268 The Scottish Naturalist. 



markings are the orbicular stigmata, the edges of which are pale ochreous, but 

 very indistinct ; the claviform stigmata, also edged with ochreous but almost 

 imperceptible ; the reniform stigmata, which are more apparent, outlined with 

 ochreous, and the lower end filled in with pale grey ; the elbowed line, which 

 consists of a row (in some places double) of small blackish spots on 

 the nervures, and a faint ochreous line near the inner margin ; and the subtermi- 

 nal line, which is pale ochreous and serrated, especially in the middle, where it is 

 like a W ; the serrations looking towards the base are tipped with grey. The 

 hind margin is undulated, and between the tips of the nervures is a grey line ; 

 the fringes are ochreous,'- intersected by a darker line ; the inner margin is 

 narrowly greyish black. The hind-wings are ochreous white, with the nervures, 

 and the hind margin irregularly, ochreous grey. The expansion of the wings is 

 about 2% inches. Herrich-Schaffer (Schmetterlinge von Europa, Supp. 

 Noctuidts Tab. 21) gives two figures of this species. Fig. 103 is most like the 

 Inverurie specimen, but differs in being much darker in colour, in having no 

 trace of the orbicular and claviform stigmata, the elbowed line distinctly formed 

 of two rows of dots, and no ochreous line on the inner margin, and the sub- 

 terminal line more distinctly marked with grey. The hind-wings are much 

 darker, and the expanse of the wings barely 2 inches. Fig. 104 is very different, 

 and lookes almost like a different species. The Inverurie example was, I be- 

 lieve, taken at sugar in September. — F. Buchanan White, September, 1872. 



Deilpbila livornioa at Bridge of Allan.— I captured a very perfect speci- 

 men of Deilephila livornica flying at the flowers of Lilium auratum, in the 

 greenhouse, at dusk on September 7th. Last night I got a good specimen of 

 Sphinx convolvuli in the same way.— W. D. PATERSON, Fernfield, Bridge of 

 Allan, nth September, 1872. 



Helix lapicida near Hawick.— One wet day last week, I saw a number of 

 this snail on a lichen-covered "dry-stone dyke" near Hawick. There were 

 three or four shells to every square foot for a distance of thirty or forty yards. 

 I understand that Helix lapicida has not been recorded as Scottish before. — 

 W. Grant Guthrie, Hawick, 20th July, 1872. 



Domesticated Kobins— The following may be interesting to some of your 

 readers. A pair of robins which during last winter had made a practice of 

 coming Jnto the room occupied by my children, and being always welcomed 

 with a plentiful supply of bread-crumbs, eventually became so tame as to take 

 up their quarters regularly during the cold winter nights above the window cur- 

 tains. As the spring wore on they seemed to have disappeared, but in one of 

 the sleeping rooms, not occupied during the day, but which always had the 

 window open, at that time there was observed to be continually a lot of moss 

 and stuff scattered about, which was carefully swept away every morning by the 

 housemaid ; this went on for two or three weeks, till at last one of the children 

 in the room stated that he was sure the robins were building in the window cur- 

 tains in spite of their work being always pulled down by the housemaid. 

 Orders were immediately given that the birds should not be again molested. 

 In a short time a nest composed of moss and leaves was completed on the 

 valance of the window curtains. When the hen began to lay, she would come 

 every morning to the window, about four o'clock, giving a tap with her bill, 

 and on being admitted, would at once fly up to her nest and give a twitter, as 

 much as to say to Cock Robin, who was sitting on the sill outside, " I am all 



