224 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



thrusting in a piece of reed; but, finding that perfectly useless, he 

 bethought himself of his pipe, and, by blowing in some tobacco-smoke, 

 they were soon compelled to evacuate their stronghold ; and on one 

 protruding its head he seized it and drew it out, receiving a sharp bite 

 which drew blood, and in the same manner obtained two more, and 

 allowed fifteen others to escape in safety. The three he brought alive to 

 me the next day. This is the first instance of the occurrence of this 

 species, as a native of Sussex, I am aware of, though I had introduced 

 it from the neighbourhood of Dover in 1851, and established it at Henfield 

 (see Zool. 1874, p. 4126, and 1891, p. 203). — Wm. Bokrer (Cowfold, 

 Sussex). 



The crystalline lens in Vertebrates.— Dr. R. W. Shufeldt, writing 

 in the New York journal 'Science' of April 28th, remarks: — "The 

 crystalline lens in the eye of man consists of three triangular segments, 

 and their existence is easily demonstrated by immersion of the lens in 

 strong alcohol, or by boiling it. The apices of these three segments are at 

 the centre of the lens, in front ; their bases in the circumference. Another 

 structural feature of the lens is seen in the laminae of which it is composed. 

 The treatment just proposed demonstrates these also, consisting, as they 

 do, of concentric layers, which are firm at the centre, but become softer as 

 we approach the peripheral ones. Likewise, by thus treating the crystalline 

 lens from the eye of a horse, we prove that it also divides into its concentric 

 laminae, and its three triangular segments. But whether this holds true in 

 the case of all vertebrates has not, I think, been demonstrated." 



BIRDS. 



Black Redstart at Flamborough Head. — It is not, I think, generally 

 known how very frequent a visitor the Black Redstart, Ruticilia titys (Scop.), 

 is at Flamborough Head in spring and autumn. In the former season it 

 appears earlier and in the latter season later than the Common Redstart. 

 Recently when at Flamborough I was shown by Mr. M. Bailey the skins 

 of two adult males of R. titys, which had been caught in the spring of 1891, 

 in which year they came " not single spies, but in battalions," first some 

 on April 6th, and again a great rush on May 10th and 11th, scores of 

 fine adult males being seen in hedges and gardens, and this over a 

 very considerable district, Common Redstarts, Pied Flycatchers, and 

 other small insect-eaters coming at the same time. I think it very 

 probable, however, that only the males of R. titys would be recognised 

 by local observers, the females being confounded with those of R. phceni* 

 curus. The northerly range of the Black Redstart apparently does not 

 extend (except as an occasional visitor) north of the Baltic; so that it 

 is probable our English visitors in the spring are such as have been 



