33 [Vol. xxxvii. 



eggs in the clutch, I think it may interest the members of 

 the B. 0. C. to be reminded that during the plague of voles 

 in 1891-92 the Short-eared Owls which congregated in large 

 numbers in the plague centres laid very largely increased 

 clutches or eggs. If I recollect rightly, the normal clutch 

 consists of from 4 to 6 eggs, while during the plague 

 8 to 10 eggs were common in Dumfriesshire, and many con- 

 siderably larger were reported. 



'^ The following questions^ put at Sir Herbert MaxwelFs 

 committee, go to prove this : — 



" Question 325 put to a shepherd : ' How many eggs does 

 each Owl lay ' ? Answer : ' From 9 to 13. There were 5 

 pairs of Owls with me {i. e., on my beat), and they have 

 reared about 50 young ones. These 5 had from 8 to 13 

 eggs, and 2 are sitting for the second time.'' 



'^ The same question to another witness. Answer : ' As 

 many as 10 to 12 were frequently reported, and in most 

 instances the birds are now sitting or rearing a second 

 brood."^ 



Two or three Members present stated that they had 

 known of clutches of from 8 to 10 eggs in normal years in 

 the Orkneys. 



Dr. Eenst Hartert asked if any members present bad made 

 observations about the effect of the severe frost on bird-life. 

 Near Tring many birds had sufl'ered considerably when the 

 ground became frozen and they could not get their natural 

 food. The Redwings seemed to have all perished, and' 

 many Song-Thrushes, Fieldfares, Blackbirds, and Mistle- 

 Thrushes had been found dead. Also a number of Star- 

 lings had been picked up, though the majority of the latter 

 seemed to have survived. In all cases it was, of course, not 

 the cold (as the public seemed to believe very often), but 

 the want of food that killed these birds. They were nearly 

 all emaciated. 



Mr. P, F. BuNYARD sEiid that he had heard of several 

 Kingfishers being captured by hand in Surrey as a result 

 of balls of ice being; formed on their feet. 



