FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 



201 



I understand that others were subsequently seen pecking away at 

 the hives. 



SQUIRRELS NOT HIBERNATING. Squirrels are often supposed to 

 hibernate in the winter, and perhaps do so in some parts of the 

 country, but I have seen no evidence of such a habit in our 

 district, where they may be constantly noticed throughout the 

 winter, not only on bright sunny days but at all times. On some 

 of the very coldest and dullest days in the middle of the Great 

 Frost of February, they were seen running about our lawn and 

 shrubbery. (E. R. 13.) 



Turning now to the lists themselves I note that they have been 

 satisfactorily filled up by several observers, whilst some only con- 

 tribute three or four observations altogether. The value of these is 

 much increased if the observer keeps year after year to the same 

 species. The dates in different years can then be compared 

 together and conclusions deduced from them, but if four birds are 

 observed this year and four different ones next year, and so on, it 

 is a much more difficult matter to make any comparison between 

 them. 



An analysis of the observations made on birds during the last 

 four years shows that they are distributed as follows. After the 

 name of each bird are given the number of observations on it in 

 each of the years 1892, 3, 4, 5, and finally the total. It will be 

 seen that the swallow and cuckoo are the most universally noted. 



