﻿276 
  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST. 
  

  

  batch 
  left 
  where 
  they 
  intended 
  going, 
  and 
  went 
  accordingly. 
  The 
  

   whole 
  movement, 
  in 
  fact, 
  seems 
  to 
  indicate 
  very 
  plainly 
  that 
  as 
  they 
  

   had 
  been 
  frightened 
  so 
  frequently 
  in 
  early 
  November, 
  they 
  no 
  longer 
  

   consider 
  it 
  safe 
  to 
  roost 
  there 
  during 
  that 
  period, 
  and 
  only 
  gradually 
  

   pluck 
  up 
  sufficient 
  courage 
  to 
  return. 
  The 
  fireworks 
  have 
  now 
  been 
  

   discontinued 
  for 
  a 
  year 
  or 
  two, 
  but 
  the 
  habit 
  of 
  leaving 
  at 
  this 
  time 
  

   has 
  apparently 
  got 
  ingrained, 
  although 
  I 
  think 
  there 
  are 
  indications 
  

   that 
  they 
  are 
  breaking 
  off 
  the 
  habit, 
  as 
  witness 
  the 
  Weston 
  Rooks, 
  

   which 
  have 
  stayed 
  the 
  year 
  round 
  since 
  the 
  fireworks 
  were 
  stopped. 
  

  

  " 
  According 
  to 
  Colonel 
  Dawson, 
  the 
  courteous 
  owner 
  of 
  Weston, 
  

   the 
  habit 
  started 
  about 
  thirty 
  years 
  ago, 
  coincident 
  with 
  the 
  fireworks, 
  

   as 
  before 
  then 
  they 
  did 
  not 
  leave, 
  and, 
  if 
  nothing 
  occurs 
  in 
  the 
  mean- 
  

   time, 
  a 
  few 
  more 
  years 
  will 
  probably 
  see 
  them 
  again 
  staying 
  there 
  

   throughout 
  the 
  winter. 
  In 
  the 
  meantime, 
  it 
  offers 
  a 
  most 
  interesting 
  

   study 
  in 
  avian 
  intelligence, 
  and 
  incidentally 
  shows 
  how 
  the 
  Rooks 
  

   stick 
  to 
  their 
  old 
  roosting-trees, 
  or 
  they 
  would 
  otherwise 
  have 
  long 
  

   since 
  forsaken 
  this 
  place 
  altogether. 
  

  

  " 
  The 
  whole 
  phenomenon 
  of 
  winter 
  roosting 
  by 
  these 
  birds 
  may^ 
  

   I 
  think, 
  be 
  explained 
  by 
  two 
  reasons, 
  i. 
  e. 
  shelter 
  and 
  safety. 
  Evi- 
  

   dently 
  they 
  consider 
  there 
  is 
  safety 
  in 
  numbers, 
  and 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  

   already 
  seen, 
  there 
  are 
  no 
  roosts 
  in 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  where 
  the 
  

   birds 
  are 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  disturbed, 
  even 
  though 
  there 
  may 
  be 
  other 
  places 
  

   in 
  the 
  neighbourhood 
  which 
  may 
  afford 
  as 
  efficient 
  shelter." 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  ' 
  Irish 
  Naturalist 
  ' 
  for 
  this 
  month 
  Sir 
  Robert 
  Lloyd 
  Patterson 
  

   continues 
  his 
  notes 
  on 
  " 
  The 
  Common 
  Mussel 
  in 
  Belfast 
  Lough": 
  — 
  

  

  " 
  The 
  quantity 
  of 
  Mussels 
  (Mytilus 
  edulis) 
  exported 
  from 
  Belfast 
  in 
  

   the 
  first 
  three 
  months 
  (January, 
  February, 
  and 
  March) 
  of 
  the 
  following 
  

   years 
  was 
  :— 
  1889, 
  483 
  tons; 
  1890, 
  256 
  tons; 
  1891, 
  233 
  tons; 
  1892, 
  

   5 
  tons 
  ; 
  1893, 
  1 
  ton 
  ; 
  1894, 
  1532 
  tons; 
  similar 
  returns 
  for 
  subsequent 
  

   years 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  present 
  being 
  as 
  follow 
  (I 
  am 
  indebted 
  for 
  them 
  to 
  Mr. 
  

   W. 
  A. 
  Currie, 
  the 
  courteous 
  Secretary 
  of 
  the 
  Belfast 
  Harbour 
  Com- 
  

   missioners) 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  First 
  three 
  months 
  Whole 
  year 
  

  

  i 
  3191 
  tons 
  

  

  3518 
  „ 
  

  

  1229 
  ,' 
  

  

  3974 
  ,, 
  

  

  2010 
  „ 
  

  

  1287 
  „ 
  

  

  1436 
  „ 
  

  

  1214 
  „ 
  

  

  566 
  „ 
  

  

  1895 
  

  

  705 
  

  

  1896 
  

  

  1076 
  

  

  1897 
  

  

  240 
  

  

  1898 
  

  

  2237 
  

  

  L899 
  

  

  1547 
  

  

  1900 
  

  

  694 
  

  

  1901 
  

  

  724 
  

  

  1902 
  

  

  660 
  

  

  1903 
  

  

  274 
  

  

  1904 
  

  

  65 
  

  

  