUMEROUS  EXAMPLES  AND  EXERCISES  THEREON  ; ENGLISH-ITALIAN 
DIALOGUES  ; AND  EXTRACTS  IN  ITALIAN  POETRY, 

FOLLOWED  BY 

A SHORT  GUIDE  TO  ITALIAN  COMPOSITION. 

ALSO  AN  ENGLISH-ITALIAN  AND  ITALIAN-ENGLISH  VOCABULARY. 


By  N.  PERINI,  f.r.a.s. 

Professor  of  Italian  at  King's  College,  Lo/idon,  and  at  the  Royal  College  of  Music, 
and  Italian  Examiner  to  the  Staff  College,  the  Royal  Military  Academy, 
Woolwich,  and  the  Society  of  Arts. 


LIBRAIRIE  HACHETTE  & Cie. 

London  : 18,  King  William  Street,  Charing  Cross,  W.C. 
Paris  ; 79,  Boulevard  Saint-Germain. 

Boston,  U.S.  : Carl  Schoenhof. 


Just  Published.  106pp.  Imperial  16mo,  Cloth  Lettered,  2s.  6d. 

LA  VITA  NUOVA, 

BY 

DANTE  ALIGHIERI, 

WITH  NOTES  AND  COMMENTS  IN  ENGLISH, 

By  N.  PERINI,  F.R.A.S., 

Professor  of  Italian  at  Ktngfs  College,  London,  and  at  the  Royal  College  of 
Music;  author  of '''' An  Italian  Conversation  Grammar f 


|?ontion  ; 

HACHETTE  & CO.,  18,  King  William  Street,  Charing  Cross. 
E.  TURNBULL,  66,  New  Oxford  Street,  W.C. 


lohn  Bale  and  Sons,  Printers,  87  89,  Gt.  Titchfield  Street,  London,  W 


May,  1893. 


CON  T E N T S 


CLilSOPENe 
OcicTYS 

JlGH’ZiNC 


the  abuse  of  advertising.. 

..  8t 

By  the  Editor. 

gilbert  white  

..  83 

Bj’  Arthur  Christopher  Benson. 
THE  HARVEST  MOUSE 

■ • 83 

By  Constance  Garlick. 

WORK.  FOR  THE  NATURALIST.. 

. . 86 

By  the  Rev.  John  Gerard. 
TWO  BOOKS  OF  VERSE  .. 

..  83 

FIELD-PATH  RAMBLES  . 

..  89 

By  Antony  Gepp. 

COMMONS  AND  OPEN  SPACES.. 

..  90 

By  Archibald  Clarke 
SELBORNIANA 

■ 92 

To  Church  Decorators. 

Easter  Custom  at  Capri. 

A Merited  Rebuke. 

A Selborne  Lecture. 

The  Egret  Again. 

Thrushes  and  Drink. 

Lantern  Slides. 

A Plea  for  the  Hare. 

Domestication  of  Wood  Pigeons. 

NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES 
Rooks  in  Kensington  Gardens. 

Rooks  at  Hampstead. 

Toad  infested  with  Larvae. 

Curious  Behaviour  of  a Great  Tit. 

Sagacity  of  a Sow. 

Spring  Flowers  at  Bath. 

A Pet  Lamb.  , 

Hardiness  of  Canaries. 

OFFICIAL  NOTICES 

ANSWERS  TO  CORRESPONDENTS  .. 


99 

100 


Xon5on : 

JOHN  BALE  & SONS, 

87-89,  Great  Titchfif.i.d  Siref:!',  W. 

City  Agent : — 

J.  I.  BAXTER, 

29,  Paternoster  Squarf:,  E.C. 


PRICE  TWOPENCE. 


JAMES  SWIFT  & SON, 

Opticians  to  tbe  Scientific  Bepaitment,  Ib.flD.S.  Ibome 
anb  iforelon  (Bovernment. 


New  Microscope,  specially  designed  for  Botanical, 
Natural  History,  Medical  and  Analytical  Research. 

The  Microscope,  as  shown  in  illustration,  with  £ s-  >i- 
and  § or  i in.  (fitted  with  coarse  and  fine 


adjustment)  eyepiece  in  Cabinet  6 15  0 

Or  with  the  addition  of  Iris  diaphragm  in  place 

of  ordinary  one  7 00 

THE  FOLLOWING  AOOITIONAL  APPARATUS  CAN  BE  SUPPLIED  TO 
THIS  STAND 

Double  Nosepiece  0 15  0 

Abbe  Condenser  with  Iris  diaphragm  ...  2 2 0 

Extra  Eyepiece 0 7 6 

g in.  Objective  2 10  0 

i'l  Oil  Immersion  M.A.  125. 


This  objective,  when  used  in  con- 
junction with  an  Abbe  Condenser, 
makes  the  instrument  suitable  for 
Bacteriology  . . . . .550 

Polariscope  14  0 

Selenite  0 16 


Fully  Descriptive  Pamphlet,  free  on  application. 


University  Optical  Works,  81,  Tottenham  Conrt  Road,  W. 


City  of  London  Truss  Society, 

35,  FINSBURY  SQUARE. 

Patron— H.R.H.  THE  PRINCE  OF  WALES,  K.G. 

The  EIGHTY-SIXTH  ANNUAL  FESTIVAL  will  take  place  at 
the  ALBION  TAVERN,  Aldersgate-street,  on  TUESDAY,  i6th 
MAY,  1893, 

The  Right  Hon.  the  LORD  MAYOR 
in  the  chair, 

supported  by  the  Sheriffs,  &c. 

Dinner  on  table  at  Six  for  Half-past  Six  p.m.  precisely. 


PRELIMINARY  LIST  OF  STEWARDS. 
The  Right  Hon.  Lord  EBURY,  P.C.,  President. 


The  Right  Hon.  the  Earl  of  Strafford, 

V.P. 

The  Right  Hon.  the  Earl  of  Wharncliffe. 
The  Right  Rev.  the  Lord  Bishop  of 
Bath  and  Wells,  V.P. 

The  Right  Rev.  the  Lord  Bishop  of 
Derry,  V.P. 

Baker,  Rev.  Prebendary,  D.D. 

Barham,  C.,  Esq.,  C.C. 

Bartlett,  Thomas,  Esq. 

Benham,  Rev.  Canon,  B.D. 

Brooke,  C.  E.,  Esq. 

Crowden,  R.  H.,  Esq. 

Crowther-Beynon,  Rev.  S.  B.,  M.A. 
Devereux,  the  Rev.  N.  J.,  M.A. 
Dimsdale,  J.  C.,  Esq.,  Alderman 
(Trustee). 

Dingle,  W.  A.,  Esq.,  M.D. 

Dyer,  Watson,  Esq. 

Field,  W.  H.,  Esq. 

Flint,  E.,  Esq.,  A.R.I.B.A. 

Gingell,  W.  H.,  Esq. 

Griffith,  S.  C.,  Esq.,  M.D. 

Hilhouse,  Thomas,  Esq. 

Hohly,  G.,  Esq. 

Langton,  John,  Esq.,  F.R.C.S. 

Laurie,  W.  H.,  Esq. 

Lavington,  W.  J.,  Esq. 

Lyon,  Alfred,  Esq.  (Trustee). 


Maddick,  E.  D.,  Esq. 

Marriage,  James,  Esq.,  C.C. 

Mocatta,  F.  D.,  Esq. 

Nash,  Rev.  J.  J.  G.,  M.A. 

Norbury,  John,  Esq.,  Treasurer  and 
Trustee. 

Norton,  H.  E.,  Esq. 

Nunn,  John  Hancock,  Esq. 

Palmer,  W.  R.,  Esq. 

Patten,  Robert  John,  Escp 
Pitman,  W.  H.,  Esq. 

Renals,  Joseph,  Esq.,  .‘\lderman  and 
Sheriff. 

Robinson,  Re\’.  A.  Dalgarno,  M.A. 
Rothschild,  Alfred  de.  Esq.,  V.P. 

Ryley,  Beresford,  Esq.,  M.D. 

Salt,  J.  C.,  Esq.  (Trustee),  Lloyds  Bank, 
Ltd.,  Society’s  Bankers. 

.Sharratt,  F.,  Esq. 

Taunton,  W.  K.,  Esq. 

Truscott,  Alderman  Sir  Francis  Wyatt. 
Truscott,  George  Wyatt,  Esq.,  C.C. 
White,  Rev.  L.  B.,  D.D.,  V.P. 
Whitehead,  B.,  Jun.,  Esq.,  B.A. 
Whittington,  the  Rev.  Prebendary', 
M.A. 

Whittington,  Thomas,  Esq. 

Wilkin,  W.  H.,  Esq.,  Alderman  and 
Sheriff. 


This  Charity  claims  support  from  the  fact  that  over  483,600  of  the  suffering  poor 
of  both  sexes  and  all  ages  have  been  already  relieved  (9,609  in  1892). 

The  Committee  earnestly  hope  for  special  and  increased  contributions  to  be 
announced  at  the  forthcoming  86th  Annual  Festival,  in  view  of  the  great  expense 
entailed  by  the  much  needed  enlargement  of  the  Society’s  premises,  for  the  better 
accommodation  of  the  ever-increasing  number  of  patients  seeking  relief  from 
the  Charity.  A separate  entrance  for  female  patients  is  part  of  the  new  plan, 
and  has  long  been  desired. 

SUBSCRIPTIONS  and  DONATIONS  in  aid  will  be  thankfully  received  by  any 
of  the  above  Stewards  ; or  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Institution,  35,  Finsbury-square. 

JOHN  WHITTINGTON,  Secretary. 

jyth  April,  1893. 


