14 



THE MAGPIE COKVUS PICA. 



Maggie up in a cage, cover him over, and repeat sentences to him, and 

 he will do greater credit to his tutor than most of the human pupils at a 

 college, who blunder for years over their French and German, without 

 being able to speak either. Wild — he is the ornament of the woods . 

 Tame — he is the amusement of the villagers, and the never-failing pet of 

 all the children. Taking, then, all the points in his favour, 

 his addition to the picturescjueness of our woods, the pleasant chatter of 

 his " talky-talky," his practical usefulness to the farmer, his amiable 

 qualities, and his unsurpassable cleverness, I would fain raise a plea in 

 his favour, and hope that Falcon Clubs will not aid the gamekeepers in 

 exterminating Corvns pica. 



Cheltenham, December, 1879. W. B. Strugnell. 



COMPARATIVE CALENDAR OF NATURE. 



COMPILED BY MEMBERS (CHIEFLY JUNIORS) OF THE BTJRTON-ON-TRENT 

 NATURAL HISTORY AND ARCH.EOLOGICAL S0CD3TY. 



I. ORNITHOLOGICAL. 



1877. 

 Thrush's nest with eggs (Turdus 



musicus) 



Robin's nest with eggs (Erythaca 



rubecula ) 



Thrush's nest with young birds .... 

 Hedge sparrow's nest with eggs 



(Accentor modularis) 



Swallows seen (Hirundo rustica) .... April 13 

 Cuckoo heard (Cuculus canorus ) .... ,, 26 

 Chaffinch's nest with eggs (Fringilla 



ccelebs) 



Corncrake heard (Rallus crex) 



H. ENTOMOLOGICAL. 



Tortoiseshell butterfly f Vanessa 

 urtica ) seen 



Bee first seen 



Wasp first seen ( Vespa vulgaris) .... 



White butterfly (P. rapce) 



Hybernia progemmaria April 2 



,, leueophearia 



,, rupicapraria 



Glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca). . . . 



Orange tip (A. cardamines) 



Ghost moth (H. humuli) 



T. gothica April 5 



T. stab His , 2 



T. iiistabilis 



Brimstone moth (R. cratcegata) .... 



Larvae of Streak (C. spartiata) .... 



Clouded Magpie (A. ulmata) 



Grey Dagger (A. psi) 



Cabbage moth ( M. brassicce) 



Plusia gamma 



