2 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



When off Harwich great quantities of wasp-Hke insects 

 (SyrpJiida;), and a good many Lady-birds, and a few 

 Butterflies came on board. I thought at the time it 

 might have been in consequence of the sugar which formed 

 part of the cargo ; but it seems, according to the Times 

 newspaper, that on the same day a marvellous flight 

 of Lady-birds arrived at Ramsgate, where they were 

 shovelled up by spadefuls ; and on the 24th of the pre- 

 ceding month, a yacht off Hunstanton passed through a 

 black stripe in the water two or three miles in length, all 

 composed of defunct Lady-birds. (Norfolk Naturalist's 

 Society, 1869, p. 62.) 



We sighted Denmark on the 15th of August. When still 

 many miles from shore a common Dunlin (Triiiga alpiiia L.) 

 en trajct, flew on board, was speedily caught, and is now in 

 my collection. I could by this time see that the coast 

 presented a succession of islands, good places for birds I 

 dare say, and no doubt inhabited by a fishing population, 

 whose one-storied and black-roofed houses were plainly 

 visible. On the i6th we were steaming slowly up the 

 Kattegat, with Denmark on our right and the bold coast of 

 Sweden on our left. The sky was cloudless. The chop- 

 ping waves of the North Sea were exchanged for the 

 calmness of the " Narrows." Three formidable forts bar 

 the entrance to Copenhagen — vouchers that the Danes will 

 show their teeth to any second Nelson who shall try to 

 ride in their harbour. The Captain allowed an hour and a 

 quarter, and no more, for walking about the place. The 

 houses look old, but many of the edifices are large, and 

 must have been grand a century ago. In that short time I 

 could not find the regular birdstuffer, but I noticed in a 

 shop window two Goshawks, an old one and a young one. 

 Swallows, Swifts, and Martins were flying about, as wel- 

 come and as much at home as in every town in England. 



There is one hour difference between Copenhagen time 