Pictures  and  Painters  of  1893/'  an  Illustyaied  Guide  to  the  Royal  Academy  and  the  other  chief 
picture  exhibitions^  being  the  Fine  Art  Supplemetit  ^“The  Strand  Magazine**  and  “The  Picture 
Magazine,"  and  containing  112  pages  of  pictures^  ivith  portraits  of  artists  beautifully  reproduced  on 
tinted  papers  in  a variety  of  colours^  •will  be  published  as  early  as  possible  in  May,  Price  \s. 


THE 


THE 


STRAND  MAGAZINE, 

Edited  by  George  Newnes, 

Is  the  best  Illustrated  and  has  the  largest  cir- 
culation of  any  6d.  Magazine  in  the  World. 

WeeHy,  TIT"BITS| 

Edited  by  George  Newnes, 

Is  the  most  interesting  Penny  Paper  published. 
;^5,ooo  has  been  paid  by  1 it-Bits  for  Insurance 
Claims. 


PICTURE  MAGAZINE 

(Companion  to  the  Strand  Magazine). 

Monthly,  Price  6d. 

Nothing  but  Pictures.  About  250  Illustralions  in 
each  issue,  containing  : — 

Old  Prints  and  Pictures, 

Autographs, 

Pictures  of  Places,  Fine  Art  Pictures, 

Comic  Pictures,  Portraits, 

Pictures  for  Children, 

Miscellaneous  Pictures,  &c. 


GEORGE  NEWNES,  LTD.,  8,  9,  10,  & 11,  Southampton  St.,  & Exeter  St.,  Strand,  London,  W.C. 


NEW^'OLUME  BY  “A  SON  OE  THE  MAESHES.” 

Now  ready.  Crown  8yo.  5s. 

FOEBST  TITHES; 

And  other  Studies  from  Nature. 

By  the  Author  of  “ Woodland,  Moor,  and  Stream,”  &c. 

Edited  by  J.  A.  Owen. 


London  ; SMITH,  ELDER  & Co.,  15,  Waterloo  Place. 


Bontion  (0otankaP  Cfaee. 

ESTABLISHED  l8qi. 

Director  - Professor  G.  S.  BOULGER,  F.L.S.,  F.G.S. 

The  third  Course  will  consist  of  Seven  Field  Excursions,  as  follows 

1.  May  27.  Addington  Hills  and  Crohamhurst. 

2.  June  10.  Epping  Lower  Forest  (Hornbeam  forest  and  ponds). 

3.  June  17.  Wimbledon  Common  and  Putney  Heath  (a  surburban  common). 

4.  July  i.  Hayes  and  Keston  (sandy  common  and  marsh). 

5.  July  §.  Rickmansworth  and  the  Banks  of  the  Colne. 

6.  July  15.  Ranmer  (Dorking)  (chalk  hills). 

7.  July  22.  Kew  Gardens  (classification  of  British  flowering  plants). 

TICKETS  FOR  THE  COURSE  OF  SEVEN  EXCURSIONS,  10/6. 

For  full  particulars  and  all  information,  address  the  Hon.  Sec.,  c/o  the  EdmationaT 
Reviexv,  2,  Creed  Lane,  Ludgate  Hill,  E.C. 


JOHNSTON’S 

CORN  FLOUR. 

“ Is  decidedly  superior.” — The  Lancet. 

The  Best  Quality  is  supplied  in  Family  Tins,  i-lb.  and  3-lbs.;  also 
Packets  2,  4,  8 and  i6-ozs. 

Advertisements  for  '■'■Nature  Notes  ” should  be  sent  to 

J.  I.  Baxter,  Advertising  Agent,  2^,  Paternoster  Square,  E.C. 


John  Bale  and  Sons,  Printers,  87-89,  Gf.  Titch field  Street,  London,  h'. 


June,  1893. 


CONTENTS. 


ae  -r-acklSOPTNe 
OciCTYS 
^iGPlTiiNC 


104 

to6 


108 


A VISIT  TO  SELBORNE  

By  Mrs.  Brightwen. 

GILBERT  WHITES  ANCESTORS 
By  the  Earl  of  Stamford. 

WILD  LIFE  IN  TASMANIA  

By  Hamilton  Stuart  Dove,  F.Z.S. 

ANNUAL  MEETING  OK  SELBORNE  SOCIETY 
'THE  EXCURSION  TO  SELBORNE  ..  112 

SELBORNIANA 113 

Brentford  Aits  Saved. 

A New  Abomination. 

A Suggestion. 

Lantern  Slides. 

Our  Badge. 

Clapton,  Lower  Lee  Valley  Branch. 

Pinner  Branch. 

North  Wexford. 

NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES  115 
In  a Vicarage  Garden. 

The  Kingfisher. 

Notes  from  West  Sussex. 

Birds  at  Sevenoaks. 

A Stray  Pigeon. 

Daily  Flight  of  Rooks. 

Land-Rail. 

Curious  Behaviour  of  a Great  Tit. 

Bird  at  Window. 

Spring  Visitors. 

I'he  Orleton  Swifts. 

Nightingale  near  London. 

Rooks  in  London. 

OFFICIAL  NOTICES  

ANSWERS  TO  CORRESPONDENTS  .. 


119 

120 


Xon&on : 

JOHN  BALE  & SONS, 

87-89,  Great  Titchfield  Street,  W. 
City  Agent: — 


f 

29,  Paternoster  Square,  E.C.  P 

1 Edited  Sy 

I 

1 BHIIItN,  F.L.S. 

PRICE  TWOPENCE. 


JAMES  SWIFT  & SON, 

Opticians  to  tbe  Scientific  2)cpartment,  Ib.flD.S.  Ibome 
ant)  jforcion  (Bovennnent. 


New  Microscope,  specially  designed  for  Botanical, 
Natural  History,  Medical  and  Analytical  Research. 


The  Microscope,  as  shown  in  illustration,  with  L s.  d. 
and  I or  § in.  (fitted  with  coarse  and  fine 

adjustment)  eyepiece  in  Cabinet  6 13  0 

Or  with  the  addition  of  Iris  diaphragm  in  place 

of  ordinary  one  7 00 

THE  FOLLOWING  ADDITIONAL  APPARATUS  CAN  BE  SUPPLIED  TO 
THIS  STAND 

Double  Nosepiece  ...  0 13  0 

Abbe  Condenser  with  Iris  diaphragm  ...  2 2 0 

Extra  Eyepiece 0 7 6 

^ in.  Objective  2 10  0 

1*2  Oil  Immersion  M.A.  125. 

This  objective,  when  used  in  con- 
junction with  an  Abbe  Condenser, 
makes  the  instrument  suitable  for 
Bacteriology  ..350 

Polariscope  14  0 

Selenite  0 16 


Fully  Descriptive  Pamphlet,  free  on  application. 

University  Optical  Works,  81,  Tottenham  Court  Road,  W. 


DAVID  NUTT,  270-271,  Strand. 

FOR  THE  TOURIST  SEASON. 

Gremli’s  Flora  of  Switzerland  for  Tourists  and  Field  Botanists. 

Translated  by  L.  W.  Paitson.  Crown  Svo.  480  pp.  Limp  cloth,  7/6  net. 

Swan’s  Phonetic  Seriesof  thoroughly  practical  phrases  and  vocabularies 

for  the  use  of  Travellers  and  Students,  with  the  exact  pronunciation  represented  on  a 
new  system. 

Received  with  universal  favour  by  Press  and  Public.  Thousands  of  copies  sold 
in  two  years.  Already  issued: 

Colloquial  French.  Third  edition.  128  pp.  i/- 
Colloquial  German.  142  pp.  1/6. 

Colloquial  Italian.  108  pp.  1/6. 

»*„  These  volumes,  in  addition  to  words  and  phrases  indispensable  to  the  Traveller, 
contain  a great  deal  of  useful  infromation  relating  to  the  countries  dealt  with. 

R.  Jaschke’s  Conversation  Dictionaries  for  Tourists.  I.  English- 

French.  400  pp.  32mo.  Cloth,  2/6.  II.  English-German.  400  pp.  Cloth,  2/6. 

For  all  lovers  of  the  East-Anglian  Broad  Region. 

On  English  Lagoons.  By  P.  H.  Emerson,  Author  of  “A  Son  of 

the  Fens,”  &c.  Demy  Svo.  300  pp.  With  cuts.  Fancy  cloth.  Ready  Jicne  1^. 

In  addition  to  the  ordinary  issue,  100  copies  will  be  pulled  in  small  4to.  size  on  Dutch 
hand-made  paper,  and  illustrated  by  photo-gravures  from  photographs  taken  by  the  Author. 
These  copies,  signed  and  numbered,  should  be  applied  for  at  once. 

***  Mr.  Emerson’s  volume  is  the  record  of  a year’s  wherrying,  fishing,  and  shoot- 
ing in  the  Broad  region,  and  gives  a minute,  faithful,  and  sympathetic  picture  of  the 
natural  life  and  features  of  the  region. 


In  4 Vols.,  royal  8vo.,  cloth  gilt,  gilt  top,  price  £3. 

The  Flowering  Plants,  Grasses,  Sedges  & Ferns  of  Great  Britain, 

And  their  Allies,  the  Club-Mosses.  Pepperworts  and  Horsetails, 

BY 

New  Edition  containing  318  Plates  re-coloured  from  Samples  gathered  when  fully  in  bloom. 

N.B.— The  Fourth  Volume,  viz.:  “THE  GRASSES,  SEDGES  AND  FERNS  OF  GREAT 
BRITAIN,  AND  THEIR  ALLIES,”  may  be  had  separate,  in  cloth  gilt,  price  15/-. 

FREDERICK  WARNE  & Co.,  BEDFORD  STREET,  STRAND. 


JOHNSTON’S 

CORN  FLOOR. 

“ Is  decidedly  superior.” — The  Lajicet. 

