15 
of these slides—which were very carefully and ably described—the lecturer was 
able to point out many obseure characteristics, which proved of profound 
interest to the members. 
At the meeting for ‘* Notes and Records of the Past Year,’ held on 
February 15th, 1917, the Chairman, Dr. W. Henry Dobie, made some remarks 
on the distribution of the Nuthatch along the coast of North Wales, where it is 
far from common, but where it seems to be extending its range. He had 
lately seen it at Bodrhyddan Hall, near Dyserth, feeding with tits on scraps of 
food thrown out. He read a letter from Mr. A. O. Walker stating that he had 
never heard or seen a nuthatch during his residence there. Dr. Dobie had also 
noted the appearance of swifts at Hartsheath, near Hope, on April 24th, 1916. 
Mr. J. Arkle contributed the following notes of observations :— 
“©1916 was a year of Nature surprises and contradictions. An almost con- 
tinuous cold crept on until well into June. Yet I obtained my first Chester 
record of Swifts for April—in the last week of the month. The chilly tem- 
perature materially affected insect life. Bees, wasps, and hover-flies—all 
peculiarly susceptible to cold—were in very diminished numbers. Butterflies 
and moths were few, except the two common whites, which contributed their 
usual animation to the landscape. Some of the commoner species of dragon- 
flies I failed to see at all, yet the wandering #schna cyanea (one of the 
largest, black-bodied and blue-spotted) was frequently seen about the Eaton 
Drive—in fact, one was captured in the shop of the Hon. Treasurer to the 
Society, Mr. John Simon, Eastgate Row. 
“But it is an ill wind that blows nobody good, and it is satisfactory to 
report that farm and garden insect pests were much below the average.” 
Mr. S. G. Cummings contributed the following notes on the Ornithology 
of the Society’s district for 1916 :— 
Jan. 18th—Tree Sparrows near the town, on the Parkgate Road. 
April 8th—300 or more Golden Plover in field off the Cop. 
April 27th—Turtle Dove flying over the town. 
June 7th—Pair of Common Terns flying doayn the river near Saltney. Tree 
Pipit singing on waste ground in Brook Lane, where it resorts yearly, 
though practically surrounded by houses. 
uly ist—Three adult Common Gulls on Dee Cop, and adult lesser Black-backed 
Gull and young. 
June 10th—Whinchat’s nest and eggs on the Cop, built under thistles at the 
__ water’s edge. It was destroyed by a high tide. 
June 14th—Spotted Flycatcher in my garden, King Street. 
any Willow Wrens in July, and Chiffchaff in September. November 12th, 
Tree Creeper frequented garden for some little time, a bird rarely seen in 
or near a town. 
ugust—Black-tailed Godwit on Foryd Bay, near Carnarvon. This is, I 
believe, the first recorded occurrence for Carnarvonshire. There were also 
