OCCASIONAL NOTES. £63 



Aberdeen and Yorkshire, and from the Orkneys. It is usually 

 found in deep water, and obtained by dredging. 



(To be continued.) 



OCCASIONAL NOTES. 



Variety of the Mole. — I have a specimen of a Mole trapped in this 

 neighbourhood last February, which is of a pure cream-colour. There is 

 not a single black or dark hair on its body, but the under parts are of a 

 light brownish red. It is not only remarkable for its colour, but also for its 

 size, measuring 8| inches in length aud 5 inches round the body. I have 

 also a Mole that I bought some years ago which has two white or nearly 

 white spots on its back, one about the size of a half-crown and the other of 

 a shilling. The white hairs are just twice the length of the black ones on 

 the rest of its body. — Roger Ford (Wraxall, Somerset). 



A Visit to Ramsey Island, Pembrokeshire.— On June 1st, a loner, 

 projected visit to Ramsey Island was accomplished under very favourable 

 circumstances. A beautiful summer's day made the flower-covered cliffs 

 with the blue water rippling at their feet, seem like a piece of fairy-land ; 

 and the company of Mr. Mortimer Propert, of St. David's, a most efficient 

 guide to the island and its bird-haunts, enabled me to proceed at once to the 

 parts most attractive to a naturalist. It would be impossible to describe 

 the bright appearance of the cliffs beneath the June sunshine. Here large 

 patches of the pink sea-thrift, aud there vast beds of the snowy blooms of 

 Silene maritima ; white roses of an exquisite perfume were not wantinc 

 growing entwined with the heath, and ferns were everywhere, in some places 

 reaching almost to the water's edge ; aud here and there cropped out on the 

 rocks those bright orange lichens which Mr. Brett loves to paint in his 

 exquisite views of the Cornish coast. As our boat ran into the little 

 harbour a Sea-pie was observed sitting on a rock, and on our approach flew 

 off with his shrill whistle. A few pairs breed round the island. 

 Lauding, we made our way to the S.W. end, our object being to see the 

 ledges of the cliffs most affected by the sea-fowl. It was a busy scene. 

 Guillemots, Razorbills, and Kittiwakes were in profusion, but as yet not 

 many of the birds had eggs. Parties of them were continually flying off to 

 sea ; others arriving and settling on the cliffs, shaking their wings from 

 time to time to dry them in the sun. We were astonished at the velocity 

 of the flight of the Razorbills when once on wing. As we stood on the top 

 ol the cliff, the birds flashed backwards and forwards beneath us, some of 



