FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 17Q 



observer for many years in this section. To I\Ir. George Hibbs 

 we are indebted for many interesting observations on the 

 nightingale, which visits Bere Regis annually in considerable 

 numbers, as well as for many other notes on natural history. 



I regret to hear that Mr. Creed is leaving the county, and we 

 shall miss his numerous and useful observations. This will 

 reduce our observers to six, but I hope that more will come 

 forward to help. At the same time, we may congratulate 

 ourselves upon the fact that these six are well distributed — 

 Weymouth, Corfe Castle, Dorchester, Chard, Childe Okeford, 

 and Buckhorn Weston — which makes the results much more 

 valuable than if they were all together in one corner. 



I would ask all observers to be careful that a plant is really in 

 flower before they record it — the stamens should be clearly 

 visible — and also, if it has evidently been in flower for some 

 time, a week or more, to mention the fact. This can generally 

 be easily seen by the fact of the calyx surrounding the small 

 seed vessel from which the petals have dropped, or by dead 

 flowers if no seed has been formed. I hope that all our present 

 observers know a large white from a small white butterfly. The 

 size is generally, but not always, a safe guide ; the markings in 

 the former are of a much more intense black, and it is usually 

 later than the small white. A meadow brown butterfly should 

 be carefully identified, as there are other species which might 

 be confused with it, especially its smaller relative, the large 

 heath or gatekeeper {Epinephile iithonus). 



Another confusion which I have formerly had reason to 

 suspect is between a painted lady and a small tortoiseshell 

 butterfly, a commoner insect and far more regular in its habits. 



Notes on Rare and other Birds in 1902. 

 Bullfinch {Pyrrhula europcBo). — Rev. W. M. Barnes, of 

 Monkton, Dorchester, sends the following note : — As an 

 example of the unusual severity of the weather, I saw to-day 

 in a bush in INIartinstown Vicarage garden a nest of five young 

 bullfinches which had been frozen to death on Sunday night 



