582 
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES AND OBSEKVATIONS. 
done, but few would give credit to it. I have, at different times, 
had five mice killed to every coomb of corn moved off the stacks 
in the summer season, and sometimes double that quantity ; besides 
being on every other part of the premises, corn and grass pieces 
not excepted. Some are driven into the barns and stacks in wet 
seasons ; but when wheat stands long on the shock, we are sure to 
have most mice in our barns and stacks except where they are 
driven away by some other vermin : — in my memory there were 
twenty Grey Owls, [the Tawny Owl, Syrnium aluco (Lin)] where 
there are now one, and though the country was in a rougher state, 
we had not so many mice, the owls prey [p. 532] very much on 
them, and in wet weather they are more exposed to the owl than to 
any other vermin. The Grey Owl is destroyed by the game-keepers, 
and by felling the pollards. I have seen a young hare in their 
nests, but never saw a young pheasant or partridge : — the White or 
Church Owl [Stfna; jlammea Lin.] are not so destructive to game ; 
and where there are places made within side the top of one end of 
every barn, like a box, for them to pass through as they come into 
the barn, they would there make their nests, and become more 
numerous, and be of great service. (Signed) S. Johnson.”’ — T. 
Southwell. 
Note on the flowering of Nycterinia Capensis. — In the 
autumn of 1902 this plant, which was exhibited by me at one of 
our evening meetings, was flowering freely in a cool greenhouse ; 
and I made observations as to the conditions under which it opened 
and closed. On September 14th, the flowers unfolded at 3 p.m. 
and at 4 o’clock were wide open but scentless, at 4.45 there was 
a slight scent, and strong perfume at 5.30 ; the pot was then placed 
in a dark shed, and when the door of this was opened the next 
morning at 9 a.m. the flowers were all closed. The pot was placed 
in the evening near an electric lamp, but remained open and at 
3.30 a.m. the flowers were still wide open, while at 5 a.m. they 
were partly closed but scented, and at 6 a.m. quite closed. On 
26th September, the morning was bright but cold and some flowers 
were found open at 9.30 but without perfume, these when held 
near to the mouth, and breathed on, closed slightly but in the cool 
air soon re-opened. Two of the sub-divisions of the corolla closed 
first, when the other three closed over them making little purple 
balls, the flowers being white when open, these divisions were 
irregularly sub-divided. When opening, there was some interval 
