3306 THE ZooLocisT—NovEMBER, 1872. 
connection with continental forms, than it is to study the British nation 
whilst ignorant of its origin and the successive waves of Roman, Saxon, and 
Norman conquerors which have made it what it is. The origin of our 
native insects is no doubt a very wide and difficult question, and I do not 
wish at the present moment to enter further upon it than to indicate a few 
of the interesting questions which await solution at the hands of English 
entomologists if they wish to enlarge their field of study in a manner likely 
to result in additions to the stock of human knowledge, which a mere 
extension of our lists will not do. It is clear that our native species have 
been derived from very different sources, at widely different periods, some 
of them of a vast antiquity. 1st. We have insects probably derived from 
Western France and Northern Spain. 2nd. Our mountains present us 
with a distinctly Scandinavian and Arctic fauna. 8rd. Another well- 
defined group of species is found exclusively in the chalk district of South- 
Eastern England. 4th. The great bulk of the insects of the British 
Islands are identical with those of Northern and Central Europe, and have 
undoubtedly migrated thence, mixing with, overspreading and dispossessing 
the more ancient settlers. To discriminate between these various faunas, to 
trace each species to its starting-point, seems to me a subject worthy of more 
attention than it has received, and our Lepidoptera especially have been so 
diligently collected that our knowledge of them may practically be considered 
complete, or at all events sufficiently so to enable us to form definite conclu- 
sions of no small scientific value ; for small and insignificant in the scale of 
creation as insects may appear, yet their vast numbers and universal distri- 
bution enable them to survive changes which have been fatal to larger 
animals less numerous in individuals, and in their fragility to outlast even 
the everlasting hills, and throw light on long past conditions of the earth, 
and altered distributions of land and sea.—Edwin Birchall; Kirkstall 
Grove, Leeds, September 6, 1872. 
Birds observed at Aldeburgh, Suffolk, in the Summer of 1872,—July 
26th.—Mr. Hele showed me to-day a splendid longtailed drake, in 
almost complete summer dress, which had been brought to him on the 
24th. With the exception of the scapulars, the summer plumage was 
perfect. I believe very few specimens of this bird have been obtained in 
Great Britain in the summer months. 29th.—Walked round the meres: 
saw a great number of terns, both of the common and lesser species ; 
a small flock of dunlins in summer plumage; and five snipe. An adult 
male ruff, just assuming his winter dress, and still showing the remains 
of a white frill, was shot in the mere this evening. There are now a good 
many ducks and teal about, and almost every evening, at flighting time, 
some of the latter fall victims. 31st.—Two stone curlews and a shorteared 
owl were shot last night. August Ist—I had two young male garganeys 
brought me to-day, which were killed in the river last evening. 8th.—Mr. 
