J840 The Zoologist — September, 1869. 



and often four to five and upwards on a single pod. There are also many of the 

 perfect insect, but the larvre outnumher the parents as fifty to one. Thus do bird and 

 insect combine to rid us of our foe ; and, although the tusk seems almost hopeless and 

 the victory doubtful, who can say that a check may not already have been given to this 

 insect-scourge, and the decree g<me forth — "Thus far shall thou gn, and no farther." 

 — John Cordeaux ; August 10, 1869. 



A Sivtirm of Ladybirds. — On the 15th inst. this favourite little insect made its 

 appearance in the streets and gardens of London in gre;it numbers: in my neighbour- 

 hood they were very abundant, the juveniles being in active pursuit of them. I 

 I observed a party of youngsters, who had converted a dry plug-hole into a sort of 

 ladybird store: at the lime I looked into it the plug-hole contained between three 

 hundred and four hundred of the insects, the numbers being constantly augmented by 

 the arrival every few minutes of a scout bringing fresh captives. On my way to 

 London-bridge I must have seen thousands of the insects either on the wing, running 

 about the roads, &c., or lying on the pavement crushed to death by the foot passengers: 

 I believe they were all of one species, namely, Coccinella 7-punctata. On the follow- 

 ing day, though not nearly so numerous, the street urchins were actively occupied in 

 their colleciion: much to my amusement, I noticed one lad had armed himself with 

 a yellow basin, into which he placed his captures, the said basin being enveloped in 

 a red cotton pocket-handkerchief. — Charles Healy ; 74, Napier Street, Hoxlon, 

 August 17, 1869, 



Ornitlioloyical Notes from North Lincolnshire. 

 By John Cordeadx, Esq. 



June and July, 1869. 



Wheatear. — Cousitlcring how numerous this species always is on 

 this coast in early April, it is somewhat surprising that so very few 

 remain to breed : I am not aware of more than two pairs remaining for 

 that purpose this season — one of these nesting amongst the rough-laid 

 stones on the Humber bank, the other in a heap of heavy chalk- 

 stones collected for the repair of the road. Ami correct in sup- 

 posing the " sea-blue bird of March" of the Poet Laureate to be the 

 male of this species ? I know of no other bird answering the descrip- 

 tion, and "sea-blue" very truthfully represents the delicate bluish gray 

 of the head and back of the male wheatear. I never see the little 

 fellow flit past in the early spring without thinking of Tennyson's 

 well-known lines — 



" When rosy plumelets lufi the larch, 



And rarely pipes the mounted thrush ; , 



Or underneath the barren bush 

 Flits by the sea-blue bird of March." 



In Memoriam, 