The  Best  Quality  is  supplied  in  Family  Tins,  i-lb.  and  3-Ibs.;  also 
Packets  2,  4,  8 and  i6-ozs. 


M essrs.  MACMILLAN  & Co.’s 

BOOKS  FOR  THE  COUNTRY. 

FORTY  YEARS  IN  A MOORLAND  PARISH.  By  Rev.  Canon 

Atkinson,  D.C.L.  With  maps  and  illustrations.  Extra  crown  8vo.  8/6  net. 
Illustrated  edition,  12/-  net. 

WALKS,  TALKS,  TRAVELS,  & EXPLOITS  OF  TWO  SCHOOLBOYS. 

By  the  same  Author.  With  illustrations.  Crown  8vo.  3/6. 

PLAYHOURS  AND  HALF-HOLIDAYS.  By  the  same  Author.  New 

edition.  Illustrated  by  Coleman.  Crown  8vo.  3/6. 

WHITE’S  SELBORNE.  With  Notes  by  Frank  Buckland,  and  a chapter 

on  Antiquities  by  Lord  Selborne.  Illustrated  by  P.  H.  Delamotte.  Crown  8vo.  6/- 

TALES  OF  THE  BIRDS.  By  W.  Warde  Fowler.  With  illustrations 

by  Bryan  Hook.  Crown  8vo.  3/6. 

A YEAR  WITH  THE  BIRDS.  By  the  same  Author.  With  illustrations 

by  Bryan  Hook.  Crown  Svo.  3/6. 

FLOWERS,  FRUITS,  AND  LEAVES.  By  Sir  John  Lubbock,  Bart., 

F.  R.S.  Illustrated.  Crown  8vo.  4/6. 

ON  BRITISH  WILD  FLOWERS,  IN  RELATION  TO  INSECTS.  By 

the  same  Author.  Illustrated.  Crown  8vo.  46. 

THE  ORIGIN  AND  METAMORPHOSES  OF  INSECTS.  By  the  same 

Author.  With  numerous  illustrations.  Crown  8vo.  3^6. 

AN  OLD  WOMAN’S  OUTLOOK  IN  A HAMPSHIRE  VILLAGE.  By 

Charlotte  M.  Yonge.  Crown  Svo.  3/6. 

ACADEMY. — “ Miss  Yonge  is  at  her  best  in  the  word  pictures  of  the  downs,  woods, 
and  lanes  of  her  home  ; while  her  reminiscences  of  social  life,  and  of  the  improvement  which 
has  in  the  last  fifty  years  overtaken  village  life,  are  most  interesting  and  valuable.  . 

This  Outlook,  with  its  intense  love  of  birds  and  flowers,  and  its  careful  study  of  human  life  in 
the  country,  will  charm  all  who  are  like  minded,  and,  as  the  authoress  hopes,  assist  others 
to  make  the  most  of  their  surroundings,  so  as  to  find  no  country  walk  devoid  of  the  homely 
delights  that  sustain  and  lift  up  the  spirit.” 

THE  HERB  OF  THE  FIELD.  By  the  same  Author.  Reprinted  from 

“ Chapters  on  Flowers  ” in  the  Magazine  for  the  Young.  Revised  and  corrected. 
Crown  Svo.  5/- 

MADAME  HOW  AND  LADY  WHY  ; or  First  Lessons  in  Earth  Lore 

for  Children.  By  Charles  Kingsley.  With  numerous  illustrations.  Crown  Svo.  3/6. 

GLAUCUS;  or  the  Wonders  of  the  Sea-shore.  By  the  same  Author. 

With  coloured  illustrations.  Crown  Svo.  3/6. 

HANDBOOK  OF  FIELD  AND  GENERAL  ORNITHOLOGY.  By 

Elliott  Coues,  M.A.,  M.D.,  Ph.D.,  Member  of  the  National  Academy  of  Sciences, 
etc.  Profusely  illustrated.  Svo.  10/-  net. 

NATURE. — “ We  know  of  no  volume  likely  to  be  more  useful  to  the  student  who 
wishes  to  become  acquainted  with  birds.  . . . No  other  manual  that  we  are  acquainted 

with  exactly  takes  its  place  or  contains  such  a well-arranged  mass  of  useful  and  generally 
correct  information  on  this  subject.” 

THE  STUDENT’S  FLORA  OF  THE  BRITISH  ISLANDS.  By  Sir  J. 

D.  Hooker,  K.C.S.I.  Globe  Svo.  10/6. 

MACMILLAN  & CO.,  LONDON. 


Adzertisements  for  ‘ ‘ A^ature  A'otes  ” should  be  sent  to 

J.  I.  Ba.xter,  Advertising  Agent,  Paternoster  Square,  E.C. 


John  Bale  and  Sons,  Printers,  87  89,  Gt.  Tiickfietd  Street,  London,  H'. 


July,  1893. 


Jo,  43. 


iCkTSORNG 

ieTYS 
BGH’ZiiNe 


r 


CONTENTS, 


A LONDON  FLOWER  SHOW 
By  Miss  E.  H.  Hickey. 

A VISIT  TO  SPOONBILLS  .. 

By  Miss  M.  Borrer. 

WILD  LIFE  IN  TASMANIA.  IV... 

By  Hamilton  Stuart  Dove,  F.Z.S. 

OUT  OF  DOORS 

By  the  Editor. 

RELICS  OF  GILBERT  WHITE  .. 

By  the  Earl  of  Stamford. 

THE  PLAGUE  OF  FIELD  VOLES  IN  SCOT- 
LAND  

By  G,  T.  Rope. 

THE  RESCUE  OF  OPEN  SPACES 
By  Archibald  Clarke. 

SELBORNIANA  . 

An  Appeal  to  Selbornians. 

Lantern  Slides. 

The  Osprey  again. 

NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES 
The  Kingfisher. 

Swallows. 

Land  Rails  and  Early  May. 

A Book  for  Botanists. 

OFFICIAL  NOTICES 

ANSWERS  TO  CORRESPONDENTS  .. 


Edited  by 

J^MES  BRITTEN,  F.LS. 


Xon&on : 

JOHN  BALE  & SONS, 

87-89,  Great  Titchfield  Stref:t,  W. 

Cz7y  Age7it : — 

J.  I.  BAXTER, 

29,  Paternoster  Square,  E.C. 


PRICE  TWOPENCE. 


JAMES  SWIFT  & SON, 

©pticians  to  tbe  Scientific  2)epartmcnt,  Ib.flD.S,  Ibome 
anb  jforcion  Government 


New  Microscope,  specially  designed  for  Botanical, 
Natural  History,  Medical  and  Analytical  Research. 


The  Microscope,  as  shown  in  illustration,  with  I s.  d. 
and  I or  J in.  (fitted  with  coarse  and  fine 


adjustment)  eyepiece  in  Cabinet  6 15  0 

Or  with  the  addition  of  Iris  diaphragm  in  place 

of  ordinary  one  7 00 

THE  FOLLOWING  ADDITIONAL  APPARATUS  CAN  BE  SUPPLIED  TO 
THIS  STAND 

Double  Nosepiece  0 15  0 

Abbe  Condenser  with  Iris  diaphragm  ...  2 2 0 

Extra  Eyepiece 076 

^ in.  ObjectiYe  2 10  0 

h Oil  Immersion  M.A.  125. 


This  objective,  when  used  in  con- 
junction with  an  Abbe  Condenser, 
makes  the  instrument  suitable  for 
Bacteriology  ~ ..550 

Polariscope  14  0 

Selenite  0 16 


Fully  Descriptive  Pamphlet,  free  on  application. 

University  Optical  Works,  81,  Tottenhani  Court  Road,  W. 


JOHN  BALE  & SONS, 

Medical  Printers  and  Publishers. 


✓js*  ✓p'» 

INCLUSIVE  ESTIMATES 

GIVEN  WHERE  DESIRED,  FOR 

Jllustratiiig,  f rinting,  finding  it  f iiblisltiiig. 

SPECIMENS  SUBMITTED.  REFERENCES  GIVEN. 

WORKS  ILLUSTRATED  BY 

W00D  EN6^;«YI]S[(5,  P^0CE^3  Bl£0CK^, 

LITK06P^PjnC  PR^TE^  01^  C01iR0TYPEg. 

-o 


PRINTERS  OF: 


Brain. 

British  Gyn.-ecological  Journal. 
Celebrities  of  the  Day. 
Churchman’s  Magazine. 
Englishwoman’s  Review. 

Journal  of  the  British  Dental 
Association. 

Library. 


Ophthalmic  Review. 

Odontological  Society’s  Transac- 
tions. 

Nature  Notes. 

Nurses’  Journal. 

Rational  Dress  Society’s  Gazette. 
Sheffield  Medical  Journal. 

&c.,  &c. 


AGENT  FOR 

“Nature  Notes.” 
“University  Exten- 
sion Journal.” 
“Library  Review.” 

“ Ophthalmic  Review.” 
“Church  Missionary 
Intelligencer.” 

“ Life  and  Work.” 

“ Church  of  Scotland 
Mission  Record.” 
“Morning  Rays.” 

“ Free  Church 
Monthly.” 

“ Youth.” 

“United  Presbyterian 
Missionary  Record.” 


J.  I.  BAXTER, 

H6vcTtisino  aoent, 

29,  Paternoster  Square,  E.C. 

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ 

Adveptisements  inserted  in 
“NATURE  NOTES,”  and  generally  in 
magazines  and  Newspapers. 


JOHNSTON’S 

CORN  FLOUR. 

“ Is  decidedly  superior.” — The  Lancet. 

The  Best  Quality  is  supplied  in  Family  Tins,  i-lb.  and  3-lbs.;  also 
Packets  2,  4,  8 and  i6-ozs. 


BOOKS  FOR  SELBORNIANS.' 


