96 FIELD NOTES. 
BIRDS. 
Kingfisher at Slaithwaite.—I have just seen a Kingfisher 
which has killed itself against an electric cable near the baths. 
at Slaithwaite, and am further informed that there are ‘ several ’ 
about. May they escape the gunner !—CHARLES MOSLEY, 
Lockwood. 
Water Rail at Marsden.—In November last a Water 
Rail was brought to me, which had been picked up on the 
railway embankment that crosses at the bottom of Drop 
Clough, Marsden. Its skull was broken in as though it had 
collided against something in its flight, possibly the telegraph 
wires. In April, 1912, a bird of the same species was shot 
’ on the moors at the head of this same Clough, and reported in 
the annual publication of the Huddersfield Naturalist and 
Photographic Society for Ig11-12. This latter record has been 
teferred to elsewhere as ‘ said to have been,’ as though open 
to the possibility of mistake, and no mention whatever is made 
of it in the recently published ‘ Birds of the Huddersfield Dis- 
trict,’ although an earlier record of a Water Rail at Marsden is 
quoted from the Zoologist for 1884. Marsden is described as 
“a very strange place for this kind of bird’ ; nevertheless, both 
these records are absolute genuine. I handled both birds 
myself, and careful enquiry as to date places their accuracy 
bevond question.—CHARLES MosLeEy, Lockwood. 
LEPIDOPTERA. 
Antler Moth Larva in February.—Yesterday I saw 
a larva of the ‘ Antler’ Moth (Chareas graminis) lying on the 
snow at Skircout Green, the insect was about full fed and seemed 
very inactive. This is unusual, as these insects hibernate 
during winter.—L. ALDERSON. 
BOTANY. 
Coltsfoot in Flower in January.—On January 30th ina 
walk with my father on the other side of the river Wharfe 
(Denton), | gathered two flowers of the Coltsfoot. They were 
in full bloom, and of the usual size; but I noticed that the 
stalks were rather shorter than usual. No doubt their very 
early appearance is due to this exceptionally mild mid-winter.— 
Mary Booru, Ben Rhydding. 
Cumberland Hepatics.—I gathered the three following 
species of Hepatics in the neighbourhood of Netherby and 
quite close to the Scotch border, in June, 1912: Nowellia 
curvvifolia (Dicks.) Mitt. This beautiful plant was found on the 
trunk of a Scotch Fir tree in a wood. Ptilidium ciliare (L.) 
Hampe. Also found on a tree trunk in one of the woods. 
Frullama dilatata (L.) Dum. In considerable quantity, 
including male plants with catkins, on the trunk of a Birch 
tree.—JAS. MurRRAY, Carlisle. 
Naturalist, 
