The Scottish Naturalist. 19 



not common ; conflua, rubi, and umbrosa, rare ; xanthographa y common ; 

 T. piuiperda* one specimen ; O. lota, not rare ; macilenta, rare ; A. litura, 

 swarming ; ruftna, rare ; C. vaccinii, not rare ; S. salellitia, several ; X. si~ 

 lago and cerago, rare ; ferruginea, swarming ; C. trapezina, rare ; M. oxyacan- 

 th<z, common ; A. aprilina, occasional ; P. meticulosa, common ; E. lucipara, 

 abundant ; A. occulta, two specimens ; H. adusta, occasional; glauca, rare ; 

 dentina and oleracea, common ; pisi, rare ; thalassina, C. vetusta, and exoleta, 

 occasional ; G. libatrix, rare ; A. tragopoginis, occasional ; M. typica, com- 

 mon ; ?naura, several. I shall be glad to learn if N. fulva is taken at sugar in 

 other localities. I have tried for it, with no success, in a marsh where the insect 

 flies somewhat commonly. The "bait" this season, in addition to the extensive 

 list above, attracted an unusual number of Geometrce and Micro-lepidoptera, 

 besides Coleoptera. snails, and toads ; the latter, of course, feasted not on the sugar, 

 but on the insects which settled on it within their reach. — John Dunsmore, 

 Castlehead, Paisley, Nov., 1870. 



Crambus Warringtonellus.— I found this species very common along the 

 shore near Troon last August. — Id. [Prof. Zeller in his " Chilonidarum et 

 Crambidarum genera et species," places C. Warringtonellus as var. c. of C. 

 perlellus, and remarks, " Warringtonellum nihil esse nisi varietatem minorem et 

 obscuratam, quod Lederer jam dudum asseveravit, Wocke videtur demonstra- 

 visse." Did Mr. Dunsmore observe C. perldlus at the same time and place as 

 C. Warringtonellus ?] 



Bombus terrestris, Linn.— How far north in the island is this species of bee 

 annually found ? B. lucorum Linn., by far the most abundant Bombus on the 

 northern side of the Grampians, is apt to be mistaken for B. terrestris. The 

 tawny apex of the latter, and the white apex of the former are the best distinc- 

 tive marks. — Rev. G. Gordon, Manse of Birnie, Elgin, Nov. 18, 1870. 



Squirrels.— In Ross and Moray, where they were previously unknown, these 

 animals have, within about the last five and twenty years, so increased, as to 

 become most destructive to the Scotch-fir and the larch. On one property, six 

 thousand five hundred and seventy-one have been killed, as vermin, in nine years. 

 Has a like increase been observed in any other part of Scotland ?— Id. 



Note on the Nidification of the Tree Sparrow.— Tins bird is of very 

 rare occurrence in Scotland, and the instances of its nesting here still more rare 

 As, however, it has occasionally occurred, a note on its habits of nidification may 

 be interesting, more especially as they appear not to be very well known. The 

 name "tree sparrow" leads to the supposition that the bird nests in trees, but 

 this is very seldom the case, and as an indication of any general habit, the 

 qualification of " tree" is almost valueless. This is also the case with the tree 

 pipit, which, I think, always nests on the ground. Out of more than a dozen 

 nests of the tree sparrow which I have seen, not one was situated on a tree, 

 although I have heard of a single instance of one nesting in a hole in a decayed 

 trunk. A hole in an old bridge or ruined building is the site generally chosen 



*We are assured by Mr. Dunsmore that there is no mistake about the date of 

 this capture. T. piniperda in the latter half of June is not an everyday occurrence.— 

 Ed. Sc. Nat. 



