Natural History. 29 



With respect both to the isolated Boulders and groups of 

 Boulders described, state whether they are exposed on the 

 surface, or surrounded by any deposit. Describe the nature of 

 any deposit containing Boulders, and state whether the 

 imbedded Boulders are of the same character as those (if any) 

 upon the surface. 



Please forward reports, accompanied by a specimen of the 

 rock, to the Secretary, 



THE REV. W. TUCKWELL, 



Waltham Reftory^ Grimsby. 



THE CONTENTS OF BIRDS' CROPS. 



ON the iyth of March, Mr. F. A. Dorrington, of Nettle- 

 ton Lodge, Caistor, sent me the contents of the crop of 

 the Ring Dove Columba palumbas^ L. It was one of 

 two birds shot a few days before in the wood round his place. 

 The crop of the bird I did not receive was said to contain 

 only the young spring leaves of the white clover 

 Tnfolium repens, L. This was certainly the species of Tnfolium 

 I found in the packet I received mixed up with a mass of 

 cylindrical root-fibres, some of which were rarely of a fusiform 

 shape. At the first glance I mistook these for the root-fibres 

 of the Heath Thistle Cnicus pratensis^ Willd. j a not un- 

 common species on sandy warreny ground like Nettleton, and 

 common enough on Scotton Common and elsewhere. But 

 after tasting the root-fibres of the Pilewort or Lesser Celandine 

 Ranunculus Ficaria^ L., I came to the conclusion that the 

 bird had been feeding on this plant, turned up on ground 

 newly prepared for spring-corn sowing. The Cnicus is a rare 

 plant in the neighbourhood, while the Ranunculus is common 

 enough. This suggests the idea that very much might be 

 learned concerning the varying food of our feathered population 

 if sportsmen-naturalists would carefully examine the crops of 

 all the birds they shoot. If any doubt arises, the contents 

 should be put into a corked bottle and common lamp paraffin 

 added. It is the cheapest and handiest preserving fluid I know, 

 and has the great advantage that it does not take the colour 



