SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 399 



heard at a distance are free or caged ; and I may say that it is generally 

 possible to be absolutely certain upon this point. Under the distracting 

 influences of life in a cage, the Sky Lark soon changes its notes, or perhaps, 

 if reared from the nest, never acquires them in their native accurate repro- 

 duction of field-sounds, prominent among which (in Gloucestershire) are the 

 voices of the Buntings, Swallow, and Peewit. It is probable that in the 

 songs of Mr. Butler's Redwing there are hardly any notes of the free birds, 

 whose songs can only be recorded on the evidence of persons who have heard 

 them in a state of nature. May I add that I shall be glad to receive 

 notes relative to bird-song, on which I hope soon to publish some interesting 

 observations. — Charles A. Witchell (Stroud, Gloucestershire). 



Egyptian Goose in Devon. — An adult male of this species was shot on 

 the River Exe on May 9th. It was in good plumage, and not the slightest 

 trace was visible of its ever having been in captivity. The probable cause 

 of its appearance at that time of the year is, that possibly during the past 

 severe winter a pair of these birds strayed from their home, wherever that 

 might be ; one no doubt fell to the gun of a wildfowler, whilst the survivor 

 wandered about in search of its companion up to the time of its 

 destruction in May last. From inquiries made, I find that no Egyptian 

 Geese are kept within several miles of the place where this bird was shot ; 

 in fact, I think I am right in saying that none are kept in this county. 

 Like the Canada Goose, it is an introduced species, and has never been 

 known to cross the Mediterranean in a wild state ; hence my reason for not 

 including it in my ' Birds of Devonshire.' The bird in question is now 

 being preserved for my collection. — W. E. H. Ptdsley (Blue Hayes House, 

 Broadclyst, Devon). 



MOLLUSCA. 



A Sinistral Variety of Helix hortensis. — Mr. H. E. Quilter has been 

 kind enough to forward to me a number of very fine specimens of H. arbus- 

 torum, Linne, collected at Boulogne-sur-Mer in August, 1890, by Mr. J. 

 Palmer, of Leicester, amongst which I find there are two specimens of 

 II. hortensis, Miiller, one a sinistral form of the variety unicolor, Pascal, and 

 the other the variety lutea, Moq.— W. E. Collinge (Leeds). 



SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES, 



Entomological Society of London. 



September 2, 1891.— Mr. Frederick DuCane Godman, M.A., F.R.S., 

 President, in the chair. 



Mr. W. H. Blaber, of Groombridge, Sussex ; Mr. T. D. A. Cockerell, 

 F.Z.S., of Kingston, Jamaica : Mr. R. E. V. Hanson, B.A., of Tunbridge 



