4o8 



NATURE 



[March 25, 1875 



in conjunction with Mr. Dillwyn. But Mr. Mottley's 

 untimely death in the Malay insurrection of iS6o put a 

 stop to the publication, though his Banjermassing collec- 

 tion was subsequently catalogued by Mr. Sclater in the 

 Zoological Society's " Proceedings." 



From these and various other authorities, of which a 

 complete account is given in the introduction to the work, 

 and from the study of Doria's numerous series, Dr. Salva- 

 dori has compiled his list of 392 species of Bornean birds. 

 Their synonymy is very fully stated, and the localities are 

 completely given, whilst descriptions and remarks of 

 various characters are added when necessaiy. Of the 

 392 species of Bornean birds, filty-eight, Dr. Salvadori 

 tells us, are peculiar to the island, whilst the remainder 

 are found also in Malacca and Sumatra, or have a still 

 wider distribution. With these last-named countries it 

 is, as already pointed out by Lord Walden,* that Borneo 

 has a most intimate relation, upwards of 250 species 

 being common to these three localities. These and many 

 other facts relating to the ornithology of Borneo are well 

 put together by our author in this excellent memoir, on 

 which it is obvious great labour has been bestowed. The 

 volume is rendered still more complete by an outline 

 map of Borneo and the adjacent islands, and by several 

 coloured plates of the rarer species of birds, amongst 

 which the extraordinary shrike-like fonn called Pityriasis 

 gymnocfphala forms a conspicuous object. Dr. Salva- 

 tion's work is thus an indispensable addition to a natu- 

 ralist's library. 



PHENOLOGICAL PHENOMENA f 



UNDER the title given below a pamphlet has just been 

 issued containing instructions for the correct obser- 

 vation of the first appearance of insects, birds, and plants 

 in flower in any locality. We recommend it to the atten- 

 tion of all who have opportunities of making such obser- 

 vations, and there are thousands who have. If a host of 

 obsei'vcrs could be enlisted in this work, and if they 

 adhered faithfully to the instructions given in the pamph- 

 let, they would not only find a new source of real plea- 

 sure and instruction, but would certainly make large 

 contributions to our knowledge of natural historj'. 



A list is given of ninety-seven plants, insects, and birds 

 to be observed, with a set of general rules, approximate 

 phenological dates, and special remarks and suggestions 

 in connection with the various divisions. Those in botany 

 are drawn up by the Rev. T. A. Preston, F.M.S. ; in ento- 

 mology, by Mr. R. McLachlan, F.L.S ; and in ornithology, 

 by Prof. A. Newton, F.R.S. Each of them presents a 

 series of notes on various individual plants and animals, 

 and Prof. Newton has some general remarks in his own 

 department, from which we make the following ex- 

 tracts : — 



" It constantly happens, especially among the earlier 

 birds of passage in spring, that they will for some days 

 haunt one particular spot before appearing in others or 

 generally throughout the district. I myself knew a par- 

 ticular reach of a river which was yearly frequented by 

 the Sand-Martin for nearly a week or ten days before 

 examples of that species were to be seen elsewhere in the 

 vicinity. I also knew a parish in which the Chiffchaff 

 always bred, but not for a month or six weeks after it had 

 arrived in many of the neighbouring parishes was its 

 note to be heard within the limits of that particular 

 parish. I could easily cite other cases of like nature, but 

 many if not most observers of birds from their own 

 experience will bear me out in this. It follows, therefore, 

 that to render the proposed observations trustworthy, an 



* Ibis, 1872, p. 361. 



t Instructions for the Observation of Phenological Phenomena, prepared 

 at the request of the Council of the Meteorological Society by a Conference 

 consisting of Delegates from the followiiig Societies, viz.: Royal Agricultural 

 Society, R«yal Botanic Society, Royal Dublin Society, Royal Horticultural 

 Society, Marlborougb College Natural History Society, Meteorological 

 Society. 



observer of any fact connected with birds should set 

 down the exact locahty at which it occurred, even if it be 

 but a few miles' distance from his own station, and if 

 possible again record the fact when it recurs there ; or 

 vice I'dsA. Otherwise there will naturally be a risk of 

 considerable error, but an attentive observer will probably 

 soon come to find out the localities in his neighbourhood 

 which are first visited by any particular kind of bird, and 

 after a few years' experience the double observation will 

 very likely prove unnecessary." 



After giving some notes on a number of individual 

 birds. Prof. Newton goes on :-— 



" Nearly all the observations above suggested can be 

 made or collected by most residents in the country gene- 

 rally, and even by some who live in towns ; but such 

 observers as dwell at or near the seaside — and especially 

 not far from the stations chosen by various sea-fowls for 

 their breeding quarters — are recommended to keep watch 

 for their arrival and departure. It has been frequently 

 asserted that many of these birds, as the Guillemot, 

 Puffin, Razorbill, and certain Gulls, resort to and quit 

 their stations punctually on a particular day, regardless 

 of the state of the weather ; and if such statements are 

 correct, the facts which render the birds independent of 

 meteorological conditions seem to deserve attention. In 

 some cases the assistance of lighthouse-keepers, if sought, 

 would probably conduce to the success of the inquiry, as 

 they almost .always take an interest in the doings of their 

 feathered neighbours. Lighthouse-keepers, it is believed, 

 could also furnish valuable information as to the extra- 

 ordinary flocks of migrant birds which occur by night at 

 uncertain intervals. These flocks consist of a very hete- 

 rogeneous assemblage, and it is seldom that the particular 

 kinds can be identified except by the victims that may be 

 found next morning lying dead beneath the glasses 

 against which they have dashed themselves. Similar 

 flocks are occasionally observed inland, and chiefly over 

 or near large towns, whithfr it may be supposed 'they 

 have been attracted by the glare of the street lamps. In 

 these latter cases it is seldom that examples are procured 

 to show of what species the flock was composed, but the 

 mere fact of its occurrence is always worthy of record, 

 with the precise hour at which the birds were heard, in a 

 weather report. The cries, whistling, and screams of the 

 birds, sometimes even the sound of their wings, are often 

 enough to attract the attention of the most unobservant ; 

 and, as far as I know, these miscellaneous flocks only 

 occur on perfectly still pitch-dark nights, wi;h a compa- 

 ratively high temperature and a falling barometer — cir- 

 cumstances that point to an atmospheric cause of the 

 wonderful concourse. 



" A connection between the habits of birds and meteo- 

 rological conditions is popularly believed to exist in the 

 case of the Green Woodpecker, the frequent cry of 

 which is said to presage lain ; but I have failed to find 

 that this is so. The Redbreast, on the other hand, when 

 singing from an elevated perch at evening, is said to be 

 an unfailing prophet of a fine day on the morrow, while if 

 its parting song be uttered from a lower station bad 

 weather is supposed to follow. As far as my own expe- 

 rience goes, the only connection between changes of 

 weather and the habits of birds (omitting of course hard 

 frost and deep snow, the effects of which are obvious) is, 

 that many birds seem to be more alert, or ' wilder,' as 

 the sportsmen say, for a day or two before a heavy down- 

 fall ; I have observed this with partridges, plovers, and 

 snipes." 



We recommend all our readers to procure these '•' In- 

 structions." 



INSTITUTION OF NAVAL ARCHITECTS 



A T the annual meeting of this Institution last' week, 



-^*- three papers of interest to the scientific world were 



read and discussed. All three of these papers bore upon 



