418 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
a great season for Warblers here; I never noticed so many. I myself 
observed the Lesser Whitethroat for the first time in Breconshire, whilst 
the Wood Wren was common, and the Willow Wren and Chiffchaff 
plentiful. This has certainly been an exceptional year for these little 
visitors, and may in some measure account for the occurrence of the 
Grasshopper Warbler, which I have heard at least a dozen times; and 
Captain Swainson took a nest with six eggs, which (the nest and two eggs) 
are now in the Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road. He also found 
another nest, with six young ones. This is a welcome addition to the list 
of Breconshire birds, for neither I nor any of my ornithological friends have 
ever before heard or observed this shy visitor here-—H. CAMBRIDGE 
Puixiies (The Elms, Brecon, S. Wales). 
Abnormal Nesting of the Ringed Plover.—I found this spring, near 
Wells, a nest containing four eggs of Charadrius hiaticula, departing so 
greatly from the ordinary construction that it may perhaps be worth 
recording. The depression selected by the bird was on the top of a grassy 
sea-bank, and was constructed of a comparatively substantial lining of the 
green fleshy leaves and stems of Atriplea littoralis, L. In a long 
acquaintance with the breeding habits of the Ringed Plover, I never before 
observed this bird placing a thick layer of vegetable lining in its nest.— 
H. W. FrrLpen (Wells, Norfolk). 
FISHES. 
Whitebait.—From investigations made by Professor Ewart and Mr. 
Matthews (Aunual Report of the Fishery Board for Scotland), it seems that 
Whitebait consists almost entirely, and at all seasons, of young Sprats and 
young Herrings, which vary in size and in the relative proportions according 
to the season of the year and the place of capture. From the samples 
examined it appears that during the winter and spring months Sprats 
largely predominate. In the Whitebait from the Firth of Forth there are 
very few young Herring, while in the winter Whitebait found in the London 
markets Herring only form about 6 per cent., the remainder being Sprats. 
As the season advances the London Whitebait contain a larger number of 
Herrings, there being during June and the latter part of May nearly 
80 per cent, In July the number of Herrings slightly diminish, and in 
August Whitebait is composed of about one-half Herrings and one-half 
Sprats. 
MOLLUSCA. 
Mollusca of the Skelligs and Valentia.—'The Rev. A. H. Delap, on 
July 29th, had an opportunity of exploring the Great Skellig Island, 
situated off the Kerry coast, twelve miles out in the Atlantic. The shells 
which he collected there and sent me are of interest, owing to the locality, 
d 
