392 
XIV. 
OENITHOLOGICAL NOTES FOR 1880.^' 
By Henry Stevenson, F.L.S., Y.P. 
Read 2 Sth March, 1882 . 
This year, as last, the entries in my note-book for the first two or 
three months seem devoted rather to the weather than to matters 
Ornithological, the dearth, as to the latter, being accounted for by 
the severity of the early winter having driven migrants, and many 
residents, far to the south, and later frosts, therefore, however sharp for 
a time, failed to supply our local gunners with the sport they had an- 
ticipated. The year commenced with an extremely mild temperature, 
though with stormy winds, hut the evening of the 1st of January 
Avas remarkable for a marvellous effect of sky about 4 p.m. and 
lasting till sunset, Avhich proved a general topic of conversation 
and of comment in the newspapers. Its chief features Avere a Avide 
expanse of the deepest cobalt blue, such as one might expect only 
in an Italian scene, the clouds, to the AvestAvard, presenting an 
intensely vivid blending of orange, blue, and green, Avhilst a 
singularly clear light rendered objects distinctly visible miles aAvay 
on the horizon. 
The birds had an open time of it till the middle of the month, 
Avhen a sharpish frost set in Avith a N.E. Avind and, Avith a slight 
fall of snoAV on the 18th, continued Avith more or less severity up 
to the 30th. The hoar-frost on the 28th and 29th Avas unusually 
beautiful, the laden branches of the leafless trees looking at a 
* I much regret that, through ill health and other causes, my Ornithological 
Notes for 1880 did not appear in last year’s ‘ Transactions,’ but rather than 
break the series, Avhich commenced Avith our first publication, I have com- 
pleted them for the present part, to be followed, I hope, next year, by 
those for 1881 and 1882. In the unavoidable absence, also, of Mr. Quinton’s 
“Meteorological Observations,” I have devoted more space than usual to 
the general character of the Aveathcr during each month of the year. 
