Slater : The Twite's Nest at Pilmooe. 



181 



traces, nor of any ducks. As we waded all over the marshes we could 

 hardly have failed to remark their presence ; nor are we inclined to 

 think that they do breed there, as Mr. Thackeray, Capt. Galwey's 

 agent, tells us that they are never seen there in the breeding season. 

 Neither black-headed gulls were seen, nor little grebes : at the 

 absence of the latter we were rather surprised. 



In addition to the birds already mentioned, willow wrens were 

 abundant, and there were plenty of meadow and tree pipits and 

 commoner birds. The following plants were noticed : — Genista 

 anylica plentiful, just coming into flower; Pingidcula vulgaris ; Drostra 

 rotundifolia ; Narthecium ossifragum ; U lex {nanus) Triglocliin palmtre; 

 Gomarum palustre \ Menyantlies trifoliata', Valeriana dioica\ a dwarf 

 species of willow, Carex pracox ; G. stricta ; Pilularia globulifera ; 

 and a species of I^itella in fruit. Gentiana Pnenmonanthe will 

 probably be found in the season. 



[The twite, or mountain linnet, nests rather commonly on the dry moors round 

 Huddersfield. I have eggs which I foimd on the low end of Crosland Moor 

 (the nest contained six eggs), close beside the new Beaumont Park, within 

 a short distance of a thickly populated part of our town. — G. T. Pokritt.] 



ON SCAKCITY AND ABUNDANCE IN INSECT LIFE. 

 {Contimied.) 



By Ben^j, Cooke. 



It may not be out of place here to give a passing glance at the 

 Scriptural account of the plague of locusts. In Exodus x., 13, it is 

 said: — " And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, 

 and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day, 

 and all that night ; and when it was morning the east wind brought 

 the locusts." After they had devoured every green food, it is stated 

 (v. 19) " And the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, which took 

 away the locusts, and cast them into the Red Sea ; there remained not 

 one locust in all the coasts of Egypt," Now at this distance of time 

 it is impossible to say w^hat species of locust it was, or whether indeed 

 it was a locust at aU; but the account is so suggestive of the habits 

 of Locusta migratoria, that we may reasonably assume it to have been 

 either that or an allied species. Be that as it may, the wonderful part 

 of the history is that the Egyptians were threatened with the locusts, 

 and that the threat was carried into execution ; but the manner of 

 their appearance and the manner of their departure seems to me to 

 have been strictly in accordance with nature. 



