A Naturalist's Calendar. 33 



118 Larus Ridibundus. 



119 It is not till April that the " black " feathers of the head 

 are in complete perfection. Eggs are laid towards the end of 

 April or in May. Mr P. H. Bahr, in his paper " On the Supposed 

 ' Colour-Change ' and the Spring Moult of the Black-headed 

 Gull," states: "The conclusions I have arrived at are as follows: 

 (1) That individuals vary in the amount of black on the crown in 

 the winter plumage, and that this variation has given rise to the 

 belief that a ' colour-change ' takes place. (2) That no ' colour- 

 change ' occurs. (3) That a moult takes place usually about the 

 beginning of February, and under natural conditions takes about 

 a week to complete, and that it not only embraces the head, but 

 the breast and back as well. (4) That birds of the previous year 

 occasionally assume the black hood of the breeding plumage, while 

 retaining the immature dress on back and wings." (Brit. Birds 

 Mag., Vol. III., pp. 105-111.) 



120 Early. 



121 Lesser Tortoiseshell Butterfly. 



122 Sir W. J. must have made a mistake here. The species 

 hibernates in the imago state and emerges in Summer season. A 

 very early date for its appearance. 



123 Alniis Gliitinosa. Rather early. 



124 An average date. 



125 Tdlpa Eurupants. Early. Moles do not hibernate. They 

 pair in March or April, and have young in May and June. 



126 GuJlinayo Gallinida. Rather a late date; though the 

 species has been seen in Dumfriesshire as late as March. 



127 Mezereon ; a late date for first fl. 



128 Usually pair about a fortnight later. 



129 Farm-yard geese. Early. 



130 Hardly to be expected for another fortnight. Their song 

 often heard even during Winter. 



131 T Urdus Viscivorus. As a nesting species this is one of our 

 earliest. Sir William Jardine writes in 1832 as follows: " Fifteen 

 years ago they were rarely to be seen, but in consequence of the 

 increased extent of plantations, they are now frequently met with 

 in pairs, or in parties of five or six." (Birds of Dumfriesshire, 

 p. 1.) 



132 Early. 



133 Numenius Arguata. 



134 Moors. 



135 March 1st is an early date for such a concerted movement 

 as these observations would seem to record. The average date 

 during thirteen years, for the first arrival of this species at their 

 breeding places in Eskdalemuir, was 27th February, according to 

 the late Richard Bell of Castle O'er; but it should be remembered 

 that this average was only for first arrivals there. " Curlews pass 

 up at a much later date (say March 10th) in great numbers en 



