NOTES 307 



or leaves of almost any plant. After a day or so the remains 

 should be removed. 



In this manner it is possible to follow very closely the 

 life -history and habits of most of the species of woodlice 

 found in this country, and especially the commoner ones, 

 such as Porcellio scaber, P. Icevis, P. pictus, Oniscus asellus, 

 Porcellionides pruinosus, Annadillidhnn vulgare, and others. 



NOTES. 



The Water-shre-w in Renfrewshire. — Additional and 

 earlier authority to that given by Mr John Robertson in the Scottish 

 Naturalist (p. 262) for the inclusion of this species as a Renfrew- 

 shire mammal may be found in the Neiv Statistical Account of 

 Scotland {\Z\^), where it is recorded as somewhat rare at Paisley 

 and very common at the Eaglesham reservoirs. Also there used to 

 be a specimen in Paisley Museum labelled $ from Gleniffer Braes, 

 17th December 1893. Barrett-Hamilton gives the species, which 

 he names Neomys fodie?is (Schreber), as "locally distributed all over 

 Great Britain . . . almost restricted to the mainland" {Hist, of 

 Brit. Mamtnals, ii., part 9, p. 132, 191 1). A very full and 

 informative account of its habits is also given by him (pp. 135-147). 

 — Hugh Boyd Watt, London. 



Birds and Oil. — During October 19 14 numbers of Guillemots 

 and Razorbills were found washed ashore dead and covered with 

 sticky, dark, oily matter on the South Norfolk and North Suffolk 

 coast. Mr Bristowe, of St Leonard's, tells me that on the Sussex 

 and Kent coasts numbers of Velvet and Common Scoters, one or 

 two Long-tail Ducks, and other birds came ashore in a similar plight 

 about January 19 15. — Claud B. Ticehurst, Lowestoft. 



Coloration of the Mouth in Young Hawfinches.— With 



reference to the note by Mr William Evans on this subject in last 

 month's issue of the Scottish Naturalist, I should like to point out 

 that in British Birds (mag.), vol. ii., 1908, p. 192, he will find a 

 full description by me of the mouth-coloration, etc., as well as the 

 down plumage in this species. — Claud B. Ticehurst, Lowestoft. 



[I am obliged to Dr Ticehurst for drawing my attention to his 

 record of the mouth-coloration of the nestling Hawfinch. His 

 description of the inside of the mouth, namely, violet-pink, would 