THE  LIBRARY  EDITION. 

2 vols,  demy  8vo,  £\  iis.  6d. 

THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  AND  ANTIQUITIES  OF  SELBORNE,  in 

the  County  of  Southampton.  By  the  late  Rev.  Gilbert  White. 
Edited  by  Thomas  Bell,  F.R.S.,  F.L.S.,  F.G.S.,  &c.,  Professor  of 
Zoology  in  King’s  College,  London.  With  Steel  Plate  and  other 
Illustrations,  comprising:  Front  View  of  the  Wakes,  W'’est  portion 
of  the  Village,  South  View  of  Church  with  Vicarage,  Garden  View 
of  Gilbert  White’s  House,  Cottage  at  Dorton,  The  Plestor,  etc., 
etc.,  with  an  Appendix  on  the  Roman  - British  Antiquities  of 
Selborne,  by  Lord  Selborne.  (A  few  copies  on  large  paper,  price 
3S-) 

BRITISH  WILD  FLOWERS.  Illustrated  b}-  John  E.  Sowerby. 
Described  with  an  introduction  and  a Key  to  the  Natural  Orders  by 
C.  P.  Johnson.  Re-issue,  super  royal  8vo,  with  1780  Illustrations 
on  89  Plates,  ^3  3s. 

This  work  gives,  in  one  large  volume,  a characteristic  figure,  coloured  by  hand,  of  each 
species  of  indigenous  plant,  with  a short  description  of  its  habii,  habitat,  height,  and  time  of 
flowering. 

AN  ILLUSTRATED  MANUAL  OF  BRITISH  BIRDS.  By  Howard 
Saunders,  F.L.S.,  F.Z.S.,  &c..  Editor  of  the  Third  and  Fourth 
Volumes  of  “ Yarrell’s  Historj*  of  British  Birds,”  Fourth  Edition. 
One  Volume,  750  pages,  deni}’  8vo,  with  367  fine  Woodcuts  and 
Three  Maps,  £\  is. 

“ Excellent  alike  in  style  and  matter,  it  ought  to  be  in  the  hands  of  every  lover  of  birds, 
and  should  take  the  place  of  several  inferior  books  on  the  subject  now  before  the  public.” — 
Annals  of  Natural  History. 

BIRD-LIFE  OF  THE  BORDERS:  Records  of  Wild  Sport  and  Natural 
History  on  Moorland  and  Sea.  By  Abel  Chapman.  Demy  8vo, 
300  pages,  with  Fifty  Illustrations  by  the  Author,  12s.  6d. 

“ Mr.  Chapman  is  a naturalist  of  Gilbert  White’s  school  in  the  keenness  and  accuracy  of 
his  perceptions.  He  sees  things  for  himself  and  takes  nothing  upon  trust.  Every  lover  of  a 
country  life  will  delight  in  his  vivid  sketches  of  sporting  experience  and  wild  life  on  the 
moors.” — Saturday  Review. 

“Will  enchant  all  who  are  fond  of  birds.  Sympathy  with  all  living  creatures,  careful 
observation,  with  cautious  deductions,  and  strong  love  for  the  bleak  moors  and  wild  scenery 
of  the  Cheviots — such  are  the  characteristics  of  this  most  interesting  book.  The  illustrations 
add  a great  charm  to  a book  redolent  of  wild  life  and  careful  observation.” — Academy. 

WEEDS  AND  WILD  FLOWERS  : Their  Uses,  Legends,  and  Litera- 
ture. By  Lady  Wilkinson.  Illustrated  by  Twelve  Plates  tastefully 
painted  in  Water-colours  and  Twenty-six  Woodcuts.  Post  8vo, 
cloth,  gilt  edges,  los.  5d. 

THE  ORNITHOLOGY  OF  SHAKESPEARE,  Critically  examined, 
Explained,  and  Illustrated.  By  J.  E.  Harting,  F.L.S.,  F.Z.S. 
With  Thirty-four  Wood  Engra^■ings,  8vo,  12s.  6d. 

BRITISH  POISONOUS  PLANTS.  Illustrated  by  John  E.  Sowerby. 
Described  by  Charles  Johnson,  Botanical  Lecturer  at  Guy’s 
Hospital,  and  C.  Pierpoint  Johnson.  Second  Edition,  containing 
the  principal  Poisonous  Fungi.  Post  8vo,  wfith  32  Coloured  Plates, 
gs.  6d.  

GURNEY  AND  JACKSON,  1,  PATERNOSTER  ROW 

(Successors  to  Mr.  Van  Voorst). 


/o/tn  Bah  and  Sons^  Printers^  87-89,  Gt.  Tifch  fteld  Stircf^  Lendon,  /f  . 


August,  1893. 


No.  44.  VoL.  IV. 


CklSORNe 

g^ocieTYS 


PRICE  TWOPENCE. 


appeal  to 

Members  of  the  Selborne  Society. 

There  being  a debt  of  fyo 
owing  to  the  Treasurer,  as  shown 
by  the  account  appearing  in  the 
June  mtmber  of  Nature  Notes, 
I have  been  requested  by  the  Co^ln- 
cil  to  appeal  to  all  members  of  the 
Selbonie  Society  to  send  special 
donations,  varying  from  is.  to  fi, 
to  the  Secretary,  A.  J.  Western, 
Esq.,  9,  Adam  Street,  Adelphi, 
W.C.,  so  that  it  may  be  cleared 
off.  1 have  sent  him  ffi  7nyself^ 
and  have  no  doiibt  that  this  appeal 
will  meet  zvith  a generous  response. 
We  shall  then  not  have  to  ask  our 
present  members  to  increase  their 
a^inual  subscriptions. 

ALFRED  T.  CRAIG. 


26,  Theobald's  Road, 

Gray  s Inn. 
July,  iSgy. 


Crown  16mo,  75pp.,  in  Crimson  Cloth,  Price  One  Shilling; 

free  by  post  13d. 


Service  of  the  Sanctuary 

Compiled  by  a Clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England. 

CONTAINING — 

The  Mass  [Sarum  Rite],  Vespers,  Benediction  and  Compline  or  Night  Prayers. 


JOHN  BALE  & SONS, 

87-89,  Great  Titchfield  Street,  Oxford  Street,  London,  W. 


AGENT  FOR 

“Nature  Notes.” 
“University  Exten- 
sion Journal.” 

“ Ophthalmic  Review.” 
“Church  Missionary 
Intelligencer.” 
“Life  and  Work.” 
“Church  of  Scotland 
Mission  Record.” 
“Morning  Rays.” 

“ Free  Church 
Monthly.” 

“ Youth.” 

“ United  Presbyterian 
Missionary  Record.” 


J.  I.  BAXTER, 

acrerttsing  agent, 

29,  Paternoster  Square,  E.C. 

Advertisements  inserted  in 
“NATURE  NOTES,”  and  generally  in 
magazines  and  Newspapers. 


THE  PRACTICAL  CABINET  MAKER. 

J.  T.  CROCKETT, 

MAKER  OF  EVERY  DESCRIPTION  OF 

ENTOMOLOGICAL  CABINETS  AND  APPARATUS. 

Store  and  Book  Boxes  fitted  with  Camphor  Cells.  Setting  Boards^  Oval  or  Flat,  etc.  Cabinets  0/  cvoy 

description  kept  in  Stock, 

SPECIAL  INSECT  CABINETS, 

With  Drawers  fitted  with  Glass  Tops  and  Bottoms,  to  show  upper  and  under  side  without  removing  insects. 

STORE  BOXES  SPECIALLY  MADE  FOR  CONTINENTAL  SETTING,  HIGHLY  RECOMMENDED  FOR  BEETLES. 

All  best  wo7'k.  Lowest  possible  terms  for  cash.  Prices  on  application.  Estimates  given.  The  trade  supplied. 

Established  since  1847. 

Show  Rooms— 7a,  PRINCES  STREET,  CAVENDISH  SQUARE,  W. 

(Seven  doors  from  Oxford  Circus). 

Factories-34,  riding  HOUSE  STREET  and  OGLE  STREET,  W. 

The  Largest  Stock  of  Cabinets  and  Boxes  to  select  from. 


JOHNSTON’S 

CORN  FLOUR. 

“Is  decidedly  superior.” — The  Lancet. 

The  Best  Quality  is  supplied  in  Family  Tins,  i-lb.  and  3-lbs.;  also 
Packets  2,  4,  8 and  i6-ozs. 


NOW  READY  AT  ALL  BOOKSELT  I'kS  AND  BOOKSTALLS. 

Price  ONE  SHILLINO,  by  post  1/2. 

THE  AGE  OF  DI^IGUREMENT, 

Practical  Proposals  for  Checking  the  Abuses  of  Public 

Advertising. 

REMINGTON  & Co.,  Ltd.,  London  & Sydney. 


JOHN  BALE  & SONS 

General  Printers  and  Publishers. 


✓js. 


INCLUSIVE  ESTIMATES 


GIVEN  WHERE  DESIRED,  FOR 


SPECIMENS  SUBMITTED. 


WORKS  ILLUSTRATED  BY 


W00D  Ej\01^^YI]SI6,  P1^0CE^^  BL0CK3, 

LlTfl0GP^PFIC  Ph‘/lTEg  0^  C01iIi0JFYPE5. 

Very  satisfactory  results  in  Illustrating  can  now  be  given  by  Process  blocks, 
which  can  be  produced  from  either  Outline  Diagrams,  finished  Pen  and  Ink 
Sketches,  Pencil  Sketches,  Photographs,  or  Wash  Drawings,  and  can  be  reduced 
to  any  size  required. 

o 


PRINTERS 


Brain. 

British  Gynaecological  Journal. 
Celebrities  of  the  Day. 
Church.man’s  Magazine. 
Englishwoman’s  Review. 

