r2 
Warblers, and Blue-headed Wagtail amongst birds; the edible frog and 
tree frog amongst amphibia, and numerous species of insects and spiders, 
no less than fourteen species of the last-named group being so far unre- 
corded for these islands. 
At the Meeting on February 26th for Zoological Notes and Records of 
the past year, Dr. W. Henry Dobie, who presided, said one thing that struck 
him was the increase of hawks in the Chester district, but the species, whether 
Kestrel, Merlin, or Sparrow Hawk, were not certain. A friend had reported 
they were exceedingly common in Llangollen, and several pairs of Peregrines 
had nested in that neighbourhood. The Chairman related the following 
incident, which had been communicated to him :— 
““Mrs. R. Shand was walking in Abbot’s Park when she observed a 
weasel or stoat run across the road. A hawk pounced down and caught 
it in its talons, and was making off, when her dog attacked the hawk 
and caused it to drop the weasel twice. Ultimately the bird succeeded 
in carrying it off.” 
The Chairman thought it unusual that one of the smaller hawks should 
attack a weasel. He also mentioned that, compared with the winter of 
1918-19, when Wood Owls were continually heard in and around our City, 
there were fewer Owls heard during the present winter. 
In Mr. 8. G. Cummings’s Bird Notes, made in Gresford Woods in the 
spring-time, he includes the Great and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers, the 
Nuthatch, the Kingfisher, and one Redstart. 
Mr. J. Arkle’s notes referred to the scarcity of some _ species 
of birds, as Starlings, Peewits, Fieldfares, Kedwings, and Golden 
Plovers. Other birds such as Blackbirds, Thrushes and Sparrows 
were up to the average in number. The Sparrows showed antagonism 
to orange colour by devouring orange coloured crocuses. He also remarked 
on the scarcity of certain Butterflies, viz.:—The Red Admiral, the Peacock, 
and small Tortoise-shell. On the contrary there was an abundance of the 
Orange Tip Butterfly, especially along Wrexham Road and Lache Lane. 
There was also an unusual abundance of the Moth Hybernia defoliaria, the 
females of which species are wingless. 
Dr. A. Hamilton, J.P., read the following notes and observations on the 
Birds of Degartiwy District, North Wales :— 
“The notes and observations which I have made since last February are 
not perhaps of much value, but I think they will prove interesting for all 
lovers of bird life. The birds in this district are slowly recovering from their 
losses in that very severe winter, but they are still very far short of their 
normal numbers. As was to be expected, it is the resident and breeding 
species which suffered most, the true migrants being almost in their usual 
numbers. There are very few Pipits, Stonechats, Buntings, Green Finches, 
and Wagtails. This has been a very remarkable autumn and winter for the 
large numbers and variety of Diving Ducks which have frequented the river 
since the beginning of October. This is no doubt due to the unusually stormy 
weather for the last four months, which has prevented these birds feeding 
out in the bay and along the shore. During the eleven years I have lived 
here now I never remember such continuous strong winds and gales. From 
the end of July onwards large flocks of Scoters are constantly to be seen out 
in the bay, but only a stray one or two come into the river. In October the 
Scoters came up the river in considerable numbers, flying about and diving 
in small parties, but as time went on they became fewer and many dead ones 
were found on the shore. From the 8rd to 18th December I counted 32 dead 
Scoters, including five or six Velvet Scoters on the beach near my house. I 
examined the body of 2 Velvet Scoter and found it very thin, free from 
disease, and without a vestige of food in its stomach, so I was forced to con- 
clude that they all died of starvation. There are only a very few to be seen 
now. I have watched a single Velvet Scoter which has been diving opposite 
