SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



m 



ZOOLOGY 



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A Meld Dece?»iber. — A note in your last issue 

 in reference to the mildness of the last weeks of 

 1894, reminds me of two insects which I saw on 

 December 27th, when walking through a small wood 

 near Halstead, Essex. The first noticed on a tree 

 trunk was a perfect specimen of Hybernia lencophearia, 

 and a few minutes later a crippled Phigalia pedaria 

 (pilosaria.) I may mention that the wood is on a 

 slope facing south and is well protected from both 

 north and east winds. — F. E. Filer, 58, Southuark 

 Bridge Road, S.E.; January, 1895. 



Gulls in London. — Although it is so well-known 

 that there has been a remarkable assemblage of 

 gulls in London during the late frost, we have not 

 noticed any account of the species which visited the 

 Thames between the bridges. On several occasions 

 the number must have exceeded several thousands, 

 which were to be seen among the floating ice on 

 the river from Greenwich to Chelsea. They 

 appeared to be nearly all specimens of the black- 

 headed gull. Larus rulibundus, chiefly immature. 

 On one occasion there must have been at least five 

 hundred of these birds between Blackfriars and 

 Waterloo Bridges. It was amusing to see numbers 

 of people feeding the hungry birds, many persons 

 appearing to think that every wild thing is ' ' bun- 

 iverous." The gulls seemed to enjoy aerated bread 

 as much as the most luscious sprats. 



Bird Xotes from Canterbury. — The severity 

 of the weather in these parts has been unprece- 

 dented within the memory of the oldest inhabitants. 

 The mortality among the birds has been great 

 Missel-thrushes, thrushes, redwings and field-fares 

 perishing by hundreds. Robins, blackbirds and 

 larks are scarce, but probably have migrated until 

 the weather changes. Tits of all sorts seem as 

 lively as ever. A splendid pair of Bohemian wax- 

 wings [Ampelis garrulus), have been sent to 

 the local taxidermist for preservation, and 

 a magnificent specimen of a magpie (Pica rustica), 

 whilst flying past a house in the country 

 fell dead, doubtless owing to the effects of the 

 intense cold upon the action of its heart, as it was 

 in no way damaged. I obtained the specimen, and 

 a minute examination failed to reveal it had been 

 the victim of a stray shot, as I at first anticipated. 

 Eleven geese, probably bean-geese, were in the 

 neighbourhood two days ago, but, so far as I am 

 aware, they have escaped the designs of prowling 

 wild fowlers. It is said an Iceland falcon (Falco 

 islandus) was shot at Maidstone, but I do not know 

 if the statement is true. To-day I have received by 

 post an immature black-headed gull {Larus ridi- 

 bundus) picked up dead at Leatherhead, in Surrey. 

 In all probability, from the abrasion on its head, 

 it had flown against a barbed wire and was stunned, 

 but owing to its low state and cold it had no chance 

 of recovering. It was in such a poor state, so 

 small and thin, that it was sent to me under the 

 impression it was either a " Buonaparte's" or else a 

 "Little Gull." But the white inner-webs with dark 

 margins to the outer primaries show the species. — 

 H. Mead-Briggs ; February 15th, 1895. 



Little Auks in Scotland. — These hardy little 

 mariners, that live on the rolling deep, rarely visit 

 our shores unless to seek shelter from some 

 unusual blast. Immense numbers of these un- 

 fortunates must have perished in the North Sea 

 in the recent gales of January. Many were wind- 

 borne and wafted far inland, and reported from 

 many places in the north-east of Scotland. Some 

 were found dead but many in a helpless state all 

 destitute and thin, nine specimens came under my 

 observation here, eighteen miles from the sea. — W. 

 Sim, Gourdas, Fyvie, \ r .B. ; February 13th, 1895. 



White Irish Hares. — At page 266 of Science- 

 Gossip for February, 1895, ^ Professor Scharff's 

 interesting sketch on the " Fauna and Flora of 

 Ireland," it is stated that "in Ireland, the arctic or 

 mountain hare does not change its dress to white 

 as it does in cold countries, but remains in its 

 brown summer hue throughout the winter." I do 

 not know on what grounds Professor Scharff has 

 been led to make this statement, for as far as my 

 experience goes, in County Down, it is quite in- 

 correct. At Firnebrogre, near Downpatrick, a 

 very large number of hares are killed or taken every 

 year, and it is found that a considerable number 

 of these turn very white in the winter, while nearly 

 all assume a much lighter shade of fur when the 

 cold weather sets in. The Irish hare is con- 

 sidered to be exceptional!}- strong and suited for 

 coursing purposes, and a large number of these 

 hares are exported annually to England and 

 Scotland for various coursing meetings. — Wm. E. 

 Warrand, Major-General R.E., Harold Road, Margate ; 

 February 10th, 1895. 



Little Auks in Scotland. — In " Life of a 

 Scotch Naturalist " we have from the pen of 

 Thomas Edwards a description of these interest- 

 ing birds, as observed by him on one of his rambles 

 round the Banffshire coast. He says : " It is a 

 grand sight to see one of these diminutive but 

 intrepid creatures manoeuvring with the impetuous 

 billows of a stormy sea. Wave follows wave in 

 rapid succession bearing destruction to everything 

 within reach ; but the little auk, taught by nature, 

 avoids the threatened danger either by mounting 

 above the waves or by going beneath them, 

 reappearing unhurt as the}- spend their fury on 

 the shore." Such a description would lead one to 

 the conclusion that no storm was too strong for 

 the little auk. We have it recorded, by Edwards 

 himself, that after a severe storm which occurred 

 in December, 1846, he counted lying along the 

 coast, between the Burn of Boyne and Greenside of 

 Gamrie, a distance of nine miles, close upon sixty 

 little auks. In the storms that visited us during 

 the latter half of December, 1894, and the beginning 

 of the following January, we have had many 

 instances recorded in our local newspapers of the 

 little auk being picked up at various places all 

 round the north-east coast of Scotland ; some alive 

 and others dead. The following are some of the 

 places and number of birds found along the coast, 

 between Aberdeen and Inverness, which I took 

 note of at the time : one alive at Buckie ; one dead 

 between Portgordon and Buckie : one alive at 

 Walkerdale, two miles inland ; one dead, Haddo 

 House, Methlick ; two dead, Inverness (cock and 

 hen): one dead, Ferryhill, Aberdeen; one dead, 

 Nairn : one dead, Brodie. A large number, some 

 alive, found at Westside, Portsoy. Such are some 

 of the records from the shires of Aberdeen, Banff, 

 Nairn, etc. — James Stott, 2, Balmoral Terrace, 

 Aberdeen ; February, 1895. 