Journal  of  the  British  Dental 
AssocLvriON. 

Library. 


O F : 

Ophthalmic  Review. 

Odontological  Society’s  Transac- 
tions. 

Nature  Notes. 

Nurses’  Journal. 

Rational  Dress  Society's  Gazette. 
Sheffield  Medical  Journal. 

&c.,  &c. 


Typing  of  Balance  Sheets  and  Tables,  Legal  and  General 
Copying,  Medical  and  Scientific  MS.,  Prompt  Books, 

. and  Actors’  Parts  at  reasonable  rates. 


TKANSLATIONS  UNDERTAKEN  IN  ANY  LANGUAGE,  AND 
TYPE -WRITTEN  COPIES  SUPPLIED. 


John  Bale  and  Sons.  Printers,  87-89,  Ct.  TUchf.e'd  Street,  London,  If. 


«io.  45. 


September,  1893. 


>Ckl50RNe 

.ocieTYS 

.RGH’ZiNC 


Edited  by 

JAMES  BRITTEN,  F.LS. 


CONTENTS. 


161 


162 

164 

167 


170 


172 


173 


RELICS  OF  THE  WHITE  FAMILY 
By  the  Earl  of  Stamford. 

THE  LEGISLATIVE  PROTECTION  OF  WILD 

BIRDS’  EGGS 

By  C.  T.  Vachell,  M.D. 

WILD  LIFE  IN  TASMANIA  

By  H.  S.  Dove,  F.Z.S. 

QUEER  STRAWBERRIES 

By  Maxwell  T.  Masters,  M.D.,  F.R.S. 

A GRUESOME  BARGAIN 

By  John  Allen. 

THE  PROPOSED  WHITE  MEMORIAL 
By  William  White,  F.S.A. 

CANARIES  AND  CAGES 

By  Edith  Carrington. 

THE  AGE  OF  DISFIGUREMENT  ..  c 

SHORT  NOTICES  OF  BOOKS 

SELBORNIANA 

Starving  Tortoises. 

The  Abuses  of  Advertising. 

Gilbert  White’s  House. 

A Plea  for  the  Goldfinch. 

Extermination  of  Butcher’s  Broom. 

Gilbert  White’s  Sermon. 

Clapton  (Lower  Lea  Valley)  Branch. 

NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES 
The  Kingfisher. 

Pear  Tree  blossoming  in  August. 

Earwigs. 

&c.,  &c. 

OFFICIAL  NOTICES i8o 

TO  CORRESPONDENTS  i8o 


179 


Xon&on : 

JOHN  BALE  & SONS, 

87-89,  Great  Titchfif.ld  Street,  W. 
Ci7y  Agent: — 

J.  I.  BAXTER, 

29,  Paternoster  Square,  E.C. 


PRICE  TWOPENCE. 


If  3TOU  do  not  £tlx*e£i>dy^  possess 


EVERYBODY’S 

BOOK  OF  JOKES  

SCRAP  BOOK  OF  CURIOUS  FACTS 

BOOK  OF  SHORT  POEMS  

BOOK  OF  CORRECT  CONDUCT  

GUIDE  TO  MUSIC.  Just  Out 

BOOK  OF  PROVERBS  

BOOK  OF  OUTDOOR  GAMES 

BOOK  OF  INDOOR  GAMES  

BOOK  OF  EPITAPHS  

PIRATED  POEMS 

SPARKS  FROM  A FLINT  

BOOK  OF  IRISH  WIT  AND  HUMOUR  

BOOK  OF  ENGLISH  WIT  AND  HUMOUR 

BOOK  OF  SCOTCH  WIT  AND  HUMOUR  


SOLD, 

125,000 

75.000 

50.000 

25.000 

25.000 

50.000 

35.000 

30.000 

25.000 

20.000 
10,000 
50,000 
50,000 
50,000 


{The  three  last  ca?i  be  obtained  in  i voL,  price  2/6,  Leather'). 


YOU  SHOULD  GET  THEM  AT  ONCE! 


These  Books  are  uniform  with 

POCKET  CYCLOP/EDIA, 

Of  which  600,000  copies  have  been  sold. 

THE  CHEAPEST  \ BEST  BOOKS  IN  THE  MARKET. 

Cloth,  6d.  Leather,  Is. 

If  you  think  these  Books  to  be  worth  their  money  and  all  we  claim 
for  them,  please  recommend  them  to  your  friends. 


To  be  obtained  of  all  Booksellers,  or  post  free  from  the 

Publishers, 

SAXON  & CO., 

23,  BOUVERIE  STREET,  LONDON,  E.C. 


Crown  16mo,  75pp.,  in  Crimson  Cloth,  Price  One  Shilling; 

free  by  post  13d. 


'I*  HE 

Service  of  the  Sanctuary 

Compiled  by  a Clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England, 

CONTAINING — 

The  Mass  [Sarum  Rite],  Vespers,  Benediction  and  Compline  or  Night  Prayers. 


JOHN  BALE  & SONS, 

87-89,  Great  Titchfield  Street,  Oxford  Street,  London,  \V. 


AGENT  FOR 

“Nature  Notes.” 
“University  Exten- 
sion Journal.” 

“ Ophthalmic  Review.” 
“Church  Missionary 
Intelligencer.” 
“Life  and  Work.” 

“ Church  of  Scotland 
Mission  Record.” 
“Morning  Rays.” 
“Free  Church 
Monthly.” 

“ Youth.” 

“United  Presbyterian 
Missionary  Record.” 


J.  L BAXTER, 

abvertising  agent, 

29,  Paternoster  Square,  E.C. 

Advertisements  inserted  in 
“NATURE  NOTES,”  and  generally  in 
magazines  and  Newspapers. 


THE  PRACTICAL  CABINET  MAKER. 

J.  T.  CROCKETT, 

MAKER  OF  EVERY  DESCRIPTION  OF 

ENTOMOLOGICAL  CABINETS  AND  APPARATUS. 

Store  and  Book  Boxes  fitted  with  Camphor  Cells.  Setting  Boards,  Oval  or  Flat,  etc.  Cabinets  of  every 

description  kept  in  Stock. 

SPECIAL  INSECT  CABINETS, 

With  Drawers  fitted  with  Glass  Tops  and  Bottoms,  to  show  upper  and  under  side  without  removing  insects. 

STORE  BOXES  SPECIALLY  MADE  FOR  CONTINENTAL  SETTING,  HIGHLY  RECOMMENDED  FOR  BEETLES. 

A ll  best  work.  Lowest  possible  terms for  cash.  Prices  on  application.  Estimates  given.  The  trade  supplied. 

Established  since  1847. 

Show  Rooms— 7a,  PRINCES  STREET,  CAVENDISH  SQUARE,  W. 

(Seven  doors  from  Oxford  Circus). 

Factories-34,  riding  HOUSE  STREET  and  OGLE  STREET,  W. 

The  Largest  Stock  of  Cabinets  and  Boxes  to  select  from. 


JOHNSTON’S 

CORN  FLOUR. 

“Is  decidedly  superior.” — The  Laiicet. 

The  Best  Quality  is  supplied  in  Family  Tins,  i-lb.  and  3-lbs.;  also 
Packets  2,  4,  8 and  i6-ozs. 


Now  Ready.  44pp.  Crown  8vo.  One  Shilling.  Post  Free,  13d. 


A SPLENDID  LIE, 

H 1Re\v  ant)  ©noinal  H)rama 

IN  FIVE  ACTS, 

By  LOUISA  BIGG. 


lonDon : 

JOHN  BALE  & SONS,  87-89,  Great  TitcMeld  Street,  Oxford  Street,  W. 

JOHN  BALE  & SONS, 

General  Printers  and  Publishers. 


✓jnT  Vjs*  ✓jN* 


INCLUSIVE  ESTIMATES 


GIVEN  WHERE  DESIRED,  FOR 

Kllustrating,  printing,  finding  & f itblisliiiig. 

SPECIMENS  SUBMITTED. 

WORKS  ILLUSTRATED  BY 

V/00D  RfiGR^Vlfia,  PR0CEgg  Bl!0CKg, 

IiITH0GRHPHIC  PIiTITEg  0R  C01iIi0T¥PES. 

V'ery  satisfactory  results  in  Illustrating  can  now  be  given  by  Process  blocks, 
which  can  be  produced  from  either  Outline  Diagrams,  finished  Pen  and  Ink 
Sketches,  Pencil  Sketches,  Photographs,  or  Wash  Drawings,  and  can  be  reduced 
to  any  size  required. 

o 


PRINTERS 


Brain. 

British  GyN/ecological  Journal. 
Celebrities  of  the  Day. 
Churchman’s  Magazine. 
Englishwo.man’s  Review. 

Journal  of  the  British  Dental 
Association. 

Library. 


O F : 

Ophthalmic  Reviem'. 

Odontologic.al  Society’s  Transac- 
tions. 

Nature  Notes. 

Nurses’  Journal. 

Rational  Dress  Society’s  Gazette. 
Sheffield  Medical  Journal. 

&c.,  &c. 


Typing  of  Balance  Sheets  and  Tables,  Legal  and  General 
Copying,  Medical  and  Scientific  MS.,  Prompt  Books, 
and  Actors’  Parts  at  reasonable  rates. 


TRANSLATIONS  UNDERTAKEN  IN  ANY  LANGUAGE,  AND 
TYPE-WRITTEN  COPIES  SUPPLIED. 


/ff/in  Balt  and  Sons,  Printers,  87-89,  Gt.  Titckfield  Street,  London,  If. 


October,  1893. 


No.  46.  VoL.  IV. 


lekisoRNe 
,ocieTY3 

,5iG?i’2iNe 


Edited  by 

J/IJifES  BRITTEN.  F.L.S. 


