54 The Irish Natiimlhi. March, 



Capillarity, on the other hand, incruabtb witli the decrease of size of 

 ]jarticles till -02 mm. is reached, but when the particles are finer than 

 this the rise of water is very slow, though eventually reaching a high 

 level in these fine soils. 



The effect of aspect on heating power is clearly shown by three 

 diagrams. The physical and chemical characters of the Ballyhaisc soils 

 have been carefully investigated by Mr. Hallissy, who is responsible for 

 the detailed account in Chapter VI. Nine soil types were established, 

 ranging from sand containing less than ten per cent, of -oi mm. -sized 

 particles in the fine-earths to clay which contains over fifty per cent. 

 The soil-types having been established, the boundaries of each type were 

 then distinguished in the field. In doing this, borings with a soil-auger were 

 made at intervals, whilst the Character of the vegetation, which varied 

 with the soils, was also an effective help. 



This memoir must be of considerable value to all those who are 

 anxious to cultivate their farms in accordance with scientific methods. 



I. Swain, 



NOTES, 



Contents of Pheasant's and Wood-pigeon's Crops. 



1 have recently examined tlie contents of the crops of a Pheasant and 



a Wood-pigeon, and it may not be uninteresting to readers of the lr\i>h 



Ndtiiralist to learn of what they consisted. The former bird was shot 



in Co. Tyrone in November last, and in its crop were found considerable 



quantities of the fleshy roots of the Lesser Celandiiu' (Ramincidiis Ficaria 



L.), together with large numbers of seeds of the Wild Hyacinth or Bluebell 



(Eiidymion non-scriptum Garcke). A few scraps of blackberry leaves, 



together with several seeds of two undetermined species of Carex and 



one seed of Potentilla reptans L. completed the list of contents of the 



crop of this bird. The Wood-pigeon was shot in Co. Cavan in December 



last, and its crop contained very large numliers of the seeds of Corn 



Spurrcy (Spcrgula arvensis L.) as well as sliort pieces of roots of a 



plant which I was not able to identify from anatomical characters. The 



l)ieces, however, were planted in a pot of soil in a warm greenhouse and 



all of them grew ami produced the leaves of Silverwced {Potentilla 



Anserina !>.). The crop contained two masses, each nearly the size of a 



walnut, of ground-up material resembling dry dough, in the outer layers 



of which the remains of the Spurrey seeds could be identified. It is 



quite eviiUnt that these seeds therefore w^ere being destroyed, and 



although the Wood-pigeon is frequently and probably rightly looked 



upon as the farmer's enemy, in this particular instance the bird was 



performing a distinctly friendly act l)y destroying the seeds of one noxious 



weed and the roots, stored with jiLiity of reserve material, of a second. 



Some of my friends inform me that the roots of Silverwecd arc not 



uncommonly eaten by children in the North of Ireland, where they are 



known as " mashie corn." 



G. H. Pethybkidge. 



Koyal College of Science, Dublin. 



