Short Notes and Queries. 



123 



species of sponge. On breaking the mass up into suitable pieces for my 

 aquarium, I also found three small crabs of another species, not yet 

 determined. I have handed over the refuse sand, &c., to a friendly 

 microscopist for examination. Unfortunately many of the animals had 

 died from exposure to the air ; had it been otherwise, the whole would 

 have formed a splendid object for a large tank.— J. D. Butterell, 2, St. 

 John-street, Beverley, Feb. 11th, 1883. 



Badger in Cleveland. — A fine male badger was caught a few days ago 

 near the river Lees, by Mr. Thomas Braithwaite of Red Hall Farm, near 

 Yarm. The weight of it is about 25ft)s. — W. Gregson, Baldersby, 

 Thirsk, January 29th, 1883. 



Scarcity of Winter Birds. — Referring to the letter in the January 

 No. of the Naturalist upon the scarcity of birds, both residents and winter 

 visitors, at the present time, I can fully confirm the writer's remarks 

 respecting many species. We have very few fieldfares or redwings this 

 winter. I myself have seen none, but hear of one or two small flocks 

 having been noticed by other persons. The absence of woodcocks has 

 been a great disappointment to the majority of sportsmen. Covers from 

 which some of these birds have been invariably killed in former years, 

 have been entirely blank this winter, and I have only heard of one or two 

 having been shot in the neighbourhood in the month of October. The 

 first bird observed was shot on the 16th of that month. Not a single 

 short-eared owl has been recorded, though a few generally accompany 

 the woodcocks here. Hooded crows are of much more frequent occur- 

 rence than formerly — in fact they are becoming abundant in this locality. 

 Since Oct. 25th, when I first saw one, very few days have passed without 

 my hearing their harsh croak. The first flock of siskins appeared on the 

 28th o? October, and these birds, as well as gold-crests, were abundant 

 from that date until about Christmas, when they left us. Some large 

 flocks of snow buntings made their appearance about Nov. 25th, on the 

 higher cultivated land a few miles from here. Snipe and jack-snipe have 

 not been nearly so numerous as in previous winters. The first jack-snipe 

 seen was shot on the 11th December. During the last week or two a few 

 magpies have come down to us from the hillside plantations, which does 

 not often occur. The peewits have never left us, although they usually 

 do so ; and, about the commencement of this year, a large flock of golden 

 plovers, consisting of several hundreds, paid us a visit for a few days. 

 Starlings, song-thrushes, blackbirds, and wrens sufiered severely during 

 the three consecutive hard winters of 1878-79-80. but the two latter are 

 again increasing — much more so than the two former. Song-thrushes 

 have been entirely absent this winter, but a few made their appearance 

 about the 3rd Inst. Bullfinches have been unusually plentiful ; skylarks 

 have been scarce, but began to re-appear the first week of this month 

 (February^. Titlarks were fairly numerous in December, but they have 