CONTENTS. 


A SELBORNIAN  IN  THE  DIALS  ..  ..  i8i 

By  Fred.  W.  Ashley. 

BRITISH  WILD  FLOWERS  IN  NEWZEALAND  183 
By  H.  Guthrie  Smith. 

A SUGGESTION  ..  1S6 

By  Miss  Letitia  M.  Dixon. 

IN  THE  COUNTRY  OF  GILBERT  WHITE  ..  187 

By  V.  G.  P. 

A GUIDE  TO  BRITISH  FUNGI :S3 

By  George  Murray,  F.R.S.Ed. 

A VETERAN  SELBORNIAN 
By  W.  G.  Wheatcroft. 

FOUR  BOOKS  OF  VERSE 

SELBORNIANA 

James  Russell  Lowell  on  Selborne. 

“ Timothy.” 

Gilbert  White’s  House. 

Good  News  from  Russia. 

NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES  198 
Bird  Tapping  at  Window. 

Leaf-cutter  Bee. 

Dog  and  Kittens. 

A September  Horse-chestnut. 

The  Dogwood. 

Butterflies  and  Moths. 

Note  on  Aphides. 

Extraordinary  Behaviour  of  a Cat. 

Poisoning  of  Birds. 

OFFICIAL  NOTICE 200 

TO  CORRESPONDENl  S 200 

Xon&on : 

JOHN  BALE  & SONS, 

87-89,  Great  Titchfield  Streef,  W. 

City  Agent; — 

J.  I.  BAXTER, 

29,  Paternoster  Square,  E.C. 


PRICE  TWOPENCE. 


In  a few  days,  with  546  Illustrations,  including  16  Coloured  Plates. 
Crown  8yo,  7s.  6d.,  gilt  edges. 


THE  Outdoor  world 

OR,  THE  YOUNG  COLLECTOR’S  HANDBOOK. 

By  W.  FURNEAUX,  F.R.G.S. 


Part  I.— ANIMAL  LIFE. 


CHAP. 

I.  Ponds  and  Streams. 

II.  Insects  and  Insect  Hunting. 

III.  The  Sea-shore. 

IV.  Snails  and  Slugs. 

V.  Spiders,  Centipedes  and 
Millepedes. 


CHAP. 

VI.  Reptiles  and  Reptile  Hunt- 
ing. 

VII.  British  Birds. 

VII I.  British  Mammals. 


Part  II.— THE  VEGETABLE  WORLD. 


CHAP. 

IX.  Sea-weeds. 
X.  Fungi. 

XI.  Mosses. 
XII.  Ferns. 


XII I.  Wild  Flowers. 

XIV.  Grasses. 

XV.  Our  Forest  Trees. 


Part  HI.— THE  MINERAL  WORLD. 
Chap.  XVI.  Minerals  and  Fossils. 


Z.ondon:  LONGIVIANS,  GREEN  & Co. 

Crown  16mo,  75pp.,  in  Crimson  Cloth,  Price  One  Shilling; 

free  by  post  13d. 

THE 

Service  of  the  Sanctuary 

Compiled  by  a Clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England. 

CONTAINING — 

The  Mass  [Sarum  Rite],  Yespers,  Benediction  and  Compline  or  Night  Prayers. 


JOHN  BALE  & SONS, 

87-89,  Great  Titchfield  Street,  Oxford  Street,  London,  \V. 


THE  PRACTICAL  CABINET  MAKER. 

J.  T.  CROCKETT, 

MAKER  OF  EVERY  DESCRIPTION  OF 

ENTOMOLOG-ICAL  CABINETS  AND  APPARATUS. 

Sio?e  and  Book  Boxes  fitted  with  Camphor  Celts.  Setting  Boards^  Oval  or  Flat  ^ etc.  Cabinets  of  every 

description  kept  in  Stock. 

SPECIAL  INSECT  CABINETS, 

With  Drawers  fitted  with  Glass  Tops  and  Bottoms,  to  show  upper  and  under  side  without  removing  insects. 

STORE  BOXES  SPECIALLY  MADE  FOR  CONTINENTAL  SETTING,  HIGHLY  RECOMMENDED  FOR  BEETLES. 

Allbest  zvork.  Lowest  possible  terms/or  cash.  Prices  on  application.  Estimates  given.  The  trade  supplied. 

Established  since  1847- 

Show  Rooms— 7a,  PRINCES  STREET,  CAVENDISH  SQUARE,  W. 

(Seven  doors  from  Oxford  Circus). 

Factories-3^,  riding  HOUSE  STREET  and  OGLE  STREET,  W. 

The  Largest  Stock  of  Cabinets  and  Boxes  to  select  from. 


JOHN  BALE  & SONS, 

General  Printers  and  P^iblishers 

✓jN*  ■ 

INCLUSIVE  ESTIMATES 

GIVEN  WHERE  DESIRED,  FOR 

JlIitstrattiiK,  f rinting,  ^tiding  it  f uWisliing. 

SPECIMENS  SUBMI  T,T  E D . 

WORKS  ILLUSTRATED  BY 

W00D  ENG^/IVIN6,  P1^0CEg3  BE0CKg, 

EITfI0GR^PpiC  m C0EE01YPE3. 

Very  satisfactory  results  in  Illustrating  can  now  be  given  by  Process  blocks, 
which  can  be  produced  from  either  Outline  Diagrams,  finished  Pen  and  Ink 
Sketches,  Pencil  Sketches,  Photographs,  or  Wash  Drawings,  and  can  be  reduced 
to  any  size  required. 


PRINTERS 


Brain. 

British  Gynecological  Journal. 
Celebrities  of  the  Day. 
Churchman’s  Magazine. 
Englishwo.man’s  Review. 

Journal  of  the  British  Dental 
Association. 

Library. 


O F : 

Ophthalmic  Review. 

Odontological  Society’s  Transac- 
tions. 

Nature  Notes. 

Nurses’  Journal. 

Rational  Dress  Society’s  Gazette. 
Sheffield  Medical  Journal. 

&c.,  &c. 


Typing  of  Balance  Sheets  and  Tables,  Legal  and  General 
Copying,  Medical  and  Scientific  MS.,  Prompt  Books, 
and  Actors’  Parts  at  reasonable  rates. 


TRANSLATIONS  UNDERTAKEN  IN  ANY  LANGUAGE,  AND 
TYPE-WRITTEN  COPIES  SUPPLIED. 


JOHNSTON’S 

CORN  FLOUR. 

“ Is  decidedly  superior.” — The  Lancet. 

The  Best  Quality  is  supplied  in  Family  Tins,  i-lb.  and  3-lbs.;  also 
Packets  2,  4,  8 and  i6-ozs. 


The  nature  lover 


And  Literary  Review. 

Edited  toy  H.  DXJRRANT, 


This  Magazine  aims  at  traversing  in  part  the  field  of  Nature,  pure  and  simple, 
and  as  companion,  and  not  supplanter,  of  its  more  exclusively  scientific  contem- 
poraries. Especial  attention  will  be  devoted  to  reviews  of  kindred  literature,  while  a 
series  of  Nature  Classics  will  also  be  given,  including  Gilbert  White,  Jefferies. 
Thoreau,  &c.  The  magazine  will  be  printed  in  the  best  style  on  finest  toned  paper. 

The  Contents  of  No.  i will  be  as  follows  : “ Izaak  Walton”  ; “Sketches  of  a 
Voyage  to  Nova  Scotia”  : No  i — “ From  the  Old  to  the  New”  ; “ In  a Fir  Wood” ; 
“Sweet  Violets”;  “Shakespeare’s  Wild  Flowers”;  “Grace  as  distinguished  in 
Trees”;  “When  the  Leaves  Fall”;  “Timber”;  “To  the  Nightingale” 

Reviews,  Correspondence,  &c.  There  will  also  be  a corner  devoted  to  literary 
competitions,  with  prizes,  of  which  particulars  will  be  given. 

Published  quarterly.  No.  i ready  September  25th,  1893,  price  One  Shilling; 
post  free,  is.  id.  Annual  Subscription,  including  postage,  Four  Shillings.  All 
business  communications,  advertisements,  or  subscriptions,  should  be  sent  to 
H.  K.  SWANN,  369,  Euston  Road,  London,  N.W. 

The  N ATURE  Lover  may  be  ordered  through  any  Bookseller  or  Newsagent  in  the 

U?iited  Kingdom. 


London:  ELIOT  STOCK,  62,  PATERNOSTER  ROW,  E.C. 
Now  Ready.  44pp.  Crown  8vo.  One  Shilling.  Post  Free,  13d. 


A SPLENDID  LIE, 

a IRcw  anC>  ©nainal  H)rama 

IN  FIVE  ACTS, 

By  LOUISA  BIGG. 


lonjton : 

JOHN  BALE  & SONS,  87-89,  Great  TitcMeld  Street,  Oxford  Street,  W. 


AGENT  FOR 

“Nature  Notes.” 
“University  Exten- 
sion Journal.” 

“ Ophthalmic  Review.” 
“Church  Missionary 
Intelligencer.” 
“Life  and  Work.” 

“ Church  of  Scotland 
Mission  Record.” 
“Morning  Rays.” 
“Free  Church 
Monthly.” 

“ Youth.” 

“United  Presbyterian 
Missionary  Record.” 


J.  L BAXTER, 

abvertising  agent, 

29,  Paternoster  Square,  E.C. 

Advertisements  inserted  in 
“NATURE  NOTES,”  and  generally  in 
magazines  and  Newspapers. 


John  Bale  and  Sons i Printers^  87-89,  Gt.  Titch/ield  Street^  London^  IV. 


No.  47.  VoL.  IV. 


November,  1893. 


iCklSORNe 
.OciCTYS 

.BGH’ZiNC 


«'  CONTENTS. 

