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■V 
AVilkinson, of Eickiiighall, in a letter to the “ Times ” of June 
4th, says : — “ Dozens of Swallows and Martins Avere found lying 
dead in this neighbourhood on Sunday last, May 30th, after a 
severe hoar frost.” A similar occurrence is recorded in 1816 by 
Messrs. Sheppard and Whitear in their “ Catalogue of Norfolk 
and Sufiulk Birds.” At that time, as late as the 4th and 5th of 
J une, hundreds of these birds were picked up at Christ Church, 
Ipswich, which had collected in knots, and sat on the grass in 
parcels of thirty and forty. The same summer many House 
Martins were found dead in Norfolk, and some were so weak that 
the cats sprang upon and killed them as they flew near the 
ground . — Henry Stevenson. 
Note on the recent Visitation of Lady- birds, &c. — Norfolk 
has shared the advantages derived from the timely visit of immense 
flights of Lady-birds, and the plague of Aphides, from Avhich 
vegetation was suffering so severely, has rapidly disappeared before 
them. There has been great discussion as to how far we are 
indebted to immigration for these friendly visitors, and from 
whence they come ; of course opinions differ greatly, but I am 
inclined to believe we need not revert to that shadowy land, “ the 
Continent,” to account for their presence. 
In my OAvn garden there have been immense numbers, but the 
numbers of the larvse, I observed, Avas also very gi-eat. Their 
onward movement in search of fresh supplies of food would, I 
think, account for their congregating on the shore, which has Jed to 
the impression that they had just arrived in this country ■, but 
their flight, although strong and rapid, is not, I believe, sufficiently 
sustained to carry them far over the sea, into which they Avould 
drop exhausted and perish. 
In support of this vieAv I Avill mention a circumstance which 
occurred off the Norfolk coast, on the 24th of July last. A 
yacht belonging to Mr. CressAvell of Lynn, sailing off Hunstanton, 
passed through a mass of dead Lady-birds, accumulated on the 
surface of the Avater, about ten feet broad, and extending for tAvo 
or three miles, bearing the appearance of a black stripe on the 
water. 
