NOTES AND ABSTEACTS. 



573 



bution to our knowledge of the food of a large number of British birds 

 based upon the examination of the contents of nearly a thousand stomachs 

 of birds. Lists are given of the birds which are considered wholly innoxious, 

 including the mistle thrush, fieldfare, hedge sparrow, redstart, flycatthers, 

 shrikes, cuckoo, swallow, martin, swift, long-tailed, coal, and marsh tits, 

 &c. ; species which are for the most part useful, though occasionally 

 injurious, including robin, linnet, yellowhammer, corn bunting, skylark, 

 woodpeckers, barn, tawny, and short -eared owls, kestrel, heron, and black- 

 headed gull ; species acting as scavengers ; species generally considered 

 pests of the garden, but with the balance of utility in their favour, including 

 song thrush, great and blue tit, greenfinch, chaffinch, rook ; species generally 

 beneficial from an agricultural point of view, but destructive to game and 

 other birds or their eggs and young ; species which are destructive and 

 doubtfully of any utility, including blackbird, bullfinch, sparrow-hawk, 

 raven ; and species wholly destructive and useless, carrion crow, house 

 sparrow, wood pigeon. — F. J. C. 



Bitter-rot of Apples : Horticultural Investigations. By 



J. C. Blair {U.S. A. Exp. Stn. Illinois, Bull. 117; August 1907; 

 2 figs.). — Experiments in controlling bitter-rot (caused by Glomerella 

 ntfo-maculans), continuing over five years, are reported. Considerable 

 difference in behaviour under spraying is reported ; but it is concluded 

 that properly made Bordeaux mixture, applied in a proper manner, will 

 save 90 per cent, of the fruit liable to attack by bitter-rot. The best 

 results were obtained when the fruit was sprayed in such a manner as 

 to be thoroughly coated with the spray-mixture when the first infection 

 of the disease appeared. Dust spraying proved ineffectual ; pure copper 

 sulphate failed to check the disease. Three applications should be made : 

 one in the last week in June, the others at intervals of ten days. The 

 main factors encouraging the disease are : (1) A period of hot weather 

 accompanied by frequent rains, and heavy dews at the time the apples 

 are approaching maturity ; and (2) the presence of canker spots upon the 

 limbs of the tree and mummied fruits left hanging (see Journal R.H.S. 

 xxxiii. p. 587). — F. J. C. 



Blossoming- of Fruit Trees, Notes on Time of. By C. H. 



Hooper, M.R.A.C. (Jour. Bd. Agr. xv. 1908, p. 678).— The period over 

 which gooseberries, currants, cherries, strawberries, plums, apples, and 

 pears were in bloom during 1908 is given, and the order of flowering. 

 The observations were undertaken with the object of ascertaining what 

 damage was attributable to frost ; but as the period of flowering was 

 remarkably free from frost during 1908 no conclusions could be arrived 

 at. The importance of planting varieties which flower together so as to 

 secure cross-fertilization is pointed out (see also Jour. R.H.S. xxvii. 

 p. cxc. and xxviii. p. clxvi). — F. J. C. 



Bulbophyllum g-albinum. By R. A. Rolfe (Bot. Mag. tab. 8216).— 

 Nat. ord. Orchidaceae ; tribe Epidendreae. Malay Peninsula. Epiphyte 

 with a long creeping rhizome ; leaves petioled, 4^-8 inches long ; flowers 

 large, greenish-yellow ; sepals dotted and petals striped with purple- 

 brown ; lip purple. — G. H. 