- PAGE 

NOTES  ON  A NUTHATCH 2or 

By  Mrs.  Downing. 

THOMAS  BARKER’S  NOTE  BOOKS  ..  ..203 

By  the  Ven.  Archdeacon  Gilbert  White. 

A COUPLE  OF  SPIDERS 206 

By  the  Rev.  F.  C.  Kolbe,  D.D. 

SOME  BIRD  B(;OKS 209 

By  W.  Warde  Fowler,  M.A. 

GILBERT  WHITE’S  SELBORNE  PLANTS  ..  210 
By  James  Britten,  F.L.S. 

FEATHERED  WOMEN  212 

By  W.  H.  Hudson,  F.Z.S. 

SHORT  NOTICES  OF  BOOKS  214 

SELBORNIANA 215 

Canaries  and  Cages. 

British  Wild  Birds  at  Shows. 

The  Hilly  Fields,  Brockley. 

NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES  216 
Extraordinary  Behaviour  of  a Cat. 

English  Wild  Flowers  in  Japan. 

A Young  Martin. 

An  Ingenious  Rabbit. 

Bird  Queries. 

Cat  Killing  a Squirrel. 

Butterflies  and  Moths. 

A Monster  Minnow. 

Red  Admirals. 

Swallows. 

A Friendly  Robin. 

&c.,  &c. 

OFFICIAL  NOTICE 220 

TO  CORRESPONDENTS  220 


Xon&on ; 

JOHN  BALE  & SONS, 

87-89,  Great  Titchfield  Street,  W. 

City  Agent: — 

J.  I.  BAXTER, 

29,  Paternoster  Square,  E.C. 


Edited  by 

JkMEB  BRITTEN,  F.LS. 


PRICE  TWOPENCE. 


If  you  do  not  £Lli?eudy  possess 

EVERYBODYS 


SOLD. 

Book  of  Jokes  125,000 

Scrap  Book  of  Curious  Facts  75,000 

Book  of  Short  Poems  50,000 

Book  of  Correct  Conduct  25,000 

Guide  to  Music.  Just  out  50,000 

Book  of  Proverbs 50,000 

Book  of  Outdoor  Games  35,000 

Book  of  Indoor  Games 30,000 

Book  of  Epitaphs 25,000 

Pirated  Poems  20,000 

Sparks  from  a Flint  10,000 

Book  of  Irish  Wit  and  Humour  50,000 

Book  of  English  Wit  and  Humour  50,000 

Book  of  Scotch  Wit  and  Humour 50,000 

Acting  Charades.  First  Edition 25,000 

Letter  Writer.  „ „ 50,000 


YOU  SHOULD  GET  THEM  AT  ONCE! 


These  Books  are  uniform  with 

POCKET  CYCLOP/EDIA, 

Of  which  600,000  copies  have  been  sold. 


THE  CHEAPEST  I BEST  BOOKS  IN  THE  MARKET. 


Cloth,  6d.  Leather,  Is. 


A Book  that  is  INDISPENSABLE  to  all  who  write. 

THE  WRITING  DESK  BOOK. 

320  pp.,  Blue  Cloth,  IS. 

Answers  all  Questions  that  arise  while  writing. 

Contains  15,000  Synonyms  and  Antonyms.  Forms  of  Address  in  three  Languages. 


If  you  think  these  Books  to  be  worth  their  money  and  all  we  claim  for 
them,  please  recommend  them  to  your  friends. 


'1 0 be  obtained  of  all  Booksellers,  or  post  free  from  the  Publishers, 

SAXON  & CO., 

23,  BOUVERIE  STREET,  LONDON,  E.C. 


THE  PRACTICAL  CABINET  MAKER. 

J.  T.  CROCKETT, 

MAKER  OF  EVERY  DESCRIPTION  OF 

ENTOMOLOGICAL  CABINETS  AND  APPARATUS. 

Store  and  Book  Boxes  fitted  with  Camphor  Cells.  Setting  Boards,  Oval  or  Flat,  etc.  Cabinets  q,  every 

description  kept  in  Stock. 

SPECIAL  INSECT  CABINETS, 

With  Drawers  filled  with  Glass  Tops  and  Bottoms,  to  show  upper  and  under  side  without  removing  insects. 

STORE  BOXES  SPECIALLY  MADE  FOR  CONTINENTAL  SETTING,  HIGHLY  RECOMMENDED  FOR  BEETLES. 

Allbest  work.  Lowest  possible  terms  for  cash.  Prices  on  application.  Estimates  given.  The  trade  stipplied. 

Established  since  1847. 

Show  Rooms-7a,  PRINCES  STREET,  CAVENDISH  SQUARE,  W. 

(Seven  doors  from  Oxford  Circus). 

Factories-34,  riding  HOUSE  STREET  and  OGLE  STREET,  W. 

The  Largest  Stock  of  Cabinets  and  Boxes  to  select  from. 


JOHN  BALE  & SONS, 

General  Printers  and  Publishers. 


INCLUSIVE  ESTIMATES 


GIVEN  WHERE  UESIRED,  FOR 


Jlliistratinii,  flrinting,  |liudi«f!  il'  f iiblisliiitfl. 


SPECIMENS  SUBMITTED. 

WORKS  ILLUSTRATED  BY 


WOOD  ENGRAVING,  PROCESS  BLOCKS,  LITHOGRAPHIC  PLATES  OR  COLLOTYPES. 


Very  satisfactory  results  in  Illustrating  can  now  be  given  by  Process  blocks, 
which  can  be  produced  from  either  Outline  Diagrams,  finished  Pen  and  Ink 
Sketches,  Pencil  Sketches,  Photographs,  or  Wash  Drawings,  and  can  be  reduced 


to  any  size  required. 

PRINT 

Brain. 

British  Gyna;cological  Journal. 
Celebrities  of  the  Day. 

Churchman’s  Magazine. 
Englishwoman’s  Review. 

Journal  of  the  British  Dental 
Association. 

Library. 


E R S OF: 

Ophthalmic  Review. 

OUONTOLOGICAL  SOCIETY’S  TRANSAC- 
TIONS. 

Nature  Notes. 

Nurses’  Journal. 

Rational  Dress  Society’s  Gazette. 
Sheffield  Medical  Journal. 

&c.,  &c. 


Typing  of  Balance  Sheets  and  Tables,  Legal  and  General 
Copying,  Medical  and  Scientific  MS.,  Prompt  Books, 
and  Actors’  Parts  at  reasonable  rates. 


TEANSLATIONS  UNDERTAKEN  IN  ANY  LANGUAGE,  AND 
TYPE-WRITTEN  COPIES  SUPPLIED. 


JOHNSTON’S 

CORN  FLOUR. 

“ Is  decidedly  superior.” — The  Lancet. 

The  Best  Quality  is  supplied  in  Family  Tins,  i-lb.  and  3-lbs.;  also 
Packets  2,  4,  8 and  i6-ozs. 


NO  BETTER  PRESENT +-s- 


FOR 

CHRISTMAS  OR  THE  NEW  YEAR 

CAN  BE  GIVEN  THAN 

Ube  IDolume  of  IRature  IRotes 

FOR  1893. 

It  is  a most  suitable  Book  as 

A PRIZE  FOR  DAY  AND  SUNDAY  SCHOOLS. 


There  are  only  a limited  number  to  he  obtained.  Orders  should  therefore  be 

given  at  once. 

Price,  cloth,  gilt  lettered,  3/-.  Post  free,  3/5. 

Top  edge  gilt,  7d.  extra. 


JOHN  BALE  <&  SONS, 

Publishers, 

87-89,  GREAT  TITCHFIELD  STREET,  OXFORD  STREET,  W. 


THE  NATURE  LOVER 


A?id  Literary  Review. 

Edited  toy  H.  OXJRRANT. 


This  Magazine  aims  at  traversing  in  part  the  field  of  Nature,  pure  and  simple, 
and  as  companion,  and  not  supplanter,  of  its  more  exclusively  scientific  contem- 
poraries. Especial  attention  will  be  devoted  to  reviews  of  kindred  literature,  while  a 
series  of  Nature  Classics  will  also  be  given,  including  Gilbert  White,  Jefferies, 
Thoreau,  &c.  The  magazine  will  be  printed  in  the  best  style  on  finest  toned  paper. 

The  Contents  of  No.  i is  as  follows:  “ Izaak  Walton”;  “Sketches  of  a 
\'oyage  to  Nova  Scotia”:  No  i— “From  the  Old  to  the  New”  ; “ In  a Fir  Wood”; 
“Sweet  Violets”;  “Shakespeare’s  Wild  Flowers”;  “Grace  as  distinguished  in 
Trees”;  “ When  the  Leaves  Fall”;  “Timber”;  “To  the  Nightingale” 

Reviews,  Correspondence,  &c.  There  is  also  a corner  devoted  to  literary 
competitions,  with  prizes,  of  which  particulars  will  be  given. 

Published  quarterly.  No.  i ready  September  25th,  1893,  price  One  Shilling; 
post  free,  is.  id.  Annual  Subscription,  including  postage.  Four  Shillings.  All 
business  communications,  advertisements,  or  subscriptions,  should  be  sent  to 
H.  K.  SWAXX,  369,  Euston  Road,  London,  N.W. 

The  Nature  Lover  may  be  ordered  tJu'ough  any  Bookseller  or  Newsagent  In  the 

United  Kingdom. 


London:  ELLIOT  STOCK,  62,  PATERNOSTER  ROW,  E.C. 


John  Bah  and  Sons,  Printers,  87-89,  Ct.  Titchfield  Street,  London,  H’, 


December,  1893. 


CkBORNe 

g^ocieTYS 

BGH’Z.iNC 


CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

A CHRISTMAS  GREETING  221 

By  Edmund  J.  Baillie,  F.L.S. 

