771 
XX. 
UKXITHOLOGICAL XOT£S FOU 1882. 
£y Henry Stevenson, F.L.S. 
Read 2 ^th March, 1884 . 
In tlio abseiico of Mr. (Quinton’s elaborate ami valuable Meteoro- 
logical Notes, I cannot help feeling personally indebted to Jlr. 
Preston for bis “ Sinninary,” to compare with my own Aveatber 
records, and literally speaking, I look with blank amazement at the 
paucity of notes in my journal on other topics, for the exceptional 
year of 1882. I never remember twelve months so devoid of special 
occurrences in relation to Ornithology j and, failing these, I will 
dwell more at length on minor incidents, and the eflect of abnormal 
seasons upon the feathered tribes both resident and migratory. 
Such remarks may not prove uninteresting to many readers, 
and the clfect of an early, but fickle spring, and a chill stormy 
summer, upon the Iliviindincs, in particular, is, in itself, a notc- 
Avorthy subject. 
A bad season for the shore-gunners means, ahvays, brief notes for 
the Naturalist ; and both before and after Christmas, in the Aviuter 
of 1881 2, an almost total absence of “ hard-Aveather ” foAvl, and a 
singular scarcity of Fieldfares and Eedwings, arc readily accounted 
for in Mr. Preston’s notes, Avhen he speaks of November, 1881, as 
“ the mildest and Avarmest for many years.” December, also, as 
“ mild and stormy,” and January, of 1882, as “ free from snoAv, Avith 
but little frost, and rain and fog predominating with southerly and 
Avesterly Avinds.” The same kind of AA'eather, Avith the exception 
of a feAV rime frosts and heavy gales, toAvards the end of the month, 
prevailed in February and, with the wind chiefly south and west, 
no Avonder vegetation Avas unusually early. The great army of 
Avinter migrants had passed down our coasts at tfieir usual period, 
and no subsequent stress of weather impelled those Avintering in 
the North of England and Scotland to feed their Avay sorrtlnvards. 
