peesident's address. 267 



Owing to the severe winter few, if any birds of rarity have 

 been observed in the game shops or in the country. Eirds gener- 

 ally have greatly suffered, and many, as Thrushes and others, 

 have been picked up frozen to death. The ground having been, 

 for four or five months, more or less covered with snow, their 

 usual supplies of food were not attainable. Even the sea birds 

 have been, in some cases, fellow-sufferers with those of the land. 

 Eooks were driven by hunger into the town, and were often seen 

 in Eldon Square with Starlings and Redbreasts. Mr. Howse has 

 had in his garden, at the back of Saville E-ow, Starlings, Thrushes, 

 and Blackbirds. Mr. John Hancock has fed from his windows 

 in St. Mary's Terrace, through the storms. Thrushes, Blackbirds, 

 Hedge Sparrows, and the Blue and Greater Titmouse. Many 

 Sparrows must have been killed, though they pick up the most 

 of their food in the streets. 



The higher temperature of the bodies of bii-ds, being from 6° 

 to 12° Fahr. above that of mammals, greatly enables them to re- 

 sist the effects of external cold, but the want of heat-producing 

 food during the prevalence of unusually cold weather enfeebles 

 and destroys them. 



Mr. John Hancock has very kindly furnished me with the fol- 

 lowing notes on birds : — '^ A specimen of the Turtle Dove, Turtur 

 auritus, E-ay, was shot at Woodhorn Grange on the 24th of Octo- 

 ber, by Mr. James Edward. Mr. Thomas Thompson, one of our 

 Secretaries, bought a mature specimen of the brown variety of 

 the Partridge at a poulterer's shop in l^ewcastle, on the 22nd of 

 September, 1877. This is the last individual I have heard of. 



*'Mr. C. M. Adamson wrote to mc on the 20th of August, 

 1878, from Holy Island, that he had shot a young Spotted Red- 

 shank. It was with another bird, probably of the same species. 

 Several of the Little Auk, Merguhis alle, Linn., have been found 

 on the coast, or a little way in-land, either dead or in a very weak 

 state. One was taken alive on a pond at Mr. Lange's, Moor 

 House, near Whitburn, on the 16th of November, 1878. It died 

 very shortly after it was taken, and was in very poor condition. 

 Mr. Lange presented the specimen to luo and it is now in my 



w 