WITH  THE  BIRDS 222 

By  Helen  J.  Ormerod. 

MY  FEATHERED  LADY 225 

By  the  Rev.  Canon  Rawnsley. 

SQUIRRELS  WON  BY  KINDNESS  ..  ..  227 

By  Mrs.  Brightwen. 

NOTES  FROM  A FLORIDA  DIARY  ..  ..  228 

By  VV.  M.  E.  Fowler. 

POEMS  AND  ORCHARD  SONGS  ..  ..231 

OLD-WORLD  LORE 233 

SOME  CHRISTMAS  BOOKS  236 

PICTURES  FOR  SCHOOLS  238 

PESTS  OF  THE  HOUSEHOLD 239 

SELBORNIANA 240 

A Royal  Example. 

National  Trust. 

Caged  Canaries. 

Are  Women  entirely  to  Blame? 

NATURAL  HISTORY  NOTES  AND  QUERIES  242 
Nuthatches. 

Late  Flowers  at  Hindhead. 

Water-rats. 

A I’urkey  Dance. 

A Friendly  Landrail. 

Dogs  Communicating. 

Climate  and  Trees. 

OFFICIAL  NOTICE 244 

TO  CORRESPONDENTS  244 

TITLE  AND  INDEX  FOR  1893. 


Xon&on : 

JOHN  BALE  & SONS, 

87-89,  Great  TncHFiELD  Street,  W. 

City  Agent: — 

J.  I.  BAXTER, 

29,  Paternoster  Square,  E.C. 


a 


PRICE  TWOPENCE. 


Second  Edition.  Just  published,  demy  8yo,  cloth,  price  10/6. 


A MENDIP  VALLEY, 

BY 

THEODORE  COMPTON, 

WITH 

FIFTY  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY  EDWARD  THEODORE  COMPTON. 


CHAP. 

1.  The  Valley,  Brook  and  Springs. 

2.  The  Hills  and  Views  from  them. 

3.  Days  of  Yore,  Antiquities. 

4.  Monkish  Times,  Old  Crosses. 

5.  The  Village  Church. 

6.  The  Ancient  Yew  Tree. 

7.  The  Village. 

8.  'Vinscombe  Folk  and  Worthies. 

9.  The  Sidcot  Conjuror  and  Ghost. 

10.  The  Wild  Beasts,  Past  and  Present. 


CONTENTS. 

CHAP. 

11.  The  Birds  of  the  District. 

12.  The  Fish  and  Reptiles. 

13.  The  Butterflies  and  Flowers. 

14.  The  Rocks,  by  Prof.  Morgan, 

15.  Rich  and  Poor  Together. 

16.  Town  and  Country  Life. 

17.  Old  Shoes  and  Shoemakers. 

18.  Old  Coaches  in  their  Glory. 

19.  Sidcot  School  : Its  History. 

20.  Addenda  and  Notes. 


“The  beauty  of  the  illu.strations  and  the  affectionate  care  bestowed  by  the  author  should  secure  for  this 
volume  a popularity  at  least  equal  to  that  of  its  predecessor.” — Times. 

“ It  is  just  one  of  those  hooks  the  reading  of  a chapter  of  which  by  a jaded  city  man  would  act  like  an 
anodyne.  There  are  upwards  of  fifty  delightful  illustrations  of  wdiich  no  artist  could  speak  too  highly.  They 
are  simply  gems.” — Science  Gossip. 

“ A splendid  addition  to  the  annals  of  rural  England.” — Birmingham  Argus. 

“The  book  is  a delightful  one,  full  of  natural  history  notes  and  records  of  days  of  yore.” — The  Bristol 
Times  and  Mirror. 

" Pleasant  and  instructive  reading.” — Daily  Telegraph. 

London:  EDWARD  STANFORD,  26  & 27,  Cockspur  Street,  Charing  Cross,  S.W. 


NO  BETTER  PRESENT 

FOR 

CHRISTMAS  OR  THE  NEW  YEAR 

CAN  BE  GIVEN  THAN 

TIbe  Dolmne  of  IRatuie  IHlotes 

FOR  1803. 

It  is  a most  suitable  Book  as 

A PRIZE  FOR  DAY  AND  SUNDAY  SCHOOLS. 


There  are  cnly  a limited  nmnher  to  be  obtained.  Orders  should  therefore  be 

given  at  once. 

Price,  cloth,  gilt  lettered,  3/-.  Post  free,  3/5. 

Top  edge  gilt,  7d.  extra. 


JOHN  BALE  &,  SONS, 

Publishers, 

87-89,  GREAT  TITCHFIELD  STREET,  OXFORD  STREET, 


STANDARD  WORKS  ON  NATURAL 
HISTORY  FOR  SALE. 

English  Botany.  By  Sowerby  (E.  B.  2).  With  Figures  of  all  the  British  Plants,  partially 
colored,  7 vols,  large  8vo,  1852. 

Ferns,  British  and  Exotic.  By  E.  J.  Lowe.  Fully  colored  plates  of  each  species,  7 vols, 
1859  edition. 

British  Seaweeds.  Nature  printed,  fully  colored,  by  Johnson  & Croall,  4 vols,  large 
8vo,  1859. 

Herefordshire  Pomona.  Figures  of  all  the  known  varieties  of  Apples  and  Pears,  with 
exquisitely  hand-colored  plates  of  each.  First  edition  in  2 vols,  large  4to,  perfectly  new. 

Apply  to  A.  SEWELL,  Esq.,  Lauriston  House,  Grange  Rd.,  Ealing. 

THE  PRACTICAL  CABINET  MAKER. 

J.  T.  CROCKETT, 

MAKER  OF  EVERY  DESCRIPTION  OF 

ENTOMOLOGICAL  CABINETS  AND  APPARATUS. 

Store  and  Book  Boxes  fitted  with  Camphor  Cells.  Setting  Boards,  Oval  or  Flat,  etc.  Cabinets  of  every 

description  kept  in  Stock. 

SPECIAL  INSECT  CABINETS, 

With  Drawers  fitted  with  Glass  Tops  and  Bottoms,  to  show  upper  and  under  side  without  removing  insects. 

STORE  BOXES  SPECIALLY  MADE  FOR  CONTINENTAL  SETTING,  HIGHLY  RECOMMENDED  FOR  BEETLES. 

Allbestwork.  Lowest  possible  terms  for  cash.  Prices  on  application.  Estimates  given.  The  trade  supplied. 

Established  since  1847. 

Show  Rooms— 7a,  PRINCES  STREET,  CAVENDISH  SQUARE,  W. 

(Seven  doors  from  Oxford  Circus). 

Factories-34,  riding  HOUSE  STREET  and  OGLE  STREET,  W. 

The  Largest  Stock  of  Cabinets  and  Boxes  to  select  from. 

Crown  16mo,  75pp.,  in  Crimson  Cloth,  Price  One  Shilling 

free  by  post  13d. 


THE 


Service  of  the  Sanctuary 

Compiled  by  a Clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England. 

CONTAINING 

The  Mass  [Sarum  Rite],  Vespers,  Benediction  and  Compline  or  Night  Prayers. 


JOHN  BALE  & SONS, 

87-89,  Great  Titchfield  Street,  Oxford  Street,  London,  W. 


JOHNSTON’S 

CORN  FLOUR. 

“ Is  decidedly  superior.” — The  Lancet. 

The  Best  Quality  is  supplied  in  Family  Tins,  i-lb.  and  3-lbs.-  also 
Packets  2,  4,  8 and  i6-ozs. 


A SELBORNIAN  GIFT  BOOK. 


In  One  Volume,  750  pages  demy  8vo,  cloth,  ivith  367  fine  Woodcuts, 
and  3 Maps,  £1  Is. 


AMT 

Iffii strafed  Matmaf 


6 rifts fi  lairds 


HOWARD  SAUNDERS,  F.L.S.,  F.Z.S.,  &c. 

Editor  of  the  Third  and  Fourth  Volumes  of  the  Fourth  Edition  of 
“ Yarrell’s  History  of  British  Birds.” 


“ It  would  be  difficult  to  give  a better  condensation  of  facts  in  fewer  lines  than 
has  been  contrived  by  Mr.  Saunders  ....  We  have  only  to  add  that  the 
natural  history  loving  portion  of  the  British  public  ought  to  be  grateful  to  Mr. 
Saunders  for  having  placed  within  reach  at  a moderate  cost,  and  in  one  volume, 
such  a well-illustrated  and  accurately-written  account  of  our  native  birds.” — 
Zoologist. 

“ Perhaps  the  question  most  frequently  put  to  a zoologist  by  a lay  friend  is, 
‘ What  is  a really  good  book  on  British  Birds  that  is  not  too  expensive  ? ’ and  the 
question  has  been  one  that  has  been  found  extremely  difficult  to  answer.  Mr. 
Saunders  deserves  our  thanks  for  having  taken  this  difficulty  out  of  our  way.”  — 
Athenceum. 

“ Excellent  alike  in  style  and  matter,  it  ought  to  be  in  the  hands  of  every  lover 
of  birds,  and  should  take  the  place  of  several  inferior  books  on  the  subject  now 
before  the  public.” — Annals  of  Natural  History. 

“ It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  inform  those  who  are  acquainted  with  the  previous 
work  of  the  author,  that  the  information  is  not  only  valuable  from  its  correctness, 
but  that  it  is  brought  up  to  the  present  date. — Field. 


LONDON : 

GURNEY  & JACKSON,  1,  Paternoster  Rof 

(Successors  to  Mr.  Van  Voorst)- 

■A. 


Jehn  Bale  ami  Sons,  Printers,  87-89,  Gt.  Titchfield  Street,  London,  W. 


r 


•' ' ■ ( 


' ' i ' 


I