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the most severe gales of the season was just at that time at its 
height. Some of those who walked down to the Institution had 
literally to watch their opportunity to avoid being struck on the 
head by the chimney pots and tiles which were falling around 
them in a most dangerous way. Several were prevented from 
attending for this reason. Canon Ellacombe, who was in the 
chair, said the warmest thanks of the Club were due to Mr. 
Blomefield for his excellent paper. He wished to impress upon 
the members what a great privilege it was for them to hear one 
of the most eminent as well as the oldest naturalist in England 
speak to them, and speak to them in such a way as no other 
naturalist was able to do at all on these subjects. He asked 
them to show their appreciation by their contribution of 
any facts or by asking any questions akin to the subject of the 
paper. One thing was certain. They could not venture to come 
down upon the reader, as was sometimes possible on such occa- 
sions, or to dispute his facts. Asa contribution to the discussion, 
however, he would venture to state a few facts. They had 
all listened to that charming introduction to the paper respecting 
the range of the nightingale. That bird was once seldom heard 
at Bitton; recently a large number frequented that place. In 
the Quantocks, whose combes and valleys seem so well suited to 
them, every summer one or two are heard, but not many. As to 
the migration of birds, the recent observations of the lighthouse 
keepers had done much to increase our knowledge, and many of 
the common species were now known to be migrants, ¢.g., the 
brown wren, the siskin, and even the robin redbreast. As to the 
increasing scarcity of birds in England, he questioned whether on 
the whole the individual species were less in number. The star- 
lings and the rooks were more numerous; certainly at Bitton 
there were more rookeries now than formerly. He considered 
that, the gun tax and the Act prohibiting the strewing of poisoned 
wheat had done much in the direction of allowing the birds to 
increase. Passing on to the flowers, the flora seemed to be much 
