CORRESPONDENCE. 87 



ing a spring the outer window closes, and the Moth, if common, may be 

 allowed to escape by re-opening it, or, if rare, the inner window is opened, 

 and the Moth secured. 

 3-t. This is a kind of quiver for nets. 

 Glanville's Wootton, Dorsetshire, 

 Dec. 12, 1837. 



FLOWERING PLANTS FOR FEBRUARY. 

 By Mr. T. B. Hall. 



Common Snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis ; Henbit Dead-nettle, or Great Henbit, 

 Lamium amplexicaule. 



£Mr. Hall having favoured us with a list of the flowering plants for each 

 month in the year, we propose publishing a portion in each succeeding number, 

 inserting each list in the number of The Naturalist for the month to which the 

 plants relate, i. e. in which they flower. The catalogues will of course increase 

 in length till about the middle of the year, when they will gradually wane till 

 the return of Christmas again deprives the meadows and groves of the charms 

 of Flora.— Ed.] 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



Observations on the Bitterns. 

 To the Editor of The Naturalist. 



My dear Sir, — I have just been examining two Bitterns, in the stomach of 

 me of which I found two Dace, and in the other the remains of some other fish, 

 together with those of Coleopterous insects, among which I distinguished parts of 

 Geotrupus stercorarius ; and therefore these birds are more piscivorous than I 

 was aware of when writing my paper " On the Bitterns" (p. 72). I was also 

 wrong in asserting that the tame specimens in St. James's Park had become less 

 nocturnal having been deceived ^by their coming forth so readily at the call of 

 their feeder. On subsequent occasions, when I have been by myself on the 

 island, I could never find them, as they were doubtless sitting crouched among 

 the bushes. 



I may further observe, that the Spoonbills and Ibises, besides possessing the 



