19 
A series of photographs illustrating the life-history of the rarer breed- 
ing birds was shewn, including Black and Red-throated Divers, Red- 
necked Phalaropes, Grey Lag Geese, Dunlin, Great Black-backed, Common, 
and Herring Gulls, together with several of the more numerous species, 
such as Rock and Meadow Pipits, Wheatears, Dabchicks, and Black-headed 
Gulls. 
EXTRAORDINARY OCCURRENCE OF CHIRONOMIDAE LARVAE AT 
DUTTON AND PRESTON BROOK. 
On the 22nd of August last a most unusual occurrence took place in the 
Dutton and Preston Brook (Lancashire) district. In the morning, follow- 
ing a day and night of continuous and excessively heavy rain, the fields, 
pavements, roads, and roofs of the houses were seen to be covered with 
elongate globules of jelly. The gelantinous masses were so thick in some 
places that it was reported that pedestrians could with difficulty walk on 
the side-walks without slipping. Mr. Herbert Potts, who reported the 
unusual phenomena, and brought specimens to me, says he counted thirty- 
six of the gelatinous masses in a space of six square inches. An exam- 
ination of a single mass of the material, under the microscope, revealed 
a very complicated structure. They were elongate-oval cells, lined with 
an epithelial layer, and the rest of the space occupied with spherical 
globules. The various cells were arranged in a spiral manner and involved 
completely in a mass of mucus. At first it was thought that they were 
stages of some fungus, the spores of which had been carried from a distance 
in an upper current of air, and brought to earth by the rain. But it was 
eventually seen that they were of an animal nature. 
Several of the gelatinous masses were submitted to the authorities at 
the British Museum, who identified them as the egg-masses of a species 
of Chironomus, one of the so-called ‘‘ Plumed Gnats” or midges. The 
eggs of these midges are usually deposited in water, and their occurrence 
in the situation described is very remarkable. The only possible explana- 
tion seems to be that the egg-masses may have been drawn up from some 
pond by a water-spout, and subsequently showered on the Dutton district 
during the heavy rain. An alternative explanation, which seems less 
likely, is that the midges mistook the wet grass and shining roofs for 
water, and laidytheir eggs thereon; but it is very improbable that this 
would happen so large a scale. No egg-masses were found under open 
sheds, or in the open roofed goods station at Preston Brook; they all 
occurred in the open. Next day all evidence of the occurrence had com- 
pletely disappeared, the egg-masses having been dried up by the hot sun. 
Municipal Museum, 
Warrington. G. A. Dunuop. 
ZOOLOGICAL NOTES. 
By J. ArkLe, CHeEster, ror 1913. 
Sand Martin. First one seen March 12th, Upton Sand Quarry. It dis- 
appeared. No others seen till April 3rd (two)—then they came 
gradually. None at Backford. April 26th, many seen over Christleton 
Pond. 
Swallow. April 5th, seen at Dulwich and near Godalming. April 13th, 
at Sewage Works by a workman. April 16th, at Eaton Road and Bun- 
bury. They left after visiting the nesting places. April 2ist, at Back- 
ford. April 22nd, I saw them at the Sewage Works. August 28rd, few 
seen; early migration. August 28th, fewer still; most of the migrators 
have gone. September 19th, saw one at Eccleston. 
