Holinesdale Natural History Club. 25 



The following gentlemen were elected as the officers of the Club for the 

 ensuing year :— President, Mr. S. Webb; Treasurer, Mr. E. C. Baxter; 

 Secretary, Mr. J. B. Crosfield; Curator, Mr. J. Linnell, junr. ; Committee, 

 Dr. Bossey, Mr. Tyndall, Dr. Holman, Mr. Chambers, Mr. T. Cooper, Mr. 

 Marshall, Mr. A. J. Crosfield, Mr. Gilford, and Mr. A. Bennett. 



A resolution was unanimously adopted expressive of the great regret of 

 the Club at the death of William Wilson Saunders, Esq., F.K.S., the 

 founder of the Club in 1857, and from that time until his removal from 

 Keigate in 1874, its President. The Secretary was directed to forward a 

 copy of the resolution to Mrs. Saunders. 



The President exhibited five Noctuas, Nonagria sparganii, which were 

 bred by himself, being the first instance recorded in this country. He 

 exhibitea also a Camberwell Beauty (Vanessa Antiopa) caught in the 

 neighbourhood two years ago, also three dark specitneus of the Painted 

 Lady (Cynthia Cardui). He referred to the extraordinary abundance of 

 this insect during the present season, and expressed his doubts whether 

 the large numbers had come over from abroad, as supposed by some, men- 

 tioning that the species was met with in abundance as early as June 14 on 

 the occasion of the excursion of the Club to Reigate Heath and Betchworth. 

 He also exhibited specimens of Cidaria russata bred from TUgate Forest, 

 and others from Somerset and Devon. 



Evening Meeting, Xovemher \itli, 1879. Mr. Edward Bidwell of 

 London brought for exliibition his valuable collection of young birds in the 

 down, comprising the following species : — 



RajJtores : Goshawk, Black Kite, Tawny Owl. 



Rasores : Red Grouse, Quail. 



Grallatores : teevvit, Avocet, Redshank, Wood Sandpiper, Common 

 Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Ruff, Dunlin, Woodcock, Snipe, Spoonbill, 

 Heron, Little Egret, Land Rail, Spotted Crake, Moorhen, Coot. 



Natatores : Mute Swan, Wild Duck, Red-breasted Merganser, Red- 

 throated Diver, Little Grebe, Puffin, Black Guillemot, Gannet, Common 

 Tern, Arctic Tern, Lesser Tern, White-winged Black Tern, Kittiwake, 

 Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, 

 Great Black-beaded Gull, Herring Gull, Richardson's Skua, Manx Shear- 

 water, Stormy Petrel. 



Mr. Bidwell read a short paper on the subject of young birds in the down : — 



For some three or four years I hare collected specimens of the }oung of 

 such of our British birds as are covered with down when hatched, but up to 

 the present I have had no opportunity^ of studying them, and in fact have 

 been nothing more than a mere collector. Of this particular stage of bird 

 life nothing has been written in English, and many of our ornithological 

 writers do not refer to the birds in this condition, while a few of the more 

 recent authors content themselves with a short description, such as, " The 

 young when hatched are covered with a parti-coloured down, but they fledge 

 very rapidly," or some equally interesting remark of the same character. 



Our birds are divided into five order?. Of these the first are the 1 'aptcres. 



