Ixx. president's address. 



Crane, the Great Bustard, and the Capercail, once bred in England. 

 The latter has been lately introduced from Sweden into Scotland 

 and is doing well. It is worthy of remark that all the four species 

 were protected by Acts of Parliament with regard to their eggs only, 

 leaving the parent birds in peril of their lives during the period of 

 incubation. The Chough, which frequented our cliffs in some 

 numbers fifty years ago, is now extinct in this country. The Kite 

 and Hen Harrier, which were boHi denizens here, only visit us 

 occasionally from the continent. 



I must say a few words about our meteorological returns, which 

 show some cause for suspicion that they are not always taken with 

 sufficient accuracy, partly owing, perhaps, to the position and 

 environments of the rain-gauges, which should be perfectly level 

 and of a sufficient height above the surface to ensure the reception 

 of every drop of rain. Of course two gauges near each other will 

 show a slight discrepancy in the annual fall, as a thunderstorm 

 will pass over one while the other will escape. General Pitt Rivers' 

 accurate observations at Rushmore and Larmer show this, but the 

 difference only amounts to a very small decimal fraction during 

 the year. Some of the discrepancies, ho^'ever, in the meteorologi- 

 cal sheet of the new volume of the Proceedings of the Club cannot 

 be accounted for in this way. 



