278 REPORTS. 



centre and more wooded parts of the Island have been 

 neglected for the more productive and pleasant cliffs. But 

 that there are still many unrecorded species, which will only 

 be found inland, I am persuaded. A large proportion of the 

 considerable additions I have made to the known fauna of 

 Guernsey have not been coast insects. In the case of the 

 Micro-lepidoptera, the lanes, gardens and fields are likely to 

 offer the best chance of fresh discoveries and an extended list. 

 Parts of S. Andrew's parish also appear very promising. 



THIS TEAR'S ADDITIONS TO OUR LIST. 



Eupitheeia subfulvata. 

 Erastria faseiata. 



Frank E. Lowe, F.E.S., 



Hon. Sec, Entom. Section. 



Report of the Ornithological Section, 1916. 



The habits and behaviour of birds in and about the firing- 

 line in France and Flanders since the outbreak of the war has 

 been the subject of interesting articles in different papers. 

 Some writers have stated that the noise of the guns and the 

 general destruction has scared the birds and driven them 

 away, while others have emphatically denied this and recorded 

 observations in proof of their statements. 



One careful observer — H. Thoburn-Clarke — in a delight- 

 fully written contribution to Country Life of October 7th, 

 titled " Swallows at the Front," says : 



" The idea that gun-fire would chase away the birds has 

 been quite exploded, and the pathetic story of the swallows 

 and martins wheeling around the ruins of their last year's 

 home, tweeting miserably and then departing from the 

 battle area of ruined towns and villages is quite untrue. 

 Personally, I think the swallows and martins prefer the 

 ruins. The vast quantity of insects which the life on the 

 battlefield encourages provides them with plenty of food 

 and accounts for the fact that swallows and martins are far 

 more plentiful than they were during pre-war days." 



Mr. Thoburn-Clarke begins his article thus : 



" At half -past seven on Easter Sunday the airscout on the 

 look-out for hostile aircraft called me out to see the first 

 swallow. The jolly little beggar was hawking about over 

 the guns catching insects in the most natural manner in 

 the world. Although every now and then a gun boomed 

 out its deadly message, the swallow did not appear at all 

 alarmed by the noise .... Later in the day a service was 



