88 



Reviews and Book Notices. 



from two to about eig-ht individuals, clinging to each other's 

 backs ; but they are less numerous and more dispersed than 

 when I first noticed them at the end of October 1904. When 

 put in a warm place they soon become active, though I have not 

 seen any movement among-st those on the bushes even on a mild 

 day. When a strong- wind is blowing they seem to be on the 

 unexposed side of the branch. I do not know whether they 

 move round according to the direction of the wind, or whether 

 they choose the side away from the prevailing wind when they 

 settle down for the winter. I should like to know whether it is 

 usual for Lady-birds to spend the winter in this way? Also the 

 advantage of crowding together into a cluster? — Margery 

 H. Briggs, Otley. 



[Kirby and Spence (Introduction to 'Entomology,' Vol. II., 

 pp. 437-441), in discussing the hybernating habits of insects, 

 say, 'Occasionally . . several individuals of one species as . . . 

 several CoccinellcF are found crowded together .... That it is 

 not wholly accidental seems proved by the fact that such 

 assemblages are generally of the same genus and even species.' 

 The very favourable autumn of 1904 w^as productive of immense 

 numbers of the 7-spot Lady-bird, and after such seasons the 

 clustering habit is not unusual. — E. G. B.] 



REVIEWS AND BOOK NOTICES. 



THE COWTHORPE OAK. 



When the members of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union 

 visited the Cow^thorpe Oak, in May 1903, they had the use of 

 a manuscript containing an account of the Oak (as well as of 

 other large trees in the country), which had been written by 

 Mr. John Clayton. This contained a complete history of the 

 trees from all available sources, as well as measurements taken 

 at different periods. The Botanical Society of Edinborough has 

 recently published Mr, Clayton's paper in its 'Transactions,' 

 and has thus put upon record some most valuable information, 

 relating not only to the Cow^thorpe Oak, but to other giants in 

 the vegetable world. Photographs of several of the trees are 

 also reproduced by the same society, to which we are indebted 

 for the loan of that illustrating ' the largest in diameter of all 

 Oaks,' reproduced as Plate III. 



Naturalist, 



