Mr. Oliver's Notes on Natural History. 127 



DOUBTFUL COINS. 



All miserably covered with green incrustation. 



38.— Of the old weight . . . . .1 



39. — New weight in its present state, but with old crown. 



Quatrefoil on each side of neck. . . .1 



40. — Groat of one of the kings of Scotland, named James . 1 

 4t. — Another . . . . . .1 



SUMMARY. 



Edward III. 22 



Henry V. - - - - 6 



Henry V. VI. - - - - 28 



Henry YI. - - - - - 31 



Edward IV. - - . 3 



Doubtful - - - - 4 



94 



Notes on Natural History, by William Oliver, of 

 Langraw. Read by Sir Walter Elliott. 



Forty years ago a starling was rarely seen in this neigh- 

 bourhood except in flocks in autumn, when they appeared to 

 be passing to the south. Now, they are not uncommon, and 

 build in hollow trees, unused chimneys, and the roofs of such 

 houses as afford them secure places for their nests. 



I have not seen or heard a lark in my fields this season, 

 or, so far as I can recollect, for years. When I was a boy 

 they were in such numbers that, in spring, their song scarcely 

 ceased from daybreak till night. At the time when they 

 were so abundant it was noticed that the crane-fly [Tipula ?] 

 or daddy-long-legs abounded to such an extent that a person 

 walking through the grass was accompanied by a constant 

 cloud of them ; now, one may go out and not see any. Can 

 the lark and the crane-fly have bearing upon one another ? 

 The farm at the time was cultivated very much as it is at 

 present, though possibly the sorts of grasses produced may 

 have been altered by artificial manures which are now applied 



