THE YOUNG NATURALIST. 



283 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



All communications to be Hunt to J. E. Robson, 1/5, 

 Northgatc, Hartlonool; or to S. L. Mosley Beau- 

 mont Park, Hudtlorefield. 



Subscriptions for Vol. III. arc now past 

 due, and we will be glad to have remit- 

 tance from those who have not yet sent 

 them. Weekly numbers or monthly parts, 

 post free, C /- per annum, or i/G per quar- 

 ter, in advmce. Coloured plates, 2d. each 

 extra. These can only be had direct from 

 the conductors as above, but any one 

 procuring them through the booksellers 

 can have them coloured on application. 



To H. Andrews, Aldborough, our thanks 

 are especially due for the nest of the 

 Spotted Flycatcher. The plates contain- 

 ing this species are due with this month's 

 part of "British Birds," but we hold 

 them back another month in the hopes 

 of obtaining a full feathered young bird. 

 We issue the Dipper plates instead. 



NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS 



The Nightingale at Whitby. — A night- 

 ingale {Sylvia luscina) about three weeks ago 

 took up its abode in a plantation a short 

 distance from the town. As this is only the 

 third that has ever, so far as I can ascertain, 

 been heard in this district, it is, perhaps, 

 unnecessary to state that large numbers 

 availed themselves of the opportunity to 

 hear its matchless song. I record this fact 

 as, on referring to a list of Yorkshire towns 

 in which the nightingale is said to have 

 been heard, I do not fmd Whitby amongst 

 them.— 8. H. B. Thornton, Whitby, June 

 22nd, 18S2. 



SiRKX GiGAs, &c. — A fine and perfect 

 specimen of this insect has just come into 

 my possession. Some men were discharging 

 a cargo of pit props from Sweden the other 

 day, when one of them felt something moving 

 upon his neck: He knocked it off with his 

 hand, and as it was an insect none of them 

 had seen before, it was carefully secured for 



me. No doubt it had come from Sweden 

 in the vessel. We get many longicorne beetles 

 about the timber yard, S. cdilis, M . zutor 

 and sartor, P. /asciculatus, and others are 

 often common, as also is P. pini. These 

 beetles seem to come over as larvx or pupae 

 and to emerge after they reach our shores. 

 This year I have taken three or four species 

 that I have not met with before. 



BRITISH BIRDS, THEIR 

 NESTS AND EGGS. 



By S. L. Mosley. 

 Genus III. Cinclus. 

 CiNCLUs. (Gr.) a lattice, probably from 

 the markings on the back of the bird. This 

 genus has only one representative in Britain, 

 and few other species exist abroad. The 

 bill has a ridge along the upper edge, 

 moderately long and slightly turned upward* 

 Tail and wings short ; claws long ; the body 

 very plump and round. 



23, DIPPER. 

 Cinclus aqua iciis, Bcchst. 

 Aquaticus, from aqua (L.) water, the bird 

 being always found about water. 



Size. — Length, about 7^- in. ; expanse, 

 12 in. 



Plumage.— Bill blackish ; eyes hazel ; 

 top and sides of head, and neck bro%\Tiish 

 black ; back wings and tail sooty black, 

 the feathers margined by darker colour ; 

 throat and breast white, suddenly changing 

 to chestnut on the belly, and gradually 

 changing to sooty black at the vent ; legs 

 horn colour. The sexes are very similar. 



Immature birds have the upper parts palo 

 sooty black, the feathers margined with 

 darker colour ; breast and belly yellowish 

 white, each feather margined with sooty 

 (pi. 23. fig. 2). 



Varieties. — One white specimen is re- 

 corded. There is also a variety of this bird 

 found in Scandanavia, which is sometimes 

 described as a distinct species, under the 



