OCCASIONAL NOTES. YOY 
Widgeon, but lost a fine shot owing to a misfire, and after being 
disturbed they would not stand the boat for a second shot; 
however, on my return with the flood-tide I made up for my 
disappointment. JI fell in with a large flock of Godwits and 
Knots resting on the sands along the edge of the channel, and by 
contriving to rake their line, I knocked over about sixty birds, 
picking up thirty-one Godwits, twenty-one Knots, and one 
Dunlin, several wounded birds getting away over the sands. 
From January 29th to the 31st we had hard east winds, keeping 
the temperature just below the freezing-point, and there was snow 
on the Ist, 2nd, and 8rd of February, but from the 4th to 
the 17th the weather became milder, with occasional showers. 
A change, however, succeeded, and snow fell on the 18th, 19th, 
20th, 2lst, and 22nd. The 23rd was mild, but hard frost set in 
that night, and, disappearing next morning, the weather con- 
tinued fine and mild to the end of the month. The weather 
having become milder after the 25th, a few Starlings were to be 
seen returning to their old roosting-places at Belleek and Raro- 
neen, but instead of the thousands that used to assemble before 
the frost set in, a few dozens only were to be seen flying in 
the old direction. I also noticed a few Fieldfares returning to 
roost in the hedges, but not a single Redwing. 
To sum up the effects of the past winter, I may say that in 
this part of the country small birds have been almost exter- 
minated. I have only seen two pairs of the Missel Thrush— 
a bird previously so common that I used to see them about 
everywhere in the different woods and groves. I have only heard 
one Thrush singing, two or three Blackbirds, a pair or two 
of Blue Tits, and one pair each of the Great and Cole Tits. Of 
our large colony of Sparrows only one old cock has returned, 
apparently the sole survivor and representative of his race. 
OCCASIONAL NOTES. 
Tue Tracuine oF Narurat Hisrory.—I cannot help saying one 
word upon that subject which I think, on the whole, has been worse used 
in the schools of this country than all the other branches of knowledge. 
I mean that which is called Natural History. I do not speak now of the 
sciences, either mental or moral science, or natural and physical science. 
