136 



THE NATURALIST. 



Jti^otin of S>atutun. 



NORWICH naturalists' SOCIETY. 



Reports of Meetings. 



October 22nd, 1866. Mr. J. J. Eice, 

 president in the chair. New Member, Mr. 

 "William Eeynolds of Norwich. Mr. T. 

 E. Gunn, hon. sec, exhibited a pair of 

 those singular birds the Pallas Sand Grouse 

 killed near Yarmouth, in June 1863 ; he 

 also read, for the second time (at the 

 request of the meeting) his paper on the 

 remarkable visitation of the species in all 

 parts of the British Isles during that year; 

 with additional notes on their food, habits, 

 distinction of sexes, description of plu- 

 mage, &c. 



Nov. 5th. The president in the chair. 

 Mr. T. E. Gunn exhibited the white 

 variety of the Skylark recently shot in 

 Norfolk, (see Naturalist vol. iii. page 109.) 



The president exhibited a box of aquatic 

 insects. 



Mr. J. Perry exhibited a box of Lepi- 

 doptera. 



Dec. 3rd, 1866.— The president in the 

 chair. The chairman contributed an ex- 

 cellent paper on the " Contrast of city 

 and country life, or the uses and abuses of 

 nature." The subject proved highly inter- 

 esting and led to a discussion amongst the 

 members relating to the several reasons 

 why the study of nature is conducive to 

 the health, amusement, and instruction of 

 the student. 



Mr. T. Gunn, hon. sec, exhibited seve- 

 ral rare species of birds recently captured 

 in various parts of Norfolk, including 

 examples of the Shore-lark, Waxwing, 

 Chatterer, Little Auk, and a cream- 

 coloured variety of the common Partridge. 



Boxes of recent Entomological captures 

 were exhibited by Messrs. Rice, Brooks, 

 and Bacon. At the conclusion of the 

 meeting a vote of thanks was passed to the 

 chairman and exhibitors. 



Waxwings in Norfolk and SuffolTc. — 

 This beautiful species arrived in large 

 numbers in these counties during the mid- 

 dle part of November last. As usual with 

 the arrival of birds of passage, a large 

 number soon fell victims to the gun. I 

 have examined myself nearly forty speci- 

 mens that have passed into my hands for 

 preservation, and seen and heard of as 

 many more up to the present date. I hope 

 to be enabled to give the readers of the 

 Naturalist full particulars in the next 

 number, of those occurring in Norfolk, 

 The information of the Suffolk specimens 

 I shall defer for a short time as I intend to 

 give a list of the occurrence of the rare 

 birds in that coimty that have passed under 

 my own observation during the last few 

 years. — T. E. Gunn, 3, "West Pottergate, 

 Norwich, December 13th. 1866. 



The Black Redstart. — Phcenicura Tithys 

 seen at Wakefield. — A frien.l of mine Mr. 

 John Firth, saw this rare bird on the 12th 

 of November in the sheep pens at Wake- 

 field, he observed it perched on the sheep- 

 bars. Will the Wakefield Naturalists 

 say if they have observed it. — Fred. 

 Waite, Clayton West, Huddersfield. 



A specimen of the Peacock Butterfly, 

 was caught in Stoneham Park, Hampshire, 

 on Monday, December 17th, 1866.— ^ - 

 Manchester Examiner and Times. 



