340 
REV. M. C. H. BIRD ON ACORNS. 
computed to have been a resident of that country. The Oak 
supports a greater variety of insect life than any other of our 
forest trees. Some 500 different species of insects, directly 
or indirectly, affect the Oak ; about half of these are either 
parasitic on the Oak itself (Mr. Mosley, of the Huddersfield 
Museum, mentions 272 of them by name), the rest are either 
parasites living on the grubs of these insects, or obtain 
sustenance from the galls caused by their presence. The 
various species of galls early attracted the attention of 
Nature students — Pliny wrote of them. Gerard, of Barnacle 
Goose fame, said “ Oak apple galls doe foreshowe the sequell 
of the yeare,” and that they were commonly consulted as 
auguries. This was one of the popular fallacies in natural 
history that Sir Thomas Browne was at pains to combat in 
“ Vulgar Errors.” 
VI. 
METEOROLOGICAL NOTES, 1911. 
(From Observations taken at Norwich). 
By Arthur W. Preston, F.R. Met. Soc. 
Read joth January , 1912. 
January. 
Hardly had New Year’s Day passed away when a nocturnal 
thunderstorm of unusual violence for the time of year, 
accompanied by blizzards of snow and hail, broke over the 
northern and eastern parts of the county, including Norwich 
and the neighbourhood. The winterly accompaniments of 
this storm were, however, short lived, and during the 
remainder of the month the weather was generally mild, 
with a tendency to fog on some days. 
